Faults:

A/C stopped working - bypassed it.

Fuel pump.

Leaking sunroof.

One motor mount bolt snapped.

General Comments:

Great first vehicle or commuter. Towards the end, the transmission started slipping during take off and got tired of taking 2 showers a day. Would buy another without the sunroof and electric windows.

Faults:

Lot of sensors have been replaced (ECT, MAP, etc).

Alternator and belt twice.

Transmission issues (jerking, not reversing).

Motor mount.

General Comments:

Very good on gas car, but very weak and is totaled out due to hitting a curb at 5 mph. A bent subframe has made this car useless. Luckily I got a lot of years and miles out of it. Only paid $600 for it.

Faults:

Burns/loses oil, about a quart every 2000 miles; could probably fix it with a valve cover gasket replacement.

Driver's window does not roll up or down, crank is seized.

A/C needs to be recharged.

Anti-lock brake light on.

General Comments:

I am very impressed with this little car. I drive 650 miles round trip 2 to 3 days a week for work. It gets 40 MPG if I keep it at 65 or 70 mph. It will cruise at 85 with no issues. Gets no less than 35 MPG no matter what. I use it only for work, which is 98% highway driving.

I purchased the car for $1050 with 100,473 miles and it now has close to 142,000. I buy older vehicles that get good MPG for work since they get driven to death. I'm hoping this Saturn will match my Honda CRX that was sold in still running condition, no fluid loss and about 40 MPG, with 350,000 miles. Suspension was going bad though. Interior is basic but comfortable.

Faults:

Typical 1992 SL2 issues.

Burns 3/4 quart oil every 3,000 miles.

Rust along outer roof line and back door jams. This is a 20 year old car in a northern snowy state.

Alternator replacement at 140,000 miles.

Radiator cracked around driver's side trans axle fluid intake.

Tie rod ends at 190,000 miles.

Struts are going at 200,000 miles.

Brake pads and rotors.

New battery this winter after 7 years use of the old one.

General Comments:

I got this car with 103,000 miles on it in 2004. It now has 201,800 miles in 2011.

I have had typical "wear and tear" repairs on it. This car has never left me on the side of the road. I am driving it today.

It gets 30 miles to the gallon, city and highway. Air conditioning is painfully cold. And the engine purrs.

This is a fantastic car. I drive it fast, but I don't beat on it. If you want a 40,000 - 80,000 dollar car, go buy one. If you want an inexpensive car with good gas mileage that will keep running, this is the one to get.

Faults:

The following major components were replaced: alternator, water pump, fuel pump and engine coolant sender. I expected these components not to last 300,000 miles.

The car failed to pass California emissions due to high hydrocarbon emissions. I suspect this was due to low cylinder compression. Also suspect catalytic converter failure.

Maintenance items including spark plugs, air filter, oil filter, oil were also changed out.

Driver window crank failed to work. I had to hand position the window, which was embarrassing.

Car burned oil, but didn't smoke a bit.

Valve cover leaked oil.

The car was noisy at 65 mph. When driving slower, the noise levels were not bad. Must have been a combination of wind and road noise.

Interior was very basic.

General Comments:

This car has been great for me. I only sold it because it didn't have air conditioning and all wheel drive. If it had these, I would have rebuilt the engine so it could pass smog.

I have some backyard mechanic skills, and this car cost me a few hundred dollars a year to maintain. You get in and it starts, what more does somebody want? Only time it left me stranded was when the fuel pump went out, and that was my fault for not following preventative maintenance guidelines.

In addition to being dependable, it is very easy to work on. The engine is small and I could replace many components right in my own driveway without a lift. Changing the fuel pump was a little difficult I admit.

The car gets around 38 miles per gallon. Very inexpensive to operate! Car could also climb a 7% grade at 70 mph in 5th gear.

Remember these two things:

Saturns don't die, people kill them, so keep keep an eye on your oil level.

ECT! Engine coolant sender - if your car is running poorly and/or overheating, it is likely to be the ECT. Get it replaced.