IllustrationDRIVER SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY IN HEAD-ON COLLISION WITH A SPEED OF 50-55 M.P.H. *JB
1994 Saturn Sl
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1994 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: 16 of 286 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 49 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seats. Review the 48 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 44 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
51 crash reports4 fire reports32 injury reports
Air Bags complaints
20 reportsEMAIL FWD FM FHWA INQUIRING HOW TO HAVE A 1994 SATURN SL2 INSPECTED TO FIND OUT WHY THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY IN A HEAD ON COLLISION, HER DAUGHTER WAS INJURIED.*MR *CB *JB
AS A RESULT OF BEING REAR ENDED, THE DRIVER'S SEAT BACK COLLAPSED. *AK. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY WHEN THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS PUSHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. *JB
LTR WAS SENT DATED 1/29/02 W/ACCIDENT RPT. INJURY WAS FRACTURED STERNUM. AS I CHANGED LANES AT FREEWAY SPEED THE TRAFFIC IN THE LANE I ENTERED STOPPED. I BRAKED HARD BUT COULD NOT AVOID HITTING THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE SHOULDER RESTRAINT DID NOT LOCK (IT NEVER HAS AND I DIDN'T REALIZE IT …
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LTR WAS SENT DATED 1/29/02 W/ACCIDENT RPT. INJURY WAS FRACTURED STERNUM. AS I CHANGED LANES AT FREEWAY SPEED THE TRAFFIC IN THE LANE I ENTERED STOPPED. I BRAKED HARD BUT COULD NOT AVOID HITTING THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE SHOULDER RESTRAINT DID NOT LOCK (IT NEVER HAS AND I DIDN'T REALIZE IT SHOULD). I WAS WEARING THE LAP AND SHOULDER BELTS. THE LAP BELT HELD ME IN PLACE, BUT MY UPPER BODY HIT THE STEERING WHEEL. I HAD DAMAGE REPAIRS DONE AT A 21ST CENTURY INS RECOMMENDED SHOP. I HAVE NOT HAD ANY MODIFICATIONS TO THE BELTS OR AIRBAG SINCE THE ACCIDENT IN CASE IT NEEDS TO BE ANALYZED BY NHTSA, & ONLY SATURN OF TORRANCE HAS EVER SERVICED MY CAR SINCE PURCHASE (EXCEPT FOR DAMAGE REPAIR FOR THIS ACCIDENT).*AK
DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG IS DISENGAGING FROM AIR BAG MODULE, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH WHEN VEHICLE WAS HIT BY A COMMERCIAL VEHICLE TRAVELING AN ESTIMATED 30 TO 40 MPH. DRIVER'S AIRBAG FAILED TO DEPLOY, AND NO DETERMINATION HAS BEEN MADE AS TO REASON FOR FAILURE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / ATTACHMENTS.*AK
VEHICLE REAR-ENDED AT STOPLIGHT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 35MPH. DRIVER SEATBACK FAILED, THROWING DRIVER ONTO HER BACK, CAUSING EXTENSIVE BACK AND NECK INJURIES. DRIVER WAS WEARING FULL LAP AND SHOULDER BELTS. AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY.*AK
WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS REARENDED, AND THEN PUSHED INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. UPON IMPACT, DRIVER'S AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY, CAUSING INJURIES. *AK
CONSUMER WAS IN AN ACCIDENT ON 18 NOV 98 , AND AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. HE WAS DRIVING ABOUT 60 MPH WHEN HE HIT THE OTHER CAR.
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 40 MPH THE GAS PEDAL BROKE, CAUSING THE PEDAL TO GO DOWN THE FLOORBOARD. WHEN CONSUMER TRIED TO PULL THE GAS PEDAL UP, HE HIT A MAILBOX AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. MANUFACTURER FOUND NO DEFECT WITH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *AK
Official recalls
199V045000 · Seats
Mar 12, 1999
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME FRONT SEAT BACK RECLINER GEAR TEETH MAY WEAR EXCESSIVELY THROUGH REPEATED USE, AND COULD CAUSE THE SEAT BACK TO SLIP PARTIALLY REARWARD WHEN FORCE IS APPLIED.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THIS HAPPENS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN, IT COULD CAUSE A LOSS OF CONTROL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT SEAT RECLINER MECHANISMS.
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
4RQ00005 · Front Seat Back Can Recline Or Collapse
Opened Feb 16, 2000 · Closed Aug 19, 2000
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seats:front Assembly:recliner
No summary supplied.
EA98017 · Seat Back Failures
Opened Jul 31, 1998 · Closed Mar 16, 1999
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seats
IN ITS LETTER DATED MARCH 5, 1999, GENERAL MOTORS STATED THAT IT WILL RECALL 136,300 MODEL YEAR 1994 AND 1995 SATURN VEHICLE (ALL MODELS) BUILT BETWEEN JANUARY 1994 AND AUGUST 1994.DURING THIS PERIOD, SATURN'S SEAT SUPPLIER MANUFACTURED RECLINER ASSEMBLIES WHICH WERE OUT OF DESIGN SPECIFICATION, ALLOWING THE FRONT SEAT BACKS TO RECLINE OR COLLAPSE INADVERTENTLY.TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, SATURN DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BACK RECLINER ASSEMBLIES.SEE NHTSA'S SAFETY RECALL FILL 99V-045 FOR DETAILS.
EA95003 · Cruise Control Failures
Opened Feb 24, 1995 · Closed May 31, 1996
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Equipment
THIS INVESTIGATION DOCUMENTED HTE FUNCTIONAL ABERATIONS THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THE SUBJECT CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM.MOST OF THE MALFUNCTIONS INVOLVED FAILURE OF THE SYSTEM TO PROPERLY REGULATE VEHICLE SPEED WHEN ENGAGED, FAILURE OF THE SYSTEM TO ENGAGE, OR SELF-DISENGAGEMENT OF THE SYSTEM. THESE PROBLEMS WERE INVESTIGATED AND STEPS TAKEN BY THE MANUFACTURER TO REMEDY THEIR OCCURRENCES.SERVICE PROCEDURES WERE ISSUED FOR VEHICLES IN USE, AND A DESIGN MODIFICATION MADE FOR NEW VEHICLES.NO CONFIRMED ALLEGATIONS OF FAILURE OF THE SYSTEM TO DISENGAGE UPON COMMAND WERE IDENTIFIED.IMPROVED QUALITY CONTROL PROCEDURES AND DESIGN MODIFICATIONSIN THE SYSTEM WERE UNDERTAKEN TO ENSURE A MORE CONSISTENT LEVEL OF SYSTEM PERFORMANCE.THE DETAILS OF THESE FINDINGS AND THE RESULTING CONCLUSIONS ARE CONTAINED INTHE SUBJECT ENGINEERING ANALYSIS CLOSING REPORT.A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT TREND WAS NOT IDENTIFIED AT EHIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
PE94079 · Cruise Control Failure
Opened Nov 7, 1994 · Closed Feb 24, 1995
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Equipment
There is no summary currently available