Your vehicle report
1992 Saturn SL
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 123
- Received Jan 1995 to Aug 2008
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Seat belt fails to latch or retract33 complaints · 27% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Front brake rotors warp and wear early6 complaints · 4.9% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Axle breaks while driving, wheel detaches5 complaints · 4.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #93V132000The generator electrical wiring is not protected against excessive current flow which may be caused by an electrical short circuit in the generator.
- Recall #92V098000The transaxle valve assemblies were improperly machined. Vehicles may not properly engage in neutral or park, even though the gear selector indicates the vehicle is in neutral or park.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 18 crashes, 2 fires, 25 people injured, 2 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 11 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
- Head gasket leaks coolant into engine
- Serpentine belt breaks or slips off
- Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips
1 more problem
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 22 |
| 1996 | 21 |
| 1997 | 7 |
| 1998 | 21 |
| 1999 | 12 |
| 2000 | 15 |
| 2001 | 12 |
| 2002 | 5 |
| 2003 | 3 |
| 2004 | 2 |
| 2005 | 1 |
| 2006 | 0 |
| 2007 | 1 |
| 2008 | 1 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 123 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 33 | 27% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 6 | 4.9% | – | |
| Axle breaks while driving, wheel detaches | 5 | 4.1% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 5 | 4.1% | – | |
| Brakes fail intermittently or repeatedly | 5 | 4.1% | – | |
| Serpentine belt breaks or slips off | 4 | 3.3% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 4 | 3.3% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 3 | 2.4% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 3 | 2.4% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 3 | 2.4% | – | |
| Engine burns excessive oil between changes | 3 | 2.4% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #93V132000August 10, 1993352,833 vehicles affected
electrical system: alternator/generator/regulator
The generator electrical wiring is not protected against excessive current flow which may be caused by an electrical short circuit in the generator.
Should an electrical short circuit occur in thegenerator, the generator wiring harness would experience excessive current flow.under certain conditions, enough heat could be generated to ignite surroundingmaterials. If this occurs, an underhood fire could result with or without theengine running and without prior warning.
Remedy
The generator wiring harness will be replaced with one that will open as a fuse would under certain excessive current flow conditions.
NHTSA recall #92V098000July 8, 1992633 vehicles affected
power train
The transaxle valve assemblies were improperly machined. Vehicles may not properly engage in neutral or park, even though the gear selector indicates the vehicle is in neutral or park.
If the gear selector indicates the vehicle is in park orneutral, it could be in reverse or drive. If this happens, the car could startin reverse or drive, or might move unexpectedly, which may result in a vehiclecrash or injury to persons outside the vehicle, without prior warning.
Remedy
Replace the defective valve bodies.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1992 Saturn SL.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN