Total Complaints
18 filings
SATURN SC1 · model year
1992 SATURN SC1
18 NHTSA complaints, 4 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1992SATURNSC1 carries 18 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 4 crashes, 2 fires, 4 injuries, and 2 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1992 SC1 is seat belts with 5 filings, followed by seats:front assembly:recliner (2) and structure (2). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 14 investigation files overlapping the 1992 SC1. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
18
Complaints
4
Crashes
2
Fires
4
Injuries
2
Deaths
Crashes Reported
4 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| SEAT BELTS | 5 |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER | 2 |
| STRUCTURE | 2 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| STEERING:LINKAGES:KNUCKLE:SPINDLE:ARM | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 1 |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20071126ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
STARTED ENGINE IMMEDIATELY DIED! TIMING CHAIN BROKEN. SECOND TIME SINCE OWNED CAR. *TR
Mileage: 16,000
20010816STRUCTURE
HEADLINER FELL DOWN INTO MY FACE WHILE DRIVING...ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. *AK
20010813STRUCTURE
HEADLINER FELL DOWN INTO MY FACE WHILE DRIVING...ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. *AK
20010723CrashFireFatalELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
AIRBAG FAILED ON FRONT IMPACT, FIRE STARTED UNDER PASSENGER SEAT IN FRONT,DRIVER TRAPPED, TOTALED CAR, DESTROYED BY FIRE IN SECONDS. VERY LITTLE DAMAGE FROM IMPACT.*AK
20010723CrashFireFatalAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
AIRBAG FAILED ON FRONT IMPACT, FIRE STARTED UNDER PASSENGER SEAT IN FRONT,DRIVER TRAPPED, TOTALED CAR, DESTROYED BY FIRE IN SECONDS. VERY LITTLE DAMAGE FROM IMPACT.*AK
20001219SEAT BELTS
DRIVER'S SIDE AUTOMATIC SEATBELT FAILURE. *SLC
19990601SEAT BELTS
DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT IS INOPERABLE DUE TO BROKEN TRACK MOTOR. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
19990527CrashSEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SEATBACKS BROKE WHEN VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A REAR END IMPACT. DRIVE RSUSTAINED INJURIES. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
19990517ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
SAMES VALVES BAD AGAIN AT 63000
19990504ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
NO SUMMARY
19990504ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
NO SUMMARY
19990223SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
DRIVER'S SIDE LAP SEAT BELT STITCHING UNRAVELED WHERE THE BELT WAS FOLDED OVER. TOOK TO DEALER TO SEE IF IT WAS A PROBLEM. THEY STATED THAT IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE WITH THE STITCHING UNRAVELED. HAVE BEEN DRIVING LIKE THAT FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS. SAW ANOTHER PERSON WRITE TO NEWSPAPER AUTOMOBILE COLUMN WITH SAME PROBLEM AND REFERRED TO YOUR ORGANIZATION. I DECIDED TO SUBMIT MY PROBLEM WITH THE SEAT BELT TOO.
19970808CrashSTEERING:LINKAGES:KNUCKLE:SPINDLE:ARM
PREMATURE WEA ROF SPIDLE, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL/ACCIDENT. ALSO SEATBACKBROKE, CAUSING SEAT TO FALL INTO THE REAR SEAT. *AK
19970129SEAT BELTS
HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE STICKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY, ON PASSENGER SIDE RIGHT FRONT BUMPER AND ALONG SIDE OF VEHICLE; AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT RETRACTOR ON PASSENGE'SR & DRIVER'S SIDE WORKS INTERMITTENTLY AT TIMES. *AK
19961216SEAT BELTS
MOTORIZED DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT ONLY COMES BACK HALF WAY TO CHEST WHEN DOOR IS CLOSED. *AK
19951122SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
SEAT BACK FRAME INSIDE BENT, ALLOWING THE SEAT HALF OF THE SEAT BACK TO BEND BACK. TT
19950711SEAT BELTS
VEHICLES DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT TRACK IS INOPERATIVE. *AK
19950306VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
THE CRUISE CONTROL QUITS WORKING ON VARIOUS OCCASIONS, HAPPENS MORE OFTEN AFTER USING ACCEL BUTTON A FEW TIMES. INCONSISTENT. TT
Compare 1992SATURNSC1 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
EA11014Engineering AnalysisClosed
Electric Power Steering Failure
RQ10004Recall QueryClosed
Electric Power Steering Failure
PE09016Preliminary EvaluationClosed
OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLES STICK UNLATCHED
PE08061Preliminary EvaluationClosed
TIMING CHAIN BREAKS, ENGINE STALL
DP08002Defect PetitionClosed
TIMING CHAIN FAILURE-STALL
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1992 SATURN SC1 have?▼
The 1992 SATURN SC1 has 18 NHTSA complaints, 4 crashes, 2 fires, 4 injuries, and 2 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1992 SATURN SC1?▼
The most-complained component for the 1992 SATURN SC1 is SEAT BELTS with 5 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER and STRUCTURE.
Is the 1992 SATURN SC1 safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.