1992 Saturn SL problems
Owners have filed 173 complaints about the 1992 Saturn SL with NHTSA. Seat belts account for 17.9% of them — narrowly the most common, ahead of engine and engine cooling at 16.2%.
Complaints173
Crashes23
Fires3
Injuries34
Deaths4
What owners report breaking
Seat belts 17.9% · 31
Engine and engine cooling 16.2% · 28
Service brakes, hydraulic 14.5% · 25
Electrical system 12.1% · 21
Seats 10.4% · 18
Power train 7.5% · 13
Vehicle speed control 3.5% · 6
Steering 2.9% · 5
Severity
Of those complaints, 23 describe a crash, 3 describe a fire, 34 report an injury and 4 report a death.
Reading the numbers
Across the 11 model years of the Saturn SL in this data, 1992 draws comparatively few complaints; 1995 is the outlier year.
Filings have fallen off, 4 in the last three years against 13 in the three before. That is normal as a generation leaves the road.
The median odometer reading at the time of complaint was 140,000 miles.
In owners' own words
Upon turning key in ignition, passenger, out of habit, reache dover right shoulder to grab seat and shoulder belt like she was in her own vehicle. However motorized shoulder belt was operating at same instant, and contacted with passenger's right index finger, partially severing the tip. Onclear whether finger was injured by something on motorized belt or by sharp edges at locking end of carrier track. Seat belts
Motorized seatbelt restraints are inoperative on both the drivers and the passengers seats. We have not been able to use them for some time now, and we were involved in an accident recently in which we were rear ended. This has left my wife with back problems ever since, and I do believe that if the shoulder restaints were to have been working properly she would be fine. Seat belts
Passive restraint system on passenger side failed without trauma, engine mount failed causing steering difficulty and loud noise, gas gauge began bouncing randomly, o-rings in a/c failed twice, despite retrofit, a/c again inoperative due to "o-rings" water pump leaked at 40,000 miles, battery dead in one year in arizona. Seat belts
Verbatim from NHTSA filings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.
Safety recalls
Checking NHTSA for open recalls…