IllustrationMY DAUGHTERS 1999 SATURN SL CAR WITH 57000 MILES ON IT HAS STARTED SMOKING FROM THE EXHAUST AND I'M VERY WORRIED ABOUT THE ENGINE HOLDING UP. WE HAVE ALWAYS CHANGED THE OIL AT 3K MILES. ALSO, I UNDERSTAND THAT OTHER CUSTOMERS HAVE THIS PROBLEM TOO. I'M VERY UNHAPPY WITH WHAT COULD BE A MAJOR ENGINE DEFECT PROBLEM. *JB
1999 Saturn Sedan
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Sedan years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
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: 1 of 2 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 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Tires. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
0 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
1 reportsOfficial recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
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.