NHTSA vehicle safety data

1998 Saturn SC Recalls & Complaints

The 1998 Saturn SC has no NHTSA recall campaigns and 13 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Saturn dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 1998 Saturn SC. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

Pre-purchase inspection checklist → Reliability & 5-year cost forecast →

1998 Saturn SC owner complaints

Owners have filed 13 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998 Saturn SC, describing incidents dated October 1, 1998 to June 30, 2016.

Most-cited components

Power Train 4 complaints
Engine 3 complaints
Service Brakes 2 complaints
Air Bags 1 complaint
Electrical System 1 complaint
Equipment 1 complaint

Of the 13 complaints on file, 1 reports a crash (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

ODI #10881827 · Filed June 30, 2016
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.
ODI #10569160 · Filed March 13, 2014
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…
ODI #10532985 · Filed July 31, 2013
BUTTON POPPED OFF EMERGENCY BRAKE HANDLE, RENDERING EMERGENCY BRAKE INOPERABLE. *TR

Read all 13 complaints

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for the 1998 Saturn SC as of November 3, 2026. New recalls can be issued at any time, so check the specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before buying.

try.vin has no NCAP crash-test rating on file for the 1998 Saturn SC. NHTSA rates some vehicles by body style — pickups by cab, vans by roof height — so check nhtsa.gov/ratings.

13 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 1998 Saturn SC.

Steering; Electrical System; Unknown or Other

ODI #10881827

Incident: June 30, 2016 · Filed: June 30, 2016

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.

Tires

ODI #10569160

Incident: February 20, 2014 · Filed: March 13, 2014

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. *TR

Service Brakes

ODI #10532985

Incident: July 1, 2013 · Filed: July 31, 2013

BUTTON POPPED OFF EMERGENCY BRAKE HANDLE, RENDERING EMERGENCY BRAKE INOPERABLE. *TR

Power Train; Latches/Locks/Linkages

ODI #10270017

Incident: May 26, 2009 · Filed: May 26, 2009

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. *TR

Engine and Engine Cooling

ODI #10130524

Incident: June 4, 2005 · Filed: July 28, 2005

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

Vehicle Speed Control

ODI #10117488

Incident: July 20, 2004 · Filed: April 5, 2005

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. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling

ODI #10072273

Incident: May 7, 2004 · Filed: May 7, 2004

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. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling; Power Train

ODI #10070205

Incident: October 15, 2003 · Filed: January 15, 2004

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

Power Train

ODI #10063899

Incident: March 23, 2004 · Filed: March 25, 2004

MANUEL SHIFT HANDLE DISENGAGED FROM TRANSMISSION CABLE ON FLOOR WHEN SHIFTING. CAR WAS UNABLE TO BE SHIFTED TO LOWER GEAR TO CROSS HIGHWAY SAFELY .

Air Bags

ODI #10004732

Crash

Incident: January 21, 2003 · Filed: January 27, 2003

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WAS IN A FRONTAL COLLISION, BUT NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED UPON IMPACT. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE DETAILS.*AK

Other Saturn SC model years

Check your 1998 Saturn SC VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Saturn SC at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

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