Saturn Sl 1997
Model Sl made in 1997 by Saturn got 34 consumer complains there are 3 recalls as well as 1 service bulletin. Consumer complaints with reference, among others things, to communications, electrical system and engine and engine cooling. Technical service bulletines regarding seats. There were some recalls concerningexterior lighting, seats and steering. The car has one 1.9l engine.
Model 1997
| Engine [L] | Cylinders | Transmission | Drive | Estimate MPG (city/highway/combined) | Unadjusted MPG (city/highway/combined) | Fuel | Fuel cost | Class | Release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ( 1.9L) | 4 | Lockup/automatic, 4 gears | FWD | 24/34/28 | 27/43/33 | Regular | $ 643 | 4 | 960825 |
| ( 1.9L) | 4 | Lockup/automatic, 4 gears | FWD | 27/37/31 | 30/47/36 | Regular | $ 581 | 4 | 960825 |
| ( 1.9L) | 4 | Manual, 5 gears | FWD | 27/37/30 | 30/47/35 | Regular | $ 599 | 4 | 960825 |
| ( 1.9L) | 4 | Manual, 5 gears | FWD | 28/40/33 | 31/52/38 | Regular | $ 545 | 4 | 960825 |
Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | ||||||||||||||||
| 09E012000 | SABERSPORT | E (Equipment) | 16270 | 05/11/2009 | OVSC | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 04/07/2009 | 04/07/2009 | 571 | 108 | ||||||
| Defect Summary | Sabersport is recalling 16,270 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. these headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment. these lamps do not contain the required amber side reflectors. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Sabersport will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant combination lamps. the safety recall began on may 11, 2009. owners may contact sabersport at 1-909-598-7589. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | This recall only pertains to aftermarket replacement equipment and has no relation to any original equipment installed on vehicles produced by the vehicle manufacturer.in order to determine if your aftermarket lamp assembly is affected by this noncompliance, please review the list of model numbers provided to us by sabersport.the list can be found under document search located at the bottom of your screen.owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov . | |||||||||||||||
| SEATS | ||||||||||||||||
| 97V155000 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | from 03/24/1997 to 03/24/1997 | V (Vehicle) | 5 | 09/10/1997 | MFR | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 09/12/1997 | 09/18/1997 | 571 | 210 | |||||
| Defect Summary | Vehicle description: passsenger vehicles. these vehicles were built with suspect cold welds on the right side in the tunnel area of the floor pan. this does not comply with the requirements of fmvss no. 210, seat belt anchorage. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | In the event of a vehicle crash, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained increasing the risk of personal injury. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will repair these vehicles. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Owners have been notified by telephone.all vehicles have been accounted for. no further action is needed on this recall campaign. | |||||||||||||||
| STEERING - GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION) | ||||||||||||||||
| 97V138000 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | from 07/01/1996 to 01/30/1997 | V (Vehicle) | 14580 | 08/29/1997 | MFR | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 08/29/1997 | 08/29/1997 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with manual steering. the pinion bearing cage in the steering gear can separate under high steering system load conditions, such as parking lot or similar low speed maneuvers. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | This could result in the pinion gear disengaging from the rack causing a loss of steering control. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will replace the manual steering gear assembly. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Owner notification began august 29, 1997.owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact saturn at 1-800-833-6000.also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-800-424-9393. | |||||||||||||||
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEATS | |||||
| 00T38 | 07/01/2000 | 614008 | Some customers may comment about abnormal wear or a cut on the inboard edge of the driver or passenger seat back cover. *tt | 09/26/2000 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| COMMUNICATIONS - HORN ASSEMBLY | |||
| 11/30/2006 | 1 | ||
| I purchased a used 1997 saturn sl in 2005. when i negotiated to purchase the vehicle the horn was not working. the used car dealer replaced a fuse. the horn then worked intermittently if the horn button was pushed just so. within a week it failed to work at all. i contacted saturn (via the internet) and got no help, other than to take the dealer for repair. this car was totaled out in an accident. i liked it so much (other than the horn issue) that i bought another one - a 1996 sl. the horn on the 96 also worked intermittently. again, pushing the horn button in just the right way would activate the horn. recently it stopped working - just like the 97. i feel that this must be a pervasive issue. i have never owned any other vehicle with a horn issue. it is definitely a safety issue; one that could be very expensive to repair due to the steering wheel having an air bag. i reviewed a few web sites that described similar problems and noted a recall on a 96 saturn z model. this proves that saturn has had some horn issues before. i'd appreciate any help i can get to get saturn to repair this issue without potentially burdensome cost to me. feel free to contact me. (740-774-5237 work; 614-871-4081 home: 614-284-3554 cell. thanks! *nm | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - BATTERY | |||
| 05/18/2001 | 1 | ||
| The battery tested bad under load testing. *yh | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | |||
| 01/09/2006 | 1 | ||
| Ignition switch failed to start car. after a few tries, the car finally started only to have mounds of smoke rolling out from under the dash. after turning the vehicle off, the switch worked intermittently. we removed dash covers and ignition cylinder lock, and lowered the steering wheel to find that the wiring harness leading to the ignition switch had what was a black wire that was melted bare for a couple inches, and disfigured the entire wire, and melted the insulation to other wires within the harness. judging by the damage of done to the wire, it appears that the most heat was in an area where the wire was closest to the steering column, leading one to believe that it wore through and grounded itself to the steering column, which led to the overheating of the wire and subsequent smoke/fire. *jb | |||
| 07/02/2002 | |||
| At start up horn sounded, then, smoke was coming from under the dash. consumer shut off engine, and had vehicle towed to dealer. dealer determined that wiring harness under the dash needed to be replaced.*ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 10/01/2000 | 1 | ||
| Cylinder head failure between lubrication ports and cooling system, resulting in contamination of cooling system with oil. | |||
| 05/18/2001 | 1 | ||
| The whine noise was heard from the engine diagnostics indicated that the coolant pump was leaking and the serpentine belt had failed. *yh | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 12/16/2005 | 1 | 10/23/1996 | |
| Dt: the contact stated while driving vehicle stalled intermittently. the vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop. they found that it was the cam shaft sensor that was defective. no repairs were made.*ak | |||
| 08/12/2003 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle is leaking oil, needed to replace the head gasket. dealer stated never heard something like this. *ak | |||
| Engine rod bearings failed. please provide further detail. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 11/01/2001 | 2 | 01/01/2000 | |
| This vehicle is burning oil--i have the oil changed every 2,000 to 3,000 miles but i have had to add oil every week--there is no oil leak that is visible and on accassio i have had no oil but the day or so before it is reading that the oil is full. *ak | |||
| 08/23/1999 | 4 | 08/01/1999 | |
| This vehicle (1g8zf5288vz227522)loses oil 1 quart per 700 miles! *ak | |||
| 02/03/1997 | 6 | ||
| The service engine light comes on and the vehicle loses power. have to put the gas pedal all the way to the floor in order for the vehicle to coast off the road. consumer has contacted the dealer, and has had the problem fixed 6 times. the problem has reoccurred since having fixed. *ak *yh | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | |||
| 05/18/2001 | 1 | ||
| The whine noise was heard from the engine diagnostics indicated that the coolant pump was leaking and the serpentine belt had failed. *yh | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - BRAKE LIGHTS | |||
| 02/01/2000 | 2 | 12/01/1996 | |
| Rred one year ago. i took it to the dealer and he fixed it. now it is falling again. it seems that it is more likely to fail when headlamp is off. in addition, i also saw other cars of same model had the similar failures. *ak | |||
| OTHER | |||
| 02/20/2000 | 1 | 08/01/1997 | |
| I recently had a frightening experience in my saturn, only to be humiliated by the service manager and owner of the torrance dealership. sunday night- i left my friends house to go home. up until now my saturn always ran perfectly and i took it in to the saturn dealership for regularly scheduled maintenance. as soon as i started driving the car down the street i heard a loud metal bang under my car. it was incredibly frightening - i thought i ran over a bomb. then i wanted to pull over so i continued to drive to pull over to the side. the clutch went into first and then second, then the car started to drift, i put it back in first only to find it started pulling backwards all on its own. i was scarred out of my mind at this point. i could have hit or killed someone -- thank god it wasn't on a freeway - this was an accident waiting to happen. i immediately stopped the car and called aaa to have it towed to the saturn of torrance dealer. my regular service dealer as well as the dealer i purchased the car from. next morning, bora cummings, the service rep called me at 7:30 am to tell me that it was probably a clutch or gear problem and that it was still covered under warranty (the car is less than 3 yrs old and only has 27,690 mi on it) she then called me back 1 hour later and told me that her manager said, it would probably not be covered as this is normal wear, but they would call me at 4 pm and let me know - she also said that she didn't think the car could be fixed today anyway as it takes quite a number of hours to do this. they never called. by 5 pm i was worried. i was at least going to need a rental for the next days work if the car wasn't going to be done. bora told me she reserved a rental car and to come and get it. when i got to the station -- 5:45 pm i was told, lo and behold that my car was almost ready and if i could come back in half and hour i could have it. i asked if they knew what the problem was yet. no safety defect listed in summary | |||
| POWER TRAIN | |||
| 06/07/2012 | 127000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 1997 saturn sl. the contact stated that he was reversing from a residential driveway when he shifted to first gear and the shifter cable became detached from the shifter lever. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the dealer stated they had to replace two shifter cables. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was contacted.the failure and current mileage was 127,000. kmj | |||
| 06/07/2012 | 127000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 1997 saturn sl. the contact stated he was backing out of his driveway he shifted to first gear when the shifter cable come out the shifter level. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the dealer stated they had to replace two shifter cables. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was contacted.the failure and current mileage was 127,000.jp | |||
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION | |||
| 09/16/2009 | 143125 | 1 | |
| 1997 saturn sl, 4 door sedan, manual transaxle, 143000 miles at a parking lot: shifter cable plastic bushing broke locking my transaxle in reverse. problem fixed with an aftermarket kit sold by napa auto stores. *tr | |||
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION - FLOOR SHIFT ASSEMBLY | |||
| 04/08/2008 | 118075 | 2 | 04/04/2008 |
| I recently purchased a 1997 sl1 and on the 3rd day of owning it the shifter broke causing it to go limp. at the time i was on the 101 freeway stuck in traffic with my three children. i called my mechanic and he towed it to his shop for repairs. after making the necessary repair, he did a routine maintenance check. this was when he discovered the oil had water mixed in with it causing a white smoke escaping from the exhaust pipe. i'm certain this problem was recognized by the previous owner and most likely was the reason for selling. after reading the following complaints from car survey, i believe saturn engineered this vehicle by design with these problems as a forecast for revenue. *tr | |||
| 04/08/2008 | 118075 | 2 | 04/04/2008 |
| I recently purchased a 1997 sl1 and on the 3rd day of owning it the shifter broke causing it to go limp. at the time i was on the 101 freeway stuck in traffic with my three children. i called my mechanic and he towed it to his shop for repairs. after making the necessary repair, he did a routine maintenance check. this was when he discovered the oil had water mixed in with it causing a white smoke escaping from the exhaust pipe. i'm certain this problem was recognized by the previous owner and most likely was the reason for selling. after reading the following complaints from carsurvey, (complaints listed below) i believe saturn engineered this vehicle by design with these problems forecasting their revenue. *tr | |||
| SEAT BELTS - FRONT - RETRACTOR | |||
| 01/07/2001 | 1 | 11/01/1996 | |
| Front passenger side seatbelt failed to extend, had to be replaced, p/n 21055604, for a total repair cost of $135. *ak | |||
| SEATS | |||
| 12/04/2001 | 08/01/1997 | ||
| Manual seat track will not locking for several months take off and braking would cause it to lock in place. i was adjusting it the other day before driving and it broke. now it cannot be adjusted at all.*ak | |||
| 11/09/2000 | 1 | 09/01/1997 | |
| I was involved in a rear-end collision where a suv hit me while i was stopped. the force of the impact forced me into the car in front causing major front and rear damage to my car. the driver's seat collapsed during the rear impact causing me to be thrown to the back seat and causing abdominal and back injuries. i was wearing my seat belt at the time of the accident. *ak | |||
| 02/22/2000 | |||
| When the driver's seat is adjusted the right side does not lock. when the accelerator is applied the seat will jerk . manufacturer has been notified. *ak | |||
| 11/20/1998 | 2 | 07/10/1997 | |
| The back of the rear seat collapsed forward after a sudden stop. | |||
| 08/01/1997 | |||
| In a rear end collision the driver's seatback broke, causing the seat to fall back and resulting in injuries. also having problems with seat adjuster. dealer cannot determine problem. cause unknown. please provide details. *ak | |||
| SEATS - FRONT ASSEMBLY - RECLINER | |||
| 08/01/1997 | |||
| In a rear end collision the driver's seatback broke, causing the seat to fall back and resulting in injuries. also having problems with seat adjuster. dealer cannot determine problem. cause unknown. please provide details. *ak | |||
| STEERING | |||
| 02/01/1999 | 0 | ||
| There is alot of play in steering, and theres avery loud poping noise when turning wheel.*ak | |||
| 05/19/1997 | |||
| Traveling about 5 mph there was total loss of steering, resulting in steering lock up diagnosis, the retaining clip omitted during assembly. *ak | |||
| STEERING - WHEEL AND HANDLE BAR | |||
| 06/19/1997 | |||
| While driving vehicle consumer heard a clicking noise then pulled vehicle ihnto a parking lot. consumer had no control of steering, and steering wheel had no connection to column. vehicle has never been in an accident. *ak | |||
| 02/28/1996 | 1 | ||
| Steering wheel came completely apart while she was driving. *ak | |||
| TIRES - TREAD/BELT | |||
| 08/31/1999 | 1 | ||
| Two replacement tires in the front of a 1997 saturn sl, fr480, p175/or14-845, dot hyep, tread is separating at 28,000 miles. consumer took vehicle to mech. he took tires off and said inside was worse than the outside, and tread was getting ready to separate from the sidewall.*ak | |||