2002 Saturn SL problems
Owners have filed 154 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Saturn SL. Electrical system is the most reported problem area, at 29% of complaints. After that come engine (14%) and transmission (12%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 154 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Electrical system 29% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 24 and 5
- Injuries and deaths
- 20 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 60,000 miles 94 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 11 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 16 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 19 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 17 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 8 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 6 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 3 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 8 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 2 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 4 |
What the data shows
Among the 94 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 60,000 miles. For electrical system specifically, the median reported mileage is about 87,000 miles (29 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 24 complaints mention a crash; 5 complaints mention a fire; 20 injuries reported. Its complaints are more severe on average than those of 89% of model years in our database.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2002 ranks 9th most-complained-about out of 12 model years of the Saturn SL with enough data (86 complaints in that window).
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
After a crash in a saturn and the air bags exploded. The passenger side of the dashboard area started smoldering. The fire department arrived and put the fire out before it did a lot of damage.
Dt*: the contact stated the two front seats failed when the vehicle was in an accident, and both the driver and the passenger reclined. The vehicle was deemed totaled and the insurance company determined the front seat recliner was a manufacturer defect. Both the driver and the passenger were injured as a result.
Upon rear impact, the driver's seat immediately fell backward to a total reclining position. The driver was forced backward, into a reclining position, unable to see through the windshield to navigate the car. The seat is not broken. When the lever was pressed, the seat returned to it's normal upright position.
Saturn sl1 was not shifting properly. Took it in for repairs on monday, 6/23/03. Supossedly computer was reprogrammed. Four days later (06/27/03) transmission failed totaly. Had to have car towed. Whole transmission was replaced but I do not feel safe driving it.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 saturn sl. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled on numerous occasions. The contact mentioned that the visibility was low on the high beams and the lights on the instrument panel failed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the ignition switch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred.