Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
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. …
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.
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 …
Saturn is an l200 series/there was only the ls on your list.numerous occasions of engine stall while traveling at all speeds. Called Saturn/said VIN not accepted? Live in florida keys/had to go to miami & get tail lamp fixed/only lasted two weeks (this was before engine stall) & call to Saturn. Am 69yr old female/afraid to use car/paid for all sorts of repairs/modules/sensors???and more. No one in keys to repair via GM - Saturn said miami only. Roundtrip over 200 miles. Afraid to drive/can't afford another car/must junk and, ofcourse, Saturn said VIN # not under recall for engine or electrical. Is there any way to recoup dollars I paid for any repairs on this car??? So much more than I am listing here......thank you NHTSA.
Tl contact owns a 2002 Saturn SL. Whenever the contact starts the vehicle, the ignition control module fails and the ignition will not start. She had new keys made, but this did not correct the issue. During the failure, the check engine indicator remains illuminated and will not dim. The failure has been occurring for over a year. The contact must wiggle the keys for at least fifteen to thirty minutes before the vehicle will start. The dealer has not been notified. The failure mileage was 120,000. Updated 3/19/09 the consumer also stated the engine idles very high. Over 4000 RPM/ updated 03/25/09.
While going from a parked position to driving. The car shifted gears very hard to the point it rattled the whole car. I stopped driving and checked the engine and all fluid levels. Everything seemed fine. As I pulled off again it did the same thing each time the automatic transmission shifted gears, this time harder. The mechanic at worked tested the computer and it registered a problem with the EGR valve and an unknown code. When I called a certified service center they said they have seen this a bunch of times and that it is a common problem. With this is a common problem, where is the recall to get it fixed.
At around 60K the Saturn sl1 2002 showed a trouble code with the intake gasket leaking fuel mileage suffered. This car can not pass smog and now the car is consuming 1 qt of oil in 300 miles, as well as getting terrible gas mileage. No repairs have been made as I would think that since the net is littered with this problem on the sl1 1.9 it should be covered by Saturn. If there is not a common failure with the intake gasket why has Saturn made a upgraded gasket?? Recall this pos!
While the car was still under warrant, I took it to the dealer with a complaint that the engine would not accelerate well and described it as "sluggish". After checking it, it was determined that it was not the engine. When I kept noticing that the oil in the car was extremely low between oil changes, but it was not leaking out of the car nor was the car burning oil from the exhaust, I contacted the dealer via telephone and was told that they had just fixed a car with the same problem and the engine needed to be rebuilt to the tune of $1400. At this point, the car was out of warranty. I was advised that the oil was leaking into the engine itself.
After a long distance drive and stopping at local store for a moment vehicle would hesitate while consumer was traveling at about 45mph. Then, when pulling into a parking lot vehicle started smoking, releasing very thick vapor. Also, smoke was coming from exhaust, and vapors was from inside of vehicle. Contacted dealer, and the dealer was not willing to do anything.
While pulling into garage consumer removed foot from gas pedal and vehicle drifted on a slight incline. Consumer applied the brakes to stop vehicle from rolling backwards. Consumer drove the vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that engine did not have torque power in order to pull the vehicle, and vehicle was working properly as designed.
Engine complaints in other SL years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2002 Saturn SL?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2002 Saturn SL, 16% of the model year's 131 complaints. The component named most often is engine (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Saturn SL engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling 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 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 87,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 1 injury to engine & cooling 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.