1997 Saturn SL SL2 from North America - Comments

Driver seat adjustment lever broke.

Headliner fell off (down).

Fuel Pump.

Tachometer stuck at 1,000 RPM.

Electric motor for left rear window.

Uses 1-qt of oil every 1,500 miles, despite having no leaks.

Intermittent fault with Air Bag light/sensor (problem can't be found).

Rubber guides on all four windows are worn out, making a squealing sound when the windows are raised or lowered.

Clutch shot at 80,000 miles.

Both front indoor panels rattle.

Automatic locking mechanism on driver front left door broke.

Front suspension (tie-rod ends) shot at 70,000 miles.

I've owned many vehicles and am a competent mechanic. I bought my Saturn from a dealership and have all the maintenance records. I was looking for a good, reliable used car to commute to and from work (about 10-miles).

Despite ALL maintenance being done and the car being driven very gently, it is falling apart. I've never owned such an unreliable car. Very disappointed. The actual mileage I obtain is about 20% to 25% lower than the manufacturer claims.

The car burns at least a quart of oil every 1,500 miles, despite no apparent leaks and good compression checks. Everything on the car rattles.

My previous car was a Nissan Sentra SE-R, which I sold at almost 200,000 miles only because I needed a bigger back seat and four doors.

It seems (after reading many, many Saturn reviews on this very site) that Saturns are unreliable to say the least. Still though, you can always expect fuel economy that is less than what the EPA or manufacturer claims.

Lousy mileage out of a 1.9 4-cylinder? Clutch shot at 80k?

Sounds like you need to learn how to drive.

I agree with you learning to drive. My SL1 97 doesn't burn or leak a drop. The clutch was great when I bought it a 130k. I learned how to drive a stick on this car and it still feels like it has 60k on it instead of 130k. I love it just looking to buy a twin cam now with lower miles.

I have had a 97 SW2 1.9 DOHC and with good general maintenance it has lasted a long time. I have 302,000 miles and the engine started burning oil around 275,000. I have been very please with the Saturn.

I have a 97 SL2 that I got at 131,500 miles, and the only problem was a tail light fuse and soft brakes. For a car with high mileage like that I am very pleased with my Saturn.

Burning up a clutch at 80,000 miles? You either got stuck several times or just don't know how to drive! If you drive correctly the clutch will last as long as the engine. If you try to smoke the tires or race the car that will burn up the clutch.

Stuck tachometers are usually the result of the engine being over rev’ed or pegged out. That would explain the shot clutch and engine oil consumption. You said you were a competent mechanic. My guess is the air bag – light sensor problem is the result of your attempt to repair the tach. I would also guess the door panel rattles and window squeaks are from your attempt to repair the electric window motor and the door lock. I would also guess you live in the rust belt where salt is used heavily on the roads in the winter resulting in the tie rod problem.

Tierod ends at 70 K and a clutch at 80 K are normal wear. Squeaking rubber seals on windows are very easy to replace, and for a car that is 10 years old, and possibly parked outside for most of that time, again is normal wear.

I have a 97 Saturn as well I get regular maintenance mine is automatic, I have in 4 years replaced 2 power steering pumps, 1 ignition cylinder, 3 and going on the 4th belt tensioner, no one can figure out why they belt they keep breaking, but I'm selling it cause I don't want it to go on me again I have a small child and the belt tensioner goes and I have no control over anything in the car, very scary to happen 3 times.

Remember -Left foot off the clutch when you drive. We have 167000 miles on our 97 SL2. We put in 4 tires and a battery. Nothing else. We also get 36 mpg hwy. You can't beat a Saturn. Sometimes I get tired of hearing people whine about their bad cars when don't have a clue how to take care of them.

I own a 1998 Saturn SL2 5 speed with 129k miles on it. It burns 1 quart of oil for every 1500 miles. That is normal, I should know, I have worked at a Saturn Retail Store for 15 years. These cars are great little cars! Just check your oil and it will run to 400k miles. Replacing a clutch at 80k miles is not a problem with the car, but a problem with the driver. These cars are very hard to find at auctions and the buyers are paying a premium for them.

My 97' Saturn is the best thing ever. The only work I've ever had to do to it was fix the drivers seat because the spring came off the lever. Took 2 minutes to put back on. I also had to fix the over head light. Wasn't a problem just fell down so I found a way to keep it up. I'm at about 250,000 miles getting 35+ miles to the gallon and no problems with the oil. You need to learn how to drive stick if you burned the clutch that fast. I learned to drive stick on my Saturn when I was 16. Saturn's are a great buy. My mother and father own a Saturn Vue and a Saturn Ion Red-line with a street performance upgrade (wish they'd have given it to me)

I have owned three new cars in my life, all Saturns.

My most recent car, a 2006 Ion Sport Coupe says it all: I drove to lunch one day and two coworkers joined me. One loved the car, the other loved it so much that she wanted to go out that night and buy one. Can't dent them, and the acceleration beats many of the $30,000 Japanese cars (I paid $16,500). I showed them when a Camry tried something stupid, and I drove ahead of the situation (Camry in the dust).

When the coworker asked where the nearest dealer was, I mentioned the local GM dealership. GM??? "Oh, it's an American car, I'd never buy an American car." Same coworkers said the recent North American Car of the Year was "fixed." Regarding my Saturns: Not a single maintenance issue, ever.

My 1997 SL1 has 168,000 miles on it currently. I had to replace the clutch at 145,000 miles, although when I bought it at 126,000 miles it was already feeling like it was starting to go. the front door panels rattle since I bought it, and so does the center console. The check engine light won't turn off for some reason (I've taken it to three mechanics and they don't know why) other than those its really been a reliable car! I get 26-31 mpg in town most the time closer to 30ish. The only real thing that bothers me with it is that it does burn about 1 quart of oil every 1500 miles, but I'm fine with that. I'm looking for a second car, but I don't think ill ever be getting rid of my saturn!

I have a 94 Saturn SL with 131,000 miles on it. It is one of the best and most reliable cars I have ever owned. (I've had other GM cars, Hyundais, a Mercury and a Toyota.)

Now I don't know what the previous owner went through with it, but I've had it since about 75,000 miles and it has never been in the shop except for tires and brakes. It runs almost new and the outside looks almost new.

However, I'm probably going to get rid of it soon because the interior is starting to fall apart. One of the rear seatbelts broke off, the speedometer sticks and the drivers seat won't adjust anymore, meaning my wife can't drive it.

Also, I really wanted a stick shift, but got this because the price was right.

Oh, also the door panel on the drivers side is starting to fall off. However, I feel this is normal for a 15 year old car, and my next car most likely will be a Saturn.