IllustrationBRAKES SQUEAK WHEN DRIVING, WAS ADVISED BY MECHANIC THAT FRONT PADS AND REAR SHOES ARE AT 90% NO PROBLEM, WAS ADVISED THAT SQUEAKING IS NORMAL DUE TO MOISTURE, HUMIDITY AND MORNING DEW.
1999 Saturn Sl
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1999 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
60–25K
1725–50K
1450–75K
1575–100K
16100–150K
5150K+
73 reports with mileage · 105 unknown
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 45 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 28 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
26 crash reports1 fire reports17 injury reports
What owners actually said
178 reportsIT APPEARS THIS VEHICLE HAS A CRACKED HEAD ,WATER IS MIXING IN THE OIL.LOW COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON ,CHECKED LEVEL RESAVOIR DOWN TO 1 INCH.FILLED WITH 2 QUARTS.LIGHT CAME ON NEXT DAY SAME FLUID LEVEL.PULLED DIP STICK AND NOTICED THE WATER OIL MIXTURE.VEHICLE HAD BEEN SERVICED SINCE NEW BY SATURN DEALER UNDER CONTRACT.WAITING FOR E…
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IT APPEARS THIS VEHICLE HAS A CRACKED HEAD ,WATER IS MIXING IN THE OIL.LOW COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON ,CHECKED LEVEL RESAVOIR DOWN TO 1 INCH.FILLED WITH 2 QUARTS.LIGHT CAME ON NEXT DAY SAME FLUID LEVEL.PULLED DIP STICK AND NOTICED THE WATER OIL MIXTURE.VEHICLE HAD BEEN SERVICED SINCE NEW BY SATURN DEALER UNDER CONTRACT.WAITING FOR ESTIMATE.THIS SEEMS TO BE THE SAME PROBLEM THAT WAS EXPERIENCED ON EARLIER MODELS WHER THE WARRANTY WAS EXTENDED TO SIX YEARS/100,000 MILES.
VEHICLE WAS HIT IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AT 40 MPH IN WHICH DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
VEHICLE HAS BEEN LOSING COOLING FLUID. CONSUMER IS ADDING 2 QUARTS A WEEK FOR LAST FEW WEEKS. INSPECTED HOSES, NO LEAKS, ALSO NO FLUID UNDER VEHICLE WHEN PARKED. *AK
VEHICLE VIBRATES WHEN APPLYING BRAKES AT SPEED OVER 45 MPH. DEALER REPLACED PADS. BUT, IT DID NOT REMEDY SITUATION. *AK
HAS 4 CRACKED FIRESTONE, P175/70R14 TIRES AT SIDEWALL . TOOK TIRES TO FIRESTONE DEALER, AND WAS TOLD HE WAS BUSY AND COULD NOT HELP. *AK DOT# W2EPBCA338. *SLC *JB
HEAD-ON CRASH AT 40 MPH, VEHICLE HIT TELEPHONE POLE, NEITHER AIRBAG DEPLOYED. *AK
WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED, ALARM DISABLED, HORN FAILURE, AND INTERIOR LIGHT FAILED, POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. *SLC
THE SIDEWALL HAS A DEFINITE SEPERATION AROUND THE ENTIRE EDGE, I REPORTED IT TO MY DEALERSHIP BUT THEY DENIED ANY DEFECTS, THEN SATURN SENT ME A LETTER INFROMING ME THEY WOULD COMPLETELY WARRANT THE TIRE BUT DEALER STILL REFUSES TO DO IT EVEN WITH PROOF FROM LETTER. *AK (TIRESIZE: P175/70R14)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE…
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THE SIDEWALL HAS A DEFINITE SEPERATION AROUND THE ENTIRE EDGE, I REPORTED IT TO MY DEALERSHIP BUT THEY DENIED ANY DEFECTS, THEN SATURN SENT ME A LETTER INFROMING ME THEY WOULD COMPLETELY WARRANT THE TIRE BUT DEALER STILL REFUSES TO DO IT EVEN WITH PROOF FROM LETTER. *AK (TIRESIZE: P175/70R14)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P175/70R14 )
CRACK IN HEAD. CAN'T DRIVE. OE DEFECT. *AK
Official recalls
199V280000 · Seat Belts:front:anchorage
Oct 20, 1999
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES DO NOT COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 210, "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY ANCHORAGES." SOME OF THE VEHICLES WERE PRODUCED WITH SEAT BELT SHOULDER GUIDE ANCHOR BOLTS THAT WERE NOT ADEQUATELY TIGHTENED AT THE CENTER PILLAR AND COULD FALL OUT, MAKING THE SEAT BELT INOPERATIVE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE SEAT OCCUPANT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THESE VEHICLES FOR PROPER INSTALLATION AND TORQUE OF THE SEAT BELT SHOULDER GUIDE ANCHOR BOLTS.
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.