Faults:

Brakes replaced a few times.

Drivers seat fell back onto the back seat = (repaired free after recall).

Replaced alternator once (after years of driving).

Ceiling light replaced.

Windshield wipers went wild, attacking each other. (out of sync) eventually the wipers quit working all together.

Door handles tend to stay up, so you have to push them down manually before closing the doors, if you want the doors to latch.

Oil seal leak, but only add an extra quart per 3,000 miles.

Automatic passenger shoulder harness motor shot.

General Comments:

Got this car from a tiny dealer, who purchased it at an auto auction, so it has a salvage title. He replaced parts from a different one and repainted it.

I ran all four Blizzak snow tires on it in the winter, and never got stuck (except when I was in a hurry and tried to drive (through) an old snow pile)!!! Others were stuck, but I was always mobile!!! A semi was stuck in our parking lot, but I drove right through the same stuff with out any problem at all!!!

It holds the road amazingly well!!!

The steering is awesome!!!

Even with all the miles on it, I average nearly 40 mph.

I don’t drive this car anymore because the wipers don’t work, but I still keep it as a spare.

When it was 60+ below, it was one of the two vehicles in our parking lot at work, that actually started!--- The other car that started was an older Saturn. We (with the Saturns) drove people around in the parking lot to keep them warm, while they got their cars jump started, so that they could head home from work.

For me it has been an extremely dependable car, and I just love it!!!

Faults:

The car noticeably began to burn oil around 145K; I put oil in about every other time that I stop for gas, but it is nothing outrageous.

Alternator replaced around 150k, but my car was good enough not to die until I got it into a shop.

Brake jobs always seem necessary. They were mushy when I first got the car, and I've had them done a few times since.

Muffler replaced around 153K at the Saturn dealership. Good price, personable staff, pretty timely. Somehow they always find more to work on though; I take it all with a grain of salt and get a second opinion. The free car washes are nice!

Wheel bearing caused my car to have a thumping noise, but again, it did not die completely. I got it fixed through a friend of mine and only paid $50 for the part.

Battery went out around 165K.

For a while (150-165K) when I started the car, my RPMs would spike around 1500 and then drop to around 700. When my family friend replaced the battery for me, this "magically" stopped. He wouldn't tell me what he did because I was insisting on paying, but I have not had a problem with it since.

I have two leaks - at least one is from the sunroof, the other may be my passenger side window. One has caused some wet bums in my passenger seat, and the other has ruined some CDs in my visor.

Occasionally the lights refuse to go back down.

Cruise control has been touchy as of late - around 70 mph it has been known to accelerate unnecessarily up to as high as 80 until I noticed. Sometimes it refuses to work altogether.

A sensor in my engine went out, which told my car it was too hot to inject fuel safely. I had to pump the gas pedal a few times before starting it and had my service engine light come on a few times. This cost me a little over $100.

Ever since I got the car, the engine heat sensor will continue to rise unless I turn on my air conditioning for a few seconds. This turns on the fan and sucks heat out of my engine. So as long as I pay attention to it, this is not a problem. I could have it fixed, but I'm a college kid and like to cut down on my expenses.

My engine mount is breaking now and causes the car to be extremely loud at times. This will cost me over $100 to fix as well, and will be worth the investment.

My automatic seat belt got screwy around 150K and has been stuck at the locked position ever since. Now I just slip it over my shoulder when I get in. Passenger side still works.

The cloth interior of the ceiling has been falling since 155K. It looks terrible and spray adhesive did nothing for me.

For a few days my trunk would not shut. A little jimmying and it works fine now.

Shifts harder than I would like.

Some lady ran a red light and clipped my bumper as I was turning on a green arrow. There is a gash in it about 5 inches long and the paint all along my bumper is cracking. My air bag did not deploy... not sure if it still works. It wasn't an overly jolting accident, but the damage is pretty minimal. Fiberglass holds up better than I expected it to.

Both doors have broken clips and are coming away from the door frame, causing lots of rattling.

General Comments:

Overall, this car is reliable, but hideous. The interior is less than comfortable - no cup holders, small windshield, no armrest, etc - but that baby can get me from point a to point b on any given day.

Good gas mileage.

My experience with a Saturn is lovely for a first car, but I want something more comfortable and with a little more power now that I have the means to do so.