1995 Saturn SL
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
Have the VIN?
These records cover every 1995 Saturn SL. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
3 recalls name the 1995 Saturn SL. Newest first.
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. some front seat back recliner gear teeth may wear excessively through repeated use, and could cause the seat back to slip partially rearward when force IS applied.
Risk and remedy
Risk
If this happens while the vehicle IS being driven, it could cause a loss of control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the front seat recliner mechanisms.
The automatic transaxle park lock cable assembly was improperly adjusted making it possible to shift from the "park" position with the ignition key removed, or remove the ignition key with the shift lever in a position other than "park." this does not meet the requirements of fmvss 114, "theft protection."
Risk and remedy
Risk
Consequence of non-compliance: unintended vehicle movement can occur which could result in an accident.
Remedy
Consumers are being asked to inspect the park lock cable. If it does not perform correctly, dealers will make the necessary adjustments.
The steering gear pinion shaft was improperly heat treated causing the shaft to fracture during vehicle operation.
Risk and remedy
Risk
Fracture of the steering gear pinion shaft causes complete loss of steering control which can result in an accident.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the manual steering assembly.
Owner complaints
355 complaints77 involved a crash6 involved a fire58 injuries
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Air bags
Auto accident that occurred on 07/31/2015, the left front air bag deployed on its own causing injuries to the passenger in our vehicle. The vehicle was stationary and once the keys were taken out IS when right front air bag was disployed.
- Engine and engine cooling · Equipment · Fuel/propulsion system
Installed microgard fuel filter on a 1995 saturn SL1 a month ago started smelling gas had it looked at and it was determined that the fuel filter hose developed a small hole. The hole IS in the black plastic, this pipe attaches to the aluminum pipe, by the test valve. I t rubs on the egr…
Installed microgard fuel filter on a 1995 saturn SL1 a month ago started smelling gas had it looked at and it was determined that the fuel filter hose developed a small hole. The hole IS in the black plastic, this pipe attaches to the aluminum pipe, by the test valve. I t rubs on the egr valve? (This filter has the hose attached to it, all one unit.) this leak could have resulted in a massive fire because it above the exhaust system, and IS a high pressure hose. I bought a new one another micro gard and put a thicker hose around the black pipe. I still have the original. *tr
- Steering
After a pop noise during negotiating a curve the steering wheel suddenly appeared tilted even while going straight while driving. Car was steered with increased loss of control for a few seconds and moved to curb. Steering was unusable thereafter and car was towed for repairs. *tr
- Seats
TL* the contact owns a 1995 saturn SL sedan. The contact stated that the recliner on the front driver side seat would become loose and the contact lost support in the back while sitting. The contact was able to adjust seat but the failure recurred constantly. The contact stated the failure also…
TL* the contact owns a 1995 saturn SL sedan. The contact stated that the recliner on the front driver side seat would become loose and the contact lost support in the back while sitting. The contact was able to adjust seat but the failure recurred constantly. The contact stated the failure also occurred when attempting to exit the vehicle. The contact had to adjust seat every time he entered the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to dealer for inspection or repairs. The contact referenced nhtsa campaign ID number: 99v045000 (seats), but the vin was not included. The current mileage was 125,000. The failure mileage was 110,000.
- Seats › Front assembly › Recliner
My wife was on the way home from picking up our kids from school and the drivers seat reclining back gave way reclining the seat back all the way. I looked up a previous recall saturn had for the yr, make, and model however either due to either age or vin # series from what I had found online the…
My wife was on the way home from picking up our kids from school and the drivers seat reclining back gave way reclining the seat back all the way. I looked up a previous recall saturn had for the yr, make, and model however either due to either age or vin # series from what I had found online the dealer will not honor the warranty. I also contacted a young lady with gm customer assistance who also could not find any information on the recall even though I read off the recall numbers found on nhtsa's website. dealer wants me to come in for a diagnostic however will not let me know of a price? this could have been a very severe incident as both my children were also in the car at the time of the incident which luckily she was able to keep control of the vehicle. *js
- Tires · Wheels
My complaint IS with a dayton quadra SE tire, size p175/70r14 the tire IS 2 years old with 20,000 miles and has never been plugged or patched. It has never been flat or low on air pressure. On sept 1 2011 while driving down interstate 40 near the forsyth-davie county line in north carolina a piece…
My complaint IS with a dayton quadra SE tire, size p175/70r14 the tire IS 2 years old with 20,000 miles and has never been plugged or patched. It has never been flat or low on air pressure. On sept 1 2011 while driving down interstate 40 near the forsyth-davie county line in north carolina a piece of the tire's tread separated from the core of the tire similar to the way recapped tires do. The separated piece IS still attached to the tire at one point but threw enough rubber off that it actually knocked a hole in the saturn's left rear quarter panel. A crack nearly 5 inches long. I believe this was similar issue to the firestone tires separating and being blamed for SUV accidents 10 years or so ago. The tire caused no personal injury but I did lose control due to the pounding caused by the loose rubber. The tire never lost air pressure. *tr
- Seats
TL* the contact owns a 1995 saturn SL1. The contact stated that the front driver seat began to recline abnormally. The vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified and the contact was told that the vehicle was not included in the recall associated with nhtsa…
TL* the contact owns a 1995 saturn SL1. The contact stated that the front driver seat began to recline abnormally. The vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified and the contact was told that the vehicle was not included in the recall associated with nhtsa campaign ID number 99v045000 (seats). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 200,000. updated 06/03/11 *bf updated 09/19/11
- Tires
Driving my 1995 saturn SL1 at 65mph, my right front tire immediately went flat. I was able to guide the car to the shoulder in less than 200 yards and change the tire. The local shop said the valve stem was "dry rotted" and so they replaced it. Visual inspection of the other tire valve stems shows cracks. The tires were installed at wal mart in summer 2007. *tr
- Electrical system
Tl*the contact's father owns a 1995 saturn SL2. the contact stated that after driving the vehicle and attempting to remove the key, the key would not go back to the lock position. the current and failure mileages were 118,000.
- Seats
Tl*the contact owns a 1995 saturn SL1. while approaching a stop sign, the contact's vehicle was rear ended and caused her to crash into a pole. upon impact, the driver's seat retracted backwards towards the floor. the contact sustained severe injuries to her back, neck, and shoulders. the…
Tl*the contact owns a 1995 saturn SL1. while approaching a stop sign, the contact's vehicle was rear ended and caused her to crash into a pole. upon impact, the driver's seat retracted backwards towards the floor. the contact sustained severe injuries to her back, neck, and shoulders. the vehicle was completely destroyed. she has all the documents pertaining to the failure, and a copy of the police report. the manufacturer denied all responsibility because her vin was not included in nhtsa campaign ID number 99v045000 (seats). the speed was unknown. the failure and current mileages were 100,000.
- Seats
Tl*the contact owns a 1995 saturn SL2. while changing lanes at 10 mph, the contact's vehicle was rear ended and caused her to crash into a pole. upon impact, the driver's seat retracted backwards towards the floor. the contact sustained severe injuries to her back, neck, and shoulders. the…
Tl*the contact owns a 1995 saturn SL2. while changing lanes at 10 mph, the contact's vehicle was rear ended and caused her to crash into a pole. upon impact, the driver's seat retracted backwards towards the floor. the contact sustained severe injuries to her back, neck, and shoulders. the vehicle was completely destroyed. she has all the documents pertaining to the failure, and a copy of the police report. the manufacturer denied all responsibility because her vin was not included in nhtsa campaign ID number 99v045000 (seats). the failure and current mileages were 107,000.
- Parking brake · Service brakes, hydraulic
1 incident and 1 crash. left emergency brake on by accident when driving and went to apply brake to slow down, but had no brakes. could not stop..no accident first time it happened. but 2ND time caused multiple car accident w/an injury. after I stopped driving, the brakes began working again. I had my brakes checked but they did not need replaced. *tr
- Seats
My car has the problem described in nhtsa campaign ID number 99v045000, and even falls into the "cars affected" that IS listed in the recall. However, saturn says that there are no recalls for my car and refuses to fix, despite the recall that IS on your website. They told me it doesn't show up in…
My car has the problem described in nhtsa campaign ID number 99v045000, and even falls into the "cars affected" that IS listed in the recall. However, saturn says that there are no recalls for my car and refuses to fix, despite the recall that IS on your website. They told me it doesn't show up in their computers, and I believe it IS because it IS such an old problem and car, that their databases don't have it anymore, for whatever reason. *tr
- Steering › Gear box (other than rack and pinion)
Tl*the contact owns a 1995 saturn SL1. while making a sharp u-turn at an unknown speed, the steering wheel column made a loud noise and began wobbling excessively. approximately ten minutes later, the steering column failed completely and caused the vehicle to become fixated. the dealer stated…
Tl*the contact owns a 1995 saturn SL1. while making a sharp u-turn at an unknown speed, the steering wheel column made a loud noise and began wobbling excessively. approximately ten minutes later, the steering column failed completely and caused the vehicle to become fixated. the dealer stated that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign ID number 97v138000 (steering:gear box (other than rack and pinion)). the manufacturer was notified as well. the vehicle has not been repaired. the current and failure mileages were 116,900. Updated 01/03/08. *Lj it was determined that the bearing at the end of the worn gear failed. The worn gear separated from the rack and pinion assembly, which resulted in loss of steering.
- Unknown or other
1995 saturn model SL customer wants copies of all recalls **cc (lawyer on behalf of client)*tr
- Parking brake
Emergency brake button broke; button ejected when using parking brake, preventing e-brake from being used. Button and spring assembly came out, with button having two small plastic chips that were broken, preventing reassembly. This effectively prevented the vehicle's standard emergency equipment (parking brake) from being used. No replacement button was available.*ak
- Engine and engine cooling
Loud engine knock. engine consumes oil but no leak. took to saturn dealer in fayetteville, ar and told it needs a new engine. engine has less than 85,000 miles on it. told there was a bulletin about this sometime in the past. all regular maintenance done as recommended by saturn. cost to replace engine $2600. engine should not be on brink of failure at 83,000 miles. *jb
- Steering › Gear box (other than rack and pinion)
I was turning around slowly up into a driveway and there was a couple of clunking/scraping type noises steering went away completely. I have called saturn regarding recall 97v138000 however my vehicle happens to be a 1995 SL and my vin number misses the recall status. I would like this to be…
I was turning around slowly up into a driveway and there was a couple of clunking/scraping type noises steering went away completely. I have called saturn regarding recall 97v138000 however my vehicle happens to be a 1995 SL and my vin number misses the recall status. I would like this to be remedied so that I can have my vehicle fixed under the recall because of the highly dangerous nature of this particular recall/problem. *jb
- Engine and engine cooling › Exhaust system › Manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe
Dt*: the contact stated while driving various speeds, the engine temperature gauge elevated without warning. upon further inspection, the contact noticed the oil and antifreeze were mixed together. the vehicle was seen by a dealer who determined there was a fractured engine head. after replacement of the head, the problem persisted. the vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop to await further inspection.
- Power train › Manual transmission › Floor shift assembly
1995 saturn SL2 manual transmission shifter cable bushing failure while backing out of driveway, pushed in clutch to shift from reverse to first gear and heard a "pop". transmission went into some gear (not first), engine stalled and gear shift lever was loose and floppy. coasted around corner…
1995 saturn SL2 manual transmission shifter cable bushing failure while backing out of driveway, pushed in clutch to shift from reverse to first gear and heard a "pop". transmission went into some gear (not first), engine stalled and gear shift lever was loose and floppy. coasted around corner and parked next to curb. repair not yet made. disassembled center console to expose shifter mechanism and found bushing on lower shift cable had failed and was in 3 pieces. contacted dealership for availability and price of bushing and was told bushing was integral to cable and entire cable must be replaced. cost of parts $197.10 plus tax. will probably end up drilling through the ball and bolting the cable to the shift lever although this may fatigue shifter cable and ultimately require cable replacement. had this happened on the highway or in traffic instead of a residential street, the result could have been catastrophic. *jb
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Gasoline › Belts and associated pulleys
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 75 mph the vehicle overheated. this was on the highway and there was nowhere to pull over. the vehicle was driven home and there was steam coming from under the hood. the contact determined the accessory belt had come loose and replaced the belt and belt tensioner.
- Seats
Dt*: the contact stated the left front driver's seat recliner gear teeth wore excessively, causing the seat to partially slip rearward while driving. There was nhtsa recall campaign 02v307000 regarding the seats. The vehicle had the same problems as indicated in the recall; however, it was not…
Dt*: the contact stated the left front driver's seat recliner gear teeth wore excessively, causing the seat to partially slip rearward while driving. There was nhtsa recall campaign 02v307000 regarding the seats. The vehicle had the same problems as indicated in the recall; however, it was not included in the recall due to the vin. although the dealer was contacted the vehicle was not seen by a dealer. *Ak updated 03/09/06. *Jb
- Air bags › Frontal · Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
Dt: 1995 saturn SL1 4 door. consumer's vehicle was involved in an accident on september 29, 2005 . Upon impact, the airbags did not deploy. the consumer took pictures . however, had not contacted dealership or manufacturer because he thought vehicle was too old, and dealership information…
Dt: 1995 saturn SL1 4 door. consumer's vehicle was involved in an accident on september 29, 2005 . Upon impact, the airbags did not deploy. the consumer took pictures . however, had not contacted dealership or manufacturer because he thought vehicle was too old, and dealership information was unknown. the consumer was traveling 30-35 mph, hit the brakes, and they did not stop the vehicle. the vehicle has two front airbags . consumer's vehicle was hit on front and driver side of vehicle and the airbags did not deploy. the consumer was the only person in the vehicle and was wearing seat belts. the airbag light was not on prior to the crash. a police report was taken. the police report did not state anything about the airbags. the consumer gave the repair invoice to insurance company, but could get a copy. the road that consumer was traveling on was clear. after the impact lost control of vehicle which resulted in a crash. the consumer sustained cuts and bruises but was not taken to the hospital. the chest hit the steering wheel because the seat belts did not lock when hitting the brakes. Was about 24 inches away from steering wheel. there was no other property damage. the back bumper on the other vehicle was damaged. consumer's vehicle has all the original parts.*ak
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine
Excessive oil consumption, uses 1 qt every 500 miles, no leaks. Saturn says this IS normal! *nm
- Steering › Gear box (other than rack and pinion)
Dt: the contact owns a 1995 saturn SL. The contact stated received nhtsa campaign rfecall 94v170000. the recall stated that fracture of the steering gear pinion shaft causes complete loss of steering control which could result in a crash. However, this vehicle was not covered under the recall…
Dt: the contact owns a 1995 saturn SL. The contact stated received nhtsa campaign rfecall 94v170000. the recall stated that fracture of the steering gear pinion shaft causes complete loss of steering control which could result in a crash. However, this vehicle was not covered under the recall due to vin. This happened to contact's vehicle and she lost control of vehicle. The service department did replace the part before she found out about the recall. She was seeking reimbursement for the actual part which cost $1120, and $286 for the rental car. *Ak
Defect investigations
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
- Front seat back can recline or collapse
- Cruise control failures
This investigation documented hte functional aberations that have occurred in the performance of the subject cruise control system.most of the malfunctions involved failure of the system to properly regulate vehicle speed when engaged, failure of the system to engage, or self-disengagement of the system. These…
This investigation documented hte functional aberations that have occurred in the performance of the subject cruise control system.most of the malfunctions involved failure of the system to properly regulate vehicle speed when engaged, failure of the system to engage, or self-disengagement of the system. These problems were investigated and steps taken by the manufacturer to remedy their occurrences.service procedures were issued for vehicles in use, and a design modification made for new vehicles.no confirmed allegations of failure of the system to disengage upon command were identified.improved quality control procedures and design modificationsin the system were undertaken to ensure a more consistent level of system performance.the details of these findings and the resulting conclusions are contained inthe subject engineering analysis closing report.a safety-related defect trend was not identified at ehis time and further use of agency resources does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will take further action if warranted by the circumstances.
- Cruise control failure
There is no summary currently available
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 10246631Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules
- 10233364This service bulletin revision provides a repair procedure to Remove Debris from Evaporator Case, Disinfect evaporator or Apply Cooling coil coating and install blower motor control module to correct a customer concern of A/C Odor at start-up.
- 631244General motors vehicles and trucks: subject regarding, 2002 and prior passenger cars and trucks, chemical damage to exterior polycarbonate headlamp lenses. *Slc updated updated 3/30/11. Headlamp lens overheating when covered and chemical damage to exterior polycarbonate headlamp lenses. Can cause crazing or cracking of headlamp lens. Updated 6/24/11. Updated 5/14/12. Including 2013 model year.
Every Saturn SL model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.