One problem related to ignition has been reported for the 1997 Saturn SL2. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
Started my car, it ran a few seconds, then died. Before I could restart it, smoke started pouring out of the steering column and I smelled an electrical fire. I didn't start it again but found help to disconnect my battery. It's on it's way to the nearby Saturn dealer who refuses to provide me with a loan car. I think this is a very unusual problem, and I've driven a lot of clunkers in the past without having to deal with anything like this.