1998 Saturn SC1 problems
Owners have filed 58 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998 Saturn SC1. Engine is the most reported problem area, at 21% of complaints. Next are seat belts (17%) and electrical system (9%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 58 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 21% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 8 and 0
- Injuries and deaths
- 5 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 55,000 miles 21 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 0 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 3 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 9 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 3 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 4 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 2 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 0 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 21 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 54,000 miles.
Safety-related details: 8 complaints mention a crash; 5 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 1998 ranks 5th most-complained-about out of 8 model years of the Saturn SC1 with enough data (30 complaints in that window).
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Applied brakes on rainy road. Vehicle slid through red light & broadsided another vehicle. Driver hit side left window & steering wheel. Then hit light pole. Air bags deployed. Driver was unconscience. The rear seat collapsed forward after being hit.
At 60-65 MPH driver heard a knocking sound. The noise level increased rapidly, then, engine stalled. Vehicle was in traveling lane on the highway, consumer exited vehicle, and ran to shoulder. Vehicle was rear ended by 5-6 different vehicles. Dealer stated engine seized due to no oil in reservoir, this caused a hole in the engine block. Consumer had oil change done 200 miles prior to this incident. Please provide dollar amount of damage to vehicle.
While my grandson was driving my 1998 saturn sc2, another vehicle hit the car on the drivers' side and the airbags did not deployed.
While driving at approximately 65 MPH the consumer swerved to avoid hitting the braking car in front of her. The consumer swerved into the right lane, overcompensated and turn 180 degrees. In doing so, the passenger side slammed against a guardrail. The vehicle was forced head on into traffic an up a stone embankment at 50 MPH. Upon impact the air bags never deployed. Prior to losing control the consumer felt as though the vehicle was accelerating as she was trying to brake.