- The problem
- 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.
- The risk
- Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash.
- The fix
- 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.
Vehicle safety record
2001 Saturn SL Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 128 complaints about the 2001 Saturn SL with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system (31) and the engine & cooling (23). Those complaints describe 18 crashes, 1 fire and 11 injuries. It is covered by 3 recalls, the latest in April 2009 for the exterior lighting. For comparison, the 2000 has 171 and the 2002 has 149.
NHTSA data checked
BFewer problems than a typical SL year, for its age
#81 most complained-about 2001 vehicle
- Complaints
- 128
- Recalls
- 3
- Crashes
- 18
- Fires
- 1
- Injuries
- 11
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 2001 Saturn SL problems
Share of all 128 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2001 Saturn SL recalls 3
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The problem
- Vehicle description: certain passenger vehicles, equipped with automatic transaxles, fail to comply with the requirements of fmvss no. 114, "Theft protection." These vehicles were built with an improperly adjusted automatic transaxle park lock cable assembly. If improperly adjusted, it is possible to shift from the "park" position with the ignition key removed.
- The risk
- This condition increases the risk of a crash resulting from the unintended movement of parked vehicles.
- The fix
- Saturn is asking owners and retailers to perform a functional check of the automatic transaxle park lock cable assembly operation, and if necessary, to have the cable adjusted. If owners are not comfortable performing the functional check themselves, they can have their dealer perform this inspection for them.
- The problem
- Vehicle description: certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of fmvss no. 301, "Fuel system integrity." These vehicles were built with an inadequate vent valve weld on the top portion of the fuel tank.
- The risk
- Fuel spillage could occur during refueling or if the vehicle were involved in a rollover. If an ignition source were present, a fire could occur.
- The fix
- Dealers will inspect the vehicle to ensure the fuel tank vent valve is properly welded. If necessary, dealers will replace the fuel tank assembly.
What owners say
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128 complaints about the 2001 Saturn SL
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 6.
The problem is with the Firestone Tempa Spare T115/70 R14 spare tire. This tire came with the car when new, and has never been used. Tire date of manufacture is 42 2000. I periodically check its air pressure, but it has never been out of the spare tire well. I checked the pressure 1 week ago, and found a large bulge in the tread, along with broken cords, both steel, and polyester (see photos). The inner tire liner has not ruptured, and the tire still holds air. One month ago I checked the pressure, and it looked...
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completely normal. If I had a flat tire then, I would have put it on the car without hesitation. I suspect that it would have failed on the road leading to a possible disaster. My reason for alerting NHTSA is that I suspect there are many compact spare tires in people's trunks, in the same condition, just waiting to cause trouble. I brought it to a Firestone store and they showed no interest in it. I have removed the tire from the steel wheel, and you are welcome to have it to inspect. I live about 25 miles south of Chicago, IL. When you look at the attached photos, numbers 1-3 show the tire on the steel wheel with the tire inflated, number 4 shows the tire deflated, and off the wheel.
I HAVE SOO MUCH PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR
My saturn that I've been driving for about a year and a half now, completely cut off in the middle of me driving it. Luckily I was at a drive they so so serious damage to me or anyone else. Could not get it to start back up for a good 5-10 mins. Also the transmission is going out in it and I'm constantly having to add fluid so it doesnt skip. The rear tail lights keep having to be replaced because they keep blowing out.
My key comes out the ignition in the run position, when the car is running. I am original owner since new. This started about the year of 2009 at about 65,000 miles. I have 165,000 miles on the car now.
I have trouble turning the ignition switch. Once started the keys can fall out of the switch. Please add this to the ignition recall because I don't want to die!!!
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 saturn sl. The contact stated that when the ignition was turned towards the on position, it was difficult to turn the key and it took numerous attempts to start the vehicle. The contact stated that the key was removed without the ignition being turned to the off position. The contact also stated that while refueling the fuel tank, the vehicle failed to indicate when the fuel tank was fuel causing fuel to spill. The failures recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where...
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it not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 142,000. Updated 7/7/15*cn the consumer stated the vehicle would shut off, when she approached a stop sign. Updated 08/06/15*jb
After the key is inserted in the ignition cylinder it will not engage and turn to start the vehicle. The lock remains stuck in the "off" position. Over the past several months the problem has become consistently worse. We have been stranded numerous occasions unable to start the vehicle. While the vehicle is running we are able to remove the key from the ignition. I have researched the internet and found this is a common issue with saturn's vehicles. *Tr
Our daughter was involved in a motor vehicle accident on 10/9/2014. A vehicle pulled out in front of her. Our daughter was not able to stop in time and hit the vehicle with the front end of the saturn to the drivers door of the other vehicle. Air bags did not deploy but we believe they should have. Our daughter sustained injuries. *Tr
I took my saturn in for repair because I was having trouble with the ignition and starting my car. The dealer said that the ignition cylinder binding and column was loose. They replaced the cylinder and code cylinder and secured the steering wheel column. Now the same ignition problem is back but even worse. It takes a series of shakes of my key and moving the steering wheel to even start the car! I hope that I won't get stranded somewhere when this car won't start!!! *Tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 saturn sl. The contact stated that while driving at 30 mph, the key intermittently released from the ignition. The failure occurred on two occasions. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
The security light on the dash board turn on and the wheel turn to the right side by it self and the car turn off and won't start again until the security light is off. This is the third time that happened wile driving with my son inside the car. *Tr
While accelerating from a light up to ~20mph there was the smell of brake fluid/rubber burning. When traffic slowed again brakes had no response even when press all the way to the floor. Car was stopped in time to avoid accident by application of emergency brake and placing the car in neutral. Pumping the brakes failed to regain pressure though after driving to the side of the road with ebrake and restarting car a hard pump of the brakes had some resistance. Further cautious driving and pressure rebuilt. After inspection at the shop no explanation for the event could be found. *Tr
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...
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they reported that I have a fuel tank leaking and have to replace the fuel pump. Because of this it failed the state inspection. My car currently has only 41152 miles on it and is driven mostly for pleasure. Is there a current recall on the fuel pump assembly or the fuel tanks of the saturn l300 series? *Tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 saturn sl. The contact stated that the anti theft warning lamp illuminated and the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the ignition was defective and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 65,000 and the current mileage was 72,000.
For some time now my horn is unreliable. I was behind a car that was attempting to reverse and was trying to alert them of my presence and my horn would not work. I repeatedly kept pressing the horn icon on the steering wheel and nothing happened. I was lucky that a person walking noticed and alerted the driver in front of me. Another time I was at a traffic light and the person in front of me was distracted with something in their car and the light was green and I had cars lined up behind me, I tried to blow my...
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horn to alert them of the light change, no horn. Again pressed horn icon repeatedly and nothing happened. I would say the first occurrence happened in 2009 and progressed with sporadic availability until it completely stopped. I have too many instances to name where I needed my horn and it failed to work. I have contacted saturn and am waiting their reply. *Tr
I am seeing a pattern of severe dry rot stress cracks in all, nearly new (less than 12 months old) michelin and uniroyal tires in the tread area first then later the sidewalls, and even goodyear tires in just 1-2 years. All these tires came from walmart. I have them on 6 vehicles, all with the same problems. I have been buying tires for over 38 years, and never had this problem till the last few years. This needs to be investigated and dealt with quickly. I am a degreed chemical engineer and I do all my own auto repairs, even major rebuilds, in other words I am very experienced and I see a very dangerous safety and consumer issue here!!!! *Tr
Sometimes my security light goes on-when that happens, in order to start car up I have to lock all of the doors, wait 20 minutes then start up the car. It now has 117000 miles on it and it makes a loud noise and shakes at anything over 60 miles an hour
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 saturn sl2. The contact stated that the vehicle would not start. The vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop and the contact was informed that the timing chain needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 110,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 saturn sl1. The contact stated that while driving 70 mph, he heard a loud noise and the vehicle started shaking excessively. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic who informed the contact that the transmission valve body was defective and needed to be replaced. The contact was awaiting repairs. The current and the failure mileages were 132,000. ....Updated 12/03/12 *bf updated 01/11/12
Saturn 2001 sl1, my girlfriend was driving the car and called me saying that it was knocking she only drove it around the block due to her being scared of the sounds. I then drove the car around to ensure that it was a transmission problem. The car has 97,000 miles on it and I just had the o2 sensor changed for an idle high issue. I also had to clean out the idle air control valve due to build up and faulty operation. I brought my car to aamco to ensure the transmission is taken care of properly. They have to...
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rebuild the transmission replacing every part inside the casing. 2,480$ In the hole, so I better not have anymore issues with this car after this. Also the door lock gets stuck on the driver side, so you have to manually push over the leaver every time you exit the vehicle. *Tr
2001 Saturn sl2 sedan timing chain failure. It is currently at an automotive repair shop, so I do not have the vin handy (but if you need it, contact me). They do not want to replace the timing chain because they say they have had experiences where they do this and it fails again in a few months. They say they do not want to look for another engine because it would have the same problem. I specifically bought the saturn because it had a timing chain instead of a timing belt (because I owned a fiat on which the...
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timing belt broke and I never wanted to go through that again). Yet, here I have the same problem with a timing chain. I have heard that there is a lubrication issue with the timing chain that causes it to fail. I hope this can be investigated. Saturn made a big deal of their "300,000 miles club" and how robust and long-lasting their cars were, and now this. To make things worse, our family has two 2001 saturn sl2 sedans! *Tr
I was in an accident on july 18 2009 a lady pulled out of a side street and we hit. I could not avoid her. Im not sure what speed I was going at impact but I slammed on my brakes at 40 mph. My front end hit her side.Most passengers me, the front passenger and two others were injured. Neither air bag deployed. Im not sure if they should have but at that speed and the impact I feel they definitely should have. My daughter and I flew forward and she hit the windshield and I went into the steering wheel coming very close to the windshield. The car in totaled. *Tr
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 saturn sl2. While driving 7 mph, the vehicle failed. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle, but was unsuccessful. She did not notice any warnings prior to the failure. The vehicle was towed to a local repair shop and the technician stated that the timing chain failed. The repair would cost $2,000. The contact called the manufacturer and was advised to take the vehicle to a local dealer for further inspection. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and they also stated that the...
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timing chain failed. The manufacturer stated that there was no current recall on her vehicle, but they would cover half of the repair cost. The contact does not feel she should have to pay because there is a service bulletin pertaining to the timing chain failure. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure mileage was 66,636.
Only had the car for a couple of months - started having problems with the transmission..... Kept shifting real hard from 2nd to 3rd (automatic). Took it to our mechanic and said it was out of his hands and referred us to a transmission specialist. Had the car towed to them and once he looked it over it needed a new transmission!!!! Only had 60,000 miles - go figure. Valve body!! Wrote a letter to the saturn corporate office about the problem to see what they could do and told us that we should have taken the...
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car to a saturn service station. We already were in the process of getting it repair, costing us $ 2,000.00!!!! I feel that saturn should look into their customer's complaints and realize that there actually is a problem with this models transmission. This could lead to an injury or something more serious. I don't think saturn would like to have that on their shoulders!! The more complaints about the transmission problem the better and hopefully they will make this a recall for the safety of the consumers. *Tr
Saturn 2001 ion ignition - car won't start because key won't turn this is a known problem with saturns and is a bad safety issue. People are stranded with vehicles that won't start or sometimes even turn off. This is awful, and saturn knows about it, and gm is asking for a bailout? This should be a recall. If government won't force a recall on known issues, the company winds up going extinct due to poor quality issues. Recall this! *Tr
Saturn SL: every year compared
All SL years2001 Saturn SL vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 Saturn SL | 128 | 3 | B | |
| 2001 Saturn L | 591 | 0 | - | Compare |
| 2001 Saturn SC1 | 25 | 2 | C | Compare |
| 2001 Saturn SC | 21 | 2 | C | Compare |
| 2001 Saturn LW200 | 8 | 0 | - | Compare |
| 2001 Saturn SW | 6 | 2 | A | Compare |
| 2001 Saturn S-Series Coupe | 2 | 0 | F | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 2001 Saturn SL
Does the 2001 Saturn SL have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2001 Saturn SL: exterior lighting (April 2009); park / neutral start interlock switch (October 2000); tank assembly (October 2000). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Saturn SL?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the electrical system (31), engine & cooling (23), transmission & drivetrain (22).
How many complaints has the 2001 Saturn SL had?
128 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on October 20, 2000 and the latest on January 15, 2024. Of these, 18 describe a crash and 1 a fire, and together they report 11 injuries and 0 deaths.
Is the 2001 Saturn SL a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 66 out of 100 (grade B: fewer problems than a typical Saturn SL year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which Saturn SL years have the most complaints?
1995 (357), 1994 (339), 1996 (315). See every Saturn SL year compared.
What should I do if my 2001 Saturn SL has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data