1998 Saturn SL 1 review from North America
"I will NEVER buy another Saturn as long as I live"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
The engine has been replaced 4 times due to cracked cylinder heads.
The transmission has been replaced twice and rebuilt once.
I have gone through 5 radiators and they have all split in the same spot on the top driver's side.
The computer has had issues since day one since the check engine light will come on for no reason at random and so will the wipers.
The clutch has been replaced twice and it has just recently failed. I don't know why yet, but I think it's either the clutch master cylinder or the throw bearing cause the clutch will not disengage.
General comments?
It's a cheap car in more ways than one.
It's cheap to feed (I can get 700km to a 40L tank if I use Ultra 94 octane).
Major replacement parts seem to be hard to find for this car which seems odd considering it's a domestic.
Terrible for stereo systems. Every plastic panel rattles as soon as you turn up the volume.
Leave it to GM. They kill off Oldsmobile and keep Saturn. Stupid!
Recommended reviews
| A poorly made piece of junk |
|
| A good car if you stay on top of the maintanence.. |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Year of manufacture | 1998 |
| First year of ownership | 2002 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.9 SOHC Manual |
| Performance marks | 4 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 0 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 3 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 10 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 36000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 119000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Ford Focus |
| Date of Entry | 10th August, 2004 |