Faults:

The cooling fan does not come on soon enough for my comfort. It goes to three quarters hot before coming on.

It was a half gallon low on coolant.

No sign of coolant in oil or leaking.

The gold pain is chipping on the hood. It is factory paint. The bumpers are gray and turning white. The trim strips on the doors is losing the clearcoat.

The oil gets dirty quickly after an oil change. It may use a little between changes. Not good for such a low-mileage car.

It has a chugging noise or rattle up front which I think is a noisy motor mount.

Great gas mileage with the five-speed manual. Clutch and shifter junky in action, but seem reliable.

General Comments:

I have a friend who has 350,000 miles on his with no problems, except the alternator. I have another friend who has a totally bad one that eats oil. I will not buy another Saturn.

Faults:

The muffler had to be replaced about a year ago and I think there is a small leak in the radiator, but other than routine maintenance I have had no problems.

General Comments:

Saturn never ceases to amaze me.. this is my second Saturn. I had a '94 Saturn which unfortunately met an untimely death after coliding with a Chevy Blazer. I had virtually no problems with it in the 2 1/2 years that I had it. I wouldn't be surprised if this car saw a million miles.

Faults:

The radiator was split on the driver's side near the top, which I was told is common for this car.

The fuel pump is starting to fail and will need to be replaced in the next year or so.

The right axle to transmission seal is leaking and needs to be replaced.

The anti-torque mount is worn and needs to be replaced.

The clutch slave cylinder is leaking and should be replaced.

General Comments:

This Car is very much the "meat and bread only" trim level of the SL. The only option (on my particular car) is air conditioning.

I am very impressed with the overall fit and finish of this vehicle.

The car drives very well, and the steering isn't too heavy despite being non-power.

The rear tires are somewhat difficult to align without a special tool available only from Saturn, but not impossible. Setting front caster sometimes requires filing to obtain more clearance for adjustment, which is annoying.

The engine has enough power to make normal driving easy, but with the air conditioner passing is somewhat of a challenge. The engine also appears to have a somewhat narrow power-band, with power coming on at 3,000 RPM and above.

The 5 speed manual transmission shifts smoothly and has no noise. The addition of a dipstick to check the fluid level is a big plus to persons that perform their own maintenance.

One thing that I must note is this vehicle was owned by a retired couple that used it as a "tow vehicle" for their Recreational Vehicle, so most of the almost 300,000 miles on the car are towed miles.

Faults:

Our sunroof broke four months after we got the car.

The leather driver's seat has faded.

The compact disc changer tends to stop working in very hot weather.

The dash light for the daytime running lights doesn't work.

The cruise control does not engage/disengage properly occasionally.

The brakes feel a bit mushy even after bleeding them.

The exhaust heat shield broke loose and rattled again the exhaust, fixed with zip tie.

General Comments:

We love the dual mode automatic transmission.

Our car will really get up and go when the throttle is opened up in performance mode.

Handling is awesome.

Seats are very comfortable on long trips.

Love the fold down rear seating.

Engine is easy to service.

Feels very stable at speed.

39 miles per gallon on the highway with Mobil 1 oil!!!