Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 Saturn SL owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Saturn SL. The contact stated that the ignition switch failed. The ignition switch was replaced on four separate occasions; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 211,795. The consumer stated the vehicle would stall each time. Updated 08/19/15 also, the starter was replaced. Updated 11/19/15.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Saturn SL. While driving approximately 55 MPH, the key ejected from the ignition switch without warning. The vehicle continued to run in the on position without the key in the ignition switch. The failure recurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 77,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Saturn SL. After parking the vehicle and returning twenty minutes later, the ignition key would not turn and the steering wheel seized. The vehicle could not be restarted. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the ignition module failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 78,000.
The starter motor energized without a key in the ignition or anyone in/near the car. It was in gear with the emergency brake engaged, and it ran over a 12 inch "stop" and into a freezer where it continued to run for sometime until it burned up. The freezer prevented it from going through the garage wall and into the house.
I own a 2002 Saturn SL vehicle purchased in 7/2016. I'm having problems starting my vehicle. Both starter and battery have both been checked out OK. All spark plugs were replaced on 10/31/18. After these repairs, when started it still made very noisy sounds coming from the engine. Now I can't get it to start at all. I tried to get help about a recall relating to my vehicle's starting problems. I contacted Saturn company [phone] and GM recall center [phone]. Neither were willing to help. I found info on the kelley blue book website. I entered my VIN number and following was displayed: NHTSA campaign id: 03V231; report date: info unavailable; vehicles affected: 239,993; consequence: info unavailable; what you should do: dealers will (1) replace the ignition control module, (2) replace the ignition control module and spark plugs, or (3) replace the ignition control module, spark plugs, and …
At my last service visit, the repair tech recommended the repair/replacement of: 1 ignition housing bolt -- he stated that without this repair, the car could suddenly "stop where it is and be unsteerable and/or undriveable". (lord help whoever's behind me on the freeway that day!) I've owned 5 vehicles -- manufactured by Ford, Chrysler, Subaru and general motors -- nothing like this has ever happened before. It's also kind of scary to know that the only reason I'm aware of this problem is because I just happened to take my car in for an oil change! Questions: if 2 little bolts are that important, shouldn't those areas, instead and/or in addition to, be soldered? Is this type of breakage supposed to happen? Am I driving "an accident waiting to happen"?
Tl contact owns a 2002 Saturn SL. When the contact placed the key in the ignition, it would jam and not turn to the accessory position. He described the ignition lock as "frozen". After referencing the owner's manual, the contact jiggled the steering wheel and key, but still was unable to turn the ignition. The ignition lock cylinder (or tumbler) was defective according to a mechanic. The manufacturer was aware of the issue, but offered no assistance. The dealer has not been notified. The contact had an extended warranty, which lapsed on May 30, 2008. The current mileage was 45,302 and failure mileage was approximately 45,000. Updated 08/04/08. The mechanic replaced the igntion lock cylinder. Updated 08/06/08
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Saturn SL. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled on numerous occasions. The contact mentioned that the visibility was low on the high beams and the lights on the instrument panel failed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the ignition switch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign id number: 03V231000 (electrical system) and NHTSA campaign id number: 05V158000 (exterior lighting). The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.
Electrical complaints in other SL years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2002 Saturn SL?
NHTSA has 43 complaints about the electrical system of the 2002 Saturn SL, 33% of the model year's 131 complaints. The component named most often is ignition (11 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Saturn SL electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2002 Saturn SL. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2002 Saturn SL electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 90,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 3 fires and 1 injury to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.