1998 Saturn SL power train problems
33 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the power train on the 1998 Saturn SL — 20% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“Coolant around the spark plug nearest the transmission, engine oil is visible in coolant tank. Internet search revealed a cracked head due to factory defect in head casting. Gm did not issue a recall! *tr”
filed Oct 30, 2014
“While parking my 1898 saturn sl in a hospital garage, the shift lever went limp without warning. There was no way to operate the transmission. When I removed the console, I discovered that the plastic bushing that connects the manual shift lever to the shift cable was missing. There was no longer…”
filed Feb 3, 2005
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Power Train problems in other SL years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 SL | 22 | 17% |
| 2001 SL | 20 | 18% |
| 2000 SL | 35 | 24% |
| 1999 SL | 22 | 12% |
| 1997 SL | 23 | 10% |
| 1996 SL | 37 | 13% |
| 1995 SL | 40 | 11% |
| 1994 SL | 35 | 12% |
| 1993 SL | 26 | 15% |
| 1992 SL | 13 | 11% |
| 1991 SL | 1 | 3% |
Other reported problem areas on the 1998 Saturn SL
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.