Most common 1997 Saturn SC1 problems
Share of the 61 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Saturn SC1 complaints by model year
Best SC1 years: 2000, 1999, 2001. Years to avoid: 1995, 1997. Compare all years →
1997 Saturn SC1 recalls (3)
Exterior lighting › Headlights
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The section of the owner's handbook titled "horizontal aim" does not specifically instruct an owner how to adjust the headlamp horizontal aim. This does not comply with requirements of FMVSS no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."
Remedy: Owners are being provided with a label with the correct information on headlamp horizontal aim to be placed over the existing text in the owner's handbook.
Seat belts › Front › Retractor
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. If the driver or front passenger safety belt is pulled out much faster than normal, a number of time, the lock-up feature of the retractor will not work properly.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver and front passenger safety belt retractor.
Seats
The front passenger seats have less lock pawl engagement on the inboard fore/aft adjuster than specified. This does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 207, "seating systems."
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the passenger seat inboard fore/aft adjuster.
What 1997 Saturn SC1 owners say
Seat belts
I was involved in a rear end collision at a traffic light. My vehicle is a 1998 Saturn VIN[redacted]. I was at a complete stop when a large utility van struck my vehicle. The impact speed would be around 30mph. Upon impact, the driver seat failed - shifting me back to the rear seat and then I was jolted forward and hit my head on the steering wheel. The seatbelt system failed to constrict my body to the car seat. The front air bag did not deploy. I suffered head, neck, and soft tissue damage to my shoulder and mid back area.
Tl contact owns a 1997 Saturn sc2. The front passenger seat belt retractor would not retract properly when the front seat was occupied. The seat belt is unable to be used. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that a recall repair had been performed in 1997. The contact stated that no repair was made because she did not receive any paperwork showing that the seat belt was repaired. The dealer stated that they would take 10% off of the repair cost. The failure mileage was 109,000. Updated 3/19/09 updated 03/23/09.
Electrical system
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.
Tl 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.
Transmission & drivetrain
We bought a used Saturn 2 years ago from a dealership. Since the day we got the car home we had transmission problems. Mainly when my wife would drive it to get our small children to day care, and she would go to work. When the transmission warmed up it gave her a hard time getting it into gear. Countless times of sitting in the middle of the intersection waiting to turn the light turned red and the opposite traffic got green and started heading toward her honking, she was franticly trying to get the car into gear. Then she would have no choice but to have to injure her hand to slam it into gear to get out of the way as my little ones were crying in the back and she was shaking and upset. We have had vehicle in repair shops countless of times complaining of it, but the extended warranty refused to repair the problem because it was still drivable, according to them. …
The transmission was very hard to shift into 1st, 2nd and 3rd gears, very hard to get into 1st gear from a complete stop almost impossible. The sunroof has stuck open to about 10 times, it has never seated into the roof correctly the back sticks up about a 1/4 inch in the rear of the sunroof expecially the driver side rear corner they said they completly replaced it but it still will not seat completly. The brakes make a whining sound all the time.( dot number: tire size: 19560r15 )
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1997 Saturn SC1 a good car?
Based on 61 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1997 SC1 rates use caution: 2.0× as many complaints as a typical year of the SC1 at the same age. It is one of the SC1 years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1997 Saturn SC1?
The seat belts — 14 complaints, 23% of all complaints for this model year, most often about front › retractor. Next are the electrical system (12) and transmission & drivetrain (12).
How many recalls does the 1997 Saturn SC1 have?
There are 3 recalls for the 1997 Saturn SC1, the most recent from September 22, 1997 (headlights). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Saturn SC1?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2000, 1999 and 2001. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1995 and 1997. See the full Saturn SC1 years comparison.
At what mileage do 1997 Saturn SC1 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 80,000 miles; 30% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.