The Saturn SC is a compact car built from 1995 to 2002. Most were assembled in the United States — 100% of those on record. Engines offered: 4-cyl. Worth buying? It depends heavily on which year you buy at 3.5/5 — and the year you pick matters far more than the badge (best and worst years →).
What the SC is
The Saturn SC is a compact car that Saturn built from 1995 to 2002 — 8 model years. It has been offered with 4-cyl power. Its closest siblings in the Saturn range: Astra, Aura, Ion.
Where the SC is built
A badge says where the company is registered; the VIN says where the car was bolted together. We counted the first three characters — the manufacturer identifier — across 153 SCs on record.
| Assembled in | Share | VIN starts with | Years seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| the United States | 1G8 | 1995-2002 |
Check your own: the first three characters of a Saturn VIN decide which of these lines your SC belongs to. What every character in a SC VIN means →
Got the full 17 characters? A free VIN check on a Saturn SC adds what the decoder can't see: open recalls, theft and total-loss records, and the safety ratings for that exact build.
Saturn SC tire size, oil type & owner specs
The fitment SC owners look up most — tires, wheels, oil and batteries. Exact wheel and tire sizes decode from your VIN or the driver's door-jamb placard; the universal items are listed below.
Exact tire, wheel, oil grade, capacity and battery group are added per trim and model year — decode your VIN above for the factory fitment. Universal items shown as-is.
What engines does the Saturn SC have? Power & range
The Saturn SC is offered with 1 powertrain — 1.9L 4-cyl. Here's the lineup by engine, transmission and drivetrain — 1 for the Saturn SC, against one or two on most rivals.
| Engine | Displacement | Transmission | Drive | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4-cyl | 1.9L · 4-cyl | Manual 5-spd | FWD | Regular |
Horsepower, torque and fuel-tank size decode from your VIN — exact figures vary by engine and trim.
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov (engines, drivetrain, range, charge time). Horsepower & torque from NHTSA vPIC on VIN decode.
The SC by the numbers
What the federal and market records say about the Saturn SC. Each line opens the full breakdown by year.
| Topic | SC | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Recalls | 18 campaigns | NHTSA, all years |
| Owner complaints | 216 filed | What breaks and when |
| Reliability | 3.5 / 5 | Best and worst years |
Frequently asked questions
What kind of car is the Saturn SC?
The SC is a compact car, built from 1995 to 2002. Engines offered: 4-cyl.
Where is the Saturn SC made?
Across 153 cars in our records the split is: the United States (100%). The first three characters of a VIN identify the plant's manufacturer and country — that is where these shares come from, not from a press release.
What is the Saturn SC warranty?
New models carry 3 years / 36,000 miles basic cover and 5 years / 60,000 miles on the powertrain. Worth knowing: across our complaint records the typical car reaches the halfway point of its faults at five years, so most repairs land after the basic warranty ends.
Is the SC reliable?
It scores 3.5/5 in our data. The honest answer depends on the year far more than the model — see the best and worst years, and when this car starts to break.
How do I check a specific SC?
This page describes the model; it cannot tell you whether that car has an open recall or a branded title. Run its VIN against the records — free, and matched to the exact production run.
More in Saturn
| Model | Years | Recalls | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturn Astra | 2008–2009 | 4 | 27 mpg | 4.0/5 |
| Saturn Aura | 2007–2010 | 16 | 29 mpg | 4.0/5 |
| Saturn Ion | 2003–2007 | 35 | 26 mpg | 3.5/5 |
| Saturn L200 | 2001–2003 | 4 | — | 4.5/5 |
| Saturn L300 | 2001–2005 | 2 | 25 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Saturn LS | 2000–2000 | 6 | 24 mpg | 3.5/5 |
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