IllustrationDURING FRONTAL IMPACT AT 45 TO 50 MPH, THE DRIVER'S AND PASSNGER'S SIDE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS. *AK
1996 Saturn SC1
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1996 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: 11 of 39 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.
- Electrical System. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. 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.
6 crash reports1 fire reports2 injury reports
What owners actually said
39 reportsELECTRICAL FAILURE CAUSING MULTIPLE COMPONENT FAILURES.
THE SUN ROOF BUTTON DOES NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY ,CAUSING THE SUN ROOF NOT TO CLOSE. *AK
DESIGN OF VEHICLE MAKES IT HARD TO SEE OUT OF BACK WINDOW BECAUSE WINDOW IS TOO HIGH AND DRIVER'S SEAT IS TOO LOW.
WHEN ENGINE STOPS/CUTS OUT ALL POWER SHUTS OFF. *AK
CONSUMER STATES THAT AT ANY SPEED THE ENGINE JUST CUTS OFF. ALSO, THE VEHICLE LOSES ITS POWER AND HAS TO COAST TO A STOP. CONSUMER STATED THAT A MECHANIC SAID IT COULD BE THE IGNITION SWITCH THAT'S CAUSING IT TO STALL. *AK
CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF AUTO AND HIT LIGHT POLE, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK CONSUMER SUSTAINED INJURIES DUE TO ACCIDENT. *SLC
STEERING LOCKED UP WHILE BENDING RIGHT WITH THE ROAD. PLEASE DESCRIBE IN MORE DETAILS. *AK
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING APPLY THE BRAKE THERE WAS NO BRAKE CAUSING AN ACCIDENT HIT ANOTHER CAR . TT
Official recalls
0No 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.