IllustrationWHEN DRIVING AT 60MPH VEHICLE'S SPEED WILL INSTANTLY AND WITHOUT WARNING DROP DOWN TO ABOUT 10MPH. DEALER SAYS IT'S A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK
1996 Saturn Sl
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1996 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: 49 of 287 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 63 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 41 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 40 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
50 crash reports2 fire reports34 injury reports
What owners actually said
287 reportsCONSUMER WAS TRAVELING AT 45MPH. WHILE GRADUALY COMING TOA STOP, THE SUN ROOF EXPLODED OUTWARD, AND PARTICLES FELL BACK INTO THE VEHICLE. VOICE MAIL WAS LEFT TO MAKE DEALER AWARE OF THE INCIDENT. *AK
HORN IS INOPERABLE WHICH IS VERY DANGEREOUS IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, TRAVELLING ABOUT 50MPH AT NIGHT, ALL OF SUDDEN THE VEHICLE CUT OFF. CONTACTED DEALER, ANDWAS TOLD THAT A SPIDER GOT INTO THE FUEL LINE AND BLOCKED THE LINE WHERE THE PUMP DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH VENTILATION, AND FUEL TANK COLLASPED. *AK
SUSPECTED ODOMETER ROLL BACK
WHEN DIMMING HEADLIGHTS AT NIGHT WITH ON OFF SWITCH AND DIMMER SWITCH ON SAME SWITCH EASY TO SHUT LIGHT OFF AT HIGH SPEEDS AND OPOSING TRAFFIC UNABLE TO SEE YOU AND WITH ALL INTERIOR LIGHT NOW SHUT OFF AT 55 MPH YOU ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED AND WATCH TRAFFIC AND GET LIGHTS BACK ON
ODOMETER FAILED.*ET
ALTERNATOR FAILED.*ET
INTERIOR JUNCTION BOX FAILED.*ET
BRAKE PARTS CORRODED CAUSING DAMAGE TO ROTORS AND CALIPERS.*ET
Official recalls
197V138000 · 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.