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#BS-1998-SATSL-5A55

1998 Saturn Sl

Based on reports from 222 owners and 1 recall for this exact model.

Complaints
222
Crashes
26
Fires
2
Recalls
1
TSBs
17
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 222 complaints, 26 crashes, 2 fires, and 1 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

water pump failure

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX
2

smoking and running rough

1 complaints • Severity 4/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Power Train:automatic TransmissionHIGH

18 owners reported power train:automatic transmission issues — failures commonly reported around 66K miles.

!Inspect the Engine And Engine Cooling:engineMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

4
0–30K
13
30–60K
14
60–90K
4
90–120K
4
120–150K
4
150K+

Peak failure range: 60–90K miles (14 reports) • Median: 66K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Power Train:automatic Transmission (18 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Power Train:automatic Transmission18 (8%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine14 (6%)
Wheels & Tires11 (5%)
Visibility:power Window Devices And Controls9 (4%)
Other8 (4%)
Seat Belts:front:anchorage6 (3%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline6 (3%)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:rotor6 (3%)

1998 Saturn Sl: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Power Train:automatic Transmission Issues

Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints account for 8% of all reports filed for the 1998 Saturn Sl, with 18 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 66,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 66K-mile mark.

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine Issues

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 1998 Saturn Sl, with 14 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine and engine cooling:engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Wheels & Tires Issues

Wheels & Tires complaints account for 5% of all reports filed for the 1998 Saturn Sl, with 11 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to wheels & tires-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Visibility:power Window Devices And Controls Issues

Visibility:power Window Devices And Controls complaints account for 4% of all reports filed for the 1998 Saturn Sl, with 9 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to visibility:power window devices and controls-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

21
00
25
01
16
02
22
03
19
04
7
05
5
06
1
07
4
08
2
09
2
10
2
11
2
12
1
13
5
14

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 1998 Saturn Sl. Recent trend: increasing.

Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own

Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (1 recall)

09E012000May 2009

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

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.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Saturn Sl is the 1997 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

1998 Saturn Sl vs. Class Average (Compact Cars)

This vehicle

222

Class avg

167

Complaint volume is roughly in line with other compact cars vehicles from 1998.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 222 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 1 recall found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Saturn Sl Model Years

200220012000199919981997199619951994199319921991
View all Saturn Sl years →

1998 Saturn Sl: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 1998 Saturn Sl?
The most commonly reported issue with the 1998 Saturn Sl is related to the power train:automatic transmission, with 18 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 1998 Saturn Sl reliable?
The 1998 Saturn Sl has 222 complaints, 26 crash reports, and 2 fire reports filed with NHTSA. The full report analyzes whether these numbers indicate real risk or are proportional to the vehicle’s popularity.
How much does it cost to fix 1998 Saturn Sl problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 1998 Saturn Sl have any recalls?
Yes, the 1998 Saturn Sl has 1 recall on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Saturn Sl problems start?
Based on 43 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 66,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 60–90K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 222 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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