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1996 Saturn Sc

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 1996 Saturn Sc do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 23.5.

About this comparison →
26Owner complaints

Model-year median: 23.5

0Recall campaigns

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0Investigations

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
23
199351
199439
199526
199633
199713
199824
1999
Compare all Sc years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Engine And Engine Cooling
6Electrical System
5Service Brakes, Hydraulic
4Structure
4Seats
3
All reported categories
Equipment
2Power Train
2Suspension
2Vehicle Speed Control
2Air Bags
1Child Seat
1Engine
1Latches/locks/linkages
1Seat Belts
1Service Brakes
1Steering
1Unknown Or Other
1Visibility
1

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 10 of 26 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

3 crash reports0 fire reports3 injury reports

Equipment complaints

2 reports
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11,000 miles · Feb 22, 2008
Electrical SystemEngine And Engine CoolingEquipment

AS THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 1996 SATURN SC1 WITH 68,000 MILES, THIS CAR HAS HAD FOUR HEAD GASKETS REPLACED ORIGINATING WHEN THIS CAR WAS UNDER A YEAR OLD. IN ADDITION TO THESE REPEATED CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURES MULTIPLE REPLACEMENTS OF ALARM SYSTEMS, RADIO, ELECTRICAL ISSUES AND A DEFECTIVE FRONT SEAT. THIS IS WHAT I PURCHAS…

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AS THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 1996 SATURN SC1 WITH 68,000 MILES, THIS CAR HAS HAD FOUR HEAD GASKETS REPLACED ORIGINATING WHEN THIS CAR WAS UNDER A YEAR OLD. IN ADDITION TO THESE REPEATED CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURES MULTIPLE REPLACEMENTS OF ALARM SYSTEMS, RADIO, ELECTRICAL ISSUES AND A DEFECTIVE FRONT SEAT. THIS IS WHAT I PURCHASED FROM SATURN AND I HAVE ALL DOCUMENTATION. THE MOST RECENT HEAD GASKET FAILURE OCCURRED IN NOVEMBER '06. AS I WAS EXASPERATED BY SATURN AND THIS VEHICLE I WAS SOLD, I SUED THE SATURN CORPORATION IN THE RICHMOND COUNTY SMALL CLAIMS DIVISION FOR THE COST OF THE FOURTH HEAD GASKET. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10218841

Mileage unknown · Sep 9, 1997
Air BagsElectrical SystemEquipment

A/C SYSTEM FAILED.

NHTSA ODI #521860

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.