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Saturn SCModel year report

1997 Saturn SC Problems

Complaints
33filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
101,552miles, 12 complaints with mileage
Recalls
3campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
27 mpgcombined, 1.9L 4-cyl FWD · 23 city / 33 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 1997 Saturn SC (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 33 consumer complaints for the 1997 Saturn SC. The part named most often is electrical system, with 10 complaints (30% of the total), followed by seat belts (6) and engine cooling (5). 12 of the complaints include a mileage, and 17% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 101,552 miles. Of all complaints, 4 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 1 an injury, 1 a death, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns and 5 technical service bulletins for this model year. Electrical system complaints overlap with 2 technical service bulletins filed under the same part. Seat belts complaints overlap with 1 recall campaign covering the retractor filed under the same part.

Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Seats (1), Steering (1), Body and structure (1), Vehicle speed control (1).

Example complaints

Electrical system: “I was driving the above mentioned vehicle (Saturn sc1 1997) north bound on fl turnpike when the road felt really bumpy and suddenly pieces of debris started flying by the window and a large bundle of wires was flapping on the hood, coming from the front of the car; which I had to eased over to the left shoulder, got out of the vehicle immediately and contacted geico road service. …”

NHTSA complaint #10523229, filed 2013-07, 173,411 miles

Seat belts: “The contact owns a 1997 Saturn sc1. The contact stated that the lock feature of the seat belt retractor would not work properly. As a consequence, he is not properly restrained in the vehicle. The dealer stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign id number 97v161000 (seat belts:front:retractor), although the failures were identical. The contact paid $400 to have the retractor replaced; however, the failure recurred shortly afterwards. The manufacturer was unable to assist. The failure mileage was 80,000 and current mileage was 104,000.”

NHTSA complaint #10231696, filed 2008-06, 80,000 miles

Engine cooling: “I got my 97 Saturn sc1 a year ago with 56k miles on it. The couple that had it before me took very good care of it considering the obvious lack of quality from the factory. I've put just over 21k miles on it in the last year. Every 500-1000 miles it burns a quart of oil. This means that every 3000 miles I have to give it two oil changes, one the normal way, and one every time I fill it with gas. The joke has become fill the oil and check the gas.”

NHTSA complaint #10064451, filed 2004-04, 1 miles

Air bags: “When driving at 55 MPH vehicle was involved in a head-on collision, rear end damage. Vehicle went into an embankment, and neither driver's side nor passenger's side air bag deployed. Vehicle was a total loss. The vehicle hydroplaned and the driver spun around the front end and the rear end was damaged by hitting the highway center divide.”

NHTSA complaint #872755, filed 2000-10

Mileage when problems were reported

17% of the 12 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 80,000 and 115,500 miles.

8%0–108%10–250%25–500%50–7525%75–10033%100–15025%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (12 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 101,552 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’96’995’015’045’09’135’22
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 1997 Saturn SC version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
SC FWD1.9L 4-cyl5-speed manual243628$2,400
SC FWD1.9L 4-cyl4-speed automatic233327$2,500
SC FWD1.9L 4-cyl5-speed manual233327$2,500
SC FWD1.9L 4-cyl4-speed automatic213125$2,700

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 1997 Saturn SC → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 5 on record; the latest 5 are shown.

Other model years of the Saturn SC

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20023865,0000—27Not compared (before 2008)Stable
20012190,5002—27—Falling
20007142,0007—27—Not enough data
19992479,4461—27—Stable
19981397,1120—27—Not enough data
199733101,5523—27Not compared (before 2008)Falling
19962673,8150—27Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19953994,4502—27Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199451147,0001—26Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19932379,5001—26—Stable
199216—2—25—Stable
19915—1—25—Not enough data

All Saturn SC model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 1997 Saturn SC have?

NHTSA recorded 33 consumer complaints for the 1997 Saturn SC as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 1997 Saturn SC is reported most often?

Electrical system is named most often, in 10 complaints (30% of the total), followed by seat belts with 6.

Has the 1997 Saturn SC been recalled?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 1997 Saturn SC get?

The EPA rates the 1997 Saturn SC (SC, 1.9L 4-cyl) at 27 mpg combined, 23 city and 33 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,500 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 1997 Saturn SC reported?

Among the 12 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 101,552 miles and the middle half falls between 80,000 and 115,500 miles; 17% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.