FaultScore report
Owners have filed 17 complaints about the 1998 Saturn SC with NHTSA between 1999 and 2016. The largest single group is the transmission & drivetrain. Across this model's run it ranks 9 of 9 worst.
FaultScore 20/100
Higher is worse. Measured against the other years of the Saturn SC.
How this is worked out17
Complaints
1
Crashes reported
0
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
99,056 mi
Median mileage at failure
Half of reported failures happened before this
0%
Failed under 36,000 miles
Inside a typical bumper-to-bumper warranty
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
Click any bar to open that year's report.
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
Median failure at 88,598 miles
Median failure at 101,000 miles
Median failure at 147,646 miles
Median failure at 97,112 miles
Median failure at 147,646 miles
1 crashes, 0 fires · median 64,000 mi
Median failure at 147,646 miles
Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all complaints include one.
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
AIR BAGS
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WAS IN A FRONTAL COLLISION, BUT NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED UPON IMPACT. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE DETAILS.
NHTSA complaint #10004732 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
STEERING
CAR KEY LOCKS UP IN IGNITION, WONT TURN OR COME OUT. CABLE TO PARK MECHANISM WONT DISENGAGE. HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES, TODAY IT TOOK 40 MINUTES OF JIGGLING STEERING WHEEL,KEY, BRAKE SHIFTER TO DISENGAGE TO GET THE CAR STARTED.
NHTSA complaint #10881827 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
CAR KEY LOCKS UP IN IGNITION, WONT TURN OR COME OUT. CABLE TO PARK MECHANISM WONT DISENGAGE. HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES, TODAY IT TOOK 40 MINUTES OF JIGGLING STEERING WHEEL,KEY, BRAKE SHIFTER TO DISENGAGE TO GET THE CAR STARTED.
NHTSA complaint #10881827 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
CAR KEY LOCKS UP IN IGNITION, WONT TURN OR COME OUT. CABLE TO PARK MECHANISM WONT DISENGAGE. HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES, TODAY IT TOOK 40 MINUTES OF JIGGLING STEERING WHEEL,KEY, BRAKE SHIFTER TO DISENGAGE TO GET THE CAR STARTED.
NHTSA complaint #10881827 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES
THE TIRE THAT I BELIEVE IS FAULTY, RAN LOW ON AIR FOR A LITTLE WHILE, THEN I AIRED IT UP - EVERYTHING WAS FINE UNTIL I TRIED TO GO INTO TOWN ONE EVENING AND IT FELT LIKE I WAS RIDING ON MY RIM. IT SOUNDED AWFUL. ONCE I WAS STOPPED AT A STREET LIGHT, I OPENED MY CAR DOOR AND THERE WERE PIECES OF TIRE JUST SITTING UNDERNEATH MY CAR AND UNDER THE TIRE. SO I FINALLY PULLED INTO A GAS STATION, SURE ENOUGH, I WAS RIDING MY RIM. I CAME TO CONCLUSION THAT MY TIRE WAS DEBEADING, AND I WAS SOLD A POSSIBLE FAULTY TIRE.
NHTSA complaint #10569160 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
BUTTON POPPED OFF EMERGENCY BRAKE HANDLE, RENDERING EMERGENCY BRAKE INOPERABLE.
NHTSA complaint #10532985 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
AS I'M PULLING AWAY FROM A STOP SIGN, I GO TO SHIFT INTO 2ND GEAR & IT'S AS IF MY MANUAL GEAR SHIFTER IS NOT ATTACHED TO ANYTHING. I AM NOW NOT IN ANY GEAR , UNABLE TO SHIFT INTO GEAR, & LEFT COASTING ACROSS A 4 LANE, 2 WAY STREET. ALSO, BOTH FRONT SEAT SEATBELTS ONLY RETRACT ABOUT HALF WAY, AND IT HAS BEEN THAT WAY FROM AT LEAST 17000 MILES.
NHTSA complaint #10270017 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
AS I'M PULLING AWAY FROM A STOP SIGN, I GO TO SHIFT INTO 2ND GEAR & IT'S AS IF MY MANUAL GEAR SHIFTER IS NOT ATTACHED TO ANYTHING. I AM NOW NOT IN ANY GEAR , UNABLE TO SHIFT INTO GEAR, & LEFT COASTING ACROSS A 4 LANE, 2 WAY STREET. ALSO, BOTH FRONT SEAT SEATBELTS ONLY RETRACT ABOUT HALF WAY, AND IT HAS BEEN THAT WAY FROM AT LEAST 17000 MILES.
NHTSA complaint #10270017 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
CAR OVERHEATED ON 4 LANE HIGHWAY. HAD TO PULL OVER WHILE CARS WERE DRIVING BY. REPLACEMENT OF HEAD GASKET AT 101,000 MILES. CAR IS STILL NOT WORKING PROPERLY AS HEAD WAS REPLACED AND NOW A PING HAD DEVELOPED. 8JB
NHTSA complaint #10130524 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. HOWEVER, MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM.
NHTSA complaint #10117488 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED CONSUMER NOTICED FLUID LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE CYLINDER HEAD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO CRACK INSIDE OF THE ENGINE.
NHTSA complaint #10072273 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
AIR CONDITIONING UNIT STOPPED COOLING.DEALER WANTED TO TROUBLE SHOOT@$80.00/HOUR. HAYNES SERVICE MANUAL SAID TO CHECK FUSE .REPLACED DIODE @$4.00 AND FIXED MYSELF. MANUAL TRANSMISSION WHINING IN 2ND AND 3RD GEAR. CHECKED TRANSMISSION DIPSTICK AND TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS LOW. ADDED FLUID AND ANYTHING OVER 1 QUART POURED OUT. HAD TRANSMISSION SHOP CHECK IT OUT FOR BLOWN SEAL AND THEY FOUND INTERNAL METAL FRACTURE IN TRANSAXLE INNER CASE CAUSED BY SHEAR PIN MOVEMENT. SATURN ISSUED SERVICE MANUAL NOTIFICATION IN JAN.1998. DEALER AND SATURN ARE NO HELP. VEHICLE ONLY WARRANTEED 3 YEARS OR 36K EVEN THOUGH THIS HAS BEEN A KNOWN PROBLEM SINCE 1997. SATURN BLAMES OWNERS FOR THEIR BAD ENGINEERING AND DOES NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR CRAPPY VEHICLES
NHTSA complaint #10070205 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
AIR CONDITIONING UNIT STOPPED COOLING.DEALER WANTED TO TROUBLE SHOOT@$80.00/HOUR. HAYNES SERVICE MANUAL SAID TO CHECK FUSE .REPLACED DIODE @$4.00 AND FIXED MYSELF. MANUAL TRANSMISSION WHINING IN 2ND AND 3RD GEAR. CHECKED TRANSMISSION DIPSTICK AND TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS LOW. ADDED FLUID AND ANYTHING OVER 1 QUART POURED OUT. HAD TRANSMISSION SHOP CHECK IT OUT FOR BLOWN SEAL AND THEY FOUND INTERNAL METAL FRACTURE IN TRANSAXLE INNER CASE CAUSED BY SHEAR PIN MOVEMENT. SATURN ISSUED SERVICE MANUAL NOTIFICATION IN JAN.1998. DEALER AND SATURN ARE NO HELP. VEHICLE ONLY WARRANTEED 3 YEARS OR 36K EVEN THOUGH THIS HAS BEEN A KNOWN PROBLEM SINCE 1997. SATURN BLAMES OWNERS FOR THEIR BAD ENGINEERING AND DOES NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR CRAPPY VEHICLES
NHTSA complaint #10070205 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION:FLOOR SHIFT ASSEMBLY
MANUEL SHIFT HANDLE DISENGAGED FROM TRANSMISSION CABLE ON FLOOR WHEN SHIFTING. CAR WAS UNABLE TO BE SHIFTED TO LOWER GEAR TO CROSS HIGHWAY SAFELY .
NHTSA complaint #10063899 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIR BAGS
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WAS IN A FRONTAL COLLISION, BUT NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED UPON IMPACT. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE DETAILS.
NHTSA complaint #10004732 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THE BRAKES WILL GO ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. THE STOPPING DISTANCE HAS INCREASED. CONTACTED DEALER AND THE DEALER STATES THAT THE BRAKES ARE PREFECTLY OK. *MRCONSUMER DOES NOT FEEL SAFE IN THIS VEHICLE.
NHTSA complaint #8020214 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:COOLING UNIT AND LINES
TRANSMISSION FAILURE RESULTED IN LEAKAGE. *MJS
NHTSA complaint #551807 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT
VISOR STOPPER FAILED.
NHTSA complaint #606775 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.