Faults:

Cracked engine head at about 50,000 miles.

Shorted out fuel injector wire harness (mechanic damaged when replacing the head?).

Coolant odor under hood.

High oil Consumption (1 quart per 1000 miles)

Oil fouled plug every 4000 miles.

General Comments:

Great deal when new.

Sunroof, spoiler, premium wheels, upgraded seats, stereo/cd at a great price.

Great fuel mileage.

Handled and drove nice.

Despite the well maintained Mobil 1 oil changes, engine seemed to fall apart and eat oil.

I did not want to take anymore chances with the engine going bad so I got rid of it.

Faults:

April 2006: Steering wheel making a rubbing noise when turning just slightly. Called dealer, they said it was likely an airbag coil, no big deal, but they would check it as I was going in for oil change the next week. Problem was NOT the airbag coil, but the quell bearing and the steering column. Both replaced under warranty (cost was about $2800)

November 2006: Noticed oil spots on garage floor. Had oil changed 2 weeks ago, called dealer, he said bring it in for check. Cleaned oil has "spilled" in some "reserve" under the pan. They cleaned it up, said it would be fine. Kept seeing oil, 2 spots 4 inches apart. Called again, back in. Bad head gasket. Still have warranty... took heads off, bad manifold... warranty paying for that. Mechanic said GM stopped making this engine after '02 because of these problems on the single cam engine, not seen on dual cam.

General Comments:

I like the car. I seem to have gotten a lemon on this model though. My '98 SC1 had NO issues, was at 80,000 miles when a woman turned in front me, totalling my car out. I do ALL maintenance on my cars on time. Mechanic said on my '02, he's never seen a cleaner engine.

The car is slow, no pickup, the manual tranny is a burden... next car will be automatic.

Size is good, easy to park. Mine looks sharp with tinted windows, sunroof, spoiler and alloy wheels.

Gas mileage is OK... about 22-24 for me.

Faults:

When I bought the car, the driver's side mirror was broken. It was a manual mirror, but had to replace. I replaced the mirror with one from a salvage yard, costing around twenty dollars. Now the mirror works wonderfully.

My automatic daytime running lights on the car stayed on after shutting off the car, causing my battery to die. I had to unplug the wires for the daytime running lights, which caused my high beams to disconnect and no longer run at night.

I am currently having problems with my keys. I have not been able to get it checked. The problem is when you use the key to either open the door/trunk or turn on the ignition, the key seems to stick and not want to work properly. When trying to start the car, after putting the key into the ignition, it sometimes takes quite a few turns before it will catch and start.

General Comments:

Overall, I have really enjoyed having my Saturn. It runs great. It's very good driving on snow in the winter. The gas costs are very minimal, I can usually fill the tank for around twenty dollars, give or take. The seats are pretty comfortable. The car ride is pretty good as well, except when going over railroad tracks or over potholes or large bumps in the road as it gets a little rough. The heater in the car is outstanding, and the air conditioning is ice cold. The car never overheats, which is excellent also. I really enjoy driving this car, it has been a real trooper.