2002 Saturn SC sc2 from North America - Comments

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

Coil packs corroded before 40k.

Battery terminal defective, battery leak caused coil pack issue.

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

E-break plastic cover broke.

Breaks were installed wrong, caused rotor warp and decreased performance.

Driver side window switch broke around 42k.

Best of all... car wouldn't start after having 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 said all along.

Having some mechanical experience, we did most of the repair work ourselves (with Saturn parts since no one makes them after market 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 recipts to prove it.

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 he paper work 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 your first new car.

I feel for your situation. My brother bought a Saturn about 3 years ago and was very happy with it. It was totaled in an accident, but my parents took him back to the same dealer to get another Saturn because they had been so happy with it. My mom asked for the service report, and asked about the condition of the engine and the transmission. They said they would get a report for us soon, but that everything was in great condition. A year later, we have replaced the engine, the brakes, the transmission, and it STILL runs terribly. It burns oil and the engine light pops on all the time. My parents don't have much money and have put more into the car than the thing is worth. We have yet to receive the service report my mom asked for over a YEAR ago. What made me laugh is the comment that was made to you about the car being in poor condition because you didn't have the oil changed there. We were told that since we didn't change the oil after 3 mos (we had only put about 2,000 miles on it at that point) that probably caused the engine to stop working. First of all, that is the MOST ridiculous thing I have ever heard, and even if they were correct... what kind of engine needs to be replaced because the oil wasn't changed after 3 mos??? Not the kind of engine I'd want. My mom finally took them to small claims report and the lied and lied. At one point they offered my parents $50 to make it all go away. My mom said she'd rather have nothing than accept a lousy $50. What an insult... they had paid thousands of dollars to repair the car.

I guess the commercials indicating how much the company cares and how concerned the dealers are were all a hoax. Looks like they lured people into the showroom and didn't promise what initially brought them there in the first place. Sad.

I love my new 2002 SC2. It is a certified used car right from my local Saturn dealership in New Jersey. The sales people didn't hassle me one bit. They waited patiently to make sure I was definite about my purchase. I am in fact, so glad I bought this car. Fun to drive, perfect alignment, I can cruise with comfort and style. It has a sun roof, leather... all I could ever ask for in a car. My Mom also had a Saturn leased for three years and we never took it in once to be serviced besides an oil change. Saturn is GREAT and their service and staff were WONDERFUL!

I have a 2002 Saturn SC 2. On a whole it has been very reliable in the three and half years I have owned the car. It is very good on gas and handles well. The third door gives the car a little more flexiblity than a standard coupe. However, there have been some annoying problems. I know what you mean about the brakes. I had a warped brake rotor at about 30,000 miles and have another at 50,000 miles. Lately when I put the car in park after driving a while the rpm will some times shoot up to 2500 rpm. I brought it to the dealer and they said they could not reproduce the problem and charged me $60.00 just to look at it. Another complaint is the driver seat. It is not comfortable in any driving over half an hour.

I also have a 2002 Saturn SC2. This is my 2nd Saturn. I will not buy another one. At 33,000 miles - I had to pay $1000 to replace a "Valve Body" on the transmission. My warranty had expired 6 months ago, and I had expected to pay for things that started to go wrong. But - an TRANSMISSION... after only 33,000 miles??? They told me that I should have purchased the extended warranty. Maybe I should have purchased a better car! This is the LAST Saturn I will ever buy...ever.

I appreciate all the input about Saturns. My daughter was convinced she wanted one because her friend has one. After reading about the issues, we both decided to keep looking. Since we're looking for used, it becomes even more important to find a car with a good track record. I wish this kind of site was around in my earlier days when I got a good whipping on a used car.

I've had this car since June of 2002. The first 2-3 years that I owned it, I thought it was the best car for the price. The sunroof motor quit working while still under warranty, so I saved myself $410.

Of course nothing really major went wrong with it until the warranty was up. When the car had 48K on it I had to get the transmission valve body replaced. About every 3 months after that my "check engine" light would come on. The results were always something random, but I had to pay for the computer scan. I should have just bought a scanner, it would have been cheaper. This car has been in and out of the shop every few months since then. I've spent over $3000 on it in the past year. The car is almost 6 years old, and EVERYTHING is falling apart now. Just wait until your headlights start filling up with water. Of course it can't be resealed so unless you know what you're doing, have to shell out a few hundred dollars to replace it. If I could afford a new car payment I would love do drive the SC2 off a cliff. Good luck to all owners.

You will find negative comments on these sites, even for Hondas and Toyotas.

Fact is, I have owned 3 Saturns. My first was an '02 SL 1, which I ran daily up to 153,000 - had 43,000 when I got it. Only problem I ever had, radiator hose. I even had a fleet consultant with Wright Express tell me, they seldom have serious problems with Saturns and their C.V. joints practically never wear out. The SL1 still was perfect when I traded for my next one, an '05 Ion.

The Ion was cute, never cared much for the "electric" steering, and the "stadium-seating" back seats were not particularly comfortable. But, overall, a good car, very reliable.

I bought an '02 SC1 recently, 54k on it, and it purrs like a kitten.

Bottom line is, no, they are not Japanese quality by no means. But they do not have the Japanese price tag either.

For a little cash, you do get a decent, reliable car that's easy on gas. Overall - it's really quite a good car, for a domestic.

Mine haven't failed me yet.

I have an 01 SC@ with 211000 mile on it. Original clutch! Never any major problems and it still runs and looks like new. My daughters Nissan is a piece of crap and has 40k on it. The thing is falling apart!