1999 Saturn SL review from North America
"Otherwise, this 1999 SL bare-bones car gets good gas mileage"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
A plastic bushing in the manual transmission shift linkage broke. Saturn does not sell just the bushing, only the whole shift assembly for several hundred dollars. I found out over the Internet that other Saturn owners have encountered the same broken shift bushing problem. There is even an individual selling a bushing replacement for just a few dollars. Given that Saturn tries to create such a positive owner image, I find it ridiculous that they don't sell just the part in question. Why not just sell you a whole new car when the tires wear out!
Additionally, I have had to alternator once and the battery several times. As this car is driven by son at school, it was serviced for this problem by a local Saturn dealership. I would normally think of this as simple maintenance, but my daughter drives a 1996 SL2 and has also replaced the alternator and battery several times before having 90,000 miles on her car.
My sons and daughters Saturn's together have gone through more batteries and alternators than my old 1977 Oldsmobile with 350,000 miles!
General comments?
My son and daughters Saturn's together have gone through more batteries and alternators than my 28 year old 1977 Oldsmobile with 350,000 miles!
Recommended reviews
  | 1999 - SL SL2 1.9L DOHC four cylinder Amazingly reliable with minimal maintenance |
| 1998 - SL 2 1.9L 16-valve DOHC Affordable, unbreakable compact with the soul of a sport sedan |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| First year of ownership | 2001 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2005 |
| Engine and transmission | Manual |
| Performance marks | |
| Reliability marks | |
| Comfort marks | |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | |
| Distance when acquired | 38000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 79000 miles |
| Date of Entry | 2nd September, 2005 |