2002 Saturn SC Reviews - Page 7 of 9

Primary problem is with tires. We had to replace all four tires at just over 16000 miles. The factory tires were rotated by the dealer at the appropriate mileage, however the rear tires wore completely smooth. I felt that there is a rear alignment problem, but the dealer said all was up to specification. We receive no satisfaction from the dealer in Little Rock, AR, Fort Worth, TX and no response to my E-Mail complaint filed with Saturn Corp. Customer Service.

We had Michelin tires installed. Now with 13000 miles on these, the right rear tire is worn completly bald with the left rear showing substantial wear.

My wife is 65 and I am 71 one, so we are not "hot rodders".

The rear suspension has always been suspect to me in the way it handles potholes and dips in the road.

We would not consider buying another Saturn because customer service and serviceability of the car is not acceptable.

This car replaced the original lemon we bought during grace period.

Coil packs corroded before 40k.

Battery terminal defective, battery leak caused coil pack problem.

Plastic panels near pedals fall off while driving; nearly caused accident the first time when it wedged under brake pedal.

E-brake plastic cover broke.

Brakes were installed wrong, which caused rotor warp and decreased performance.

Driver side window switch broke around 42k.

Best of all, car wouldn't start after leaving it at the dealership. When they looked at it (3 days later and no loaner car, though our warranty covers it), they charged $90.00 to replace the computer codes with no reason for the occurrence, and no promise as to the length of time the car will run before a similar incident may occur.

Overall, we seriously dislike this car. It is the 3rd Saturn we have owned, but the quality decreased each time. The dealer was more into passing the buck or ignoring our concerns until the warranty ran out, then they felt/heard/noticed what we had said all along.

Having some mechanical experience, we did most of the repair work ourselves (with Saturn parts since no one makes them aftermarket, yet), only to find that the company as a whole won't stand behind the parts because we didn't pay $90.00 an hour to have them installed there. Actually, since we didn't have our oil changed there as well, we were told that our car's history was "poor" (not nice to hear when you have all maintenance receipts as proof).

Not much outside the appearance of the car has pleased us. We feel that this car is going to be a money pit (not to mention that the car's value has depreciated a bit too much for comfort). If you are thinking of buying this car (used of course, no longer produced), or another Saturn, make sure you have an extensive warranty and that they walk through everything it covers. We signed up for the top notch coverage, but when we returned the first car for defects, they realized that they didn't charge enough, and put through paperwork with the lesser warranty. When we complained, they said we would have to pay the difference of the two (over $1000 if I recall correctly) out of pocket since the loan was already processed. After the down payment, who could have done that?

From start to present to finish, this car has been an experience in frustration and I can't wait to get rid of it! So much for the pleasures of our first new car.