1998 Saturn SL SL2 review from North America

I bought this car new and have had it for five years. From the very beginning, it has been a poorly made heap.

Little things have gone wrong with it right from the beginning. For example, the interior light will not turn on unless you bang the ceiling (this has been true from about 5000 miles!) Not a big deal, unless you want to sell the car and people wonder what else might be wrong with the wiring!

At about 8000 miles the rubber lining of the front doors fell off and had to be replaced.

At about 50,000 the transmission started "slipping" (when you put it in reverse, it takes about 3 to 5 seconds to respond). This transmission problem still exists today at 95,000 miles, because I have never wanted to drop the $2500 to get it fixed!!

The lumbar support also broke many miles ago.

In general, I feel that the car is a piece of plastic that easily falls apart. I am VERY disappointed with my Saturn, and I would never buy one again under any circumstances. I have tried to sell it three different times, under Blue Book value, and was never successful. So I believe the resale value is very low as well!

In addition, my experiences with the Saturn dealership have been terrible. They have been so rude to me that I actually went to the trouble of complaining to national Saturn, only to be told that they are independent dealerships and it's not their problem.

The only good thing I can say about it is that it is comfortable to ride in and drive.