Very poor quality
Alternator went bad.
Gaskets replaced at 60,000.
Overheating problems yet to be diagnosed.
Burns a lot of oil.
Brakes.
Seat wearing badly.
Very unreliable, seems always something going wrong with it. Previous owner sold due to problems, I now find out. I would never recommend or ever buy another Saturn or GM product.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 2nd April, 2002
A good basic and reliable car for commuting, but not much else
Replaced the windshield three times due to stone chips and cracks, needs to be replaced again.
Roof near the windshield has begun to rust and will require major repairs (last windshield replacement could not be guaranteed because of the rusty roof).
Replaced entire windshield wiper assembly at approximately 200K.
Passenger seat fabric and foam is ripped and damaged (but no problems with the driver's seat!?)
After experiences with other North American cars, the Saturn still rates better than most in terms of repairs.
As a commuter car the costs are minimal, my wife requires three times as much gas in her Mercury Sable to drive the same distance.
The Saturn is certainly not a performance car - it's slow on acceleration and really strains above 100 KPH on the highways, but it's a lot nimbler than our other car.
I would certainly buy another Saturn - looking forward to seeing their SUV!
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 20th September, 2001
I will never buy another Saturn
Front rotors needed replacing.
Alternator went bad.
Exhaust gas recirculation valve was sticking and caused the engine to buck.
The timing chain tensioner that is made of plastic broke and all the pieces ended up in the crank case.
Two weeks later the water pump bearings were pulled out of the mount.
One month later the serpentine tensioner spring broke.
The rocker arm shaft broke and the car was towed from 25 miles away.
One week after, the alternator failed.
This car has the oil filter mounted between the firewall and the engine which makes it difficult to change. You have to remove the front wheel and stone guards to reach in and replace it.
The cabin area is too small for a person of 5'10" to get in and out of.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 1st July, 2001
I'm 6' tall and own a 1993 SL1 and I have no problem getting in the car. You need to learn how to get in a car.
I agree with the previous comment. I am 6'1" tall and have never had problems getting in or out of my Saturns. Also, I have never disassembled any part of the car to access the oil filter. It's a pain in the butt to get to, but can be reached from underneath the car, once you have felt around up there long enough to figure out where it is. If you don't have jack stands or don't want to crawl around underneath the car, take it to Grease Monkey. They know how to get it off without any disassembly required.
Saturn SL1.
I have to agree with the author. We have had numerous Alternator problems with the Saturn. It is not the best car for a family of 3. The inside is rather small for my husband who is over 6 ft tall. As I write this now it is soon to be towed once again to get another alternator. It gets replaced once a year.
You need to learn that cheap alternators are not going to last long.. Try getting a high performance alternator. (aftermarket) Or if it fails again, you have another problem with the vehicle and you should get it corrected.
I am 6'5" and I own a 1994 Saturn SL. This guy needs to spend some more time practicing getting in and out of his car. I have done all of my oil changes myself and have never had to take off my front wheel. But I also can get in and out of my car all by myself.
I am 5'10" and weigh a good 230, and I've never had any problem getting in or out of my car. Dude needs some flexibility lessons. Also, if you take good care of your Saturn and quit putting in cheap parts, it'll take good care of you!
I'm surprised anyone 6' tall could even fit into the car without being hunched over. I'm only 5'1" and there isn't much room above my head.
11th Dec 2005, 13:10
I just wanted to comment that my Saturn SL1 has made the trip to Nevada from Oregon and back home to Oregon, has also made tons of trips around our state. My 1994 SL1 has more power than a lot of cars I see on the road today, even when my car is not doing it's best, it is still better than most I have own. Sure we have replaced a lot of parts, darn near have a new engine now. But the car is mine and I would not trade it in for anything else. Thank you.