1998 Saturn SC SC1 review from North America

Engine consumed motor oil.

Windshield wipers occasionally stopped working.

Valve cover leaked, even after having the mechanic try to repair it twice.

Cylinder head cracked at 115000 kilometers causing oil to mix in with the engine coolant. Replaced by a mechanic with a rebuilt head that had the same problem right out of the box. Replaced a second time with a supposedly good cylinder head – which lasted until 175000 kilometers, when it cracked in the same way as the other heads!

Original Belt tensioner for accessory drive belt would squeal, replaced with a dealer part that also started to squeal shortly afterwards.

Muffler Hanger Bracket rusted off – Dealer wanted $140 for replacement hanger. Replaced with a wire coat hanger.

Front Brake pads worn out at 120000 kilometers.

Rear wheel bearing assembly failed at 100000 kilometers.

The paint on the car looked nice when I purchased it, but stones and road debris chip it very easily. The front of the car looked like it had been sand blasted by 150000 kilometers.

The car handles like a go-cart with a different set of wheels and tires on it. With the stock tires and wheels it does not handle nearly as well however.

The car never left me stranded, but it did cost more than half of the initial purchase price for repairs within 16 months of buying it.

The seats are very uncomfortable for me, however I am 6 feet 2 so this is an issue in many cars.

The dashboard and console look cheaply made, mostly because they ARE cheaply made! The plastic surrounding the radio is held on with 2 plastic clips which break off quite easily, leaving the plastic parts to shake around freely.

The car squeaks and moans a lot in cold weather, I attribute this to the plastic body construction.

The rear defroster is next to useless, although I never did have it checked out to see if there was something wrong with it.

The car was religiously maintained in the time I owned it and I still had many problems. I would not buy another Saturn with a 1.9 liter engine. Had I realized the oil consumption and cylinder head problems that seem to plague the older Saturn cars, and the kind of money it would cost me to keep this car going, I probably would have spent my money somewhere else.