15 of the 369 complaints about the 1996 Saturn SL are about the tires — 4% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 65,000 miles.
15
Complaints
2
Crashes
0
Fires
2
Injuries
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE TIRE TREAD SEPARATED. AS A RESULT THE REAR QUARTER PANEL AND BUMPER WERE SEVERELY DAMAGED. NO IMPACT REPORTED. *AK
NHTSA complaint #10081434 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES
MY TIRE BLEW OUT WHILE DRIVING FROM LONG BEACH, CA. TO PHOENIX, AZ. WHICH IS ABOUT SIX HOURS AWAY. ABOUT AN HOUR OUTSIDE OF PHOENIX MY TIRE BLEW OUT. I LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR AND IT WENT OFF THE ROAD AND ROLLED 2 - 3 TIMES. I EXPERIENCED MINOR INJURIES TO MY HEAD AND OTHER PLACES ON MY BODY. I ALSO EXPERIENCED WHIPLASH THAT AFFECTED MY MEMORY AND CONCENTRATION.
NHTSA complaint #760012 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES:SIDEWALL
RIGHT FRONT TIRE SIDEWALL SEPARATED DURING A 40MPH TURN ON A PAVED MOUNTAIN ROAD, TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE WAS 101F. TIRES WERE NOT UNDER INFLATED, THEY WERE ROTATED THE DAY BEFORE.
NHTSA complaint #9004403 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
FIRESTONE TIRE, P175/70R14, EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION.
NHTSA complaint #560635 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
TREAD SEPERATION. *AK (DOT NUMBER: UNKN TIRESIZE: P175/70R14)
NHTSA complaint #734504 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
TIRE TREAD PEELED OFF WHILE TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE AT 60 MPH. *AK (TIRESIZE: P75/R15)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P75/R15 )
NHTSA complaint #733083 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
COMPLETE TREAD SEPARATION ON RIGHT-REAR TIRE. TIRE IS NOT LISTED IN RECALL OR 9/1 CONSUMER ADVISORY. *AK( DOT NUMBER: W2EPBCA086 TIRE SIZE: P175/70R14 )
NHTSA complaint #732456 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
COMPLETE TREAD SEPARATION ON RIGHT-REAR TIRE. TIRE IS NOT LISTED IN RECALL OR 9/1 CONSUMER ADVISORY. *AK( DOT NUMBER: W2EPBCA086 TIRE SIZE: P175/70R14 )
NHTSA complaint #732456 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES
AT 10 AM ON 9/24/2000 GOING WEST ON THE 210 AT APPROX. 65 MPH. SLIGHT BUMPINESS FOR LESS THAN THREE MINUTES, THEN BLOWOUT OCCURRED. TIRE EXPLODED AND VEHICLE FISHTAILED ACROSS THREE LANES OF TRAFFIC. MERCIFULLY, NO ONE WAS INJURED. THE TREAD SEPARATED( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P185/65R1 )
NHTSA complaint #732388 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES
I WAS RETURNING TO HAMILTON, MT FROM HAVING MY CAR IN FOR IT'S 24,000 SERVICE AT THE SATURN DEALER IN SPOKANE, WA. I EXITED I-90 AT THE LIBERTY LAKE EXIT AND, AS I WAS APPROACHING THE END OF THE RAMP, MY PASSENGER SIDE FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT. MY SPEED WAS APPROXIMATELY 30MPH. I INFORMED SATURN OF THIS BY TELEPHONE 9/14/00. NO VEHICLE DAMAGE WAS DONE AND A TIRE DEALER WAS A BLOCK AWAY SO I PURCHASED A NEW SET OF TIRES (DAYTON). I WAS NOT COMFORTABLE WITH CONTINUING TO KEEP THE 3 TIRES THAT HAD NOT BLOWN OUT ON MY VEHICLE.AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P195/60R15 )
NHTSA complaint #731568 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES:SIDEWALL
THE SIDEWALLS ON THIS TIRE LITERALLY DISINTEGRATED AT 70 MILES AN HOUR. NO WARNING. NO SLOW LOSS OF PRESSURE. A CATASTROPHIC LOSS OF PRESSURE. THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE LOOKED LIKE IT HAD BEEN ATTACKED BY A MADMAN WITH A KNIFE, ALMOST SEVERED FROM THE TREAD. I THOUGHT I WAS BEING ATTACKED BY A HELICOPTER.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 175/70-R14 )
NHTSA complaint #730503 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES:SIDEWALL
THE SIDEWALLS ON THIS TIRE LITERALLY DISINTEGRATED AT 70 MILES AN HOUR. NO WARNING. NO SLOW LOSS OF PRESSURE. A CATASTROPHIC LOSS OF PRESSURE. THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE LOOKED LIKE IT HAD BEEN ATTACKED BY A MADMAN WITH A KNIFE, ALMOST SEVERED FROM THE TREAD. I THOUGHT I WAS BEING ATTACKED BY A HELICOPTER.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 175/70-R14 )
NHTSA complaint #730503 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES
REAR TIRE FAILURE CAUSED LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE. 45 MPH SPEED AT TIME OF INCIDENT. NO STEERING CONTROL ONCE REAR TIRE DEFLATED. ROAD CONDITIONS WERE DAMP ROAD, ASPHALT SURFACE WITH SOME SAND ON THE SURFACE. ON-RAMP ONTO FREEWAY WITH 45 MPH SPEED LIMIT. VEHICLE TURNED RIGHT 90 DEGREES AFTER TIRE FAILURE AND LEFT THE ROADWAY. VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P19565T15 )
NHTSA complaint #720748 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES
FIRESTONE TIRE SIZE P175/70R14 BLOWOUT TWICE, ONCE CAUSING ACCIDENT.
NHTSA complaint #514346 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES:SIDEWALL
FIRESTONE TIRE SIDEWALL BLEW OUT.
NHTSA complaint #602758 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.