IllustrationCONSUMER WAS AT A STOP WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE REAR ENDED HER VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE DRIVER'S SEAT BACK COLLAPSED AND WHEN THE SEAT RECLINED, THE SEAT BELT DID NOT RESTRAIN HER. *JB
1992 Saturn Sl
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1992 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: 5 of 123 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 29 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
18 crash reports2 fire reports19 injury reports
Seat Belts complaints
29 reportsSEAT BELT ON DRIVERS SIDE IS NOT ABLE TO LOCK INTO BUCKLE. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING.*AK STITCHING ON SEAT BELT ON DRIVERS SIDE CAME APART. *YD
PASSENGER'S SEAT BELT WILL ONLY WORK INTERMITTENTLY, IT GETS STUCK IN ANY POSITION.ALSO, SINCE JULY 2001 DRIVER'S SEAT BELT ONLY WORKS INTERMITTENTLY.
SEAT BELT RETRACTOR GETS IN OPEN POSITION CLOSE TO WINDSHIELD. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT AT THIS TIME, BUT WAS REPAIRED 1 YEAR AGO, COSTING $800. COMPUTER CONTROLS DOME LIGHTS/ CHIMES/ LOCKS AND SEAT BELT. SATURN HASN'T HEARD OF THIS BEFORE. *AK
OUR 11 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER DIED BECAUSE SHE HAD THE PASSENGER FRONT SEAT FULLY RECLINED. SHE WAS TAKING A NAP COMING HOME FROM SCHOOL. HER SEAT BELT WAS BUCKLED, BUT AT IMPACT HER UPPER TORSO WAS WHIPPED FORWARD, THEN THE FRONT SEAT RECLINING MECHANISM GAVE OUT AND THE FRONT SEAT POPPED UP TO ITS UPRIGHT POSITION, THEN WHEN HER …
Read full complaint
OUR 11 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER DIED BECAUSE SHE HAD THE PASSENGER FRONT SEAT FULLY RECLINED. SHE WAS TAKING A NAP COMING HOME FROM SCHOOL. HER SEAT BELT WAS BUCKLED, BUT AT IMPACT HER UPPER TORSO WAS WHIPPED FORWARD, THEN THE FRONT SEAT RECLINING MECHANISM GAVE OUT AND THE FRONT SEAT POPPED UP TO ITS UPRIGHT POSITION, THEN WHEN HER SHOULDER BELT CAUGHT SHE WAS THROWN BACK INTO THE SEAT. SHE DIED OF SEVERE BRAIN TRAUMA, BUT THERE WERE NO MARKS ON HER. THE NEUROLOGIST SAID IT WAS AKIN TO SHAKEN BABY SYNDROME BECAUSE HER HEAD WAS SHAKEN TOO FAST AND TOO HARD, CAUSING THE BRAIN STEM TO SWELL AND CUT OXYGEN FLOW TO THE BRAIN. THE WINDSHIELD DIDN'T EVEN CRACK. WHY ARE FRONT SEATS MADE TO RECLINE WHEN SAFETY BELTS AND AIRBAGS WILL NOT PROTECT YOU IF YOU ARE RECLINED?*AK
DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR WILL NOT RETRACT, TOOK TO DEALER, AND THEY SAID TRACK WAS BENT.*AK
BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT MOTORIZED SHOULDER HARNESSES ARE INOPERABLE. THE DRIVERS SIDE IS STUCK IN THE FORWARD AND PASSENGER IN THE REAR POSITIONS. A MECHANIC AT ABRA DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS BAD SEAT BELT ASSY TRACK UNITS.
NO SUMMARY
MOTORIZED SEAT BELT IS NOT WORKING ANY MORE. JUST GAVE UP ON CONSUMER WHERE NEITHER OF THE FRONT MOTORIZED SEAT BELTS ARE WORKING. *AK
PASSIVE RESTRAINT SYSTEM ON PASSENGER SIDE FAILED WITHOUT TRAUMA, ENGINE MOUNT FAILED CAUSING STEERING DIFFICULTY AND LOUD NOISE, GAS GAUGE BEGAN BOUNCING RANDOMLY, O-RINGS IN A/C FAILED TWICE, DESPITE RETROFIT, A/C AGAIN INOPERATIVE DUE TO "O-RINGS" WATER PUMP LEAKED AT 40,000 MILES, BATTERY DEAD IN ONE YEAR IN ARIZONA. *AK
Official recalls
293V132000 · Electrical System:alternator/generator/regulator
Aug 10, 1993
THE GENERATOR ELECTRICAL WIRING IS NOT PROTECTED AGAINST EXCESSIVE CURRENT FLOW WHICH MAY BE CAUSED BY AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CIRCUIT IN THE GENERATOR.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: SHOULD AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CIRCUIT OCCUR IN THEGENERATOR, THE GENERATOR WIRING HARNESS WOULD EXPERIENCE EXCESSIVE CURRENT FLOW.UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, ENOUGH HEAT COULD BE GENERATED TO IGNITE SURROUNDINGMATERIALS. IF THIS OCCURS, AN UNDERHOOD FIRE COULD RESULT WITH OR WITHOUT THEENGINE RUNNING AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
Remedy: THE GENERATOR WIRING HARNESS WILL BE REPLACED WITH ONE THAT WILL OPEN AS A FUSE WOULD UNDER CERTAIN EXCESSIVE CURRENT FLOW CONDITIONS.
92V098000 · Power Train
Jul 8, 1992
THE TRANSAXLE VALVE ASSEMBLIES WERE IMPROPERLY MACHINED. VEHICLES MAY NOT PROPERLY ENGAGE IN NEUTRAL OR PARK, EVEN THOUGH THE GEAR SELECTOR INDICATES THE VEHICLE IS IN NEUTRAL OR PARK.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE GEAR SELECTOR INDICATES THE VEHICLE IS IN PARK ORNEUTRAL, IT COULD BE IN REVERSE OR DRIVE. IF THIS HAPPENS, THE CAR COULD STARTIN REVERSE OR DRIVE, OR MIGHT MOVE UNEXPECTEDLY, WHICH MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLECRASH OR INJURY TO PERSONS OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE, WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
Remedy: REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE VALVE BODIES.
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
3EA93016 · Fr Seatback Recliner Fails
Opened Jun 8, 1993 · Closed Jul 26, 1994
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seats:front Assembly:recliner
There is no summary currently available
PE93022 · Steering System Lockup
Opened Apr 5, 1993 · Closed Sep 30, 1993
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering
There is no summary currently available
PE93004 · Seatback Failure
Opened Feb 5, 1993 · Closed Jun 8, 1993
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seats
There is no summary currently available