Saturn SC1 Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 413 consumer complaints across the 11 model years of the Saturn SC1 (1991–2001) that have at least 5 complaints. 1994 has the most, with 82. Across all years, the part named most often is seats (75 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All SC1 model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 25 | 61,779 | 2 | 2 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2000 | 8 | 57,000 | 2 | 2 | — | Not enough data |
| 1999 | 21 | 61,000 | 0 | 0 | — | Stable |
| 1998 | 39 | 56,000 | 0 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1997 | 61 | 78,000 | 3 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1996 | 39 | 80,000 | 0 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1995 | 59 | 65,673 | 1 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1994 | 82 | 100,000 | 1 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1993 | 58 | 122,000 | 2 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1992 | 15 | 16,000 | 1 | 0 | — | Stable |
| 1991 | 6 | 134,635 | 1 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Seats75 19%
- Engine cooling69 17%
- Seat belts58 15%
- Electrical system53 13%
- Brakes52 13%
- Transmission and drivetrain38 9.6%
- Air bags26 6.6%
- Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)25 6.3%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
1996: “Horn started blowing all by itself, I could not get it to stop , then an electrical smell (burning) . My husband disconnected the horn fuse and battery , inspection of fuse showed it had blown . After waiting a few minutes we reconnected the battery all ok, except horn does not work now. This is the second such incident with horn, dealer repaired last time 2-20-2010.”
NHTSA complaint #10471472, filed 2012-08, 184,000 miles1995: “My car sometimes shifts out of gear(automatic) and then the service engine light comes on. When put in reverse, pauses for a couple seconds then bangs into gear. This car has an intermittent problem with the trans which leads me to think that the trans is good but a sensor is bad. I have spoken to several people with the same problem.”
NHTSA complaint #10165370, filed 2006-08, 53,000 miles1994: “Passenger side passive shoulder seat belt retractor has failed. It no longer moves foward to allow easy access into the passenger seat. This results in passenger having to manually disengage the should belt and remember to re-engage it for safety. I consider this a serious problem when a basic safety system fails. I would like manufacturer to repair at no charge.”
NHTSA complaint #10119662, filed 2005-05, 104,000 milesOther Saturn models
4,340 complaintsSaturn Vue
2,351 complaintsSaturn SL
2,218 complaintsSaturn LS
1,457 complaintsSaturn Aura
1,434 complaintsSaturn Outlook
1,352 complaintsSaturn Sky
516 complaintsSaturn SC
296 complaints
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. Methodology