IllustrationWHILE OPENING REAR TRUNK IT WILL NOT STAY UP WHICH RESULTED IN THE TRUNK FALLING AND STRIKING OWNER. THE CAUSE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. *AK THE DEALER REPLACED THE REAR COMPARTMENT LID TORQUE RODS AND HAD ADDED A THIRD TORQUE ROD ON THE RIGHT SIDE. THIS RESULTED IN A VASTLY IMNPROVED CONDITION. *YH
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 reportsAIRBAG DEPLOYMENT CAUSED BURNS TO SEAT BELT, WHICH RESULTED IN SEAT BELT RIPPING. DUP OF 811097, ADDED ON 25-FEB-98. *AK
THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND THE VEHICLE LOSES POWER. HAVE TO PUT THE GAS PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR IN ORDER FOR THE VEHICLE TO COAST OFF THE ROAD. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, AND HAS HAD THE PROBLEM FIXED 6 TIMES. THE PROBLEM HAS REOCCURRED SINCE HAVING FIXED. *AK *YH
BRAKES,MASTER CYLINDER; DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 73MPH WITH CRUISE CONTROL SET, CAR CROSSED INTERSTATE GOING SLOWELY, TAPPED BRAKES AND NOTHING HAPPENED. THE CRUISE CONTROL DID NOT DISENGAGE, PUMPED BRAKES SEVERAL TIMES AND NOTHING HAPPENED. BY THIS TIME VEHICLE WAS GOING IN AND OUT OF TRAFFIC BECAUSE C OULDN'T GET VEHICLE TO ST…
Read full complaint
BRAKES,MASTER CYLINDER; DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 73MPH WITH CRUISE CONTROL SET, CAR CROSSED INTERSTATE GOING SLOWELY, TAPPED BRAKES AND NOTHING HAPPENED. THE CRUISE CONTROL DID NOT DISENGAGE, PUMPED BRAKES SEVERAL TIMES AND NOTHING HAPPENED. BY THIS TIME VEHICLE WAS GOING IN AND OUT OF TRAFFIC BECAUSE C OULDN'T GET VEHICLE TO STOP. TRYING TO GEAR CAR DOWN TO REDUCE THE SPEED, GOT OVER ON RIGHT HAND SHOULDER OF ROAD AND BRAKES CAUGHT. *AK
THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATES AT INTERVALS, INDICATING THAT MALFUNCTION EXIST WITHIN THE SYSTEM. DEALER REPLACED DEFECTIVE MODULE SENSOR. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
EXITING STREET FROM DEAD END WHERE CONSUMER LIVED 11 YEARS, ATTEMPTED TO SLOWLY STOP, BRAKES REJECTED, THEN SLAMMED ON BRAKE PEDAL VEHICLE DID NOT RESPOND. MADE A SHARP RIGHT TURN, A CAR CRASHED INTO HER VEHICLE, CONTINUED TO MOVE THEN SUDDENLY THE BRAKES GRABBED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE CONSUMER HEARD A CLICKING NOISE THEN PULLED VEHICLE IHNTO A PARKING LOT. CONSUMER HAD NO CONTROL OF STEERING, AND STEERING WHEEL HAD NO CONNECTION TO COLUMN. VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK
TRAVELING ABOUT 5 MPH THERE WAS TOTAL LOSS OF STEERING, RESULTING IN STEERING LOCK UP DIAGNOSIS, THE RETAINING CLIP OMITTED DURING ASSEMBLY. *AK
TRANSMISSION FAILURE.
WHILE DRIVING APPRX. 55MPH THE VEHICLE WAS IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION, THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, BURNED THE SHOULDER STRAP OF DRIVER'S SIDE RESTRAINT BELT. *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.