Faults:

Okay, the tell all on my 1992 Saturn. MY head gasket blew at 196,359 miles. I took that opportunity to rebuild the entire engine. What a fantastic chance to save money and learn more about the car. I replaced the timing chain, piston rings, connecting rod bearings, all the gaskets, radiator, battery, had the cylinder head checked for trueness, and reground the intake and exhaust valves. The total cost was about half of what a new engine would have cost.

I am also writing about the tensioner guides. I wish I had replaced them when I rebuilt the engine. One of them recently disintegrated. Fortunatly it wasn't the one that the tensioner pushes against. Saturn took the time to look at the car and didn't even charge me for the diagnostic. They were very helpful. Bottom line, if you hear a noise and the engine is out of time you are getting a code 53 on the diagnostic machine. This most likely means that your tensioner guides are gone. They cost about $30 for both. I can't tell you why they would go bad, only that they are made of plastic and plastic isn't forever, especially when being used inside of an engine at high temperatures and stress. You want your Saturn to run as long as mine still is? Change your oil, learn more about your engine and anyime something goes wrong with it, you will be prepared to assess the problem.

Faults:

I had to replace the upper radiator hose the day after I bought it.

It chimed constantly for reasons unknown to me. I finally removed the fuse.

The frame in the driver's seat back rest portion broke. I removed the seat from the car and pulled up the upholstery. I drilled a couple holes in the frame and attached a steel mending plate.

The drivers seat frame in the fanny portion is now broken too.

The plastic parts of the dash and steering column are all loose.

The boot covering the gearshift linkage won't stay on.

The engine light came on. The code was 26, a problem with the Quad Driver Module.

I had to replace the EGR Valve and TCP.

I replaced the alternator and battery last month.

The front window on passenger side is extremely hard to roll down.

The headlights really aren't adequate.

The elastic band on the visor lost its stretch. I cut it off recently.

General Comments:

The car is peppy and gets great gas mileage.

However, it is very uncomfortable.

Faults:

VERY LITTLE! The car has had absolutely no major repairs - the most expensive thing done has been a front-end wheel alignment. However, we recently learned that the air will go out soon, costing $600 to replace. Ugh.

General Comments:

My mother owned this car before me and has treated it like a baby. I am a college student and drove the car from Tennessee to New York with almost NO oil! (not on purpose of course) and had zero problems. Unbelievable.

Absolutely no complaints. This car has been a blessing. I plan to buy the Saturn VUE next.

Faults:

We had to rebuild the motor. Replaced the crankshaft bearings, piston rings, cylinder head, valve seals, all gaskets, oil filter, and more.

Rust on the back right window.

Side panels inside scar easily.

Driver's door won't shut right unless slammed.

Other than that, it's sweet!

General Comments:

Sounds rough when first started and it's cold out, but then gets quiet and runs smooth. The gears shift very nicely.

High quality car! I'm definitely getting another one!

Faults:

Nothing besides regular maintenance.

General Comments:

The car has excellent performance for its small displacement. Excellent highway car. You get more than you pay for.