The 1996 Saturn Sl has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 14,580 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 369 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine and engine cooling. Last updated July 5, 2026.
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.
THIS COULD RESULT IN THE PINION GEAR DISENGAGING FROM THE RACK CAUSING A LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL.
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE MANUAL STEERING GEAR ASSEMBLY.
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“First problem is door chimes with key out of ignition. Second problem is dome light stays on in front or rear position with all doors shut. Third problem is no power at all to the cab when I tried to start car, and then my passenger opened and shut the passenger front door and the power came back…”
“Tl* the contact owns a 1996 saturn sl. While making a right turn at 20 mph, the steering wheel turned right and left independently. As a result, the contact crashed into the rear driver side of another vehicle and the air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained muscular pain that required…”
“Tl* the contact owns a 1996 saturn sl. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 mph, the air bag warning light illuminated and the horn became inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the clock spring and the module needed to be replaced. The…”
“I noticed that the temperature gauge would go 3/4 towards the red. If I am stopping at a light, the temperature gauge keep going 3/4 towards the red, then goes back very slowly to the middle. I have been informed that I would need to replace my gasket. This would cost approximately $1,200. *tr”
“Tl* the contact owns a 1996 saturn sl. The contact stated that the ignition key was very difficult to turn when the contact attempted to start the vehicle. The contact also stated that the engine would not shut off when the key was in the ignition. The failure was recurring over a two year period.…”
“Tl* the contact owns a 1996 saturn sl. The contact stated that the ignition key was very difficult to turn when the contact attempted to start the vehicle. The contact also stated that the engine would not shut off when the key was in the ignition. The failure was recurring over a two year period.…”
“The horn does not work. When I looked up a recall this is what I found.: recall date:12-07-1998 units potentially affected:64,199 nhtsa campaign number:98v307000 defective part or component:communications:horn assembly description:vehicle description: passenger vehicles. These vehicles were…”
“1996 saturn sl2, a vehicle defect caused the driver to lose control and strike the concrete barrier. *bf the left front strut broke which caused the consumer to lose control of the vehicle. The driver suffered minor injuries. (ohio traffic crash report # 10-0304-91)*jb updated 08/05/10 *bf”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1996 Saturn Sl as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.