1993 Saturn SL SL2 review from North America
"It's a great commuter, but you must know its limitations or you might break it"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
The alternator and battery were fried twice until a recall installation of a thermistor (temperature sensing electrical resistor) was installed in the charging circuit.
The transmission is now quite tired. In hot weather one has to be careful to wait for the tranny to clunk itself into the reverse gear, otherwise, you end up with a neutral drop scenario.
General comments?
The alternator and battery were fried twice until a recall installation of a thermistor (temperature sensing electrical resistor) was installed in the charging circuit.
The transmission is now quite tired. In hot weather one has to be careful to wait for the tranny to clunk itself into the reverse gear, otherwise, you end up with a neutral drop scenario.
Also, the automatic window on the driver side had to be repaired to the tune of $400. Always in winter, of course.
Other than these anomalies, the car is quite reliable.
I have 267000 miles on it. I mix four parts Valvoline 20/50 with one part Marvel Mystery oil. I drive lots of highway miles averaging 70 to 80 mph to this day.
It ain't no Boss mustang, for sure. You have to treat it like a lady that you think you would like to hang with someday.
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| The Appalling Piece of S---- |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Year of manufacture | 1993 |
| First year of ownership | 1993 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.2 DOHC Automatic |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 10 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 1 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 8 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 9 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 100 miles |
| Most recent distance | 267000 miles |
| Previous car | Volvo Volvo Box Car |
| Date of Entry | 12th March, 2004 |