1994 Saturn SL review from North America
"Unreliable and uncomfortable"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
3 alternators.
Front rotors needed replaced.
Trunk latch broke.
Water pump broke.
Automatic seat belt broke.
Engine burns oil.
Countless "minor" adjustments.
Ignition lock broke.
passenger side mirror fell off.
General comments?
This car, besides having many mechanical problems, it has many design flaws. For starters the automatic seatbelts are a major annoyance. It makes the seatbelts harder to use than regular seatbelts.
There is no headroom in the back seat, I'm 5'8" and I have to bend over to sit back there.
The front seats are too narrow.
The 'tilt' wheel just raises and lowers, doesn't actually tilt and the steering wheel itself is awkward to handle.
The windshield wipers are difficult to change on this car.
No cup holders is quite an inconvience.
The tiny 4 cylinder is no performer, but it's about what I expect from such a car. The fact this engine burns so much oil at such low mileage is disturbing. It's comical that the speedometer goes up to 135.
Many other things are wrong, like the lights and wiper controls are on the wrong sides.
There's nothing special about the Saturns, they're just cheap economy cars, don't believe the hype.
Recommended reviews
| Not a terrible car for the money, but you can probably do better over the long term. |
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| Actually, I would have to say this car has been about the most reliable one I have owned |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Year of manufacture | 1994 |
| First year of ownership | 1997 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2001 |
| Engine and transmission | Automatic |
| Performance marks | 3 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 3 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 1 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 4 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 4 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 30000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 64000 miles |
| Previous car | Dodge Dynasty |
| Date of Entry | 25th January, 2001 |