Comments: 1-15, 16-23
Serpentine belt replace twice due to squealing, and finally replaced tensioner to solve the problem (covered under warranty)
Fuel pump went out around 50000 miles. Had car towed to dealer and replaced under warranty.
Have had the car to the dealer multiple times complaining of bad idling. The RPM'do not fluctute, but the car has a bad miss somewhere. I can feel it when sitting still. Hooked up three times to computer and was told nothing is wrong. I am still not happy... out of warranty now!
70000 miles the water pump goes. My coolant/hot engine light came on and stayed on. Replaced to the tune of $232.00 at the dealer.
Burning oil to the amount of 2 quarts per 1000 miles. Called Saturn Corp and they contacted the dealer to do an oil consumption test. Wish me luck!
Got in the car today, 2-6-04, and found water dripping onto my stick shift! Water had leaked from the sunroof button to the passenger door in the front of the roof. I started looking around for other leaks and water was in the wheel well of the passenger side in the back. I called the dealer and was told the sunroof drain may be clogged up. How would that drain onto the floorboard in the back?
I would NEVER buy another Saturn. I had a Nissan Sentra for 16 years (until it rusted out!) My Sentra had engine work and only burnt 1 quart every 1000 miles. I never had a water leak, never had rough idling, and never replaced the fuel pump. I had 160000 plus miles on it when it died. I would definitely buy another NISSAN!
I purchased a used 1997 Saturn in 2001. It only had 24000 miles on it and was as cute as can be. However almost immediately I realized it was going to a problem. The "Service Engine Soon" light was always coming on and going off. Since that purchase I have replaced the starter twice, the solenoid once. I have a new ignition switch, serpintine belt that won't quit squealing and one new water pump. I also had the engine head develope a small leak which resulted in needing a new head. Each item leaving me stranded and in need of a tow. (expensive tows)
The head that came off looks as if it is made of styrofoam. Unbeleivable. I always feel like the car is missing, and has no power. I continue to have the "Service Engine Light" come on and off, but no one seems to find a problem when I take it in. For such a "modern" car it burns oil like a 62 Rambler.
It is now July 2004 and I have 99000 miles on the car. I wish I could get a new car, but I am stuck with this.
This car also has seat belts that strangle a person at the oddest times. Many little inside problems that include the interior dome light going out, the lighter breaking. (and no one uses it) There is no adaquate cup holders in the front seat. The paint looks dull and dingy, and scratches very easily. No the paint won't come off and there are no dings in the doors, but it is so scratched up it's embarrassing.
For what it's worth I am so glad to have found this website. I thought I was the worst possible car owner to have all these problems. I am glad to know I am not the only one. I also am glad to know there are sites like this. I will be looking up any future car buys for potential problems. My daughter is still driving my 1997 Mazda Protege that is now at 185000 miles and we have only replaced the tires, and a few belts. I should have kept that car instead of going for an unknown with less miles.
Thanks.
I own a 1997 Saturn Sl2 for about 2 years it has only 89,000
miles on it and the problems began from the day I drove off
with the car. Well my problems a very similar to those listed above sunroof stop working, noise coming from belts won't stop water pump gave up. Idle acts funny sometimes the
coolant light keeps and coming on and burns more oil than my furnace. the sunroof leaks I will search for that drain
mention in one of the other comments.
Hello, I am driving my wife's '97 Saturn SL2. My major beef is with the burnt oil smell that gets into the interior as I drive this beautiful car. Our sunroof stopped working, the dome light fluctuates, the motor shakes like Rosanne Barr on a department store pony, the coolant light comes on for no reason, one of the front speakers come on only if I lower the passenger side window, the alternator went kaplooee, the fuel pump has been replaced (warranty), wheels are pitted and ugly, suspension is wack (sic), and it is sometimes difficult to key the ignition key to turn. Now for the good news: it's paid off and provides excellent transportation for my 6' 4.5" 256 pound frame. Thank You!
Hello my name is Brian. I live in Atlanta and own a 1992 Saturn SL2. It has
365,000 miles on it, YES that's the correct number. I bought the car in 1998 used with 146,000 on it. And so far all I have had to do is the basic. The most
expensive a clutch at about 200,000 miles for $850.00 at saturn. Also I have had to replace a few other minor things like (2) water pumps, (2) starters, altinator, brakes several times, several sets of tires front struts and outer tie rods. And radiator. Which I replaced my self at little cost. And if you by the parts your self a Autozone most parts come with a FREE LIFETIME
REPLACEMENT if they fail...!!! (* Parts only because you do the labor yourself)
I drive my Saturn every day. I put this car through a lot of heck and every day it continues to impress me.!!! KNOCK ON WOOD! I WOULD RECOMMEND A SATURN TO ANYONE. I have found the thing to complain about if you want to call it that is that is does use some oil. But I have found using a synthetic oil really helps. I myself have just switched over to Mobil 1 15,000 mile synnthetic oil.
********** Also:: Just to maybe help someone in the future with fuel pumps. If you let the gas in your car, any car get lower that 1/8th of a tank of gas it will begin to dry out the fuel pump. Gas keeps the fuel pump lubricated like oil does for the engine. So when You see your gas drop below 1/4 of a tank start looking for GAS!!!
********* Thank you to the people who started and keep this site going. The info is GREAT and it is great to have a platform to help others. So thanks from Brian in Atlanta...
I bought a97 sl2 for my daughter and while we haven't had a great deal of trouble, a couple of things said here spurred me to write.
1. The frequent mention of trouble with the ignition. This happened to me with very little warning. Fortunately, I was leaving the shop (see no. 2) when it happened. The key refused to turn or to come out of the ignition. They had to pull the steering wheel and install a new switch. I suggest that if you are having trouble with the key, you have this changed as soon as possible.
2. The reason her coolant light was coming on was a small leak on the upper side of the radiator. (drivers side) It seems that part of the radiator is made of plastic and I guess that the antifreeze eats it up. It can only be repaired by replacing the radiator.
I OWN A 1997 SATURN I GOT IT A YEAR A GO AND HAVE NOT HAD TO REPLACE ANY THING THE THING WITH THESE CARS IS THAT WHEN THEY WORK THEY WORK AND WHEN THINGS START TO GO WRONG EVERY THING WILL GO WRONG That's JUST HOW THE COOKIE CRUMBLES.
It seems that most of these negative comments are from people who bought it used. Maybe that's the problem...
I own a 1997 Saturn sl-2. I agree that there can be problems, however, I think that with 140k miles on my car it could be worse.
A lot of the postings are from people who have bought a used car (myself included), consequently.. we have no idea what abuse or lack of maintenance the previous owner provided. I still think saturn has a fairly decent car.
Finally all I can say is preventive maintenance is key!
Good luck! I hope to keep driving my saturn until??
I have a '97 Saturn SL2 that is in great shape. But that's mostly due to the fact that its only got 63000 miles on her. The car seems to have been taken care and that's why it does so well.
Remember, with a Saturn, it will treat you right if you pay attention to it. Make sure to always change oil in a timely fashion, every 3000 miles. Keep it filled up with oil, change filters when needed (especially the fuel filter) keep 1/4 tank of gas or more in the car, and ensure that belts, when installed and replacing are positioned properly and to the correct tension (not too tight)! If you do that its all gravy.
I've had my (previously owned) 2001 SC2 for about 1 1/2 yrs. Previous comment is correct. Pay attention to your car (any car) and it will treat you right. I love my Saturn and the only reason I haven't traded it for another Saturn yet is because it still looks GREAT and runs GREAT. No problems so far and don't expect any for now. This car has been kept up very well.
Kevin Genaw Port St. John Florida.
We own a 92 Saturn SL1, 299,850 KM. As past comments suggest, regular maintenance is the key to your vehicles long life.
Small quote on an issue I had that may help other Saturn owners.
I had realized while stuck in traffic that the cooling fan was no longer turning on, and the engine would run excessively hot. To the point where I would have to pull over in traffic to cool it down. As the winter months were approaching, I made no attempts to repair it, as forced cold air would keep it running at normal temp.
Christmas eve 2006,I was stopped at a red light and realized the car was still idling at 1500 RPM, even after a 45 minute drive. The next two weeks cost a fortune in gas!!!
SO.. no cooling fan, and extremely high idle... Heres the problem:
After researching the net, I found the problem to be the coolant temperature sensor (or CT sensor). It was so logical.. the computer always saw the engine as cold so not fan, and high idle. The sensor itself cost me 25$ and took 5 minutes to change.
The sensor is located on the right hand side of the block. There are two identical sensors. The top one is the engine temp sensor. The bottom one is the CT. (Its well hidden in the block) but there are only two small wires connecting to it. Follow the wires.
Make sure the engine is cold if you change it. Once the sensor is removed, there will be minor coolant loss. So avoid getting seriously hurt. Change it fast to avoid losing too much coolant.
SL1 has been running fine since, and way less expensive on gas!
Hope this can be helpful if someone has this issue.
I bought my 1997 Saturn SL2 in 2003. It had 90,000 miles on it when I purchased it and it now has 170,000 miles on it. Until this year, I only put around 10,000 miles a year on the car, but a year ago, I moved and I now drive 170 miles round-trip to and from work daily. That's 850 miles a week; approximately 3,680 miles a month, which calculates out to around 44,000 miles annually. I'm terrible at maintaining a car - I always forget - but I DO change the oil and I only use the highest octane gas. Yep - it burns a bit of oil - around 2 quarts every 1,500 miles. The sunroof decided to stop opening about 6 months ago, and there's a "hitch" in the driver's side window when I close it. The headliner started to peel in the back, so that's been re-glued and the cigarette lighter recently stopped working. It won't get out of it's own way if I'm accelerating with the a/c running, but all-in-all, it's been a fabulous vehicle and is very cheap transportation. It's paid off, insurance is cheap, and I've had to put less than $2,000 into it since I've owned it. People ask me why I don't buy a new car. Why should I when this one is still going... and going...and going! I paid $2,400 for it 4 years ago - I think I'm getting my money's worth out of it. If you're not worried about image, and cheap, basic transportation is what you want, this is a great car to buy. If you want consistent luxury - forget it.
Hi there. I own a 1997 SC2 that's in great mechanical shape and has 110k miles on it. I'm hearing a lot of folks talking about regular maintenance being the key, and this is entirely true. But if the problem happens to be with your sun roof, and it can't be remedied without replacement, you're looking at coming off a lot of dough. I just came from the Saturn dealership, and they quoted me $1,700 to replace a sun roof that won't close the whole way, and there is no way of manually cranking it closed, they say.
I own a 1997 Saturn SL1 that currently has 225,000 miles. Besides a starter, water pump ($30.00 at the parts store for NEW) and a radiator ($77.00 on-line) this car has been a gem.
The previous statements are correct. Maintenance, maintenance, maintenance. The older the car gets the more adamant you must be in maintaining the car. Can't just put the key in start it and go. Check your oil. Change it regularly. Keep on top of your maintenance and you'll be fine. By the way I bought my car used with 55,000 miles. My brother also owns an 1998 SL-1 with 289,000 miles and his is the same. A inexpensive, economical, reliable car.
I drive an aqua color 1995 Saturn SL2 as a delivery driver for a VERY busy wings restaurant at PSU. Before I got this car, which I've had for about 2 years now, I never really knew anything about maintaining a vehicle. Bought the car for $800 from a private mechanic in the middle of nowhere, PA. Though I have had to make some repairs here and there, such as brakes, water pump, some sensors, and the valve cover gasket, the car is still kicking at 207,000 miles and I found that I am very pleased overall.
Here are some things I have learned about Saturn S series sedans. Anyone who owns one might find these tips to be of some help, especially if you are as clueless about cars as I was 2 years ago. 1. Replace the air intake and filter with a metal piping system. The plastic tends to rip apart. 2.Keep an eye on the water pump; (if it starts running hot, idling high, or doing anything funky, consider the water pump when checking for problems) My mechanic told me that is the most common thing that needs replacement in a Saturn S series. 3. Keep the gas tank as full as possible to prevent damage to the fuel injection system. 4. Clean the inside of the throttle body and the mass air flow sensor at least every six to nine months, as well as other components that are likely to gather debris (Valves, etc.) 5. Check your oil weekly; (especially if it's a 1995 or older) if you keep it at the full level, you will have to use less in the long run by preventing damage to vital parts. 6. Have brakes inspected on a regular schedule, and I suggest Midas, or somewhere else that offers a lifetime guarantee on the service) Plus, get them fixed AS SOON as you sense a problem, especially with the rear braking system because if you wait until it gets bad, this is VERY expensive. 7. Change the serpentine belt once a year, maybe more if necessary. 8. Get a code reader and run a check every couple of months and fix any codes that come up as soon as possible. (Will save you A LOT on diagnostic fees if you have your own) 9. Replace any hoses, bolts, etc. with excessive rust or if they just look not so healthy. 10. Shop around for parts, you can usually find an awesome deal somewhere if you look. Also, if you buy the parts yourself, brand new, all you have to pay for is labor when you take it to a mechanic. This is why my car continues to run at 207,000 miles.