1991 Saturn SC tire sizes & fitment
Approved tire and wheel sizes for the 1991 Saturn SC, sourced from manufacturer fitment data and refreshed monthly.
Approved fitments
| Tire size | Rim size | PCD (bolt pattern) | Offset | Load index | Speed rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 185/70R14 OEM | R14 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Best by use case
Four tires, four jobs
See the best tires for the Saturn SC, ranked by category →
Compatible alternative sizes for 185/70R14
Sizes within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter safe-fit tolerance. Each row links to the size's own page.
| Alternative size | %Δ OD | Category | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
195/60R15 |
0.07% | plus 1 | Safe |
215/60R14 |
-0.16% | wider | Safe |
155/75R15 |
-0.18% | plus 1 | Safe |
175/60R16 |
0.29% | plus 2 | Safe |
165/70R15 |
-0.42% | plus 1 | Safe |
For the full list of alternatives with comfort/handling impact, see 185/70R14 upsize options. To check an arbitrary size pair, use the tire compatibility calculator.
Check a different size against this vehicle
Type any tire size below; we'll compute its overall-diameter delta against the OEM 185/70R14 and verdict using the ETRTO ±3% rule.
Common upgrade paths
- Plus-1: 195/60R15; one rim size up, 0.07% OD change. Sharper steering, mild ride penalty, modest cost premium.
- Plus-2: 175/60R16; two rim sizes up, 0.29% OD change. Noticeable ride penalty, higher pothole risk, meaningful tire-cost premium.
Use the plus-size calculator to evaluate any rim step against the OEM size.
How to choose tires for the 1991 saturn SC base-model
The 1991 Saturn SC Base-Model ships from the factory on 185/70R14 tires mounted on R14 wheels. Only one approved fitment is documented for this model year, so replacement options should match the original size exactly unless a plus-size upgrade is being considered. The Compatible alternative sizes table above lists every safe substitution within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter tolerance.
Tire choice on the Saturn SC comes down to three trade-offs that matter more than brand loyalty: load index (must equal or exceed the OEM number), speed rating (must match or exceed the placard), and UTQG treadwear (higher means longer life, lower usually means stickier rubber). Owners replacing factory tires with the same compound class, for example all-season for all-season, generally see no change in ride characteristics or fuel economy. Switching categories (performance summer to all-season touring, for example) is where the trade-offs show up at the contact patch.
For 1991 Saturn SC Base-Model owners considering a plus-size upgrade, the safer option is a Plus-1 step (one rim size up with a 10-point aspect drop and ~10 mm of additional section width). Plus-2 is technically viable on this chassis if the alternative-sizes table lists a Plus-2 candidate within tolerance, but expect a meaningful ride-harshness penalty and a tire-cost premium of 30–60% per tire relative to the OEM fitment. For winter use the recommended pattern is one width step down (e.g. from a 235 to a 225) with the aspect ratio bumped up to preserve overall diameter; narrower tires apply higher contact pressure per square inch on snow, which translates directly into shorter braking distances. The plus-size calculator evaluates any specific rim step against this OEM size.
Before purchasing, verify the tire size on the driver-door placard of your specific 1991 Saturn SC Base-Model, since trim levels and option packages can shift the original fitment from what is documented here. The placard reading is the authoritative source per FMVSS 110, and dealers will reference the placard rather than aftermarket catalogs when validating warranty claims.
NHTSA-reported issues for 1991 saturn SC
Top issue category: Tires (General)
Most reported: Tires (General) (10) · Tread / Belt (2) · Sidewall (1)
Reported across: 1992 – 2002 (8 years)
What owners described
Tread or belt separation is the most common description, in 13% of these reports. Percentages are shares of the 8 reports covering every model year of the Saturn SC that include a written account; a single report can describe more than one problem, so they do not total 100%.
| Reported problem | This subject | All tire complaints | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tread or belt separation | 13% | 13% | 0.9× |
| Blowout or sudden deflation | 13% | 20% | 0.6× |
| Sidewall failure | 13% | 15% | 0.8× |
In owners' own words
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA about Saturn SC. Reports are published by NHTSA as filed and are lightly cleaned here only to remove intake codes.
THE TIRE THAT I BELIEVE IS FAULTY, RAN LOW ON AIR FOR A LITTLE WHILE, THEN I AIRED IT UP - EVERYTHING WAS FINE UNTIL I TRIED TO GO INTO TOWN ONE EVENING AND IT FELT LIKE I WAS RIDING ON MY RIM. IT SOUNDED AWFUL. ONCE I WAS STOPPED AT A STREET LIGHT, I OPENED MY CAR DOOR AND THERE WERE PIECES OF TIRE JUST SITTING UNDERNEATH MY CAR AND UNDER THE TIRE. SO I FINALLY PULLED INTO A GAS STATION, SURE ENOUGH, I WAS RIDING MY RIM. I CAME TO CONCLUSION THAT MY TIRE WAS DEBEADING, AND I WAS SOLD A POSSIBLE FAULTY TIRE.
ON 8/31 I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 65 OR 70 MPH. I WAS HEADING STRAIGHT AND WITHOUT ANY ADVANCED NOTICE MY TIRES SPUN OUT FROM UNDERNEITH ME AND THE CAR SPUN 5 COMPLETE TURNS BEFORE STOPPING ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I VERY BARELY MISSED THE MEDIAN AND WAS PHYSICALLY OK. WHEN I LOOKED AT MY TWO FRONT TIRES, 1/4 OF THE TREADING HAD COMPLETELY COME AWAY FROM THE TIRE. THE TIRE HAD NO TREAD AND HAD COME OFF DOWN TO THE WIRES. I WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE DITCH THAT I WAS IN AND GET TO A SEARS WHERE I HAD TWO NEW MICHELIN TIRES BUT ON THE FRONT TWO TIRES. HOWEVER I STILL HAVE 2 OF THE ORIGINAL EQUIPTMENT. ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE NOT BEEN IN THE RECALLS, THIS HAPPENED EXACTLY THE SAME WAY THE RECALLED TIRES HAVE BLOWN OUT AND COULD HAVE SEVERE, IF NOT FATAL.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 175 70R14 )
1997 SATURN SC. CONSUMER WRITES IN FOLLOW UP TO A REQUEST FOR ADJUSTMENT ON HIS GENERAL TIRES DUE TO PREMATURE WARE *TGW THE CONSUMER WARRANTY CLAIM WAS DENIED BASED ON THE STATED POSITION THAT THE TIRES WERE OLDER THAN THE WARRANTY COVERED; 72 MONTHS. THE CONSUMER STATED HE WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THE TIRES WERE NEW WHEN HE PURCHASED THEM ON NOVEMBER 18, 2006. HE WAS NOT INFORMED THAT THE TIRES HAD BEEN SITTING ON THE SHELF FOR 3 YEARS.
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.
Complaints are voluntarily submitted to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation and are not verified by NHTSA; they represent owner-reported problems, not proven defects. Counts can be useful as a relative quality signal across comparable tires or vehicles.
Frequently asked questions
What size tires fit a 1991 Saturn SC?
Can I run a different tire size on my 1991 Saturn SC?
Where can I buy tires for my 1991 Saturn SC?
What is the recommended tire pressure for the 1991 Saturn SC?
Can I fit winter tires in a different size on my 1991 Saturn SC?
How often should I rotate the tires on my 1991 Saturn SC?
For broader tire questions; replacement timing, UTQG, EV-specific tires, winter swaps; see the tire FAQ.
Sources for this page
- Vehicle owner's manual tire & wheel placard; door-jamb placard on the Saturn SC is the authoritative source for OEM tire size, load index, and cold-inflation pressure for your specific trim.
- NHTSA SaferCar; recall lookup for the 1991 Saturn SC.
- ETRTO 2024 Standards Manual §2.3; overall-diameter math used for the alternative-size verdicts above.
- Tire & Rim Association 2025 Yearbook; load-index to maximum-load reference.
Last verified 2026-09-02.