Engine complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
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.
My Saturn that I've been driving for about a year and a half now, completely cut off in the middle of me driving it. Luckily I was at a drive they so so serious damage to me or anyone else. Could not get it to start back up for a good 5-10 mins. Also the transmission is going out in it and I'm constantly having to add fluid so it doesnt skip. The rear tail lights keep having to be replaced because they keep blowing out.
Tl contact owns a 2001 Saturn sl2. While driving 7 MPH, the vehicle failed. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle, but was unsuccessful. She did not notice any warnings prior to the failure. The vehicle was towed to a local repair shop and the technician stated that the timing chain failed. The repair would cost $2,000. The contact called the manufacturer and was advised to take the vehicle to a local dealer for further inspection. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and they also stated that the timing chain failed. The manufacturer stated that there was no current recall on her vehicle, but they would cover half of the repair cost. The contact does not feel she should have to pay because there is a service bulletin pertaining to the timing chain failure. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure mileage was 66,636.
I purchased the vehicle from a private dealer with an as-is no warranty back in August 2007. The vehicle had a little over 88,000 miles on it. Had the vehicle inspected by a mechanic and all major items appeared to be in good working order. Approximately 1 month later, the car came due for an oil change. I had the oil changed at approximately 90,000 miles. At approximately 94,000 miles, while driving on the interstate on November 21, 2007, the engine went bang. The car jerked violently and the oil light and check engine lights came on. I was going at approximately 75-80 MPH and there was no knocking heard prior to engine failure. I pulled the vehicle to the side of the interstate and noticed smoke billowing out of the engine compartment. Immediately called 9-1-1 to report my vehicle was on fire. …
I have a 2000 Saturn sl1 (auto trans). The oil galley plug come out of the back of the engine and broke my flywheel, torque converter, and the transmission. Saturn says it is not their fault and they will not pay for it to be fixed, but this plug can not be touch without taking the whole engine out and taking the engine apart. Know this now the last one to touch this plug is Saturn when they were putting the engine together now I have to pay for their mistake, now a plug that does nothing and can not be touch or a reason to be serviced, has caused $2200 of damage. Knowing all of this, why should I pay for their mistake. Is there anyway that you can help me. Call if you can or can't help please!
I just received a 1999 Saturn SL 2 series a year ago from my mother for my very first car. I got it at about 100,000 miles and it is now currently at 122,446. I noticed about a month ago while I would be driving, usually after about 1-2 miles after starting up the car and driving, my gears began to slip. I kept up with just about monthly oil changes, accompanied by transmission fluid checked and topped off. My transmission oil has never been low. Then, about 4 days ago I went to leave from my work orientation, and I couldn?t back up my car from my parking spot, the reverse had went out. So I put the car back in drive, then back to reverse thinking maybe it didn?t go into reverse all the way and it did not work. I revved up the engine, nothing happening until I did it pretty hard, and eventually it started rolling back a little. …
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 Saturn SL. While driving at various speeds, the engine stalled without warning and restarted after ten minutes. The failure was persistent. The contact also stated that the ignition failed to release the key. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000. Updated 11/23/15
Frequently asked questions
Which Saturn SL years have engine problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1995 (67), 1996 (64), 1999 (47), 1997 (38) and 2000 (36) model years. Engine complaints make up 19% of all complaints for the 1995.
Is there a recall for Saturn SL engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for any Saturn SL model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Saturn SL engine problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 79,000 miles; 22% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the engine (136 mentions), followed by the engine › gasoline (76).
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.