Faults:

The only problem I have had with my car is I busted the transmission racing. Saturn doesn't have good transmissions. But other than that my 95' is doing good. My 92 had too many problems to list. But it was also treated like a truck. It took everything I put it in like a 4 wheel drive. My friends got the car from me cause I was tired of peacing it together.

General Comments:

I would buy another Saturn.

Faults:

Front brake disc was warped and had to be replaced at approximately 35k miles; alternator had to be replaced at approx. 80k miles, EGR valve - at approximately 90k miles, new clutch at 140k miles. Burns oil 1-2 quarts per 1,000 miles. Rattling noises everywhere.

General Comments:

Generally, the car has been pretty reliable and the repairs were mainly due to normal wear and tear (except the disc brake). The dealer now says the timing chain needs to be replaced to avoid engine damage (the cost of replacement is $900) - but I do not know whether this recommendation is merely a precaution at my expense (the model had reported problems with timing chain) or the chain is really damaged. Good fuel economy, not so great comfort, and poor body integrity (rattling noises). The polymer body is definitely a plus.

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong since I have had the Saturn.

General Comments:

My car runs well in cold. The seats are rather uncomfortable and the factory speakers suck.

Faults:

The remote fuel door lock snapped off at 93000 miles.

The transmission slips in normal conditions (not extreme heat or cold).

Moon-roof track broke.

The windshield leaked before I owned it.

General Comments:

This car is actually my parents and they are generous enough to allow me to take it to college and pay for maintenance and repairs.

At first it seemed as though the cabin was very cramped especially for my 6'1" stature, but I have found a comfort seat position unlike my 6'7" boyfriend.

The steering makes a clicking noise when the wheel is turned all the way. This is necessary because of the small turning radius.

The fuel door has always been difficult to close, but it has recently snapped off. But this may be due to the current negative temperatures.

I also snapped the end off one of my windshield wiper blade and it was quick and inexpensive to repair.

I have had the transmission checked by numerous transmission shops and the dealership and none of them have discovered the problem.

The moon-roof was stuck open and would not close. The Saturn dealership took the car without an appointment. They closed the roof and removed the fuse so it could not be opened again and all for a reasonable price.

Also, the employees were so helpful at the dealership that they printed off a log of all repair work done on the vehicle at any Saturn service station in the country.

Faults:

At 78,000 miles on the car, the cylinder head cracked mixing the oil and coolant. This was by far the most serious problem and it cost me 1,700 dollars to have it fixed. That is AFTER the Saturn Corp. covered about 1,000 dollars in parts cost because this happens too often the Saturn SL cars cylinder heads in years between 1994 and maybe 1999.

Note: one dealership I contacted said that I would have to cover the full expense. The next dealership I talked to (armed with the reviews on this site) gave me Saturn's phone number to call and see if they would help. They did. The phone number is 1-800-553-6000. Saturn Customer Assistance Center.