Faults:

We bought this station wagon twin cam Saturn in 2003. It had 93000 miles and had survived a serious t-bone accident. The car cost 900.00 instead of the 3500.00-4000.00 book value, due to the accident damage.

The car still ran and drove straight, though it leaked some air and water around the doors.

We replaced the alternator, the front crankshaft pulley, the serpentine belt and the tensioner all at around 100k miles.

The head gasket blew at around 136000 miles from low water thus high temperature.

After opening the engine, we found worn out timing gears and chain. These parts cost 200.00 from Autozone! While you can get a Chevy set for only around 40.00.

Also found the head was warped and unusable.

Purchased a used head, and a bolt was stripped out on it. Helicoiled it. The helicoil kit was 40.00. The used head was 100.00.

It took months to get the parts and get the car back together. Then there was a problem with the ignition coils; they cracked and were misfiring above 4000k rpms.

The car sat for around 1 and 1/2 years, and now it will not start due to the fuel pump is frozen.

General Comments:

Parts are a joke as far as the prices go; they are high dollar even at Autozone. This car, due to the parts prices, is not worth fixing.

The automatic transaxle has an excellent o-ring seal that prevents normal trans leaks.

The gas mileage is good, and the accident impact rating for the station wagon is good.

The standard rear drum brakes are bad.

The auto traction is excellent if you bought it. That package was high dollar. We had it on this car. It is well worth it. Works excellent on ice, snow and rain!

The race setting switch for the automatic transmission performance rocks, though most Saturn cars did not have this extra. This Saturn wagon did!

This car and most Saturns are a get your 100k miles out of it and resell it type of car. From a mechanic that knows about cars and this car setup personally! A throw away car!!

Faults:

Over two years replaced:

Starter.

Alternator.

Thermostat and hoses.

Brakes.

General Comments:

This car had been through several owners and hadn't been treated all that well. It needed new brakes all around when I bought it. For a cheapo car, it's unusual in that it has 4 wheel disc brakes.

After 6 months the starter went. A year later the alternator went. For a car this old, that's par for the course.

I replaced the alternator myself, which was a real chore as it was underneath the engine, and in the tightest space imaginable.

Most, if not all, Saturns this age burn oil. I went through a quart between oil changes, so it wasn't that bad.

The electric windows and door locks worked intermittently, depending on the weather.

The car handles well and is comfortable to drive. It's got lots of shakes and rattles, but it gets you from point A to B.

The exhaust continually gave me problems, I'd fix one part then another part would go. Again, it's an old car so that's not unusual.

The car had original paint that still looked great. The dent resistant polymer panels really hold up well over time.

Overall, it was fairly reliable and always started, even on the coldest morning. OK cheap transportation.

Faults:

The alternator has gone out twice, four years ago and just now.

A few age-related problems, leaky hoses and the like.

One short bit of overheating.

Replaced the battery once.

Pump croaked once.

Sounds like a lot, but it's been nearly eight years. Thinking of getting a new one about now, since things are going bad a little more rapidly, and I have a long commute.

General Comments:

In general, it's been a great car (our only one, for several years). Nothing fancy at all; a fair bit of wind & road noise inside at higher speeds, a rougher ride than more expensive cars.

For such a small car, you can fit an amazing amount of stuff in it. I've had five people in the car, the back full of gear, and a canoe on the top all at once, and while there isn't much acceleration with all that weight, it still goes along fine.

The gas mileage is great; I must admit that I gloat every time I'm at a gas station and fill up next to a suburban assault vehicle. On a ten-gallon tank, I get 300 miles of highway driving, sometimes more. I'm seriously considering getting another one.