IllustrationSTARTED ENGINE IMMEDIATELY DIED! TIMING CHAIN BROKEN. SECOND TIME SINCE OWNED CAR. *TR
1992 Saturn SC1
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all SC1 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
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: 1 of 15 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.
- Seat Belts. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 2 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 reports1 fire reports3 injury reports
What owners actually said
15 reportsHEADLINER FELL DOWN INTO MY FACE WHILE DRIVING...ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. *AK
AIRBAG FAILED ON FRONT IMPACT, FIRE STARTED UNDER PASSENGER SEAT IN FRONT,DRIVER TRAPPED, TOTALED CAR, DESTROYED BY FIRE IN SECONDS. VERY LITTLE DAMAGE FROM IMPACT.*AK
DRIVER'S SIDE AUTOMATIC SEATBELT FAILURE. *SLC
DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT IS INOPERABLE DUE TO BROKEN TRACK MOTOR. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SEATBACKS BROKE WHEN VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A REAR END IMPACT. DRIVE RSUSTAINED INJURIES. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
SAMES VALVES BAD AGAIN AT 63000
NO SUMMARY
DRIVER'S SIDE LAP SEAT BELT STITCHING UNRAVELED WHERE THE BELT WAS FOLDED OVER. TOOK TO DEALER TO SEE IF IT WAS A PROBLEM. THEY STATED THAT IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE WITH THE STITCHING UNRAVELED. HAVE BEEN DRIVING LIKE THAT FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS. SAW ANOTHER PERSON WRITE TO NEWSPAPER AUTOMOBILE COLUMN WITH SAME PROBLEM AND REFERRED…
Read full complaint
DRIVER'S SIDE LAP SEAT BELT STITCHING UNRAVELED WHERE THE BELT WAS FOLDED OVER. TOOK TO DEALER TO SEE IF IT WAS A PROBLEM. THEY STATED THAT IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE WITH THE STITCHING UNRAVELED. HAVE BEEN DRIVING LIKE THAT FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS. SAW ANOTHER PERSON WRITE TO NEWSPAPER AUTOMOBILE COLUMN WITH SAME PROBLEM AND REFERRED TO YOUR ORGANIZATION. I DECIDED TO SUBMIT MY PROBLEM WITH THE SEAT BELT TOO.
PREMATURE WEA ROF SPIDLE, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL/ACCIDENT. ALSO SEATBACKBROKE, CAUSING SEAT TO FALL INTO THE REAR SEAT. *AK
Official recalls
193V132000 · Electrical System:alternator/generator/regulator
Aug 10, 1993
THE GENERATOR ELECTRICAL WIRING IS NOT PROTECTED AGAINST EXCESSIVE CURRENT FLOW WHICH MAY BE CAUSED BY AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CIRCUIT IN THE GENERATOR.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: SHOULD AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CIRCUIT OCCUR IN THEGENERATOR, THE GENERATOR WIRING HARNESS WOULD EXPERIENCE EXCESSIVE CURRENT FLOW.UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, ENOUGH HEAT COULD BE GENERATED TO IGNITE SURROUNDINGMATERIALS. IF THIS OCCURS, AN UNDERHOOD FIRE COULD RESULT WITH OR WITHOUT THEENGINE RUNNING AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
Remedy: THE GENERATOR WIRING HARNESS WILL BE REPLACED WITH ONE THAT WILL OPEN AS A FUSE WOULD UNDER CERTAIN EXCESSIVE CURRENT FLOW CONDITIONS.
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
1PE93004 · Seatback Failure
Opened Feb 5, 1993 · Closed Jun 8, 1993
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seats
There is no summary currently available