Total Complaints
31 filings
SATURN SL · model year
31 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1991SATURNSL carries 31 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 1 fire, 5 injuries, and 1 fatality. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1991 SL is seat belts with 6 filings, followed by seat belts:front:webbing (3) and vehicle speed control (2). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 14 investigation files overlapping the 1991 SL. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
Total Complaints
31 filings
Crashes Reported
3 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| SEAT BELTS | 6 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING | 3 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 2 |
| SEATS | 2 |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 2 |
| STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION) | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 1 |
| WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | 1 |
THE BRAKE PEDAL IS ALWAYS LOW AND SOME TIMES BOTTOMS OUT WHEN YOU FIRST START DRIVING THE CAR. YOU CAN'T STOP. RECORD OF COMPLAINT IS ON FILE WITH SATURN, BUT THEY JUST BLEW ME OFF BECAUSE THEY CHECK OUT THE CAR, BUT SAID IT WAS OK. I SHOWED THEM THAT BY PUMPING THE BREAKS A FEW TIMES THAT THE PEDAL WOULD BOTTOM AND BREAKING WAS LOST. THEY DUPLICATED IT BUT REFUSED TO ADMIT IT WAS A PROBLEM. NOW MY SONS ARE DRIVING AND I CAN'T LET THEM DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT EXPERIENCED ENOUGH DRIVERS AND IF THEY EVERY GET INTO A PANIC STOP SITUATION THEY NEED TO HAVE EXTRA ROOM FOR GLIDING AS THE WHEELS WON'T LOCK UP. I MADE SATURN REPLACE THE MASTER BREAK CYLINDER AND THE PROBLEM BECAME WORSE. I HAVE THE OLD MASTER BREAK CYLINDER. *NM
Mileage: 85,000
THE BRAKE PEDAL IS ALWAYS LOW AND SOME TIMES BOTTOMS OUT WHEN YOU FIRST START DRIVING THE CAR. YOU CAN'T STOP. RECORD OF COMPLAINT IS ON FILE WITH SATURN, BUT THEY JUST BLEW ME OFF BECAUSE THEY CHECK OUT THE CAR, BUT SAID IT WAS OK. I SHOWED THEM THAT BY PUMPING THE BREAKS A FEW TIMES THAT THE PEDAL WOULD BOTTOM AND BREAKING WAS LOST. THEY DUPLICATED IT BUT REFUSED TO ADMIT IT WAS A PROBLEM. NOW MY SONS ARE DRIVING AND I CAN'T LET THEM DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT EXPERIENCED ENOUGH DRIVERS AND IF THEY EVERY GET INTO A PANIC STOP SITUATION THEY NEED TO HAVE EXTRA ROOM FOR GLIDING AS THE WHEELS WON'T LOCK UP. I MADE SATURN REPLACE THE MASTER BREAK CYLINDER AND THE PROBLEM BECAME WORSE. I HAVE THE OLD MASTER BREAK CYLINDER. *NM
Mileage: 85,000
DT: CONTACT STATES THE VEHICLE IS CONTINUOUSLY SHAKING, AFFECTING THE STEERING. THE SOLENOIDS HAVE BEEN REPLACED, 6 MONTHS LATER THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK
THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER PASSIVE RESTRAIN SEAT BELT LOCKS DOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT SEAT BELTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *LA
WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH THE SUNROOF DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. UPON INSPECTION THE MOUNTS WERE COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH. AT NO TIME THE SUNROOF HAS BEEN IMMERSED AND THE VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN TO A ROLL OVER. I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS TO BE A RESULT OF NEGLECT ON MY PART, RATHER POOR QUALITY MATERIALS USED IN MANUFACTURE. *LA
Mileage: 137,245
FRONT PASSENGER PASSIVE RESTRAINT BELT IS LOCKED IN FORWARD POSITION, LEAVING OCCUPANT UNRESTRAINED.*AK
DRIVERS SEATBACK BROKEN AND MOTORIZED SHOULDER BELTS BIND IN TRACK AND BLOW FUSE. *AK
DRIVERS SEATBACK BROKEN AND MOTORIZED SHOULDER BELTS BIND IN TRACK AND BLOW FUSE. *AK
RESTRAINT SYSTEM ANALYSIS WAS PERFORMED BY CHP-CENTRAL DIVISION MAIT. THE ANALYSIS INDICATED THE RESTRAINT FAILED AT THE LATCH PLATE CONNECTION TO THE MOTORIZED GUIDE PLATE. THIS REPORT IS BEING FILED FOR THE VEHICLE OWNER BY THE CHP PER OUR DEPARTMENTAL POLICY. *AK
MANUAL TRANSMISSION GEAR SHIFT ARM SUDDENLY WAS LOOSE. SATURN OF ASUTIN REPORTED SHIFTER CABLE BROKE AND REPLACED SAME. IF BREAK HAD OCCURRED WHILE MOVING IT LIKELY WOULD HAVE CAUSED ACCIDENT AND INJURY.
HAVE HAD CAR SERVICED NUMEROUS TIMES, ENGINE ALWAYS REMAINED ROUGH, CAR DIES ON US, HAS LOW UPTAKE SPEED, MECHANIC SAID ITS A SATURN ENGINE DEFECT, WILL EVENTUALLY DIE ALTOGETHER. *AK
CONSUMER EXPERENCING PROBLEMS WITH REPLACING THE BATTERY. BATTERY HAS BEEN REPLACED ON FIVE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. DEALER UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
I INQUIRED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT SATURN OF MONROVIA (MONROVIA,CA, 91016) IF THEY WERE AWARE OF THE AFOREMENTIONED PROBLEMS. THEY DENIED ANY KNOWLEDGE OF ANY PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH ELECTRICAL WIRING UNDER THE HOOD. *AK
NONE
THE SEAT BELTS ARE ELECTRIC AND ARE SUPPOSE TO SLIDE ALONG THE INTERIOR SURFACE. THE PASSENGER SIDE WENT OUT FIRST, AND A PERMANENT LATCH WAS PUT IN SO THAT ANY ONE SITTING ON THE PASSENGER SIDE HAVE TO CLAMP THE SEAT BELT EVERY TIME THE ENTER AND EXIT THE CAR. SOMETIME LATER THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT WENT OUT. THE SEAT CABLE WOULD PULL THE LATCH BUT WOULD NOT SECURE THE LATCH TO LOCK. WITH THE LATCH NOT LOCKING I COULD STILL CLAMP THE SEAT BELT ON TO THE LATCH. I WOULD CLAMP THE SEAT BELT ON THE LATCH EVEN THOUGH IT WOULD NOT LOCK, TO AVOID GETTING A CITATION FOR NOT HAVING A SEAT BELT. MY MAIN CONCERN IS IF I WAS TO GET INTO AN ACCIDENT WITH THE SIT BELT NOT SECURED, I AM AFRAID THAT MY SEAT BELT WILL NOT PROTECT ME.
DRIVER SIDE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT FAILED.
THE DRIVER'S SIDE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT FAILURE.
NO SUMMARY PROVIDER BY CONSUMER.
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE 60 MPH ON THE FREEWAY VEHICLE STARTED ACCELERATING BY ITSELF. DRIVER STEPPED ON THE BRAKES TO STOP. BUT VEHICLE DID NOT STOP, AND DRIVING OVER CURVES WITHOUT STOPPING, SHE FINALLY STOPPED IT BY PULLING THE IGNITION KEY ON A MALL PARKING LOT. *AK
DRIVER'S SIDE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT FAILURE.
Electric Power Steering Failure
Electric Power Steering Failure
OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLES STICK UNLATCHED
TIMING CHAIN BREAKS, ENGINE STALL
TIMING CHAIN FAILURE-STALL
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.