1998 Saturn SL Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 33about this part
- Share
- 20%of 168 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 58,304miles
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 33 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 1998 Saturn SL, 20% of the 168 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 58,304 miles. 4 of these say a crash was involved and 1 a fire, according to the filers.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“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 any connection between the shift lever and the cable to the transmission. The entire shift cable assembly had to be replaced to fix the problem. Saturn told me that the bushing is made onto the cable rather than being available as a separate part. …”
NHTSA complaint #10108486, filed 2005-02, 55,600 miles“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!”
NHTSA complaint #10651527, filed 2014-10, 101,000 miles“My 23 yr old son was traveling from ventura, ca at 75 MPH on fwy 99 n bound in the middle lane (of 3) at about 1 a.m. In fresno, ca. Just before arriving at his exit to hwy 41 n, the rear end began to skid to the left. Driver steered into the skid to correct while stepping on the brakes to reduce speed. …”
NHTSA complaint #10102120, filed 2004-12, 174,000 miles“1998 Saturn with 49,000 miles needed the whole transmission to be rebuilt. The valve bodies are kept in stock at Saturn of route 23 because this is such a common problem with Saturn. The car had been properly maintained, trans service at 25,500 miles. Saturn will take no responsibility in the cost of repairs. I've noted that Saturn is on several webb sites with transmission failures documented.”
NHTSA complaint #10068767, filed 2004-01, 49,000 miles“Vehicle was not running properly. Taken to mechanic who told me that vehicle was 5 quarts low on transmission fluid and vehicle would have stopped running if not taken care of at that time. Although vehicle only had 35000 miles on it transmission, which had defect, had to be rebuilt for $2400+.”
NHTSA complaint #10096031, filed 2004-10, 34,000 milesTransmission and drivetrain: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 22 | 17% |
| 2001 | 20 | 18% |
| 2000 | 35 | 24% |
| 1999 | 22 | 12% |
| 1998 | 33 | 20% |
| 1997 | 23 | 10% |
| 1996 | 37 | 13% |
| 1995 | 40 | 11% |
| 1994 | 35 | 12% |
| 1993 | 26 | 15% |
| 1992 | 13 | 11% |
| 1991 | 1 | 3% |
Other parts of the 1998 Saturn SL
28 complaintsBrakes
20 complaintsSeat belts
17 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
17 complaintsElectrical system
16 complaintsTires
12 complaintsOther or unknown
10 complaintsBody and structure
9 complaintsAir bags
8 complaintsSeats
7 complaintsVehicle speed control
7 complaintsFuel system
6 complaints
← All problems reported for the 1998 Saturn SL
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology