NHTSA — Power Train: Manual Transmission: Floor Shift Assembly Problems

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
118,075 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

1997 Saturn SL transmission problems

transmission problem

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1997 Saturn SL Owner Comments

problem #2

Apr 082008

SL 4-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 118,075 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I recently purchased a 1997 SL1 and on the 3rd day of owning it the shifter broke causing it to go limp. At the time I was on the 101 freeway stuck in traffic with my three children. I called my mechanic and he towed it to his shop for repairs. After making the necessary repair, he did a routine maintenance check. This was when he discovered the oil had water mixed in with it causing a white smoke escaping from the exhaust pipe. I'm certain this problem was recognized by the previous owner and most likely was the reason for selling. After reading the following complaints from carsurvey, (complaints listed below) I believe Saturn engineered this vehicle "by design" with these problems forecasting their revenue.

- Cardiff By The Sea, CA, USA

problem #1

Apr 082008

SL 4-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 118,075 miles
I recently purchased a 1997 SL1 and on the 3rd day of owning it the shifter broke causing it to go limp. At the time I was on the 101 freeway stuck in traffic with my three children. I called my mechanic and he towed it to his shop for repairs. After making the necessary repair, he did a routine maintenance check. This was when he discovered the oil had water mixed in with it causing a white smoke escaping from the exhaust pipe. I'm certain this problem was recognized by the previous owner and most likely was the reason for selling. After reading the following complaints from car survey, I believe Saturn engineered this vehicle "by design" with these problems as a forecast for revenue.

- Cardiff By The Sea, CA, USA

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