Most common 2002 Saturn SL problems
Share of the 131 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Saturn SL complaints by model year
Best SL years: 2001, 2002, 2000. Years to avoid: 1995, 1996. Compare all years →
What 2002 Saturn SL owners say
Electrical system all 43 →
My son had an accident involving 3 other vehicles. The motor of the 2002 Saturn sl1 in which he was driving stalled as he exited the highway onto a service road. Once the engine stalled,he did not have the ability to steer or stop the vehicle. As a result, he struck 2 vehicles that were stopped at a red light causing a chain reaction. The second vehicle that he struck hit the vehicle in front of it. The airbags deployed in the vehicle my son drove. The right side of vehicle 1 sustained damage. The rear and front bumpers were damaged on vehicle 2. The rear of vehicle 3 is damaged. The Saturn in which my son was driving had front bumper damage, hood crumpled, airbag deployment, left rear view mirror separated from the car, left head light and brackets destroyed, and damage along the left front quarter panel. …
Vehicle caught on fire under the hood, near the battery, after having oil changed. Two parties have looked at the car and determined that the electrical system was faulty. The wiring near the battery was the affected area. The car was a loss with only 30000 miles on it. Saturn does not want to honor factory warranty. Also, Saturn found crack in the engine. They "believe" this crack could have caused the fire. No other inspector found this crack and I want to know how it got there. Saturn had no answers and were very nasty about my entire situation.
Transmission & drivetrain all 22 →
I have a 2002 Saturn sl2 and I've had to replace my transmission twice now. I believe that the dealership in manchester, nh knowingly sold it to me like this since I had brought up a very slight speed up effect the car had to the car sales woman, and she had told me that it was because the car had a slightly more powerful engine than the 4.0 I was used to (it had a 4.6) and the jump was just the "extra power". I haven't even owned the car for 18 months yet. It's a piece of crap and I have a pretty bitter taste in my mouth from dealing with the car dealerships in nh and in md. The dealership in salisbury, md wanted to charge me $3100 for a new transmission. …
One evening last week I noticed that when I would shift gears after being parked, it felt like something dropped under my car. The same night, I would be driving about 35-40 miles and hour in the 1-2 RPM range, all of a sudden the gauge would quickly jump to 3 rpms and then drop back down. It did this consistently every 2-3 minutes. I took my car to a local transmission shop the next morning because I felt that it was a serious problem. The body valve was damaged which was the main problem. That was replaced along with a few other parts. When I was paying ($2895) the man that had been helping me informed me that his shop had encountered many transmission problems with my model car (2002 Saturn sl1) and that they checked in to any kind of recall or bulletins. He said that he felt that GM would be issuing a bulletin relatively soon. …
Engine & cooling all 21 →
My son had an accident involving 3 other vehicles. The motor of the 2002 Saturn sl1 in which he was driving stalled as he exited the highway onto a service road. Once the engine stalled,he did not have the ability to steer or stop the vehicle. As a result, he struck 2 vehicles that were stopped at a red light causing a chain reaction. The second vehicle that he struck hit the vehicle in front of it. The airbags deployed in the vehicle my son drove. The right side of vehicle 1 sustained damage. The rear and front bumpers were damaged on vehicle 2. The rear of vehicle 3 is damaged. The Saturn in which my son was driving had front bumper damage, hood crumpled, airbag deployment, left rear view mirror separated from the car, left head light and brackets destroyed, and damage along the left front quarter panel. …
Rpms go up to 5 and then drop to 0 - engine stalls and will start but will continue at high rpms and keep stalling. As I was traveling at 50 MPH, the rpms went up to 5, and then quickly dropped to 0. The engine stalled and I coasted to the side of the road. The vehicle would start but when reaching 35 MPH, would do same thing (high rpms and then drop and stall). I had to keep sitting and re starting to get the remainder of 6 miles to my home. Garage ran diagnostic and found nothing wrong. The car continues to do this at least 2 times per week, currently sitting in our garage because I am afraid to drive it and get stranded again. This occurs on city streets and highways.
2002 Saturn SL engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.9L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 25 / 36 / 29 |
| 1.9L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 24 / 34 / 27 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2002 Saturn SL a good car?
Based on 131 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2002 SL rates better than average: 41% fewer complaints than a typical year of the SL at the same age. It is one of the best SL years by this measure. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2002 Saturn SL?
The electrical system — 43 complaints, 33% of all complaints for this model year, most often about ignition. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (22) and engine & cooling (21).
How many recalls does the 2002 Saturn SL have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2002 Saturn SL. You can still confirm with your VIN using our VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Saturn SL?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2001, 2002 and 2000. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1995 and 1996. See the full Saturn SL years comparison.
At what mileage do 2002 Saturn SL problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 60,000 miles; 45% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.