Faults:

I can honestly say nothing at all has gone wrong with this car. My aunt and uncle bought it back in 1994 brand new, and since they bought they have never had a problem with it. When I started driving, I bought the car from them. I haven't had a problem with it either.

The worst problem on it so far was I had to replace the serpentine belt, which cost under $100.

It's great on gas and great for long trips. I really love this car; it's very reliable and it's a very good first car.

Faults:

EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) valves needed to be replaced roughly every 80,000 miles.

Manual crank window on the driver's side stopped rolling all the way to the top at 96,000 miles. I never fixed it. (I just push the glass to the top with my hand.)

Alternator went out at 172,000 miles.

Replaced valve cover and oil pan gaskets at 246,000 miles. Car doesn't lose oil any more!

Drivers seat springs broke at about 250,000 miles. Haven't replaced it yet; I sit on a pillow instead.

Original upper radiator hose blew at 256,000 miles. (My fault; I should have replaced it sooner!)

Second belt tensioner pulley failed completely at 261,000 miles, as did the odometer. I now have to use gallons of gas to estimate the mileage.

General Comments:

Consumer Reports says old Saturns have terrible maintenance reliability. My car is proof that if you maintain it well from the start, you can get great life out of it (262,000 miles and counting). Is it possible that American vehicles are rated below the Japanese because those people who punish their cars are far more likely to buy American?

I still gets 28 miles/gallon in the city, and almost 40 miles/gallon on the highway. The single cam engine with throttle-body fuel injection isn't real peppy, but with gas at $3/gallon, who cares? I've since gotten a Toyota Tacoma truck, so the Saturn is now the perfect backup/commuting vehicle.

Faults:

Started Burning Oil around 150K

Alternator Replaced around 170K

Tie Rod Ends need replaced 200K.

Header is peeling off in the rear, started at about 6 year mark.

General Comments:

This car is the most reliable American made car I've owned. I bought it brand spanking new in 1994. It was bought because it was cheap, good on gas, and was a good deal compared to the other cars we looked at (Sentra, Neon, Escort).

I was good to the car for about 2 years. Got regular services and oil changes, and generally treated the car well. For the next 10 years I terrorized the car. Sporadic oil changes, little to no maintenance, and some hard driving.

Despite all of that, the car continues to prove reliable. It continues to get decent gas mileage, it continues be a great commuter car.

12 years and 208,000 hard miles... this car owes me nothing. I am slap happy that it's still going strong.

Faults:

Other than replacing some wires and a sparkplug, nothing that the car has done wrong. Most problems with this car have been between the steering wheel and the seat (ie: Me). I had gotten into my first wreck about a month and a half ago, I had rear ended some guy head on going 35 miles an hour and hitting him to come to a complete stop. Needless to say I have to strap down my hood and the bumper doesn't look pretty, but I have had to do NO repair what so ever since the wreck, and it still runs like the first day I got it. This is by far the most durable car EVER. Going through highschool, long distance trips, stunts in parking lots, and a heck of a wreck; this car is tough. Plain and simple.

General Comments:

I had purchased the car when I had just turned 16 and drove it every single day to this very day. My green Saturn got me through dates, fish tails, doing donuts, 7 trips from KScity to OKC and back. I put about 10,000 miles on this car a year with VERY seldom trouble. When I first got it I was getting an outstanding 35 miles to the gallon. Through my fun with the car it seems to have been taken down to 30m/gal, but still saves me a ton of cash. The interior is equally as durable as the exterior. Through muddy friends, sleds, late night Taco Bell trips, etc. No loss on the interior other than the frame for the automatic seatbelts is falling off (but this was true when I had first purchased the car). Not much for speed, but this car will get you through a trip around the world and back.