1994 Saturn SC

Fatalities reported

Owners filed 51 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the seats › front assembly › recliner. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Seats › Front Assembly › Recliner17
201
Seat Belts › Front › Retractor4
101
Air Bags › Frontal4
403
Seats3
000
Vehicle Speed Control2
000
Unknown or Other2
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components2
000
Seat Belts › Front › Anchorage2
000
Seat Belts2
000
Power Train2
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Seats99V045000
Filed Mar 12, 1999138,691 vehiclesGeneral Motors Corp.

Defect. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME FRONT SEAT BACK RECLINER GEAR TEETH MAY WEAR EXCESSIVELY THROUGH REPEATED USE, AND COULD CAUSE THE SEAT BACK TO SLIP PARTIALLY REARWARD WHEN FORCE IS APPLIED.

Risk. IF THIS HAPPENS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN, IT COULD CAUSE A LOSS OF CONTROL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT SEAT RECLINER MECHANISMS.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Unknown or Other
Filed Jun 4, 2015147,000 milesVA

THE KEY CAN BE REMOVED IN ANY POSITION, INCLUDING WHILE RUNNING.

Power Train
Filed Dec 3, 2014PA

1994 SATURN SC. CONSUMER STATED IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED DUE TO THE KEY BEING STUCK INSIDE THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE ALSO LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING SO CUSTOMER IS ASKING FOR A REFUND. *SS THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE HEADLIGHTS OPENED ON THEIR OWN, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND THE VEHICLE SHIFTED OUT OF DRIVE GEAR ON ITS OWN, AND THE RPM'S WERE EXTREMELY HIGH. *JB

Seat Belts › Front › Retractor
Filed May 21, 2004111,000 milesNY

WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH DRIVER'S SEAT BELT WOULD RETRACT BACK AND FORTH. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

Power Train
Filed Jan 15, 2004156,000 milesVT

THE TRANSMISSION WENT IN MY SATURN SC1 AND I LOST MY JOB DUE TO THE FACT THAT I LIVED ALONE AT THE TIME, AND IN A REMOTE AREA....I ALSO HAVE NOT HAD IT FIXED BECAUSE THE COST OF A TRANSMISSION FOR THE CAR IS MORE THAN I CAN AFFORD...LET ALONE THE BILL THAT WOULD INSUE FOR HAVING IT INSTALLED. MY CO-WORKER THAT I WORK WITH NOW..(BORROWING MY AUNTS CAR, AND MOVED TO LIVE WITH MY MOM) HAS A SATURN SC2 1995 AND HIS TRANSMISSION WENT IN HIS TOO....ITS REDICULOUS...EVERYONE THAT I KNOW WHO OWNS A SATURN SC1 OR 2 OR HAS OWNED ONE...HAS REPLACED OR GOTTEN RID OF BECAUSE OF TRANSMISSIONS GOING. THERE WAS NO WARNING WHAT SO EVER...IT JUST WENT.

Seat Belts › Front › Retractor
Filed Jan 6, 2004WI

FRONT DRIVERS SIDE RETRACTOR SEAT BELT DOES NOT MOVE.*AK

Seats › Front Assembly › Recliner
Filed Sep 6, 2002CA

FRONT SEATBACK RECLINER IS EXPERIENCING SAME DEFECT AS MENTIONED IN RECALL 99 V 045 000. BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK

Seats › Front Assembly › Recliner
Filed Apr 18, 2002GA

CONSUMER STATES THAT DRIVER SEAT WILL RECLINE WHILE DRIVING. NLM

Seat Belts
Filed Feb 2, 2002MD

SEAT BELT WILL LOCK IN PLACE BUT WILL NOT SLIDE FORWARD WHEN DOOR IS OPENED.*AK

Seat Belts › Front › Retractor
Filed Jun 7, 2001GA

THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT IS STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DOOR IT STARTED OUT JUST GETTING STUCK OCCASIONALLY AND THEN WOULD MOVE ALL THE WAY BACK NOW WON'T MOVE AT ALL. TALKED TO 4 OTHER SATURN OWNERS AND THEY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. NOW THE PASSENGER SIDE SEATBELT HAS STARTED STICKING. THE ENGINE WAS SO MESSED UP AT ABOUT 68K THEY REPLACED THE ENGINE DUE TO POOR PERFORMANCE BACKFIRING AND LEAKING OIL ETC. THE SUNROOF WILL NOT LATCH CLOSED ANYMORE. I WENT TO OPEN IT ONE DAY AND THEN IT WONT CLOSE. I WANTED A PURPLE SATURN SINCE THEY CAME OUT AND I FINALLY GOT ONE AND IT HAS BEEN A NIGHTMARE THESE ARE JUST 5 OF THE MOST RECENT THINGS BUT I HAVE HAD TO GET A NEW ALTERNATOR, STARTER AND SEVERAL OTHER MINOR REPAIRS. I WISH I HAD NEVER EVER WANTED SATURN. I GUESS IT IS TRUE BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Feb 8, 2001VA

CAR BURNS OIL EVERY 500 MILES. SEE WEBPAGE "SATURNEXPOSED.COM" TO SEE THE MANY OTHER SATURN OWNERS WHO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. *AK

Seats › Front Assembly › Recliner
Filed Jan 14, 2000CA

SEATBACK COLLAPSED THROWING CONSUMER INTO THE REAR SEAT. A RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED ON SIMILAR MAKE/ MODEL. HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO VIN. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK *ML

Seat Belts › Front › Anchorage
Filed Jan 11, 2000VA

DRIVER SIDE SEATBELT INOPERATIVE. SEATBELT WILL NOT SLIDE TO THE LOCK POSITION. *YC

Air Bags › FrontalCrash
Filed Dec 8, 1999FL

VEHICLE INVOLVED IN A REAREND COLLISION, CAUSING VEHICLE TO HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH. AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

Seats › Front Assembly › ReclinerCrash
Filed Nov 29, 1999CA

WHILE DRIVING IN THE LOCAL AREA VEHICLE WAS REARENDED, AND DRIVER'S SEATBACK COLLAPSED. ALSO, DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DIDN'T DEPLOY. CONTACTED MANUFACTURER AND WAS NOT ABLE TO HELP BECAUSE OF EXPIRED WARRANTY. *AK

Seats › Front Assembly › Recliner
Filed Jul 26, 1999CA

THE DRIVER'S SEAT FAILS TO REMAIN IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION IF PRESSURE IS APPLIED TO IT. THE SEAT IS NOT LOCKED IN TO POSITION & CAUSES CONCENTRATION PROBLEMS WHEN DRIVING.*AK

Fuel System, Gasoline
Filed Jul 19, 1999TX

FUEL SYSTEM/LINES ARE DESIGNED WITH INADEQUATE PROTECTION FROM ROAD DEBRIS, VEHICLE EXPERIENCED BROKEN FUEL LINE AND LEAKAGE DUE TO DEBRIS FROM TIRE HITTING EXPOSED LINE. MJS

Seats › Front Assembly › Recliner
Filed Jun 23, 1999TN

WHILE DRIVING AND IF PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR FOR MORE SPEED, SEAT BACK REST WILL COLLAPSE. THIS HAS HAPPENED MORE THAN 30 TIMES, VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALERSIIIP, AND CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. *AK

Unknown or Other
Filed Jun 18, 1999KY

PART HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED BY MANUFACTURER AS MAY FAIL, HAS NOT FAILED IN OUR VEHICLE, NO RECALL, THINK IT IS UNSAFE, REQUEST NHTSA INVESTIGATE FOR POSSIBLE RECALL

Seats › Front Assembly › Recliner
Filed Jun 4, 1999CA

BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEATBACKS ABRUPTLY SLIPPED INTO THE RECLINING POSITION UPON ACCELERATING FROM A STOP. (IT WAS KIND OF FUNNY WHEN IT WAS THE PASSENGER SIDE FIRST, NOT SO FUNNY WHEN THE DRIVER'S SEAT STARTED TO DO IT.) ON 12/31/98, I PAID OVER $300 TO HAVE BOTH SEATS REPAIRED. I TOLD THE SATURN DEALER THAT THIS SEEMED HIGHLY UNUSUAL AND DUE TO A FAULTY PART. I WAS ASSURED IT WAS NORMAL "WEAR AND TEAR." NOW THE SAME YEAR (1994) SATURNS HAVE BEEN RECALLED, BUT MY DEALER SAID MY CAR IS NOT WITHIN THE "VIN RANGE." I THINK IT IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT THIS IS A COINCIDENCE OR DUE TO NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. I FEEL I AM DUE A COMPLETE REFUND ON THE AMOUNT PAID FOR THE REPAIR. *AK

Seats › Front Assembly › Recliner
Filed May 19, 1999MI

EA98017, SEATBACK FAILURE: THE SEATBACKS ON DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDES ARE BROKEN. DRIVER'S SEAT HAS RECLINED BACK SEVERAL TIMES WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE . DEALER IS NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK

20 of 51 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1994
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
200238020Routine
200121210Routine
20007700Routine
199924110Routine
199813000Routine
199733311Fatalities reported
199626000Routine
199539200Routine
1994 — this page51111Fatalities reported
199323100Routine
199216210Routine
19915100Routine

Compare every SC year →

Reading this record

1 death reported in complaints filed with NHTSA.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Mar 12, 1999. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.