Faults:
Driver seat adjustment lever broke.
Headliner fell off (down).
Fuel Pump.
Tachometer stuck at 1,000 RPM.
Electric motor for left rear window.
Uses 1-qt of oil every 1,500 miles, despite having no leaks.
Intermittent fault with Air Bag light/sensor (problem can't be found).
Rubber guides on all four windows are worn out, making a squealing sound when the windows are raised or lowered.
Clutch shot at 80,000 miles.
Both front indoor panels rattle.
Automatic locking mechanism on driver front left door broke.
Front suspension (tie-rod ends) shot at 70,000 miles.
General Comments:
I've owned many vehicles and am a competent mechanic. I bought my Saturn from a dealership and have all the maintenance records. I was looking for a good, reliable used car to commute to and from work (about 10-miles).
Despite ALL maintenance being done and the car being driven very gently, it is falling apart. I've never owned such an unreliable car. Very disappointed. The actual mileage I obtain is about 20% to 25% lower than the manufacturer claims.
The car burns at least a quart of oil every 1,500 miles, despite no apparent leaks and good compression checks. Everything on the car rattles.
My previous car was a Nissan Sentra SE-R, which I sold at almost 200,000 miles only because I needed a bigger back seat and four doors.
25th Apr 2006, 14:29
It seems (after reading many, many Saturn reviews on this very site) that Saturns are unreliable to say the least. Still though, you can always expect fuel economy that is less than what the EPA or manufacturer claims.