2001 Saturn SL problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
111 owner complaints analyzed
2 distinct recall campaigns
64,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2001 model year. Data snapshot: . 61 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Power Train:Automatic Transmission is the most frequently named component, appearing in 14 of 111 complaints (12.6%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 20 | 18.0% |
| Transmission and shifting | 17 | 15.3% |
| Steering behavior | 8 | 7.2% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 7 | 6.3% |
| Engine operation | 4 | 3.6% |
| Fuel system concerns | 4 | 3.6% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Power Train:Automatic Transmission | 14 |
| Electrical System | 10 |
| Air Bags:Frontal | 7 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 7 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 6 |
| Air Bags | 5 |
| Electrical System:12v/24v/48v Battery | 5 |
| Electrical System:Ignition | 5 |
Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 14; Electrical System: 10; Air Bags:Frontal: 7; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 7; Engine And Engine Cooling: 6; Air Bags: 5; Electrical System:12v/24v/48v Battery: 5; Electrical System:Ignition: 5
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 9 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 12 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 15 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 10 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 11 |
| 150,000 and above | 4 |
Under 25,000: 9; 25,000 to 49,999: 12; 50,000 to 74,999: 15; 75,000 to 99,999: 10; 100,000 to 149,999: 11; 150,000 and above: 4
50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (15). 50 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 8 |
| 2002 | 20 |
| 2003 | 15 |
| 2004 | 10 |
| 2005 | 9 |
| 2006 | 4 |
| 2007 | 7 |
| 2008 | 15 |
| 2009 | 3 |
| 2011 | 3 |
| 2012 | 2 |
| 2014 | 9 |
| 2015 | 3 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2024 | 1 |
2001: 8; 2002: 20; 2003: 15; 2004: 10; 2005: 9; 2006: 4; 2007: 7; 2008: 15; 2009: 3; 2011: 3; 2012: 2; 2014: 9; 2015: 3; 2016: 1; 2018: 1; 2024: 1
Pattern summary
Power Train:Automatic Transmission leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 20 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 17 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 8 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10016822 · 2003-05-01 (May 1, 2003)
FRONT BRAKE ROTORS HAVE HAD TO BE "TURNED" TWO OR THREE TIMES AND VEHICLE ONLY HAS 33K MILES ON IT. DEALER IS AWARE AND HAS SO FAR COVERED UNDER WARRANTY.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10016822 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10024545 · 2003-06-13 (June 13, 2003)
DEFECTIVE BRAKE ROTORS ON 2001 SATURN SL. *MR FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS HAD TO BE REPLACED 4 TIMES. INTERMITTENTLY VEHICLE BUCKED AND STALLED AT IDLE. DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE CONCERN ON ROAD TEST. RADIO LIGHT INOPERATIVE. RADIO ASSEMBLY REPLACED. *TT *JB
Owner-reported narrative. 8,715 miles reported. Look up ODI 10024545 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10109502 · 2005-02-01 (February 1, 2005)
WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. DRIVER TRIED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO DO SO. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A GARAGE FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10109502 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10134678 · 2005-08-29 (August 29, 2005)
THE TRANSMISSION STARTED GOING OUT ON MY 2001 SATURN SL1 (AUTOMATIC), WHICH ONLY HAS 53,000 MILES ON IT. A SATURN SERVICE AGENT ACCIDENTALLY (I THINK) TOLD ME THAT THE VALVE BODY "TENDS TO GO OUT" IN THAT MODEL. A LOCAL TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST HAS VERIFIED THAT, AND IS REPEATEDLY REPAIRING TRANSMISSIONS ON THIS MODEL. *JB
Owner-reported narrative. 53,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10134678 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10091412 · 2004-09-07 (September 7, 2004)
THE STEERING COLUMN BROKE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN. THE HEAT/AIR VENTS DID NOT WORK. *JB
Owner-reported narrative. 43,900 miles reported. Look up ODI 10091412 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10129662 · 2005-07-22 (July 22, 2005)
WHEN THE IGNITION KEY IS INSERTED INTO THE IGNITION, IT DOESN'T TURN MOST OF THE TIME. IT HAS BEEN TRIED TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL BACK AND FORTH AND ALSO REINSERTING THE KEY. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR SEVERAL MONTHS NOW AND IT IS GETTING WORSE AS TIME GOES ON. I ALSO KNOW OF OTHER SATURN OWNERS WITH OTHER MODELS WHICH HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP DOES NOT SAY THAT THIS IS AN ON GOING PROBLEM WITH THEIR CARS.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10129662 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10025328 · 2003-07-02 (July 2, 2003)
SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR IN FEBRUARY 2001, IN JANUARY 2002, FEBRUARY 2002, JANUARY 2003 AND JUNE 2003, THE CAR WOULD NOT START. SATURN CHANGED THE BATTERY IN JANUARY 2003 AND IN ALL OTHER OCCASIONS THE CAR NEEDED JUMP START. WHEN I CONTACTED SATURN, THEY SAID EVERYTHING IS FINE. SINCE ALL OF THEM WERE IDENTICAL PROBLEMS, SATURN WOULD NOT TREAT THESE AS REPAIRS AS JUMP STARTS DO NOT COUNT AS REPAIRS. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10025328 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10041081 · 2003-10-02 (October 2, 2003)
AC DELCO CAR BATTERY POSITIVE TERMINAL FELL OFF THE BATTERY, CAUSING CAR TO NOT START AND BATTERY ACID TO DRIP ON CABLES UNDER BATTERY. BATTERY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. MY RESEARCH REVEALS THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON EXPERIENCE WITH AC DELCO BATTERIES. *JB
Owner-reported narrative. 38,119 miles reported. Look up ODI 10041081 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10025025 · 2003-07-24 (July 24, 2003)
THE VEHICLE BRAKE ROTOR WARP SEVERAL TIMES WHICH CAUSED VIBRATION WHILE BRAKING. THE DEALER REPLACED THE ROTORS. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS MOVED FROM A STOP THE VEHICLE JERKED FORWARD. THE VEHICLE ALSO ACTS AS IF IT WANT TO STALL WHEN SITTING IDLE. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE EITHER CONCERN. THE RADIO LIGHT WAS INOPERATIVE THEREFORE THE DEALER REPLACED THE RADIO. *AK *CB *NLM
Owner-reported narrative. 55,153 miles reported. Look up ODI 10025025 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10215791 · 2008-01-23 (January 23, 2008)
I SAW A RECALL ON YOUR WEB SITE THAT DESCRIBED THE SAME REPAIR I NEED TO PASS EMISSIONS ON MY 2001 SATURN SL1. IT IS A FUEL TANK VENT VALVE. I CONTACTED THE SATURN DEALER AND THEY SAY THERE IS NO RECALL ON MY VEHICLE AND REFUSE TO FIX. I CAN HAVE ANOTHER DIAGNOSTIC WHICH I HAD ALREADY AND IT WILL COST $85. I AM GOING TO PAY FOR THE WORK TO BE DONE NOW AND IT IS EXPENSIVE FOR A PROBLEM THAT WAS RECALLED ON NUMEROUS VEHICLES THE SAME AS MINE. I FEEL THIS IS WRONG. HOW CAN YOU HAVE A RECALL ON THE SAME ITEM AND NOT PUT IT ON ALL VEHICLES MADE WITH…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10215791 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10610022 · 2014-07-12 (July 12, 2014)
1ST INCIDENT: I WENT IN TO THE SATURN DEALER FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND THE DEALER FOUND A FUEL LEAK BETWEEN THE TANK AND THE FILTER. THERE WAS FUEL ON TOP OF THE TANK TOP AND ALSO DRIPPING DOWN THE SIDE. THE DEALER SAID THERE WAS A CRACKED LINE IN THE FUEL SYSTEM CLOSE TO THE TANK TOP. I HAD TO REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY IN ORDER TO REPAIR THE LEAK OF MY POCKET AS IT WAS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. 2ND INCIDENT: YESTERDAY I WENT FOR A STATE INSPECTION AT THE LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALER THAT TAKES CARE OF MY SATURN AND THEY REPORTED THAT I HAVE A F…
Owner-reported narrative. 27,291 miles reported. Look up ODI 10610022 at NHTSA ↗