IllustrationWHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE, STEPPED ON THE BRAKES, WHICH FAILED. CAR STRUCK THE CRUB AND A RAILING CAUSING THE AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY AND THE SEATBELTS TO LOCK VERY TIGHT. TWO DAYS PRIOR TO PURCHASING THE BRAKES WERE SQUEAKING.
1998 Saturn Sl
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1998 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: 38 of 168 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.
- Power Train. Review the 33 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 28 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seat Belts. Review the 17 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
23 crash reports2 fire reports19 injury reports
What owners actually said
168 reportsWHEN SEAT BELT COMES THROUGH SLIDER TO CONNECT ACROSS CHEST BELT IT IS CUT. .*AK THE BELT MUST BE CUTTING WHEN IT IS PULLED DOWN TO BE FASTENED, THE CUTS ARE NOT NOTICEABLE BECAUSE THEY ARE OBSCURED BY THE SLIDER WHEN THE BELT IS RETRACTED AND OUT OF SIGHT WHEN THE BELT IS FASTENED, THE CONSUMER RETAINED THE DAMAGED PART. N…
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WHEN SEAT BELT COMES THROUGH SLIDER TO CONNECT ACROSS CHEST BELT IT IS CUT. .*AK THE BELT MUST BE CUTTING WHEN IT IS PULLED DOWN TO BE FASTENED, THE CUTS ARE NOT NOTICEABLE BECAUSE THEY ARE OBSCURED BY THE SLIDER WHEN THE BELT IS RETRACTED AND OUT OF SIGHT WHEN THE BELT IS FASTENED, THE CONSUMER RETAINED THE DAMAGED PART. NLM
CLUTCH WAS IN PERFECT CONDITIONS, FALIURE WAS IN THE PRESSURE PLATE THAT OPERATES THE CLUTCH. PARTS DEPARTMENT TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS NOT UN-COMMON FOR MANUAL TRANSMITIONS ON SL1 FROM 96-99 AND WHEN NEW PARTS WERE PURCHASED AT THE DEALER, THERE HAD BEEN A DESIGN CHANGE WHICH INCREASED THE TOTAL COST FOR THE REPAIR. WHY WAS A NEW…
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CLUTCH WAS IN PERFECT CONDITIONS, FALIURE WAS IN THE PRESSURE PLATE THAT OPERATES THE CLUTCH. PARTS DEPARTMENT TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS NOT UN-COMMON FOR MANUAL TRANSMITIONS ON SL1 FROM 96-99 AND WHEN NEW PARTS WERE PURCHASED AT THE DEALER, THERE HAD BEEN A DESIGN CHANGE WHICH INCREASED THE TOTAL COST FOR THE REPAIR. WHY WAS A NEW DESIGN IMPLEMENTED IF THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE OLD ONE. JUST IN HAWAII/OAHU THERE HAS BEEN ABOUT HALF A DOZEN OF LOW MILAGE MANUAL TRANS WITH CLUTCH SYSTEM FALIRES.
MY DAUGHTER IS ABLE TO RELEASE THE CLIP ON THE FIVE POINT RESTRAINT OF THE NEW CARSEAT WE JUST PURCHASED. WE HAD THE SAME MODEL BEFORE BUT THE CLIP WAS DIFFERENT. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE CLIP REMOVED FROM THE MARKET BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT IT IS A DANGER TO CHILDREN. THE MAKE IS COSCO AND THE MODEL IS THE ALPHA OMEGA EDITION.
CAUTION: SATURN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISION MAY BE DANGEROUS IF IT HESITATES AND CLUNKS INTO GEAR OR DOWNSHIFTS INAPPROPRIATELY. SATURN'S COMPUTER DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM MAY NOT DETECT DANGEROUS TRANSMISSION CONTROL CONDITION. SATURN CORP. POLICY ON PAYING DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC WORK FOR WARRANTY ITEMS MAY DISCOURAGE DEALER FROM FURTHER …
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CAUTION: SATURN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISION MAY BE DANGEROUS IF IT HESITATES AND CLUNKS INTO GEAR OR DOWNSHIFTS INAPPROPRIATELY. SATURN'S COMPUTER DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM MAY NOT DETECT DANGEROUS TRANSMISSION CONTROL CONDITION. SATURN CORP. POLICY ON PAYING DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC WORK FOR WARRANTY ITEMS MAY DISCOURAGE DEALER FROM FURTHER INVESTIGATING POSSIBLY DANGEROUS CONDITIONS.*AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 25-30 MPH SIDEWALL BLEWOUT ON FRONT PASSENGER'S TIRE. ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON A SATURN, SL1, 1998. *AK *JB
CONSUMER STATES HORN FAILED. *JB
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING 55MPH ON WET ROADS VEHICLE DOWNSHIFTED INTO LOW GEAR AT HIGHWAY SPEED. CONSUMER LOST CONTROL AND CRASHED INTO A CONCRETE BRIDGE WHICH GUIDED HIM TO A STOP. TWICE VEHICLE WAS IN SHOP FOR CLUNKING, AND TWICE WITH DOWNSHIFTING ADDED. VEHICLE IN A REPAIR SHOP TO SEE WHAT DAMAGE HAS BEEN DONE.*AK THE CONSUM…
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CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING 55MPH ON WET ROADS VEHICLE DOWNSHIFTED INTO LOW GEAR AT HIGHWAY SPEED. CONSUMER LOST CONTROL AND CRASHED INTO A CONCRETE BRIDGE WHICH GUIDED HIM TO A STOP. TWICE VEHICLE WAS IN SHOP FOR CLUNKING, AND TWICE WITH DOWNSHIFTING ADDED. VEHICLE IN A REPAIR SHOP TO SEE WHAT DAMAGE HAS BEEN DONE.*AK THE CONSUMER SAYS THE DEALER SHOULD HAVE ADDRESSED THE SYMPTEMS OF POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS TRANSMISSION PROBLEM DURING THE 4 SERVICE PERIODS. THE VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS. THE CONSUMER WAS SEKKING FINANCIAL REIMBERSEMENT FOR THE LOSS AND EXPENSES. *YH
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 30 MPH CONSUMER HEARD A NOISE, STOPPED AFTER INCREASING SPEED. SHORTLY AFTER, CONSUMER NOTICED SMOKE FROM UNDER HOOD. PARKED VEHICLE,AND NEXT MORNING THERE WAS TRANSMISSION FLUID UNDER VEHICLE, TOWED TO DEALER, WHO FOUND A DIFFERENTIAL PIN HAD COME LOOSE IN TRANSMISSION, AND CAUSED A HOLE IN TRANSMISSION.…
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WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 30 MPH CONSUMER HEARD A NOISE, STOPPED AFTER INCREASING SPEED. SHORTLY AFTER, CONSUMER NOTICED SMOKE FROM UNDER HOOD. PARKED VEHICLE,AND NEXT MORNING THERE WAS TRANSMISSION FLUID UNDER VEHICLE, TOWED TO DEALER, WHO FOUND A DIFFERENTIAL PIN HAD COME LOOSE IN TRANSMISSION, AND CAUSED A HOLE IN TRANSMISSION. *AK
CAR OVERHEATED WITH NO WARNING AND SMOKE SPILLED OUT OF FRONT. COOLANT BURST OUT OF CONTAINER AND FLOODED CAR AND GROUND. TECHNICIAN FOUND THAT THE SENSOR BROKEN AND WIRES REMOVED BUT COULD NOT OFFER ANY EXPLANATION. CAR HAS NOT BEEN IN ACCIDENT AND HAS NOT BEEN TAMPERED WITH. THE ONLY PEOPLE WITH ACCESS TO ENGINE IS SATURN …
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CAR OVERHEATED WITH NO WARNING AND SMOKE SPILLED OUT OF FRONT. COOLANT BURST OUT OF CONTAINER AND FLOODED CAR AND GROUND. TECHNICIAN FOUND THAT THE SENSOR BROKEN AND WIRES REMOVED BUT COULD NOT OFFER ANY EXPLANATION. CAR HAS NOT BEEN IN ACCIDENT AND HAS NOT BEEN TAMPERED WITH. THE ONLY PEOPLE WITH ACCESS TO ENGINE IS SATURN TECHNICIANS.
Official 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.