Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Saturn Sc submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 SATURN SC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHEN THERE WERE NUMEROUS KEYS ON THE KEY RING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000. *TT *TR
I HAVE 2 SATURNS (SC AND SL) BOTH ARE 1997'S. BOTH HAVE SAME ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WHERE BATTERY WILL NOT HOLD CHARGE. SOMETHING SEEMS TO BE DRAINING THE POWER BUT NO ONE CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT. BOTH CARS START WITH A JUMP AND RUN FINE IF DRIVEN OFTEN. BUT IF THE CAR SITS FOR MORE THAN A DAY, THE BATTERY IS DRAINED.
BATTERY KEPT BEING DRAINED.
I WAS DRIVING MY 1997 SC SATURN NORTH BOUND FL TURNPIKE WHEN THE ROAD FELT REALLY BUMPY AND SUDDENLY THE ENGINE ELECTRICAL (CABLES/WIRES)COMPONENTS FLEW & SPLASH AGAINST THE WINDSHIELD BLOCKING MY VIEW, "OH MY GOD" I IMMEDIATELY EDGE TO THE LEFT SHOULDER, GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE TO ASSESS THE SITUATION, CONTACTED GEICO ROAD SERVICE. I WAS SHOCKED TO SEE THAT ONE OF THE LEMANS TIRE (RIGHT PASSENGER SIDE) TREAD HAD COMPLETELY PEELED & BLOWN OFF. APPARENTLY, AS THE TIRE BEGAN TO FAIL THE STEEL BELTS FROM THE TIRE DESTROYED THE INNER FENDER, THE OUTER FENDER AND RIPPED OUT THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS THAT PROVIDED POWER TO ALL ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS INSIDE THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT SUCH AS DOOR LOCKS, WINDOWS ETC. IT APPEARS THAT THE PLACEMENT OF THIS WIRING HARNESS OVER THE FRONT WHEEL SHOULD HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE FIREWALL AND NOT OVER A WHEEL AND WITH NO PROTECTION. *TR
I WAS DRIVING THE ABOVE MENTIONED VEHICLE (SATURN SC1 1997) NORTH BOUND ON FL TURNPIKE WHEN THE ROAD FELT REALLY BUMPY AND SUDDENLY PIECES OF DEBRIS STARTED FLYING BY THE WINDOW AND A LARGE BUNDLE OF WIRES WAS FLAPPING ON THE HOOD, COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR; WHICH I HAD TO EASED OVER TO THE LEFT SHOULDER, GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY AND CONTACTED GEICO ROAD SERVICE. APPARENTLY, THE CHAIN OF EVENTS THAT OCCURRED WERE AS FOLLOWS: THE LEMANS/BRIDGESTONE TIRE (P195-60R15) TREAD COMPLETED PEELED OFF THE TIRE WITH SUCH FORCE..THAT IT GOT SHREDDED THE FENDER AND RIPPED OUT A LARGE BUNDLE OF ELECTRICAL CABLES THAT WAS IN THE FENDER. THE TIRE REMAINED INFLATED, THE WIRE CABLE RAN FROM THE FUSE BOX IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT OVER THE WHEEL IN THE FENDER, TO PROVIDE POWER TO VIRTUALLY EVERY ELECTRICAL COMPONENT IN THE CAR, AND WAS RIPPED OUT OF THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. A HIGHLY HAZARDOUS & DANGEROUS INCIDENT...THE PICTURES ARE EXTREMELY IMPRESSIVE! BE CAREFUL!!!! *TR
WHEN THE CAR WAS COMING TO A STOP, THE ENGINE WOULD START TO STALL, THE INTERIOR LIGHTS WOULD DIM AND THE ELECTRONIC DASH WOULD GO OUT AND THE CAR WOULD COMPLETELY STALL. THE CAR WOULD NOT START ON ITS OWN AND WOULD HAVE TO BE JUMPED OFF. IF THIS HAPPENED WHEN PULLING INTO DRIVEWAY, YOU COULD WAIT AN HOUR AND THE CAR WOULD START AS IF NOTHING HAPPENED. WHEN YOU TOOK OFF AGAIN THE SAME THINGS WOULD START UP AGAIN WITH THE STALLING AND THE NO STARTS. *TR
WHEN KEY IS IN IGNITION AND STARTED AND STILL IN PARK THE SHIFT LOCK MECHANISM WILL NOT DISENGAGE WHEN BRAKE IS DEPRESSED. ALSO WHEN I SHUT OFF THE CAR AND TURN KEY TO OFF POSITION THE KEY GETS STUCK IN THE IGNITION LEAVING THE CAR SUSCEPTIBLE TO THEFT.*AK
VEHICLE TO DATE IS ON IT'S 3RD BATTERY & ALTERNATOR WITH ONLY 36,000 MILES ON IT. DEALER SAID IT WAS A FLAW W/BATTERY/ALTERNATOR. BATTERY/ALTERNATOR 1ST REPLACED JULY - AUG 2002 APPROX 16,000 MILES, SECOND REPLACEMENT OCT 2004 BATTERY & ALTERNATOR 32,000 APPROX MILES. BATTERY PRORATED/REPLACED ALTERNATOR - OWNER MUST PAY FOR FULL REPAIRS. ALSO, IGNITION HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE AND REPAIRED ONCE.*AK
VEHICLE STALLS WHEN DOWNSHIFTING. ALSO, THERE IS NO HORN, AND HEADLIGHTS WILL NOT COME ON . *AK
WHEN CONSUMER PUSHES HORN BUTTON (S) THERE IS NO SOUND. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
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