1996 Saturn Sc Recalls

No recalls on record Updated July 2026

No NHTSA recalls on record for the 1996 Saturn Sc. That means NHTSA has no open safety campaign for this vehicle — it does not guarantee the absence of problems. Owners have filed 41 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine and engine cooling. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Complaints by component

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
4
STRUCTURE:BODY
3
1crashes1injuries
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
2
SEATS
2
SUSPENSION:FRONT
2
AIR BAGS
1
1crashes1injuries
CHILD SEAT
1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN
1
Total complaints41

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“Drivers seat won't stay in upright position when I lean back with slight pressure, whether I am in motion or not. This has been an ongoing problem for about a month. As a previous owner of many cars, I have never heard of this type of problem. Also the trunk latch is not operable using the cable.”

STRUCTURE:BODY · reported 2018-11-20

“Drivers seat won't stay in upright position when I lean back with slight pressure, whether I am in motion or not. This has been an ongoing problem for about a month. As a previous owner of many cars, I have never heard of this type of problem. Also the trunk latch is not operable using the cable.”

SEATS · reported 2018-11-20

“Ligthly applied brake to slow down to stop at intersection; though I had foot pressing hard on brake car would not stop, entered intersection and struck a passing car; this was within an hour of picking up the car from garage where repairs had been done because of this problem; air bags did not…”

STRUCTURE:BODY · reported 2017-01-26

“Ligthly applied brake to slow down to stop at intersection; though I had foot pressing hard on brake car would not stop, entered intersection and struck a passing car; this was within an hour of picking up the car from garage where repairs had been done because of this problem; air bags did not…”

SERVICE BRAKES · reported 2017-01-26

“Ligthly applied brake to slow down to stop at intersection; though I had foot pressing hard on brake car would not stop, entered intersection and struck a passing car; this was within an hour of picking up the car from garage where repairs had been done because of this problem; air bags did not…”

ENGINE · reported 2017-01-26

“Tl* the contact owns a 1996 sc1 saturn. The contact stated that the horn sounded independently while the vehicle was parked overnight. The vehicle was not equipped with an anti-theft system. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection who advised that the fuse would have to be removed in…”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · reported 2012-06-12

“As the original owner of a 1996 saturn sc1 with 68,000 miles, this car has had four head gaskets replaced originating when this car was under a year old. In addition to these repeated catastrophic engine failures multiple replacements of alarm systems, radio, electrical issues and a defective…”

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING · reported 2006-11-05

“As the original owner of a 1996 saturn sc1 with 68,000 miles, this car has had four head gaskets replaced originating when this car was under a year old. In addition to these repeated catastrophic engine failures multiple replacements of alarm systems, radio, electrical issues and a defective…”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:CONTROL MODULE · reported 2006-11-05
Sources & methodology

Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1996 Saturn Sc as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.