1992 Saturn SL problems & reliability
123 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1992 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.
19 complaints report injuries (25 injured, 2 deaths reported).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts → | 29 | 24% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 24 | 20% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 19 | 15% |
| Seats → | 18 | 15% |
| Electrical System → | 16 | 13% |
| Power Train → | 13 | 11% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 6 | 5% |
| Steering | 5 | 4% |
| Visibility | 4 | 3% |
| Wheels | 4 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Shift cable linkage broke at shifter while shifting during acceleration ,momentary loss of control due to no power at wheels near miss of big rig. Had to drive on sidewalk-and lawn. *tr”
Latches/locks/linkages · filed Aug 17, 2008
“We were driving on the highway going 70 mph when the steering wheel came loose and fell off causing me to lose complete control of the car. We were in the far right lane of three lanes and the car pulled us across the other two lanes, down a very steep ditch and into the median where we hit many small trees. Before…”
Steering · filed Jan 3, 2007
“1995 saturn sl2, incomplete deployment of passenger side front airbag in moderate frontal collision. *bf portions of the air bag fabric melted the internal componets of the module. *jb”
Air Bags · filed Mar 21, 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
- STEERING SYSTEM LOCKUP
Preliminary Evaluation PE93022 · opened Apr 5, 1993 · closed Sep 30, 1993
- SEATBACK FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE93004 · opened Feb 5, 1993 · closed Jun 8, 1993
Technical service bulletins
2 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1992 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 1992 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 1992 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.