IllustrationSEAT RECLINER SKIPS TEETH, FAILS, SATURN REFUSES TO REPLACE UNDER RECALL, CLAIMS DATE OF MANUFACTURE JUST PAST RECALL DATES. UNSAFE. *AK
1994 Saturn Sl
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1994 Saturn Sl do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 171.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Sl years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 16 of 286 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Seat Belts. Review the 49 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seats. Review the 48 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 44 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
51 crash reports4 fire reports32 injury reports
What owners actually said
286 reportsUNCOMMANDED ACCELERATION: CAR ACCELERATES ALL BY ITSELF, TO 4000 RPM. *AK
IS SHIFTER POPPING OUT RELATED TO "CHEWED UP" ACTUATOR CLUTCH CYL.?
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHERE THE DRIVERS INJURIES DUE TO FAILURE OF THE BACK OF THE SEAT, CONSUMER IS REQUESTING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THIS COMPONENT. *SLC
MY SHOULDERBELTS STOPPED WORKING. I WENT TO MY NEAREST SATURN DEALER TO FIND OUT IF THEY WOULD HELP ME. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY COULDNT AND TO COME BACK WITH $35.00 TO GET IT LOOKED AT AND $200.00 TO GET IT FIXED. THEN ON TOP OF THAT THEY WERE VERY RUDE TO ME . I ASKED THEM WHY DO I HAVE TO PAY SO MUCH MONEY TO GET MY SEATBELT FI…
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MY SHOULDERBELTS STOPPED WORKING. I WENT TO MY NEAREST SATURN DEALER TO FIND OUT IF THEY WOULD HELP ME. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY COULDNT AND TO COME BACK WITH $35.00 TO GET IT LOOKED AT AND $200.00 TO GET IT FIXED. THEN ON TOP OF THAT THEY WERE VERY RUDE TO ME . I ASKED THEM WHY DO I HAVE TO PAY SO MUCH MONEY TO GET MY SEATBELT FIXED SO I AM SAVE IN MY SATURN AND THEY TOLD THAT IT WAS MY PROBLEM AND I SHOUD OF GOT A LONGER WARRANTY. I CALLED THE CUSTOMER SERVICE HOTLINE TOLD ABOUT THE SITUATION AND THEY TOLD ME I DONT HAVE A CHOICE BUT TO PAY FOR IT .THIS MADE ME VERY DISAPPOINTED BECAUSE I DONT HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY . SO NOW I HAVE TO FIND SOMEWAY ON GETTING $300.00 TO BE SAFE IN MY SATURN AND GO BACK TO THESE CRUEL PEOPLE WHO WERE SO RUDE THAT COULDNT EVEN APOLOGIZE ONCE TO ME TO GET IT FIXED .*AK
ON A FEW OCCASSIONS CRUISE CONTROL CAUSED A GRADUAL UNWANTED ACCELERATION FROM HIGHWAY SPEED TO APPX. 70 MPH BEFORE I MANUALLY DISENGAGED SAME. ADDITIONALLY, WITHOUT WARNING, CRUISE CONTROL HAS SELF DISENGAGED, CAUSING UNWANTED DECELERATION. THIS HAS OCCURRED ON A GREAT MANY OCCASSIONS, AT SEVERAL DIFFERENT SPEEDS, BUT GENERAL…
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ON A FEW OCCASSIONS CRUISE CONTROL CAUSED A GRADUAL UNWANTED ACCELERATION FROM HIGHWAY SPEED TO APPX. 70 MPH BEFORE I MANUALLY DISENGAGED SAME. ADDITIONALLY, WITHOUT WARNING, CRUISE CONTROL HAS SELF DISENGAGED, CAUSING UNWANTED DECELERATION. THIS HAS OCCURRED ON A GREAT MANY OCCASSIONS, AT SEVERAL DIFFERENT SPEEDS, BUT GENERALLY AT BETWEEN 45 & 55 MPH. SOMETIMES, AFTER DISENGAGING BY ITSELF IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO "RE-ENGAGE" THE CRUISE CONTROL. THESE OCCURRENCES ARE NOT PREDICATED BY ANY SPECIFIC WEATHER CONDITION, ROAD SURFACE CONDITIONS, OR TOUCHING THE BREAK PEDAL. THEY HAVE OCCURRED ON FLAT, LEVEL, GOOD QUALITY ROAD SURFACES IN DRY WEATHER. ON ONLY A FEW OCCASSIONS AFTER THE SELF DISENGAGEMENT, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS FELT TO "CLICK" THEN BECOME RE-ENGAGED WITH CRUISE CONTROL. OCCASSIONS HAVE BEEN SUFFICIENTLY INTERMITTENT TO NOT SEEM A SERIOUS PROBLEM TO TAKE TO DEALER. *AK
BOTH FRONT AND REAR ROTOR ASSEMBLIES WERE REPLACED 2/13/96; LEFT AND RIGHT REAR ROTOR ASSEMBLIES WERE REPLACED 7/3/96; BOTH FRONT ROTOR ASSEMBLIES WERE REPLACED 10/8/96; BOTH FRONT AND BOTH REAR ROTOR ASSEMBLIES WERE REPLACED 6/2/97; THE FRONT ROTOR ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED 7/8/97; FRONT AND REAR ROTOR ASSEMBLIES WERE REPLACED 9/13…
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BOTH FRONT AND REAR ROTOR ASSEMBLIES WERE REPLACED 2/13/96; LEFT AND RIGHT REAR ROTOR ASSEMBLIES WERE REPLACED 7/3/96; BOTH FRONT ROTOR ASSEMBLIES WERE REPLACED 10/8/96; BOTH FRONT AND BOTH REAR ROTOR ASSEMBLIES WERE REPLACED 6/2/97; THE FRONT ROTOR ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED 7/8/97; FRONT AND REAR ROTOR ASSEMBLIES WERE REPLACED 9/13/2000.*AK
THE METAL BRAKE LINE WAS CORRODED BY LEAKING BATTERY ACID PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR-DESIGN FLAW
AC DELCO BATTERY ACID IS LEAKING ON THE BRAKE CABLE, CAUSING BRAKE FAILURE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 15 MPH REAR LEFT TIRE CAME OUT FROM HUB WITHOUT A PRIOR WARNING. *AK
Official recalls
199V045000 · Seats
Mar 12, 1999
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME FRONT SEAT BACK RECLINER GEAR TEETH MAY WEAR EXCESSIVELY THROUGH REPEATED USE, AND COULD CAUSE THE SEAT BACK TO SLIP PARTIALLY REARWARD WHEN FORCE IS APPLIED.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THIS HAPPENS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN, IT COULD CAUSE A LOSS OF CONTROL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT SEAT RECLINER MECHANISMS.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
4RQ00005 · Front Seat Back Can Recline Or Collapse
Opened Feb 16, 2000 · Closed Aug 19, 2000
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seats:front Assembly:recliner
No summary supplied.
EA98017 · Seat Back Failures
Opened Jul 31, 1998 · Closed Mar 16, 1999
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seats
IN ITS LETTER DATED MARCH 5, 1999, GENERAL MOTORS STATED THAT IT WILL RECALL 136,300 MODEL YEAR 1994 AND 1995 SATURN VEHICLE (ALL MODELS) BUILT BETWEEN JANUARY 1994 AND AUGUST 1994.DURING THIS PERIOD, SATURN'S SEAT SUPPLIER MANUFACTURED RECLINER ASSEMBLIES WHICH WERE OUT OF DESIGN SPECIFICATION, ALLOWING THE FRONT SEAT BACKS TO RECLINE OR COLLAPSE INADVERTENTLY.TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, SATURN DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BACK RECLINER ASSEMBLIES.SEE NHTSA'S SAFETY RECALL FILL 99V-045 FOR DETAILS.
EA95003 · Cruise Control Failures
Opened Feb 24, 1995 · Closed May 31, 1996
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Equipment
THIS INVESTIGATION DOCUMENTED HTE FUNCTIONAL ABERATIONS THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THE SUBJECT CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM.MOST OF THE MALFUNCTIONS INVOLVED FAILURE OF THE SYSTEM TO PROPERLY REGULATE VEHICLE SPEED WHEN ENGAGED, FAILURE OF THE SYSTEM TO ENGAGE, OR SELF-DISENGAGEMENT OF THE SYSTEM. THESE PROBLEMS WERE INVESTIGATED AND STEPS TAKEN BY THE MANUFACTURER TO REMEDY THEIR OCCURRENCES.SERVICE PROCEDURES WERE ISSUED FOR VEHICLES IN USE, AND A DESIGN MODIFICATION MADE FOR NEW VEHICLES.NO CONFIRMED ALLEGATIONS OF FAILURE OF THE SYSTEM TO DISENGAGE UPON COMMAND WERE IDENTIFIED.IMPROVED QUALITY CONTROL PROCEDURES AND DESIGN MODIFICATIONSIN THE SYSTEM WERE UNDERTAKEN TO ENSURE A MORE CONSISTENT LEVEL OF SYSTEM PERFORMANCE.THE DETAILS OF THESE FINDINGS AND THE RESULTING CONCLUSIONS ARE CONTAINED INTHE SUBJECT ENGINEERING ANALYSIS CLOSING REPORT.A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT TREND WAS NOT IDENTIFIED AT EHIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
PE94079 · Cruise Control Failure
Opened Nov 7, 1994 · Closed Feb 24, 1995
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Equipment
There is no summary currently available