2001 Saturn SC1
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › Saturn › SC1 › 2001
These records cover every 2001 Saturn SC1. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
2 recalls name the 2001 Saturn SC1. Newest first.
Vehicle description: certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of fmvss no. 301, "fuel system integrity." these vehicles were built with an inadequate vent valve weld on the top portion of the fuel tank.
Risk and remedy
Risk
Fuel spillage could occur during refueling or if the vehicle were involved in a rollover. if an ignition source were present, a fire could occur.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the vehicle to ensure the fuel tank vent valve IS properly welded. if necessary, dealers will replace the fuel tank assembly.
Vehicle description: certain passenger vehicles, equipped with automatic transaxles, fail to comply with the requirements of fmvss no. 114, "theft protection." these vehicles were built with an improperly adjusted automatic transaxle park lock cable assembly. if improperly adjusted, it IS possible to shift from the "park" position with the ignition key…
Risk and remedy
Risk
This condition increases the risk of a crash resulting from the unintended movement of parked vehicles.
Remedy
Saturn IS asking owners and retailers to perform a functional check of the automatic transaxle park lock cable assembly operation, and if necessary, to have the cable adjusted. if owners are not comfortable performing the functional check themselves, they can have their dealer perform this inspection for them.
Owner complaints
25 complaints4 involved a crash3 injuries
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Tires
In 2007, based on recommendations from service technicians and other owners of my car's model, I purchased new michelin hydroedge tires. upon recent inspection and rotation at a service center, it was noted that all four of my tires were dry-rotting at the sidewall near the treads. the technician…
In 2007, based on recommendations from service technicians and other owners of my car's model, I purchased new michelin hydroedge tires. upon recent inspection and rotation at a service center, it was noted that all four of my tires were dry-rotting at the sidewall near the treads. the technician stated that "michelins do that." the tires are 4 1/2 years old, have been driven 23,000 miles with very little tread wear (9/32" left) and are not housed inside a garage where ozone could affect them. I drive 10 miles round trip each work day. I also do not live in an urban area. I researched this issue online and found many similar complaints of dry rot leading to blowouts, often with related accidents. in many instances michelin denied any responsibility and sited everything from environmental reactions to pothole and curb hits by drivers sometimes denying a claim before receiving the customer's documentation. there are too many complaints to ignore anymore. just because many of us have found the problem before the tires caused an accident doesn't mean this IS not serious. how many occurrences does the nhtsa need before it acts proactively to end this safety risk? I hope this complaint speaks for consumers who filed previously, others who have not filed and for those who do not know they are at risk. please do not wait until a high-profile fiery crash brings light to this issue (as seems too often to be the case in our society.) michelin has had a few major tire recalls, one just recently, so there IS probable cause to investigate the dry rot complaints. investigate now so we can all benefit from the nhtsa, an entity that IS and will continue to be accountable for the safety of all taxpayers. thank you. *js
- Tires
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 saturn SC2 equipped with sigma supreme tires. while driving various speeds the vehicle would shake. she did not want to provide an approximate speed because the failure occurred while driving at any speed. The vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop where she…
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 saturn SC2 equipped with sigma supreme tires. while driving various speeds the vehicle would shake. she did not want to provide an approximate speed because the failure occurred while driving at any speed. The vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop where she was informed that there was tread separation on the front drivers side tire. the tire was replaced. the failure had not recurred. The failure and current mileages were 67,419. The vin was unavailable.
- Electrical system › Ignition
TL* the contact owns a 2001 saturn SC2. The contact stated while inserting the key into the ignition, she noticed that the ignition switch was loose. The ignition switch was replaced by the dealer. The failure recurred. The ignition switch was replaced by the dealer august 2003, june 2004 and…
TL* the contact owns a 2001 saturn SC2. The contact stated while inserting the key into the ignition, she noticed that the ignition switch was loose. The ignition switch was replaced by the dealer. The failure recurred. The ignition switch was replaced by the dealer august 2003, june 2004 and august 2006. The failure persisted and the dealer informed the contact that the ignition cylinder would to be replaced again. The manufacturer was not contacted. The vehicle was not further repaired at the time of the complaint. The failure mileage was approximately 29,000 and the current mileage was 67,579.
- Structure › Body › Roof and pillars
I hear a lot of problems with the sunroof not working properly. I went to the dealer and they were going to charge me over $1000. I told them no because I think it should be free since a lot of saturn owners have problems with it. Why hasn't there been a recall on them? *tr
- Equipment
The power sunroof on my 2001 saturn SC-2 was making a grinding noise when I opened it and when it was closing. Yesterday, while driving the sunroof was stuck in the open position. the saturn dealer charged $46.00 to diagnose the problem. They said it was the motor and this would cost about $380.00…
The power sunroof on my 2001 saturn SC-2 was making a grinding noise when I opened it and when it was closing. Yesterday, while driving the sunroof was stuck in the open position. the saturn dealer charged $46.00 to diagnose the problem. They said it was the motor and this would cost about $380.00 to replace. I agreed to the charge. then they called to say the new motor did not correct the problem. they wanted an additional $950.00 to replace a module. I told them not to do the work; that the price was too high. they said the car was old and this part always fails. I also refused to pay for a motor I didn't need since they misdiagnosed the problem. This vehicle has 56,000 miles and I live in michigan. the sunroof IS only used a few months a year. This IS a faulty part. if this IS a part that "always fails" according to the dealer service department why hasn't gm had them recalled, and repair them for free?
- Vehicle speed control
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 saturn SC2. while driving 50 mph, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle accelerated. the vehicle accelerated to 55 mph. the emergency brake was applied, but the failure continued. the rpm's increased. the gear was shifted into park and the vehicle…
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 saturn SC2. while driving 50 mph, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle accelerated. the vehicle accelerated to 55 mph. the emergency brake was applied, but the failure continued. the rpm's increased. the gear was shifted into park and the vehicle stopped. there were no warning indicators prior to the failure. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and they were unable to duplicate the failure. no repairs were made. the failure still persists. the failure mileage was 44,861 and current mileage was 100,622.
- Seat belts › Front
Driving a 2001 saturn SC2 ran front of vehicle into rear bumper of a ford truck, collision speed approx. 35 mph. I had my seat belt on , the air bags deployed. I hit the windshield with the top of my head and was knocked out. I am 5'7" and was sitting properly in the seat with both hands on the steering wheel at the time of the collision. I sustained neck and back injuries. *jb
- Vehicle speed control
On thursday, february 8, 2007, I was stopped at a stop light on north aurora road in naperville, illinois. when the light turned green, I stepped on the accelerator to proceed through the intersection. At that time, the car revved to 6000 rpm and went from 0-40 mph. I thought the accelerator must…
On thursday, february 8, 2007, I was stopped at a stop light on north aurora road in naperville, illinois. when the light turned green, I stepped on the accelerator to proceed through the intersection. At that time, the car revved to 6000 rpm and went from 0-40 mph. I thought the accelerator must be stuck, so I tried to make sure it wasn't. it was not stuck. I stepped on the brakes, but nothing happened. the car just kept revving and going 40 mph. I knew I had to get the car stopped or risk hitting cars at the next intersection or going through a red light. I saw a road to the right ahead of me and decided that I had to make that turn. I turned onto enterprise road going 40 mph. it was then that I was able to get the car into neutral and turned the key off to get the car to stop. I had the car towed to a garage where the mechanic thought that it was a fouled throttle plate. he "fixed" the problem and I picked the car up. driving the car to my home approximately 5 miles away, the car seemed okay. however, after I put the car in the garage and put it into the park position, the car revved again to 3000 rpm. my husband witnessed this. needless to say, the car IS going again to the mechanic. I am afraid to drive this car.*jb
- Electrical system · Engine and engine cooling › Engine
While driving in the center lane on a 3-lane highway the vehicle shut off without warning. no lights were visible on the dashboard prior to the engine shutting off. the loss of power steering and power brakes resulted in a loss of control of the vehicle. the car swerved into the right lane…
While driving in the center lane on a 3-lane highway the vehicle shut off without warning. no lights were visible on the dashboard prior to the engine shutting off. the loss of power steering and power brakes resulted in a loss of control of the vehicle. the car swerved into the right lane striking another motorist and then spun out of control making at least two full revolutions before coming to a rest against the guard rails of the median. the other motorist involved in the crash was able to drive off the scene after the police responded, but my car needed to be towed to a local dealer for an autobody and engine repair estimate. the engine diagnostic test indicated that there were 8 separate error codes in the computer. two were cam shaft error codes, three transmission error codes, a low coolant error code and a communications error code. all together the mechanic estimated well over $1000 of expense to repair the engine. that expense in addition to the autobody estimate of $4100 dollars resulted in a total expense nearly equal to the total value of my car. *nm
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Gasoline
I have a 2001 saturn SC-2 coupe that was bought new in 2001. I have routinely changed the oil and done scheduled maintenance on the vehicle. the engine has ~75,000 miles on it and the timing chain recently went out while driving down a busy highway at 60 mph. I took it to the mechanic and…
I have a 2001 saturn SC-2 coupe that was bought new in 2001. I have routinely changed the oil and done scheduled maintenance on the vehicle. the engine has ~75,000 miles on it and the timing chain recently went out while driving down a busy highway at 60 mph. I took it to the mechanic and learned the timing chain did not break but became loose. I have also learned saturn engineers designed the timing chain to run the oil pump. therefore, when the timing chain became loose on my saturn,the oil pump failed to maintain oil pressure on that side of the engine and subsequently sheared off a bearing that transfers power from the cam shaft to the pistons. the mechanic said this occurred as a direct result from the timing chain failing to deliver power to the oil pump. I am left with replacing the engine. I am aware of the technical service bulletin that saturn released in 2003 that directly involved problems with the timing chain and subsequent total engine failure. I don't understand why saturn owners have not been made aware of the problems that saturn has had with the timing chain. I spoke at length with saturn customer service and my local saturn dealership service manager on the phone. Both of which stated that since I did the oil changes and routine maintenance myself, there was no record of it being done and there was little they would do to help rectify the situation. They also stated that I could pay to tow my saturn from the mechanic shop that it was at to the dealership garage where they would give me an estimate of what it would cost to fix and whether or not they would be willing to help out with cost. no one at saturn would state that the timing chain could have been at fault in this incident, although everyone that I spoke with was aware of the technical bulletin being issued over the matter. I now am faced with replacing the entire motor with a replacement at an estimated cost of 2500 to 3000 dollars. the damaged engine can be made available. *Nm
- Power train › Manual transmission
I own a 2001 saturn SC2 with 84000 miles. A gear in the transaxle differential has worn a hole through the inside of the bell housing causing a major leak. I have contacted 5 transmission shops in my local area and all have seen this problem numerous times. I have contacted my local dealer and the…
I own a 2001 saturn SC2 with 84000 miles. A gear in the transaxle differential has worn a hole through the inside of the bell housing causing a major leak. I have contacted 5 transmission shops in my local area and all have seen this problem numerous times. I have contacted my local dealer and the customer service center and was told its out of warranty they will not cover the defective parts. I have only worked on this one day and every shop that works on transmissions knows of this problem. Saturn said they have never heard of this problem before but I find it hard to believe after doing a what little research my self that they are not aware of the problem. As a minimum they should at least release a service bulletin on this problem. Any help or information on this problem would be greatly appreciated. *Jb
- Engine and engine cooling › Exhaust system
2001 saturn SC2 bought 2/04 20,000 orginal miles ....... Suporting documents state the car was sitting and not driven prior to purchasing. As of oct 2004 and 30,000 miles there has been a leak in exhaust, checked with saturn dealer and was told I needed a new resonator and pipe dealer wants to…
2001 saturn SC2 bought 2/04 20,000 orginal miles ....... Suporting documents state the car was sitting and not driven prior to purchasing. As of oct 2004 and 30,000 miles there has been a leak in exhaust, checked with saturn dealer and was told I needed a new resonator and pipe dealer wants to charge me approx. $400 to fix, 2ND problem IS that my idler pulley IS bad and in the process distroying the serpentine drive belt approx. $200 to repair. I feel gm (saturn) need to own up to these common problems with there vehicles and repair them under recall. The nhtsa has a service bullentin on the exhaust problem that just came out oct. 2004 bullentin #040605010 (service procedure for replacement of resonator and intermediate pipe) I also feel a car that has 33,300 miles shouldnt need all of this kind of work done to it when these kind of issues usually happen around 60-70,000 miles on any other normal car. I will never buy another gm product, this IS my first especially with this low of milage - this has been a big disappointment and let down. Thank you - please put in effect a recall for these issues..... I think gm customers have spent enough on repairs. I very unhappy first saturn (gm) owner. *Ak
- Steering › Column
Consumer took vehicle to the dealer because steering column was too loose. dealer told consumer that the problem was a manufactured bolt that was loose. it could not be tightened, it had to be cut off and replaced. consumer felt it was a manufacturing defect. Therefore, it should be repaired…
Consumer took vehicle to the dealer because steering column was too loose. dealer told consumer that the problem was a manufactured bolt that was loose. it could not be tightened, it had to be cut off and replaced. consumer felt it was a manufacturing defect. Therefore, it should be repaired free of charge. consumer was told by dealer that vehicle was not on recall and consumer would have to pay for repairs. *ak
- Visibility › Sun/moon roof assembly
I bought my car from the medford saturn dealership, a 2001 saturn SC2. I have never been in an accident with this vehicle. I have only put slightly less then 20,000 miles on this vehicle. the problem IS that my sun roof that IS only 4 years old IS broken because of a defective part of the…
I bought my car from the medford saturn dealership, a 2001 saturn SC2. I have never been in an accident with this vehicle. I have only put slightly less then 20,000 miles on this vehicle. the problem IS that my sun roof that IS only 4 years old IS broken because of a defective part of the plastic gliders. I took my car to saturn and they refused to fix their defect and wanted over a thousand dollars to fix it. they also looked under my hood and told me I had other things wrong with the car that they would fix for another 995.00 dollars. oh, and if I wanted my sun roof fixed they would give me a deal but only if I had this other supposed work done their at the saturn dealership in medford, oregon. I was very upset and the manager would not speak to me. then they refused to give me a copy of the estimate to fix the sunroof and other supposed problems. I was then told to call a special customer service number and they would help. upon calling this number I was told I should have spoken with the service manager befor calling this number they gave me. I again never talked to the manager but the same guy I originally dealt with at the dealership. Then back to the customer service person who was no help and again said they would cut me a deal but only if I had other work done first and they wanted 995.00 dollars for it and the sunroof to be repaired. I refused and they were no help. upon further investigation on my own I have looked on the internet for other people with the same problems regarding saturn sun roof and found more then I wanted. help what do I do? can you help me regarding the defective sun roof.*ak
- Power train › Automatic transmission
While driving transmission failed and fluid leaked. Consumer managed to pull over, and had vehicle towed. dealership mechanic was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak
- Structure
The vehicle had 7 different internal leaks in the passenger cabin from the windows, sunroof, etc. Which resulted in serious respiratory problems. the dealer replaced the interior 3 times and the headliner twice. consumer stated that mold "spores" had formed in the vehicle. *ak *cb *jb **consumer requests call back from an odi investigator**
- Seat belts › Front
The passenger seat belt assembly was not designed properly. *Jb
- Electrical system › Ignition
While vehicle IS running consumer can take the key out of ignition, and vehicle would still be runing. dealer notified. Ts...*ak
- Electrical system › Wiring › Fuses and circuit breakers
While driving and without any indication headlights short out, causing poor visibility. Dealer has been contacted. Please provide further information. *Ak
- Power train › Automatic transmission › Park/neutral start interlock switch
Vehicle was in park, engine shut off, emergency brake not applied, and vehicle suddenly went backward and rolled over consumer's right foot, knocking her down. Dealer stated consumer should have used parking brake. *Ak *yd
- Power train › Manual transmission · Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip · Vehicle speed control
While driving at 30mph consumer took foot off accelerator and vehicle kept going. she then applied brakes; but, it did not slow vehicle. Applied transmission, and tachometer went to 3000 rpms. She then released transmission, and vehicle kept speed of 35 mph. She applied brakes and transmission…
While driving at 30mph consumer took foot off accelerator and vehicle kept going. she then applied brakes; but, it did not slow vehicle. Applied transmission, and tachometer went to 3000 rpms. She then released transmission, and vehicle kept speed of 35 mph. She applied brakes and transmission, vehicle slowed and engine raced. But, stopped at light. she let go of transmission and brakes, and by that time she had shifted up to 3RD gear without applying accelerator, vehicle reached 35 mph. After 1/2 to 3/4 mile engine stopped racing, and consumer was able to stop vehicle. Dealer found nothing wrong with vehicle. Miles at incident 19800. *ak *slc
- Suspension › Front
Vehicle IS out of alignment and steering wheel IS not centered. This IS second vehicle with this problem. contact dealer. *Ak
- Fuel system, gasoline › Storage › Tank assembly
It IS a concern to me that my gas bangs around in tank and I hear it. It IS so loud of a hi t at times that I think I have hit something. It IS most noticable between 3/4 and 1/2 full. I have never been in a car that you hear the gas in it like this. Saturn told me this IS how it is.*ak
- Seats › Front assembly › Recliner
Car was stopped and then was rear ended by large ford SUV. Upon inpact drivers seat back collapsed into back seat. If there had not been a book bag on rear seat keeping it from going flat she would not have seen she was pushed into oncoming traffic and was then able to swerve back into her lane.…
Car was stopped and then was rear ended by large ford SUV. Upon inpact drivers seat back collapsed into back seat. If there had not been a book bag on rear seat keeping it from going flat she would not have seen she was pushed into oncoming traffic and was then able to swerve back into her lane. That could have been a total loss of control. Also while laying flat, if hit again she would have been shot under the seat belt (and air bag) possibly becoming seriously or fataly injured.
- Tires › Sidewall
Driving at 55mph on good road warm day 35 miles into trip when tire sidewall blew out without warning and for no apparent reason (big hole and tear--may have torn because I drove on it a little to get to a shoulder).*ak (dot number: w2v9vfb040 tiresize: p195/60r15)
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 10125106This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicle's odometer appears to be inaccurate relative to a known distance traveled. Technician should obtain a hand-held GPS unit to test the odometer. If a hand held GPS unit is not available, the only other option is to verify the miles traveled using a surveyor's wheel or a dynamometer.
- 10042986General motors: information provided by bulletin for all 2012 and prior general motor trucks and passenger vehicles regarding the adjustable comfort and custom upholstery of the driver and the passenger head restraint.
- 10010526Service procdure for replacement of resonator and intermediate pipe.
- 626009Subject regarding squeaking noise from driver or passenger seat back.
Every Saturn SC1 model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.