40 problems have been reported for the 1997 Saturn SL. The following chart shows the 14 most common problems for 1997 Saturn SL. The number one most common problem is related to the vehicle's engine and engine cooling with 9 problems. The second most common problem is related to the vehicle's seats (6 problems).
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling | |
| Seats | |
| Electrical System | |
| Power Train | |
| Steering | |
| Suspension | |
| Structure | |
| Air Bag | |
| Exterior Lighting | |
| Seat Belt | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Tire | |
| Equipment | |
| Vehicle Speed Control |
The following chart shows the number of problems reported during each of the service years since the debut of the 1997 Saturn SL in 1997.
| Service Year | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| 2022 | |
| 2021 | |
| 2020 | |
| 2019 | |
| 2018 | |
| 2017 | |
| 2016 | |
| 2015 | |
| 2014 | |
| 2013 | |
| 2012 | |
| 2011 | |
| 2010 | |
| 2009 | |
| 2008 | |
| 2007 | |
| 2006 | |
| 2005 | |
| 2004 | |
| 2003 | |
| 2002 | |
| 2001 | |
| 2000 | |
| 1999 | |
| 1998 | |
| 1997 |
When making the decision between buying a new or used Saturn SL, the following table can be used to compare the 1997 Saturn SL with the Saturn SL from other model years. Note that the number of problems reported for the 1997 SL is 40 while the average number of problems reported for the 7 model years of the Saturn SL is 50.