Total Complaints
173 filings
SATURN SL · model year
1992 SATURN SL
173 NHTSA complaints, 23 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1992SATURNSL carries 173 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 23 crashes, 3 fires, 34 injuries, and 4 fatalities. 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 1992 SL is engine and engine cooling:engine with 18 filings, followed by seat belts (16) and seats (12). 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 1992 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.
173
Complaints
23
Crashes
3
Fires
34
Injuries
4
Deaths
Crashes Reported
23 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 18 |
| SEAT BELTS | 16 |
| SEATS | 12 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | 11 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR | 10 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 6 |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER | 6 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 5 |
| POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION | 5 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 5 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 5 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY | 5 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 4 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 4 |
| WHEELS | 4 |
Recent Complaints
20080817POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
SHIFT CABLE LINKAGE BROKE AT SHIFTER WHILE SHIFTING DURING ACCELERATION ,MOMENTARY LOSS OF CONTROL DUE TO NO POWER AT WHEELS NEAR MISS OF BIG RIG. HAD TO DRIVE ON SIDEWALK-AND LAWN. *TR
Mileage: 148,000
20080817LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
SHIFT CABLE LINKAGE BROKE AT SHIFTER WHILE SHIFTING DURING ACCELERATION ,MOMENTARY LOSS OF CONTROL DUE TO NO POWER AT WHEELS NEAR MISS OF BIG RIG. HAD TO DRIVE ON SIDEWALK-AND LAWN. *TR
Mileage: 148,000
20070103CrashSTEERING
WE WERE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY GOING 70 MPH WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL CAME LOOSE AND FELL OFF CAUSING ME TO LOSE COMPLETE CONTROL OF THE CAR. WE WERE IN THE FAR RIGHT LANE OF THREE LANES AND THE CAR PULLED US ACROSS THE OTHER TWO LANES, DOWN A VERY STEEP DITCH AND INTO THE MEDIAN WHERE WE HIT MANY SMALL TREES. BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF ANY PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING WHEEL, NOR DID WE EVER TAMPER WITH THE STEERING WHEEL. THE DRIVERS SIDE IS GETTING THE BACK DOOR AND PANEL REPLACED AND THE BACK BUMPER ALSO NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AS WELL AS THE STEERING WHEEL. NONETHELESS, MY WIFE AND I NEARLY LOST OUR LIVES BECAUSE OF THIS FAILURE. *JB
Mileage: 15,900
20050321CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
1995 SATURN SL2, INCOMPLETE DEPLOYMENT OF PASSENGER SIDE FRONT AIRBAG IN MODERATE FRONTAL COLLISION. *BF PORTIONS OF THE AIR BAG FABRIC MELTED THE INTERNAL COMPONETS OF THE MODULE. *JB
20040712CrashSEATS
THE BACK OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT FAILED AND COLLAPSED DURING A MINOR FENDER BENDER. *MR THE SEAT COLLAPSED. DUE TO POOR INADEQUATE WELDS. *SC
Mileage: 140,000
20040407FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
VEHICLE WAS PARKED ABOUT 20 MINUTES WHEN IT SUDDENLY CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DETERMINED IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. *AK
20030505SEATS
CONSUMER WAS REAR ENDED AND THE DRIVERSIDE SEAT BACK COLLASPED. THE BACK OF THE SEAT SLAMMED DOWN SO HARD THAT IF A PASSENGER WAS SITTING THERE THERE LEGS WOULD HAVE BEEN CRUSHED. "POOR DESIGN", STATES CONSUMER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.
Mileage: 140,000
20030505SEATS
CONSUMER WAS REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER DRIVER, THE VEHICLES DRIVERS SEAT BACK COLLAPSED ON TO THE REAR BENCH SEAT. CONSUMER IS VERY CONCERNED WITH REAR PASSENGERS BEING INJURED BY SEAT BACK. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.
Mileage: 140,000
20030428CrashSEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
CONSUMER WAS AT A STOP WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE REAR ENDED HER VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE DRIVER'S SEAT BACK COLLAPSED AND WHEN THE SEAT RECLINED, THE SEAT BELT DID NOT RESTRAIN HER. *JB
20030428CrashSEAT BELTS:FRONT
CONSUMER WAS AT A STOP WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE REAR ENDED HER VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE DRIVER'S SEAT BACK COLLAPSED AND WHEN THE SEAT RECLINED, THE SEAT BELT DID NOT RESTRAIN HER. *JB
20020702STEERING:LINKAGES
WHILE DRIVING STEERING LINKAGE SEPARATED FROM VEHICLE. DEALER HAS INSPECTED AND REPAIRED VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
20020606POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT
SHIFTER CABLE END FASTNER BROKE RENDERING SHIFTER INOPERABLE. *AK
20020401SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
BRAKES FAILED AND BUMPER IS 36 INCHES LONG AND SIDES HAVE NO BUMPER PROTECTION.
20020401STRUCTURE:BODY:BUMPERS
BRAKES FAILED AND BUMPER IS 36 INCHES LONG AND SIDES HAVE NO BUMPER PROTECTION.
20020318VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
ENGINE WOULD ACCELERATE WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED AS IT BEING THE BRAKE BOOSTER DIAPHRAM THAT IS WORN AND LEAKING. THE BOOSTER VACUUM HOSE CHECK VALVE GROMMET IS TORN. *JG *AK
20020318SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
ENGINE WOULD ACCELERATE WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED AS IT BEING THE BRAKE BOOSTER DIAPHRAM THAT IS WORN AND LEAKING. THE BOOSTER VACUUM HOSE CHECK VALVE GROMMET IS TORN. *JG *AK
20020220SEATS
FRAME OF DRIVER'S SEATBACK BROKE DURING NORMAL DRIVING. THIS WAS A BREAK THROUGH THE STEEL U-CHANNEL ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SEAT JUST BELOW WHERE IT IS WELDED TO THE TUBULAR STEEL TOP PIECE. THIS COMPONENT SHOULD NEVER FAIL EVEN UNDER THE STRESS OF A REAR END COLLISION LET ALONE DURING NORMAL DRIVING. DEFECT COULD HAVE LED TO AN ACCIDENT AND IF IT OCCURED DURING A REAR END COLLISION AN UNECESSARY INJURY WOULD LIKELY HAVE RESULTED.*AK
20011017SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
SEAT BELT ON DRIVERS SIDE IS NOT ABLE TO LOCK INTO BUCKLE. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING.*AK STITCHING ON SEAT BELT ON DRIVERS SIDE CAME APART. *YD
20011001SEAT BELTS
PASSENGER'S SEAT BELT WILL ONLY WORK INTERMITTENTLY, IT GETS STUCK IN ANY POSITION.ALSO, SINCE JULY 2001 DRIVER'S SEAT BELT ONLY WORKS INTERMITTENTLY.
20010919SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
SEAT BELT RETRACTOR GETS IN OPEN POSITION CLOSE TO WINDSHIELD. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT AT THIS TIME, BUT WAS REPAIRED 1 YEAR AGO, COSTING $800. COMPUTER CONTROLS DOME LIGHTS/ CHIMES/ LOCKS AND SEAT BELT. SATURN HASN'T HEARD OF THIS BEFORE. *AK
Compare 1992SATURNSL to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
EA11014Engineering AnalysisClosed
Electric Power Steering Failure
RQ10004Recall QueryClosed
Electric Power Steering Failure
PE09016Preliminary EvaluationClosed
OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLES STICK UNLATCHED
PE08061Preliminary EvaluationClosed
TIMING CHAIN BREAKS, ENGINE STALL
DP08002Defect PetitionClosed
TIMING CHAIN FAILURE-STALL
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1992 SATURN SL have?▼
The 1992 SATURN SL has 173 NHTSA complaints, 23 crashes, 3 fires, 34 injuries, and 4 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1992 SATURN SL?▼
The most-complained component for the 1992 SATURN SL is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE with 18 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS and SEATS.
Is the 1992 SATURN SL safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
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.