Saturn Sl Transmission Problems
81 owner complaints filed with NHTSA across 3 model years.
Complaints by Year
Worst year: 2000. Best year: 2001.
Owner Reports
A representative sample of complaints filed with NHTSA.
GEAR SHIFT STARTED SMOKING THEN CAUGHT ON FIRE.*MR THERE WAS A RECALL FOR 2000-2003 SATURNS OF THE SAME MODEL. THE DEALER STATED THEY WEREN'T RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FIRE AND WASN'T GOING TO PAY FOR THE DAMAGES. *PH *NLM
I CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP AT A STOP SIGN,WENT TO PUT IT FIRST (5SPEED) AND THE SHIFTER BUSHING BROKE. THE SHIFTER WAS JUST FLOPPING AROUND.I COULD HAVE BEEN IN SERIOUS SITUATION IF I WAS IN THE CITY OR TRAVELING.OR PICKING UP A SENIOR CU...
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 PROBL...
THE GEAR SHIFT CAN BE OPERATED WITHOUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND NOT RUNNING. *TR
2001 SATURN SL2 TRANSMISSION WILL SLAM WHEN PLACED IN REVERSE REPLACED FLUIDS AND LET RUN IN REVERSE POSITION WITH EMERGENCY BRAKE SET AND BACKED UP AGAINST A TREE TO TRY AND CLEAN VALVE BODY - NO SUCCESS. *TR
ONE EVENING LAST WEEK I NOTICED THAT WHEN I WOULD SHIFT GEARS AFTER BEING PARKED, IT FELT LIKE SOMETHING DROPPED UNDER MY CAR. THE SAME NIGHT, I WOULD BE DRIVING ABOUT 35-40 MILES AND HOUR IN THE 1-2 RPM RANGE, ALL OF A SUDDEN THE GAUGE...
BRUSHING ON MY 2001 SATURN BROKE WHILE I WAS DRIVING, LEAVING ME STUCK IN 3RD GEAR. I HAVE SEARCHED ONLINE, AND FOUND THAT IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM, AND SATURN REFUSES TO SELL THE DEFECTIVE PART, OPTING TO CHARGE THEIR CUSTOMERS OVER $2...
TRANSMISSION. *TR
DEALER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED AS OF YET. WHEN TRANSMISSION IS SWITCHED TO REVERSE, THE VEHICLE GIVES A VERY STRONG JOLT BACKWARDS, LIKE A HARD-KNOCK ENGAGING OF THE GEARS, SO STRONG I AM AFRAID IT COULD CAUSE A WHIP-LASH SOMEDAY. *TR
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN QUESTIONED SINCE NEW DELAY SHIFTING INTO REVERSE ,DOWNSHIFTING ERRATIC AND SHIFTS HARD SOMETIMES FLUID HAS BEEN CHANGED BUT TO NO AVAIL. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN SL2. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE JERKED AND SLAMMED INTO GEAR. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE MOTOR MOUNT FAILED AND THEY CHANGED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. APPROXIMATELY TEN DAYS LATER, THE FAILURE RE...
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SATURN SL2. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO SHIFT GEARS AT 10 MPH, THE GEARS BECAME STUCK AND COULD NOT SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL. THE FAILURE NEARLY CAUSED A CRASH. THE DEALER STATED THAT A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS NEEDED; HOWEVE...