What's Wrong with the 2nd Generation SL2?

Front 3/4 view of a Saturn SL2

The 2nd generation SL2 (1997—2000) has 47 owner complaints, mostly about engine problems. Overall it ranks 26th in reliability out of 34 eligible Saturn generations.

Reliability rankings are based on our PainRank™ system. A higher number means you can expect more significant problems. The average score for a Saturn generation is 2.77, while this generation comes in at 2.59.

Compare With Other SL2 Generations

What Owners Complain About

Sometimes it helps just to tally up the complaints and see where the biggest stacks are. Use this information to learn about troublespots or to run for the hills.

Worst Issues

What Breaks

Years to Avoid

2nd Generation SL2 Key Numbers

  1. 4 model years

    Grouping all models by their year can reveal some baddies.

  2. 47 complaints

    Running tally of owner grievances filed to CarComplaints.com.

  3. 26th in reliability

    Overall reliability rank out of 34 eligible generations.