IllustrationVEHICLE SEIZED WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH. *AK
1997 Saturn Sl
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1997 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: 38 of 227 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.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 38 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 31 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seat Belts. Review the 25 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
29 crash reports9 fire reports23 injury reports
What owners actually said
227 reportsHEAD GASKET, WATER PUMP, OIL PAN GASKET, SERPENTINE DRIVE BELT, AND COOLANT LIGHT ON, SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ALSO ON, WORK COMPLETED BY DEALER. *JB
DRIVER'S SEAT BELT LOWER RETRACTOR FROZE W/ SEAT BELT IN RETRACTED POSITION, RENDERING SEAT BELT INOPERABLE. RETRACTOR IS NOT IN A LOCATION SERVICABLE BY THE OWNER, AND IS CURRENTLY STUCK FAST FOR NO APPARANT REASON. COST OF REPAIR NOT YET KNOWN. CAR IS A VERY LOW MILAGE VEHICLE, FORMERLY OWNED BY AN ELDERLY MAN. CAR HAD 10,…
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DRIVER'S SEAT BELT LOWER RETRACTOR FROZE W/ SEAT BELT IN RETRACTED POSITION, RENDERING SEAT BELT INOPERABLE. RETRACTOR IS NOT IN A LOCATION SERVICABLE BY THE OWNER, AND IS CURRENTLY STUCK FAST FOR NO APPARANT REASON. COST OF REPAIR NOT YET KNOWN. CAR IS A VERY LOW MILAGE VEHICLE, FORMERLY OWNED BY AN ELDERLY MAN. CAR HAD 10,200 MILES ON IT IN SEPT. 2000 WHEN PURCHASED DIRECTLY FROM ESTATE. PROBLEM FIRST APPEARED ON 3/9/01 AFTER I'VE DRIVEN THE CAR ABOUT 9000 MILES. *AK
FRONT PASSENGER'S SEATBELT STAYS RETRACTED. *AK SEAT BELT WOULD NOT EXTEND COMPLETELY AROUND PASSENGER. *YH
LEFT FRONT SEAT BELT WILL NOT DEPLOY. JAMS AND WILL NOT EXTEND. *AK
TIRES WERE SOLD AS REPLACEMENTS FOR FIRESTONE AFNTY TRGT1 TUBLPS 18565R15 TIRES. THE TIRES WERE SOLD BY RUST TIRES, LLC D/B/A AUSTIN BLUFFS BIG O, 4496 AUSTIN BLUFFS PARKWAY, COLORADO SPRINGS, CO 80918, TELEPHONE #: 719-599-4555. I REQUESTED SIMILAR QUALITY IN AN ALL-WEATHER RADIAL TIRE TO THE TIRES BEING REPLACED. THE PRODUCT…
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TIRES WERE SOLD AS REPLACEMENTS FOR FIRESTONE AFNTY TRGT1 TUBLPS 18565R15 TIRES. THE TIRES WERE SOLD BY RUST TIRES, LLC D/B/A AUSTIN BLUFFS BIG O, 4496 AUSTIN BLUFFS PARKWAY, COLORADO SPRINGS, CO 80918, TELEPHONE #: 719-599-4555. I REQUESTED SIMILAR QUALITY IN AN ALL-WEATHER RADIAL TIRE TO THE TIRES BEING REPLACED. THE PRODUCTS SOLD DO NOT PERFORM SAFELY IN ANY AMOUNT OF SNOW AT ANY SPEED. AT APPROPRIATELY SLOW RATES OF SPEED, THE TIRES TEND TO LOSE TRACTION WHENEVER THE CLUTCH IS PUT IN AND WHEN BRAKING. THE CAR BEGINS TO SLIDE AT THOSE TIMES AND WHEN STARTING FROM A COMPLETE STOP. TIRES DO NOT SEEM TO GAIN ANY TRACTION UNTIL CAR IS IN THIRD GEAR. I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM WITH ANY OTHER ALL-WEATHER TIRES I'VE HAD OVER THE YEARS. THESE TIRES HAD APPROXIMATELY 5,500 MILES ON THEM WHEN THE PROBLEM FIRST OCCURRED WITH SNOW ON THE GROUND. WHILE IT WAS VERY ICY ON12/11/00, I HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED THAT DEGREE OF SLIDING IN OVER 30 YEARS OF DRIVING IN WINTER CONDITIONS. WITH A CHILD IN THE CAR, I HAD NUMEROUS "MINOR" SLIDES AND THREE VERY CLOSE CALLS WHERE THERE WAS NEARLY PROPERTY DAMAGE AND/OR INJURY. DURING A SUBSEQUENT SNOW AT CHRISTMAS TIME, I AGAIN EXPERIENCED UNUSUAL SLIDING. THE MOST RECENT OCCURRENCES HAVE BEEN DURING AND FOLLOWING A SNOW STORM ON 1/16/01. YOUR DATABASE ONLY LISTS 2 TYPES OF NANKANG TIRES AND I CANNOT DETERMINE WHETHER THE ONES ON MY CAR ARE EITHER ONE. I SUSPECT NOT.*AK (TIRESIZE: 1956015)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 1956015 )
FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEATBELT FAILED TO EXTEND, HAD TO BE REPLACED, P/N 21055604, FOR A TOTAL REPAIR COST OF $135. *AK
I WAS INVOLVED IN A REAR-END COLLISION WHERE A SUV HIT ME WHILE I WAS STOPPED. THE FORCE OF THE IMPACT FORCED ME INTO THE CAR IN FRONT CAUSING MAJOR FRONT AND REAR DAMAGE TO MY CAR. THE DRIVER'S SEAT COLLAPSED DURING THE REAR IMPACT CAUSING ME TO BE THROWN TO THE BACK SEAT AND CAUSING ABDOMINAL AND BACK INJURIES. I WAS WEARING M…
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I WAS INVOLVED IN A REAR-END COLLISION WHERE A SUV HIT ME WHILE I WAS STOPPED. THE FORCE OF THE IMPACT FORCED ME INTO THE CAR IN FRONT CAUSING MAJOR FRONT AND REAR DAMAGE TO MY CAR. THE DRIVER'S SEAT COLLAPSED DURING THE REAR IMPACT CAUSING ME TO BE THROWN TO THE BACK SEAT AND CAUSING ABDOMINAL AND BACK INJURIES. I WAS WEARING MY SEAT BELT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH ON INTERSTATE, DRIVER'S WINDOW SHATTERED INTO SMALL PIECES, CAUSE UNKNOWN. CONTACTED SATURN COMPANY, AND IT WILL GET BACK TO CONSUMER. PLEASE ADD ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *AK
CONSUMER WAS REARENDED AND WAS SMASHED IN BETWEEN TOW CARS. AT POINT OF IMPACT, DRIVER'S SEAT COLLAPSED BACKWARDS INTO BACK SEAT, CAUSING NECK INJURIES. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
Official recalls
297V155000 · Seats
Sep 12, 1997
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSSENGER VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES WERE BUILT WITH SUSPECT COLD WELDS ON THE RIGHT SIDE IN THE TUNNEL AREA OF THE FLOOR PAN. THIS DOES NOT COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 210, "SEAT BELT ANCHORAGE."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE SEAT OCCUPANT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPAIR THESE VEHICLES.
97V138000 · Steering:gear Box (other Than Rack And Pinion)
Aug 29, 1997
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH MANUAL STEERING. THE PINION BEARING CAGE IN THE STEERING GEAR CAN SEPARATE UNDER HIGH STEERING SYSTEM LOAD CONDITIONS, SUCH AS PARKING LOT OR SIMILAR LOW SPEED MANEUVERS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS COULD RESULT IN THE PINION GEAR DISENGAGING FROM THE RACK CAUSING A LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE MANUAL STEERING GEAR ASSEMBLY.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.