NHTSA — Electrical System Problems

1.9

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
84,367 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

1997 Saturn SC1 electrical problems

electrical problem

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1997 Saturn SC1 Owner Comments

problem #3

Jan 012009

SC1 4-cyl

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Drivers seat slides backwards without using the "adjustment lever". sometimes just backing up at 3-5 mph, also at hwy speeds. Also slides backwards after being adjusted by the driver-always adjusted while parked, never moving. Also, seatbelts worked fine until recall notice (99-2000/"repaired" by jim butler South county Saturn, St louis, mo) then would not retract, must feed belts back into slot; will not return to dealer, as too many bad experiences w/this dealership. Approx 2002-03 (approx 80-100K miles) started using 2 qts oil per month, now uses 3+ qts per month minimum. Approx 2009 started using enigine coolant excessively; must carry extra qts oil, 1 gallon engine coolant in car at all times, checking at every fuel fill-up or before leaving home. Battery dead Oct 2011, replaced-still loses charge overnight;changed spark plugs, fuses, ignition-could remove key while car still running while stopped. Still sitting in driveway as cannot figure out elec problem. 206K mi. Purch 10-96 with 13 mi on it.

- De Soto, MO, USA

problem #2

Feb 282008

SC1

  • 216,000 miles
The contact owns a 1997 Saturn SC2. The contact experienced difficulty removing the key from the ignition. He made several attempts before the key released; however, the ignition switch was in the accessory position. The driver maneuvered the key in different positions for approximately five to ten minutes. Suddenly, the ignition key was removed from the designated off position. The failure occurred intermittently and without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for inspection and they discovered recall number 97-C02 (ignition cylinder). The manufacturer stated that the VIN was excluded from the recall. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure and current mileages were 216,000.

- Sharpsburg, GA, USA

problem #1

Jan 212003

SC1

  • 37,100 miles
Vehicle has only 37,000 miles on it, engine is dead. Will cost over $3000 for new engine. This car has been in for numerous repairs, many problems, and most were never fixed. I approached the dealership in summer 2000 about going to arbitration re: Having vehicle replaced, and they refused to provide the area representatively name and number. I got it anyway and filed a complaint. Dealer promised to rectify all issues, and repaired several problems, which have all recurred (and worse) since the warranty expired. Problems have included electrical, fuse malfunctions (windows, locks, cd player, sunroof), air conditioner leakage, engine stalling, engine overheating, trunk leaking, etc. Now engine has completely frozen. I have taken good care of this car, with regular maintenance and will never buy another GM product again.

- Hamilton, OH, USA

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