Problems · NHTSA complaints

1999 Saturn SL problems

Owners filed 193 complaints about the 1999 Saturn SL with NHTSA between Oct 1998 and Jun 2020. The most-cited component is engine and engine cooling (48).

Complaints
193
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
28
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
23
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Engine and engine cooling48
  2. Service brakes, hydraulic27
  3. Power train23
  4. Electrical system22
  5. Air bags22
  6. Seat belts13
  7. Tires12
  8. Seats9
  9. Vehicle speed control8
  10. Steering7
  11. Suspension7
  12. Parking brake4
  13. Equipment4
  14. Fuel system, gasoline4

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
19981
199919
200023
200123
200219
200337
200423
200510
200610
20076
20087
20094
20102
20112
20120
20131
20143
20151
20160
20170
20181
20190
20201

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Engine and engine cooling

48 reports1 fire
“I HAVE A 1999 SATURN. IT KEEPS STALLING WHILE IN MOTION. IT WILL WORK FINE FOR A FEW WEEKS, THEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN IT WILL "ACT UP" AND THE RPMS WILL DANCE AROUND UNTIL IT FINALLY STALLS. I HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN MANY TIMES ALREADY. I BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE INCLUDED WITH THE TIMING CHAIN INQUIRY, BUT I AM NOT SURE IF IT WILL RUN LONG ENOUGH FOR IT TO BE COVERED. I AM UPSET THAT I CAN'T GET ANY ANSWERS FROM SATURN. THEY INSIST ON ME BRINGING THE CAR IN AND I AM QUITE SURE THAT WILL NEED TO "FIX IT" WHICH WILL COST ME PLENTY. PLEASE MAKE NOTE THAT MY VEHICLE IS AFFECTED BY THIS DEFECT AND I CAN'T AFFORD TO FIX IT MYSELF. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 13, 2008Engine and engine coolingODI 10245258

Service brakes, hydraulic

27 reports4 crashes
“HAND BRAKE RELEASE BUTTON AND SPRING POPPED OUT AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE. HAD THIS HAPPENED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNATTENDED AND PARKED ON A HILL (AS IT TYPICALLY IS), THIS CAR COULD HAVE CAUSED SERIOUS BODILY HARM OR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 8, 2011Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10401594

Power train

23 reports1 crash
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 1999 SATURN SL1. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 45 MPH WHEN THE SHIFT CABLE FRACTURED AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER MADE REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. ON A LATER DATE, THE CONTACT APPLIED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE BEFORE EXITING THE VEHICLE. WHEN HE RETURNED, THE EMERGENCY BRAKE HAD INDEPENDENTLY DISENGAGED. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE BUTTON WAS DEFECTIVE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO ORDER THE NECESSARY PART FROM THE DEALER TO MAKE REPAIRS HIMSELF. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT HAD HE BEEN PARKED ON A HILL, THE VEHICLE COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE ROLLED AWAY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 24, 2010Parking brake, Power trainODI 10351591

Electrical system

22 reports1 crash
“I JUST RECEIVED A 1999 SATURN SL 2 SERIES A YEAR AGO FROM MY MOTHER FOR MY VERY FIRST CAR. I GOT IT AT ABOUT 100,000 MILES AND IT IS NOW CURRENTLY AT 122,446. I NOTICED ABOUT A MONTH AGO WHILE I WOULD BE DRIVING, USUALLY AFTER ABOUT 1-2 MILES AFTER STARTING UP THE CAR AND DRIVING, MY GEARS BEGAN TO SLIP. I KEPT UP WITH JUST ABOUT MONTHLY OIL CHANGES, ACCOMPANIED BY TRANSMISSION FLUID CHECKED AND TOPPED OFF. MY TRANSMISSION OIL HAS NEVER BEEN LOW. THEN, ABOUT 4 DAYS AGO I WENT TO LEAVE FROM MY WORK ORIENTATION, AND I COULDN?T BACK UP MY CAR FROM MY PARKING SPOT, THE REVERSE HAD WENT OUT. SO I PUT THE CAR BACK IN DRIVE, THEN BACK TO REVERSE THINKING MAYBE IT DIDN?T GO INTO REVERSE ALL THE WAY AND IT DID NOT WORK. I REVVED UP THE ENGINE, NOTHING HAPPENING UNTIL I DID IT PRETTY HARD, AND EVENTUALLY IT STARTED ROLLING BACK A LITTLE. I LOOKED UP ON THE INTERNET TO SEE IF THIS WAS A PRETTY BIG ISSUE OR NOT, AND I REALIZE I SEE IT A LOT IN 1999 SATURNS. A RECALL I BELIEVE WOULD BE THE BEST OPTION FOR FIXING THIS ISSUE AND WOULD FURTHER PREVENT PEOPLE FROM SPENDING SO MUCH MONEY. I TOOK MY CAR TO A MECHANIC AND IT?S CURRENTLY SITTING THERE NOW. I DON?T KNOW WHAT THEY…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 19, 2020Electrical system, Unknown or other, EngineODI 11329753

Air bags

22 reports14 crashes
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 SATURN SL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED TO PREVENT FROM CRASHING INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT HAD DISOBEYED THE STOP SIGN. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE SLID AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE AND ROLLED INTO A SNOW EMBANKMENT. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT DRIVER SUSTAINED HEAD INJURIES AND THE THREE PASSENGERS SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES, WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. IN ADDITION, THE KEY COULD BE REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION WHEN DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 11, 2014Electrical system, Air bagsCrash reportedODI 10609952

Seat belts

13 reports7 crashes1 related recall
“I OWN A 1999 SL1 SATURN. ON WEDNESDAY 06/07/06, WHEN I WAS TAKING MY 23 MONTH OLD DAUGHTER OUT OF HER CAR SEAT, I NOTICED THAT THE CAR SEAT WAS LOOSE. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, I FOUND THE BUCKLE THAT HOLDS THE SEAT BELT (THE ONE THAT COMES UP FROM UNDERNEATH THE SEAT) HAD COME UN-STITCHED. WHEN I PULLED ON THE BUCKLE IT CAME OUT IN MY HAND. I EMAILED SATURN THURSDAY MORNING AND THEY TOLD ME TO CONTACT MY LOCAL SATURN DEALERSHIP. I WENT TO MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP, SATURN OF BURLINGTON, ON FRIDAY AND SHOWED THEM THE PART AND TALKED WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER. SHE TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE. SHE ALSO TOLD ME THAT WITH THE AGE OF THE CAR, BEING 7 YEARS OLD, THE BEST SHE COULD DO FOR ME WAS 10% OFF THE PART. IT DIDN'T A MATTER TO HER THAT WE HAD ONLY BEEN USING THAT SEAT BELT FOR THE LAST 4 MONTHS, SINCE THE BIRTH OF OUR SON. THE PART COSTS APPROXIMATELY $49.00. IT IS NOT THE COST THAT BOTHERS ME, IT IS THE "NOT MY PROBLEM" ATTITUDE THAT BOTHERS ME. I WAS EVEN GOING TO PUT THE BUCKLE IN MYSELF. THE DEALERSHIP SUGGESTED I CALL THE SATURN CUSTOMER SERVICE. I LEFT THE DEALERSHIP UPSET THAT THEY DIDN'T SEE THE ENORMITY OF THE SITUATION. I LATER CALLED SATURN…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 12, 2006Seat beltsODI 10159620
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.