1991 Saturn SL problems & reliability
29 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1991 Saturn SL. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
3 complaints report injuries (4 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts → | 12 | 41% |
| Seats | 4 | 14% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 10% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 7% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 7% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 7% |
| Air Bags | 1 | 3% |
| Power Train | 1 | 3% |
| Steering | 1 | 3% |
| Suspension | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The brake pedal is always low and some times bottoms out when you first start driving the car. You can't stop. Record of complaint is on file with saturn, but they just blew me off because they check out the car, but said it was ok. I showed them that by pumping the breaks a few times that the pedal would bottom and…”
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · filed Oct 9, 2005
“The brake pedal is always low and some times bottoms out when you first start driving the car. You can't stop. Record of complaint is on file with saturn, but they just blew me off because they check out the car, but said it was ok. I showed them that by pumping the breaks a few times that the pedal would bottom and…”
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · filed Oct 9, 2005
“Dt: contact states the vehicle is continuously shaking, affecting the steering. The solenoids have been replaced, 6 months later the problem recurred. *ak”
Suspension · filed Jun 10, 2005
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- FR SEATBACK RECLINER FAILS
Engineering Analysis EA93016 · opened Jun 8, 1993 · closed Jul 26, 1994
Technical service bulletins
2 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1991 Saturn SL.
This 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…
92-T-40D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 10, 2023
Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules
130089009 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 1, 2013
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1991 Saturn SL in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1991 Saturn SL?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.