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1994 Saturn SC1

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 1994 Saturn SC1 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 39.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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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: 4 of 82 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.

  • Seats. Review the 32 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Seat Belts. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

10 crash reports1 fire reports6 injury reports

Engine And Engine Cooling complaints

13 reports
Clear category filter
Mileage unknown · Sep 24, 2007
Electrical SystemEngine And Engine CoolingPower Train

1994 SATURN SC2 WITH RPM SURGING, TRANSMISSION REPAIR. CUSTOMER STATES THAT WHEN THE RPM'S SURGED THE VEHICLE WOULD ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN. CUSTOMER ALSO STATES THAT THE MOTOR MOUNT WAS LOOSE, WHICH MADE ALL MOUNTS AND BRACKETS HAVE TO BE REPLACED. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED THE RADIATOR, CATALYTIC CONVERTER, ALTERNATOR, STARTER, …

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1994 SATURN SC2 WITH RPM SURGING, TRANSMISSION REPAIR. CUSTOMER STATES THAT WHEN THE RPM'S SURGED THE VEHICLE WOULD ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN. CUSTOMER ALSO STATES THAT THE MOTOR MOUNT WAS LOOSE, WHICH MADE ALL MOUNTS AND BRACKETS HAVE TO BE REPLACED. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED THE RADIATOR, CATALYTIC CONVERTER, ALTERNATOR, STARTER, BATTERY FIRST GEAR WERE ALL REPLACED. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10204868

Mileage unknown · Jun 3, 2003
Engine And Engine Cooling

ENGINE MOTOR CONTINUOUSLY SHUTS DOWN WHILE DRIVING. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10022219

Mileage unknown · Jan 24, 2001
Engine And Engine Cooling

ENGINE THREW A ROD. IT DESTROYED THE ENGINE AND WE HAD TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. ENGINE FAILURE WAS INSTANTANEOUS, ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY, GOING AT REGULAR SPEED OF OTHER VEHICLES.*AK

NHTSA ODI #739885

Mileage unknown · Nov 22, 1999
Engine And Engine CoolingSteeringVehicle Speed Control

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #715121

Mileage unknown · Jul 7, 1999
Engine And Engine Cooling

A CRACKED ENGINE CYLINDER HEAD CAUSED ENGINE TO BLOW UP, RESULTING IN VEHICLE BECOMING INOPERATIVE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ODI #841815

Mileage unknown · Jun 2, 1999
Engine And Engine Cooling

WHEN I CONTACTED THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP TO BUY A NEW MOTOR MOUNT THEY TOLD ME THAT THE ORIGINAL MOTOR MOUNT DESIGN WAS DEFECTIVE AND THAT THEY HAD REPLACED IT WITH ANOTHER DESIGN WHICH WOULD ENTAIL A DIFFERENT SET-UP. TO REPLACE THIS PART IS EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE. ABOUT $150.00 FOR THE PART NOT INSTALLED. THE AVERAGE PRICE OF MOST M…

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WHEN I CONTACTED THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP TO BUY A NEW MOTOR MOUNT THEY TOLD ME THAT THE ORIGINAL MOTOR MOUNT DESIGN WAS DEFECTIVE AND THAT THEY HAD REPLACED IT WITH ANOTHER DESIGN WHICH WOULD ENTAIL A DIFFERENT SET-UP. TO REPLACE THIS PART IS EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE. ABOUT $150.00 FOR THE PART NOT INSTALLED. THE AVERAGE PRICE OF MOST MOUNTS IS LESS THAN $50.00. I THINK SINCE IT WAS SATURN'S BAD DESIGN, THE CUSTORMER SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS DEFECT. PLEASE CONTACT ME AT THE E-MAIL ADDRESS OR FAX # SINCE I TRAVEL FOR MY COMPANY AND AM NOT AT HOME ON A REGULAR TIME BASIS. THANK YOU CHRISTOPHER ENGLE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #707142

Mileage unknown · Mar 10, 1998
Engine And Engine Cooling

TIMING CHAIN FAILED

NHTSA ODI #532271

Mileage unknown · Aug 4, 1997
Engine And Engine Cooling

THE TIMING CHAIN WENT OUT AND CAUSED THE ENGINE TO FAIL. *AK

NHTSA ODI #815019

Mileage unknown · Jun 3, 1997
Engine And Engine Cooling

VEEHICLE STALLS WHEN IN MOTION. HAS BEEN TO DEALER 3 TIMES AND THEY CAN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ODI #812726

Mileage unknown · May 23, 1997
Engine And Engine Cooling

ENGINE JUST CUTS OFF WHILE OWNER IS DRIVING. *AK

NHTSA ODI #812493

Official recalls

1

99V045000 · Seats

Mar 12, 1999

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

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

4

RQ00005 · Front Seat Back Can Recline Or Collapse

Opened Feb 16, 2000 · Closed Aug 19, 2000

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seats:front Assembly:recliner

No summary supplied.

EA98017 · Seat Back Failures

Opened Jul 31, 1998 · Closed Mar 16, 1999

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seats

IN ITS LETTER DATED MARCH 5, 1999, GENERAL MOTORS STATED THAT IT WILL RECALL 136,300 MODEL YEAR 1994 AND 1995 SATURN VEHICLE (ALL MODELS) BUILT BETWEEN JANUARY 1994 AND AUGUST 1994.DURING THIS PERIOD, SATURN'S SEAT SUPPLIER MANUFACTURED RECLINER ASSEMBLIES WHICH WERE OUT OF DESIGN SPECIFICATION, ALLOWING THE FRONT SEAT BACKS TO RECLINE OR COLLAPSE INADVERTENTLY.TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, SATURN DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BACK RECLINER ASSEMBLIES.SEE NHTSA'S SAFETY RECALL FILL 99V-045 FOR DETAILS.

EA95003 · Cruise Control Failures

Opened Feb 24, 1995 · Closed May 31, 1996

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Equipment

THIS INVESTIGATION DOCUMENTED HTE FUNCTIONAL ABERATIONS THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THE SUBJECT CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM.MOST OF THE MALFUNCTIONS INVOLVED FAILURE OF THE SYSTEM TO PROPERLY REGULATE VEHICLE SPEED WHEN ENGAGED, FAILURE OF THE SYSTEM TO ENGAGE, OR SELF-DISENGAGEMENT OF THE SYSTEM. THESE PROBLEMS WERE INVESTIGATED AND STEPS TAKEN BY THE MANUFACTURER TO REMEDY THEIR OCCURRENCES.SERVICE PROCEDURES WERE ISSUED FOR VEHICLES IN USE, AND A DESIGN MODIFICATION MADE FOR NEW VEHICLES.NO CONFIRMED ALLEGATIONS OF FAILURE OF THE SYSTEM TO DISENGAGE UPON COMMAND WERE IDENTIFIED.IMPROVED QUALITY CONTROL PROCEDURES AND DESIGN MODIFICATIONSIN THE SYSTEM WERE UNDERTAKEN TO ENSURE A MORE CONSISTENT LEVEL OF SYSTEM PERFORMANCE.THE DETAILS OF THESE FINDINGS AND THE RESULTING CONCLUSIONS ARE CONTAINED INTHE SUBJECT ENGINEERING ANALYSIS CLOSING REPORT.A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT TREND WAS NOT IDENTIFIED AT EHIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

PE94079 · Cruise Control Failure

Opened Nov 7, 1994 · Closed Feb 24, 1995

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Equipment

There is no summary currently available