1994 Saturn SL review from North America
"How many other cars reach 262,000 miles?"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) valves needed to be replaced roughly every 80,000 miles.
Manual crank window on the driver's side stopped rolling all the way to the top at 96,000 miles. I never fixed it. (I just push the glass to the top with my hand.)
Alternator went out at 172,000 miles.
Replaced valve cover and oil pan gaskets at 246,000 miles. Car doesn't lose oil any more!
Drivers seat springs broke at about 250,000 miles. Haven't replaced it yet; I sit on a pillow instead.
Original upper radiator hose blew at 256,000 miles. (My fault; I should have replaced it sooner!)
Second belt tensioner pulley failed completely at 261,000 miles, as did the odometer. I now have to use gallons of gas to estimate the mileage.
General comments?
Consumer Reports says old Saturns have terrible maintenance reliability. My car is proof that if you maintain it well from the start, you can get great life out of it (262,000 miles and counting). Is it possible that American vehicles are rated below the Japanese because those people who punish their cars are far more likely to buy American?
I still gets 28 miles/gallon in the city, and almost 40 miles/gallon on the highway. The single cam engine with throttle-body fuel injection isn't real peppy, but with gas at $3/gallon, who cares? I've since gotten a Toyota Tacoma truck, so the Saturn is now the perfect backup/commuting vehicle.
Recommended reviews
| Not a terrible car for the money, but you can probably do better over the long term. |
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| Actually, I would have to say this car has been about the most reliable one I have owned |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1994 |
| Year of manufacture | 1994 |
| First year of ownership | 1994 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2006 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.9L single cam Manual |
| Performance marks | 6 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 8 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 4 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 6 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 8 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 5 miles |
| Most recent distance | 262000 miles |
| Previous car | Ford Fairmont |
| Date of Entry | 5th June, 2006 |