1997 Saturn SC SC1 review from North America

I purchased my used, 1997, SC1 in March 3, 2000, from Saturn of Brunswick, North Brunswick, New Jersey. I was informed by Saturn of Brunswick that the car had a number of maintenance services performed on it before I purchased it and paperwork was shown to me to back up the sales man's statements.

When I test drove the car, it pulled to the right and I mentioned this to the salesman. He stated it was the road that made the car feel like it was out of alignment because there is a high volume of tractor trailers on the road and the trucks indent the asphalt. Plus, the paperwork he showed me, stated that the car was aligned. Soon after I purchased my SC1, the front tires wore down to the wires, a very dangerous situation. I then had to purchase all new tires and have the car aligned.

In April 2000, I noticed that there was a sticker inside the front spoiler of my car with the delivery date of 1999. My car is a 1997, so it was evident the front spoiler was replaced. It was also noticed by my mechanic that the driver's side front fender was replaced and the back bumper was repainted. It was later confirmed by Saturn of Freehold (Freehold, New Jersey) that my car was in for body work before I purchased the car which leads me to believe the car was in an accident. This is something that either would have prevented me from buying the car or would have prompted me to take it to a body shop to ensure the frame was not damaged. The hood also has to be tightened every 6 months or so because it becomes looser and rattles.

The steering on my SC1 never felt right. Whenever I would turn (left) into a parking spot, the wheel would spin quickly and it felt like the front of the car was sliding. I just assumed that's the way the car was, but I now recently come to find out that the left, front, ball joint needed to be replaced, which could have been the result of an accident. I had the ball joint replaced.

In March 2001, my temperature light was coming on every time I drove the car, which of course caused great panic and I had to keep pulling off the road and putting the heat on in an attempt to cool off the car which I thought might overheat. I took the car to a mechanic who stated that the anti-freeze was brown and he flushed and refilled the system. A few weeks later, the light started coming on again, every two minutes. The temperature needle never goes any higher when the light comes on and I knew the coolant was full, so I was not alarmed. I was informed on October 31, 2001, by Saturn of Freehold, that the coolant temperature sensor and connector need to be replaced.

June 30, 2001, my SC1 would not start and left me stranded in a parking lot on a 90 degree day. I had to have the car towed. I took the car to Sears on July 3, 2001. Sears stated that the alternator and battery needed to be replaced, which I did have replaced. At this point, the car only had 58,000 miles on it. Immediately after the alternator replacement, the tensioner belt was screeching when the car started and screeched intermittently when the car was driven. I was told it could just be a squeaky belt and there was nothing wrong with the car. I got tired of listening to the screeching and took it back to Sears on October 23, 2001. Sears stated that it was probably the tensioner that needed to be replaced and they told me to take it to the dealer. That same day, I took my car to Saturn of Brunswick. The Saturn mechanic stated that the screeching sound was the tensioner, which they then replaced. On the morning of October 24, 2001, after I started my car, the screeching sound was still there. I asked a friend of mine, who is a mechanical engineer, to look at the car. He realized that the wrong pulley was on the alternator, causing the belt to be pushed the right of the pulley which was causing the noise and causing the belt to become frayed on one side. I then took the car back to Sears who then realized that in fact, it was the wrong pulley on the altenator they installed and they replaced the pulley and belt. My concern here is that I took my car to Saturn of Brunswick and their Saturn trained technician did not find nor fix the problem, yet, I walked out of the dealership minus $213.05. I also missed a half a day of work.

While my tensioner was being repaired at Saturn of Brunswick, I informed the Service Manager that I was having trouble starting the car and it had horrendous gas mileage. He stated that it could be the fuel pump as per Bulletin 00-P-01. I took my SC1 to Saturn of Freehold on October 31, 2001 since I no longer trusted the competency of Saturn of Brunswick. It was determined that my fuel pump was not holding pressure. This was replaced free of charge, but I did miss another half a day of work. The car was put through diagnostic testing and it was determined that the following items need replacement:

- Water Pump

- Power Steering Pump

- Coolant Temperature Sensor and Connector.

I am extremely concerned that so many major problems are occurring in a car that has received regular maintenance (oil changes/tune up) and that only has 63,300 miles on it. It is also a concern that all these major parts are breaking down at the same time. To date, my SC1 has cost me $1,200+ in repairs, towing and tires (tires have had to be replaced twice in a year and a half) and it still needs another $600+ in repairs.

I bought a Saturn because I heard nothing but good things about the product and I wanted to buy an American car this time. But I have to say, I am extremely disappointed in Saturn. I am terrified to think of what is going to break down next and how much it will cost me. As I stated, the SC is a beautiful car, but I have to question its quality. Could this particular vehicle be a lemon or is the problem more widespread? I do not know. I do know that I cannot afford to keep putting money into this vehicle.

Perhaps if I had a new Saturn, I might have a different opinion of your product, but all I have is a vehicle that I still owe $4,500 for, a vehicle that I am extremely unhappy with and frankly, afraid to drive long distances in. I have only owned this car for a year and a half and I've had so many problems with it and there are still many major problems that need to be fixed. My SC1 has been the cause of a lot of undue stress and financial strain for me. I foresee nothing but more part failures in this car and I do not know what to do since I do not feel it is appropriate to make this car some other person's problem by selling it.

I will never buy another Saturn!