1997 Saturn SC SC2 from North America - Comments

At 30K miles the engine seized up without any warning signs. Fortunately I had purchased an extended warranty and after a protracted battle with the local dealership and the corporate office, they agreed to replace the engine under warranty. The new engine has consistently been losing oil and the dealership has run several oil consumption tests. Latest results show 3.75 quarts lost over 2,545 miles.

When the original engine died I went through a protracted battle with both the Corporate Office (Supposedly Different Car Company) and the local dealership due to the fact that I had been performing all the oil changes myself. Lacking receipts for all the oil and filters they argued that I failed to properly maintain the engine and performed several tests on the oil and engine in an effort to relieve themselves of responsibility. Ultimately they agreed to replace the engine under warranty but only after putting my wife & I through a stressful and humiliating process. Now the new engine is losing oil and our warranty is running out. Owning this car is like sitting on a time bomb. I would NOT recommend buying ANY Saturn to anyone.

Well as long as it has been documented that you've been having this problem while still under warranty, they should be responsible for repairing it even after warranty expires...

I disagree with the last comment. All these cars are junk.

Having replaced our 1996 Saturn SC2 after the engine blew out in July 2001, we can attest to the high oil consumption. My daughter could not keep up with adding oil every couple of hundred miles on a trip and it went dry, blowing out on an interstate in Ohio and putting her in danger. We complained 2 years earlier when the car was still under warranty, but the dealer said nothing could be done but add oil frequently. Without records, we were told by Saturn it was lack of proper maintenance. We paid for a replacement engine (took 2 months) - we could only afford a used engine - and that has 106,000 miles on it. Saturn was no help. And now this engine looks like an oil burner as well... The earlier comment about driving like a maniac was uncalled for. You wouldn't believe the number of hits on "Saturn oil consumption" on the internet! It is a real problem, and Saturn should admit it and give some relief and understanding to us. And after the awful events of 9/11, they had not acted like Americans to help others in time of need when my daughter was stranded in Ohio after her defective Saturn engine blew up. I had to have the car towed 125 miles to a Fort Wayne dealer, and paid for everything from the tow on... including the $2500 engine replacement.

I totally agree with the above comments. I drive my Saturn like an old lady and I have had the same problems with losing oil. I now have a bad knock in my motor, despite making oil changes well before they should be needed. Saturn's are the worst cars on the road and this company should be ashamed of themselves for ripping off millions of people. I will never, ever do business with them again.

I agree with the oil consumption problem. I have had two different Saturns, both of which ate oil. However, both cars did not start this problem until 90,000 miles plus, and I am not particularly nice on the engine. I am about to buy my third Saturn because my current one is starting to have engine trouble, of course it is at 146,000 miles.

We have a 1996 Saturn SL2 with about 46,000 miles on the 1.9 engine. The engine just blew up, without warning, while my son was driving on the interstate in Iowa. We bought it used less than a year ago, and have changed the oil every 3000 miles. No warning lights came on--the engine just blew.

Has this happened to other Saturn owners? Is there a defect that is not being addressed? What could cause this? And is it worth putting in a new or salvaged engine?

My 1996 Saturn SL1 burns a quart every 2000 km. GM says it is normal. Oil is cheap. Doesn't GM care about the environment? I bought the car, because of loyalty to GM. The Saturn was to compete with the Japanese manufactured products. Not only has GM has a long way to go to match quality. Complaints are stonewalled.

Smokey.

I agree with and empathize with the above comments. I've always maintained my 1995 Saturn SC-2 well. The car started consuming too much oil around 90,000 miles. Preparing for a long car trip (and move), I had the engine completely rebuilt. Although the problem improved a little, I noticed the oil consumption to still be very high- I had to top off the oil every time I stopped for gas. When I got to my destination, I took the car in for service as it was within Saturn's 12 month/12,000 mile warranty on all repairs. At first they wouldn't honor the warranty, claiming it was null because I had moved, and later saying it only covered parts. Thank goodness I had the warranty- parts AND labor- in writing, on official Saturn stationary! Now, the new dealership will "look at my problem" if I perform an oil consumption test- drive the car for 5,000 miles and have them document the oil levels. By that time, of course, my car's mileage will be beyond the 12,000 mile warranty!!! And the Customer Assistance Center now says there is no guarantee the warranty will even apply, depending on what problems they find.

I've noticed in searching these forums and the web, that a lot of Saturn owners are experiencing similar problems. If there are enough of us, perhaps an honest, genuine, and productive letter-writing campaign may help? If Saturn truly wants to stand by their products and maintain their customer satisfaction ratings (and hence repeat sales- a strong profit base), then they should address this problem satisfactorily. I'm really surprised at how many people are experiencing the same problem with their cars, and similar issues in working with Saturn on the repairs. Any ideas or comments?

I've found this forum very helpful. I've been searching the web and have found a LOT of Saturn owners who are experiencing oil consumption problems with their cars.

I found that the U.S. DOT's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has a hotline and website to collect consumer comments and complaints regarding vehicle defects. If enough people are experiencing the same problem, the NHTSA may be able to investigate the issue. I believe this issue is a safety hazard-- who knows how many Saturn owners have not checked their oil level and topped it off in between oil changes? I've seen several stories on the web of Saturn engine blowouts resulting from lack of oil in the system.

Please follow up, and communicate your problems with Saturn to the NHTSA, just as I have done. At the very least, our problems will be officially documented for used car buyers to see. At the most, it could lead to the detection of a trend of defects and could prevent accidents and financially relieve owners of costly repairs to faulty cars.

By the way, I am in no way affiliated with the NHTSA. I am a Saturn owner and consumer who just wants this issue to be addressed correctly by Saturn. I could have purchased a better car for the amount of money I put into my car's repairs, and the problem still exists!

Thank you!

NHTSA hotline and website:

1-888-DASH-2-DOT

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/ivoq/default.htm.

I own a 1997 Saturn SL1. It started burning excessive oil at the 30,000 mile mark (1 quart every 1800 miles). I am meticulous with my service and change oil every 3,000 miles. The service manager stated this consumption was normal; I disagreed, but got nowhere. I'm now at the 76,000 mile mark and it's burning a quart every 800 miles. I've been back and forth with the area Saturn representative, but it just seems like a futile, endless battle. They don't want to admit blame; I just want some kind of compensation to fix the problem (50/50 split on repairs?) I'm now just tired of arguing and will simply drive the car until it dies and proceed to shop elsewhere for my next vehicle. Nice job Saturn.

K.K.

I own a 1998 Saturn SW2 with the twin cam engine. I am an ASE Master Mechanic with over 20 years of experience. I also teach Auto Mechanics at our local community college. My Saturn began using oil (more than a quart between changes) at about 40,000 miles. It currently has 87,000 and is using about 1 qt per 1200 miles. I use Mobil 1 synthetic and change the oil every three months at about 5000 miles. I notice the oil has always become dark more quickly than any of my other vehicles, and the interior of the engine is coated with a dark varnish like substance in spite of using synthetic oil. This leads me to believe there is a ring sealing problem with these engines. I have read on other posts that Saturn used low-tension oil control rings on the pistons. I have been able to slow the consumption with heavier oil during the summer and STP oil treatment (the same remedy I use with worn engines) I like the Saturn in other areas, but believe that Saturn needs to either fess up about this problem or face a class-action lawsuit.

In November 2001, I had to buy a replacement vehicle in a hurry. (Lousy Taurus transmissions!) I found a 1997 Saturn SW2 wagon in very good shape with 63,000 miles for just under $6000. I'd heard good things about Saturns -- test drove a new SW1 wagon back about 5 years ago, and was impressed with the handling and utility it seemed to offer. So I bought the car the day after I test drove it. The used car dealer was in Jackson, Michigan, about 30-miles from my home. As I got on the freeway heading home, the "Service Engine Soon" light came on. Five minutes later, the "Coolant Low" light came on. Good Grief!

Well, it's nine months and about 13,000 miles later, and I'm still driving the Saturn. The "Service Engine Soon" light goes out every time I have something done (like getting the oil changed; and replacing the air filter; and replacing the alternator), but it always comes back on a day or two later. Lately it seems to go off by itself for awhile, then comes back on after a few dozen miles. It still seems to run pretty well; but lately I'm thinking I should at least replace the plugs.

The "Coolant Low" light, according to my mechanic, is a symptom of Saturn's choice of materials in the radiator, which has dissimilar materials in a sealing area. As the coolant heats up, the 'core' and the 'sheathing' expand at different rates, allowing coolant to escape through the thermal expansion-generated gaps.

My major gripe is the oil consumption. I checked the oil before buying the car, and of course it was full and the oil was clean. I drove it for a week, and checked the oil when I filled the gas tank. Surprise, surprise, the oil was down about 3/4 of a quart! This is after only 300 miles. Well, I own the thing, and don't have another car to drive. What am I to do, but keep driving the car?! Now, every fill-up, I add a quart of oil while the gas is going into the tank, and check the oil level AFTER filling the tank. Usually, it is back up to 'full', but lately I've had to add another 1/3-quart every month or two (in addition to the regular 1-quart per tankful). I have been seeing 31+ miles-per-gallon gas mileage, which means my fuel fill-ups are usually about 320 miles. I'd say I'm getting about 1300 miles per gallon -- OF OIL!

I haven't heard any good suggestions about how to cure the problem, except one guy who recommends using straight 30, 40, or 50-weight oil (use thinner grades in winter), add 2-cans of an engine treatment called "Alemite" (if I remember right) instead of one quart of oil, and then drive slow and easy for 50 - 100 miles after the oil-change & Alemite treatment. The Alemite is supposed to make a rapid build-up that will improve the sealing surfaces and reduce or eliminate the oil consumption. Since the 'build-up' material is not as hard as the steel cylinder walls and piston rings, another can of Alemite is recommended with every oil change.

Sounds like a lot less expensive than having a ring- or valve-job, or rebuilding or replacing the engine. I think I'll give it a try! I'll report back in a few months if I have anything positive to report.

-- JCB -- (Ann Arbor, Michigan)

I own a 1997 SC2 since new at approx. 60,000 miles it started consuming oil, at 126,000 it is using 3/4 quart per tank of gas. My first two oil changes were done at my dealer, I then took over changing my own oil using Mobil 1 because they were using Quaker State. I like everything about my car, but the Saturn Corp. Saturn Corp. is stonewalling on this quality control / engineering screw up which by now would probably bankrupt the company if they admitted they have sold a problem to their customers. I do not believe the problem to be with the engine core, but with the parts suppliers for piston / ring assembly. Saturn's quality control and engineering departments should have picked up on this even if they weren't doing their jobs from the customer feed back. There are only so many idiot customers out there.

Saturn needs to either admit to this problem or face a class-action lawsuit. They will never get another dime from me and I would like to say Saturn Corp. has lost four car purchases because of me, so you see word of mouth will either backup or destroy any reputation they hope to have through Media hype.

I own a 99 Saturn SC2 and at 57K Km my engine has seized.

No signs, no oil warning light, nothing. The warranty has passed (3 year \ 60K Km) and Saturn is not willing to do a thing.

Every 5K Km I have had my oil changed with Mobil 1 synthetic oil and I have kept records.

I have battled with the dealership (417 Saturn Saab Isuzu) and Saturn Canada, but they are not willing to admit to anything.

I e-mailed Saturn Corporate and they replied to me that they sell the cars to GM Canada so I will need to relay my problem with them.

I am going to do everything in my power to make all potential cars buyers aware of Saturn's after sale service and their commitment to their products.

I have a 97 Saturn SL2 with 170,000 Miles, original owner, well maintained. My oil consumption became about 1 Qt to 1.5 Qt every 800 miles at about 150K. After some analysis and experimentation with different oil grades, synthetics, additives, etc., I discovered that the most oil is consumed on long highway trips. It can go down to 1/2 Qt in 800 if I drive less than 30 Miles per trip. Like everyone, Saturn put me on their "Oil watch" list, where I returned twice per week for them to record my oil consumption, what a pain and without result. My dealer told me, finally, that at my mileage, I should think about buying a new Saturn. I recently got finished paying for this one, so I'm wondering now if my money should go elsewhere. It feels oddly comforting knowing I'm not alone.