1996 Saturn SL 1 review from North America
"Great little car so far, but watch the oil or you're toast!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Air conditioner compressor went out.
Fuel pump.
Radiator (mechanic knocked a hole in it while replacing the air conditioner)
Seats sag and are torn, even with covers.
Oxygen sensor went out.
Habitual oil burner, starting at 80000; 1 q per 500 miles with no leak or blue smoke.. no clue where the oil was going... found out there is a service call out on this car for sticking rings. Took it in to have it looked at, after several mechanics said it was in need of a new engine.
Find a mechanic who knows about the service recall, and have them flush out the crankcase with a special detergent.. it unstuck my rings, and we shall see if that fixes the problem.. just hoping there was no damage to the rings themselves before the problem was found.. if there was then I will ditch the car as I'm not going to pay close to $4000 for a new engine, which is the next step... Will just drive it until it dies, and then get a new car..
General comments?
So far I have loved this car, and it has been extremely reliable. Just watch the oil!!!
Recommended Reviews:
  | What a piece of junk! |
| Avoid Saturn |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Model Year | 1997 |
| First year of ownership | 1996 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2007 |
| Engine and transmission | Manual |
| Performance marks | 7/10 |
| Reliability marks | 7/10 |
| Comfort marks | 6/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 0 miles |
| Most recent distance | 14000 miles |
| Previous car | Volkswagen Beetle |
| Date of Entry | 3rd August, 2007 |