IllustrationWHILE DRIVING, THE DRIVER'S SEAT HAS FULLY RECLINED. *SLC
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.
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: 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
What owners actually said
82 reportsNO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING DRIVER'S SEAT RELEASED FROM THE UPRIGHT POSITION. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
DRIVERS SEAT FAILS TO REMAIN IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION. SEAT NOT LOCKED IN POSITION. LIES ON REAR SEAT.
WHEN ANY KIND OF PRESSURE IS APPLIED TO THE DRIVER'S SIDE BACK REST, IT COLLPASES TO THE REAR. DEALER HAS SEEN VEHICLE. *AK
DRIVER'S SEATBACK COLLAPSED WHEN CONSUMER WAS PULLING OUT FROM A STOP SIGN.DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN MANUFACTURER'S RECALL DUE TO VIN. CAN NHTSA HELP IN THIS MATTER. *AK
A CRACKED ENGINE CYLINDER HEAD CAUSED ENGINE TO BLOW UP, RESULTING IN VEHICLE BECOMING INOPERATIVE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
BOTH DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE SEATS ARE INOPERATIVE DUE TO SEA T BELT WHICH IS LOCKED IN THE TRACK. ALSO THERE WAS A MALFUNCTION WITHIN THE MOTOR. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER, DEALER HAS REPLACED NUMEROUS PARTS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
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…
Read full complaint
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
BOTH FRONT SEAT BACKS WILL UNEXPECTEDLY COLLAPSE INTO THE RECLINING POSITION
Official recalls
199V045000 · 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
4RQ00005 · 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