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Saturn S-Series

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Comments

  • lngtonge18lngtonge18 Member Posts: 2,228
    Alternator, clutch, and CV axle replacements ARE serious repairs. The first 2 are expensive repairs and can leave you stranded and being left stranded at 45 and 52K is something I would not be happy with. Even traveler, a fellow Saturn owner, seems to agree. But, hey, if your happy with your low standards, than thats your right. You must have owned some real crappy cars in your lifetime though, LOL.
  • saturnboysaturnboy Member Posts: 89
    I think we are all begining to sound like Gore VS Bush in here , lol. We oviously each have veiws and sides that are split right downt the middle and will defend them till there is no tommarow.
    People, especially those who visit edmunds.com are very passionate about their automobiles as well they should be. Granted, no cars are perfect. My previous Toyota Celica leaked oil at 60 thousand miles, and had a faulty turn signal switch which Toyota wanted a few hundred dollars to replace. That led me to Saturn, which I has been near flawless in reliability (knock on wood), I simply wish that everyone would be as lucky as I am in regards to owning a Saturn.

    Ingtonge, I do realize that what you own (hyundai Accent) has nothing to do with your comments, I suppose that in defending the Saturn brand, I let my own opinions come through regarding this korean automaker. I personally do Really Like the new 2001 Elantra, and would consider buying one. However, I still feel that thier previous repuation would make people look at me as if I were cheap , kind of like how people veiw hatchbacks , aka horizon, colt, etc.
    I wish you luck with your accent,make sure you do every maintenance item at a hyundai dealer, if you miss maintenance they can and will void your warranty. Also, Hyundai has warranty exclusions , such as paint is only covered for 3 years, radio for a year, etc.
  • lngtonge18lngtonge18 Member Posts: 2,228
    Don't let what other people think turn you away from buying something you like. What matters is what you like, not what others like. I have always been one that goes against current car trends. Example: I hate SUVs and would never buy one, but I absolutely love hatchbacks and currently own 2 of them. I honestly see no reason why hachbacks should be viewed as cheap. They have the versatility of an SUV (minus offroading) but wrapped in a car body. Hopefully Mercedes new C class hatchback will change that view some. It's one awesome looking car and far from cheap.
    By the way, the new 2001 Elantra is a nice car. I went and looked at one and was very impressed with its looks and roomy interior. Anyway, Hyundai does allow do-it-yourself maintenance on their cars as long as you keep a record and receipts of what you have done. I am one that will not bring my car in unless it is for a major service like the timing belt. Thanks for retracting your negative comment towards what I drive. That was very nice of you and I appreciate that.
    Here's something that ought to get a few laughs. I am hailing from Florida, the state of recounts and people who can't read a ballot, LOLOLOLOL. I'm so embarrassed to even say I'm from Palm Beach county, but thankfully, I'm not registered there so was not part of that stupid ballot. I'm just glad that my ballot may have been one of the few that kept Bush in the lead :)
    A side note to fellow Palm Beach citizens: Get a life, move on, and just accept the fact that Bush won Florida no matter how narrow the lead was. Enough of this dragging the whole country along with stupid and groundless lawsuits.
  • chasmalachasmala Member Posts: 14
    Every so often I drive by the Saturn dealer near me on a Sunday and look at the new SL2's. I think that I would like to buy one but am not in real need of a new car. My six year old car is doing fine. Then I think that maybe if I wait until next year the 2002 will have a new look and new features but I hear that Saturn doesn't plan to make any real changes until 2003. That seems like a long time when you consider the changes other car companies are making. Aren't the SL models getting long in the tooth for Saturn to wait until 2003 to make a major change? Does Saturn plan to make any changes on the 2002 model that will get people interested in looking more closely at the SL's? Then again Honda made some changes on their 2001 Civic that some car magazines don't seem to like. Any thoughts.
  • saturnboysaturnboy Member Posts: 89
    Chas

    If your car is only 6 years young, I would definitly hold on to it for a couple more years. Saturn has made improvements to thier original car line, quieter engines in 1999, better pricing on MSRP, and options for 2001. The SL2's Horsepower rating remains competitive with other current cars.

    The Saturn S series has not had a major makeover due to lack of investment dollars from GM. Dollars which are coming, and waiting for a 2003 Saturn S Series should prove to be worth the wait. I have a 98 Saturn SL, which has been great. I plan on leasing a 2001 SL to contiue to support the brand while waiting for completely redesigned 2003-2004 S Series which I hope to purchase.
  • chasmalachasmala Member Posts: 14
    Thanks,
    That sounds like good advice. I so like the car that it will be good for me to follow the changes and all the information I glean from this BB.
    I am becoming a Saturn Freak and enjoy collecting information on the car. I hope that GM really supports it because I definitely want to own one someday. I do believe they are a "Different Kind of Car Company."
    My mother owns a '99 SL2 so I do feel a little like I'm part of the Saturn family.
  • boaz47boaz47 Member Posts: 2,747
    Let's face it. With a few exceptions there is very little difference between most small sedans. Honda, Toyota, Ford, Chevy, and Chrysler all have pretty good offerings. Bluster all we want it still comes down to personnel preference. In the case of Saturn there are some very good reasons some people will buy one. Many owners that have other cars might say, "big deal" when scratch and dent resistant doors are mentioned, but most other small cars don't have them. It is one of the reasons a three year old Saturn, on average, looks newer than a three year old other car. The styling may look rather simple compared to many cars but remember how dated some more radical looking cars look after only a few years. Remember tail fins? The shape that cuts the air best will always come back so the wedge and rounded corners will always be in style.

    For me it comes down to the company itself. Think about how you are treated. Saturn practices what it preaches and that is what brings customers back time and time again. In the review pages I saw the comment that the Saturn may be priced better than some of the competitors but you might want to shop around because if you work at it you might be able to get some of the dealers to come down as much as $3000.00 due to rebates and incentives. I say why bother? I like being treated like a customer not a rube waiting to be took. Being treated with respect has to be worth something. When you look at all the customer responses Saturn is right up there with Lexus in customer satisfaction. Sales, service, parts all treat you like you are important. Not like many the other dealers I went to when looking to buy a new car. The Subaru dealer pretended that my trade in was only worth a " few bucks", and started out high planning on working down in price so I would feel I had been given a deal. Some sales people and dealers must not realize that we have access to sites like this, and Kelly Blue book also.

    Saturn is designed from the bottom up to believe the customer comes first and that being a horse trader is a thing of the past. There was no second sales person, meetings with the manager and last but not least the "closer". One man, pick the car, pick the options, and here was the price. Simple and quick. The company also offers classes on how to service your car, for free. " So what?" some might say? "`I already know how to service a car." Isn't it better that a person the does servicing for a living is willing to show you how it is done? More companies should offer this. Maybe if they did someone wouldn't feel that replacing a defective alternator was a "major" repair. My wife could do it. It is easy to be satisfied with a car, just pick what you like and take care of it. If you want to be satisfied with a experience as well as a car I believe you can't go wrong with a Saturn.
  • republicanrepublican Member Posts: 11
    boaz47,
    I agree with you on that. The people at Saturn have been great to me and my wife. We have only had it in the shop three times for repairs since we bought it in 1994. They give us a loaner each time and treated us like kings. The last repair when i replaced a front axle they even replaced the windshield wipers for free and aired up my tires, washed the car and other stuff like that. I just bought a Chevy Impala and while I love this car the dealership I bought It from ain't Saturn.
  • travelertraveler Member Posts: 67
    The old VW beetle had the same body style for years and that didn't keep people from buying them. In my opinion, the less a body style is changed the better because I drive my cars for 10 years or 150,000 miles then get another. If body parts are needed, can always get another at a auto recycler at fraction of cost of dealer or body shop prices.
  • boaz47boaz47 Member Posts: 2,747
    To Republican,
    When people complain about dependability they often aren't aware of what others that own the same model of car have to say. Often it isn't that the part broke but rather how easy is it to fix. I like you have had nothing but good experiences from my dealer. And I have had more than one dealer in my driving life. My worse experience was with Jeep. I doubt if I would ever get another one, and if I did it would never see a dealer. I like the idea that many repairs can be made on this new car by me. I also like the idea that they had a cross section of a Saturn engine for me to look at. I was shocked to see they had a real timing chain...not a rubber belt. It would seem that they expected to see these cars last.

    Traveler,
    I agree that some styles are classic. And the simple ones seem to be around for a while. Besides take one look at the PT Cruiser and you will see that smooth curves must have some appeal.
  • saturnboysaturnboy Member Posts: 89
    I must say that it is very nice to see so many happy Saturn owners in here lately. Saturn's core values are trust and respect for the individual, teamwork, and value. I have a 1998 Saturn SL and have only had one warranty repair done in 2 and a half years. My ignition control module was acting up , and apon 30 minutes notice I gave my Saturn retailer, they took me in right away and fixed it. I was very impressed.

    I personally like the way Saturns look , and appreciate the super low maintenance costs compared to the Corolla, and Civic. I intend lease a 2001 S series in a few months. I intend to wait till the new 2003 S Series comes out to purchase. Saturn of course isn't perfect, but what car is? Overall, I am very satisfied with my car and service.
  • boaz47boaz47 Member Posts: 2,747
    I was looking at some earlier posts and I noticed how some people are more than willing to point out how foolish some of us were to buy a Saturn. Many tell us that we should buy a Honda or a Toyota, or even a Nissan. We might respond that Saturn has a 87 percent approval rating by it's owners and is second only to Lexus in Service. But they point out that their choice is so much better. They tell us we are blind to quality and have a false sense of brand loyalty. From those of us that have been around cars for a while maybe we could get a little respect for our choice if a few things were pointed out.
    I remember when Honda first started selling cars in this country. How many people remember getting a free Honda 600 when you bought a Olds? I remember a dealer doing that. And believe me I remember what a poor car that was. But people bought it. And they got the next two models also...remember just before the civic came out they had that little car with the fish bowl looking window? And people paid good money for them. They had their reasons I am sure but they were light years behind a good domestic car. Shoot, if they wouldn't have lowered the speed limit nationally they would never make it to the speed limit. Toyotas weren't much better. They were cheep little cars that may or may not have gone 50,000 miles. Nissan was just as bad. They were afraid to use the parent company name and decided to market them as Datsuns remember? Square, slow ugly little boxes. Some might say, "oh they weren't that bad," but I had a B-210 and I can confirm that they were that bad. You had to downshift to get over a cigar butt. And still people bought them. The companies didn't even offer a 3 year 30,000 mile guarantee. All they got was good gas milage, period. People stuck with them and today they are pretty good cars. Are they light years ahead of Saturn? No, and Saturn offers something very few of them do. Honest service and respect for the customer. I think it is time they can learn something else from us.
  • nice91sl2nice91sl2 Member Posts: 1
    I have a first-year production 1991 SL2. It still looks new in-and-out. It drives exacty as it did new back in July 1991. It has just under 160,000 miles on it. It burns about 3/4 of a quart of oil every 3000 miles. I replaced the original alternator at 110,000 miles, the driver-side window regulator just last year, and the original brakes at 115,000 - just as a precaution. I've had to replace the oxygen sensor once, and the MAP sensor once - both were very inexpensive. It rattles at idle as it has from day one. I still believe that the 1991's are the best year. It came stock with aluminum wheels, hand-bent headers, aluminum valve cover, thick anti-sway bars, and it still has a tendency to peel out when shifting into second gear (only when the transmission switch is set to 'performance'). I've had this car for almost ten years, and I doubt another ten will make any difference - as long as I stick to the maintenance schedule. I know other people who haven't been as fortunate, but their cars weren't maintained or treated nearly as well as mine. FYI: If you're replacing the alternator, ignore the instructions! The alternator fits (just barely) over the transaxle. You'll still want to disconnect the negative battery cable. Only a few common tools are needed. It took me only 20 minutes from start to finish! I purchased my alternator through Autozone, with a lifetime replacement warranty for only $134.05.
  • boaz47boaz47 Member Posts: 2,747
    Dependable is the reason many of us turned to Saturn. The owners tend to think Saturns are good cars, the car mags seem to think they are dependable and they place well in all the surveys. The dealers treat you like a person and parts are easy to get. I'm glad to hear that someone likes their ten year old Saturn as much as nice91sl2 does. Lets me know I have a lot of good years ahead of me.
  • tthnttthnt Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1995 SL1 and have had numerous problems, I've had the engine rebuilt at 80,000 miles. Not to mention all the problems before like a bad EGR valve, brake problems, etc. I'm looking for a second car and I'm not sure if I want to buy another saturn. Most likely it would be the L100. Not sure what else is out there for about the same price. Any suggestions let me know.
  • norbert444norbert444 Member Posts: 195
    I have a 95 SL2 and also had numerous problems, but they occurred mostly in the first two years of ownership. Right now, I do have pinging on acceleration, and other times when the engine gets stressed out just a bit (like driving on level road at certain RPM before auto downshift and upshift). My mechanic told me to top up oil and it didn't help. In the last few thousand miles (the car just crossed the 50K mile on the odometer) I replaced the fuel filter, replaced oil and filter and replaced the transmission filter. I tanked up on premium gas. I put in the injector cleaner additive. Nothing seems to help.

    My question to you (and others who know): Should I replace the EGR valve next? Is it difficult to do it yourself?

    Thanks.
  • afk_xafk_x Member Posts: 393
    Go to www.saturnfans.com

    They can help
  • jazzzyonejazzzyone Member Posts: 2
    Hi All,

    I just joined this group because I'm getting to my wits end on my 95 SL2. We are the original owners on it and there have been odd things at odd times that have gone wrong with it. We have been noticing, and have taken it in about three times now to no avail, that the transmission is slipping. It's an automatic transmission. It all started when the car would get warm, putting it in reverse it would hesitate. Now you have to push the gas to get it to go into reverse, especially if it's really warm. If it's cold, no problem. And when I'm in traffic now if the engine downshifts odd the "service engine soon" light comes in. We have taken it in and looked at and it is the transmission. My question is, why at 100,000 miles would I have to have the transmission fixed and this all started probably around 80,000 also.

    We have twins now and are looking for a bigger car, more like a van instead, so we'll probably just trade it in. But with the past 5 years and the odd things we have had to have replaced (i.e., the medal bar that pushes the moon roof up got rusted and it was never left open during rain or anything and since we've had leakage that is obvious on the roof, and the lumbar support lever went out within the first year we had the car ... we never used it!). I'm not trying to sound upset, but it's just really been one thing after another with the car and now it's not under any kind of warranty. I just have a bad taste in my mouth from all of this. We also have a 92 Toyota Corolla that has only had to have the typical stuff repaired for it's age and mileage (150k).

    Any input or suggestions would be great!!

    Thanks!
  • saturnboysaturnboy Member Posts: 89
    Sorry to hear about your unfortunate problems, the best advice I can give you for someone considering a van is don't buy a Chrysler/Plymouth/Dodge, you will regret it from day one. Look into a Honda Oddesy, or Toyota Siena. Also, a Saturn LW200 may fit your lifestyle very nicely.
  • boaz47boaz47 Member Posts: 2,747
    I like Toyoya's in general. The V-6 3.0 has had some exhaust manifold problems, almost everyone I know has had to have work done on their V-6 Truck...but the 4 is bullet proof. But their Van? Everyone I know, not everyone there is I am sure, has had troubles with the Toyota Van. You must remember I live in a warm state with high freeway speeds...and Toyota has had cooling problems with their vans for at least three generations. I suggest you look at something else.
    Sorry to hear about the transmission problems. And your mechanic can't tell you what is going on? What does the dealer say?
  • jazzzyonejazzzyone Member Posts: 2
    It was neat getting back online this morning and seeing how fast I got responses. I went to the saturnfans web site yesterday after visiting this site and got some pretty good information. We aren't sure, but it might be the timing belt. I think we'll have it looked at again to see where we are on it and decide from there if we want to just trade it in now or wait a little while longer.

    As for the vans, Honda Odyssey has been my first choice and Toyota Sienna the second. Thanks for the info on the Sienna though. I was going to check out the ratings and stuff too and do some research. For that much money and that big of a vehicle, I really want to make sure we're going to make a good choice here on something that will get these twin boys through sports!

    Thanks again for your input!!

    P.S. It was the dealer and he said it was probably the transmission. We had to have the clutch replaced on our Corolla at 140k and that was quite expensive ... not sure I want to put that much money out at this point.
  • 91st110091st1100 Member Posts: 1
    Hi all. My daughter currently drives a 92 Sable which has turned out to be quite the money pit. I
    am looking at a '93 SL2 with all of the options for that year. I had a '92 SC2 that I was pleased with. Are their any particular problems with this model/year that I should be on the lookout for or
    aware of? We are going to test drive the car tomorrow (Friday) and would appreciate any and all
    input that comes my way. Thanks in advance.
  • saturnboysaturnboy Member Posts: 89
    If your daughter really likes this car, and the price is right - which you can tell be using the edmunds used car arpraiser, take it too your local Saturn retailer, and for $50 you can see how good of a value it truly is.

    Just watch out for oil consumption, 1 quart per 2 thousand miles is considered normal by Saturn, anything more is not good, but may be tollerable. Again, your local retailer can tell you everything you truly need to know about this car. How many miles are on it"? what price are we talking ? Happy turkey day : _)
  • kellygreenkellygreen Member Posts: 1
    Let me preface this by saying Saturn has been very good to me. I've even been to both Homecomings, and our other car is a LW. That said, I am very concerned about what is going on with my '93 SL2. The car has about 67K on it, was always serviced by a terrific dealer. However, it seems like the car is self-destructing. Since last spring, we have had to replace the water pump, alternator, pulley tensioner and belt, catalytic converter, and now, after being fine at the last oil change three months ago, have been told that the transmission seals and power steering pump also need to be replaced due to leaks. Then, this past week, I was driving my daughter to school and noticed the interior smelled smokey. The power door locks no longer work, and apparently, a motor seized in one door, blowing the fuse (since the only other thing on that circuit, the lighter, also doesn't work).

    I am really stunned by how this car is just falling apart, especially since it's been pampered from day one, and does not get a lot of abusive driving (I'm a stay-at-home mom, so it pretty much gets used during the week for local stuff!). The other part that bothers me is that every problem seems to be described to me as a "problem with '93's" by the service manager. I'm really wondering about the experiences of other owners with this year - it's kinda at the sell it or keep it decision-making point in terms of upkeep, especially if there are even more "93 problems" down the road.

    (And, no, it's not the dealership hosing me - they are the sort of people that have gone way out of their way to help us, and every one of these problems has been evident to me before they told me about them. Except the door locks!)
  • gladicheckedgladichecked Member Posts: 93
    I figured I would find you over here. I would still like an answer to what you were trying to pull over in the Mazda Protege Problems topic. Did you really think your post would wash over there? Flush was more like it. I also wonder how you went straight to the Mazda link on that complaint web site without checking out the Toyota site or Saturn site. I would be willing to bet that you did visit those links and knew full well that Toyota and other companies have similar complaints lodged against them. For what ever reason, you decided to single out Mazda and try to make them look like villains. Also, you said over there that you were only going to look at Toyotas for your future purchase, but over here and on your personal data you say you are shopping for another Saturn. Which is it?

    For those of you who are wondering what in the heck I'm talking about, saturnboy posted this long post from another web site from a person who was having a problem getting their deposit back from a Mazda dealer when they couldn't deliver the exact car that was agreed upon after the test drive. He then went on to say how Mazda was this evil company that had hundreds of complaints on this site and were doing illegal things. He also said that he was now an ex future Mazda owner and was only considering Toyota's (what type of car is saturnboy really shopping for?). I then visited the site and Toyota had even more complaints then Mazda, including complaints about dealers cheating them out of deposits, rudeness, etc. Most dealers I know of are not employees of the car company they are selling for, therefore you can't say that one dealer acting unethically is a reflection of the car company that supplies the dealer with cars. BTW...Saturn has complaints on that web site too, although I must admit they have far fewer than Mazda, Toyota, or most of the other car manufacturers. (way to go Saturn!)

    My conclusion...take whatever saturnboy says with a grain of salt!
  • gladicheckedgladichecked Member Posts: 93
    If that was the case, I think (IMO) you should take that up with protegetwo instead of trying to mislead others who may read the Mazda threads. I personally have no beef with any type of car or any owner out there...unless they personally attack me or spew misinformation. Who is to say a Kia, Saturn, or Mazda isn't the "right" car for the person who bought that car, they all have pros and cons. I did my research, test drove several cars, then made my decision. I'm sure you probably did the same. I am satisfied with my purchase and I am sure you are as well. I wish you the best Stephen, and hope there are no hard feelings.

    Bryan
  • norbert444norbert444 Member Posts: 195
    I also had similar problems with a transmission on my 95 SL2. It also looked like it was developing a leak. Both happened in 1995, soon after purchase. The friendly Saturn mechanics told me that the casing is cracked and they have to replace it. It sounded reasonable.

    After some two days, I picked up the car and requested to see the old transmission casing they replaced. The story changed and they said they only replaced the tranny oil, and what looked like a leak was actually some glue that got stuck on the outside of the casing. The tranny worked fine after that, to my knowledge.

    Just recently, I had to replace the tranny oil and filter. I did it myself at about 45K miles, 30K miles after the 1995 work by the friendly mechanics. The beauty of the job is that the filter is external and the draining can be accomplished by removing just one transmission plug. A relatively easy job.

    The transmission seems to be working reasonably well, only sometimes it "kicks" when switched from Reverse to Drive. Maybe yours can be fixed so easily? Let me know if this sounds reasonable.
  • paulsiupaulsiu Member Posts: 28
    I am somewhat confused about the reliability of Saturn. Consumer Reports rate Saturn as one of the most reliable cars. Phil Bailey of AutoWorld and Phil Edmonston of Lemon Aid both describe the car as one of the worst. Recent article in Edmund blasted the new SC2 for its lack of build quality, yet another review by another company thought the car was pretty nice. Half the people I know who own Saturn either praise it for its relability or said they will never buy another due to the problems they encounter. Do Saturn make really good cars some of the time and really bad cars other times?

    Paul
  • afk_xafk_x Member Posts: 393
    Saturn's are very reliable. Older cars had some common problems. Engine mounts (due to engine vibration) - alternators, and sometimes oil consumption.

    If you are buying a used Saturn be very careful.

    Other than that they are one of the best cars you can get for the money. Extremely safe, reliable, and fun to drive.

    Could you post a link to the places that have negative things to say about the reliablility?
  • fredfred3fredfred3 Member Posts: 73
    That seems to be the case judging from the internet--most people either get a very good Saturn or a very bad one. A common complaint among those with bad Saturns are high oil consumption and major engine problems such as cracked heads, etc. Why Saturn has not addressed these problems remains something of a mystery. Asking a Saturn salesman will not help I have found. Most claim ignorance and tell you they know nothing about cars. Peculiar. I have also seen posts by GM employees which state that Saturn is a cheaply built car designed for ease of manufacturing. On the flip side, there are many loyal owners some of who are downright fanatical in their enthusiasm for Saturn. So there must be something there as well.
  • begonia2begonia2 Member Posts: 3
    I have a 98 SL 4 dr 5 spd with 31k on it. got it new. It has been a pretty good car so far, but recently, in addition to the usual engine noise, I have noticed a rattle/vibration that occurs between 1200 & 1400 rpm, particularly just after the car is started. It seems to diminish in severity as the car warms up. the noise comes from the front right engine compartment, almost like a shield or something is loose. It is also evident when the car decelerates, for example, when stopping at a light with the clutch in and the car not moving. Anyone have any suggestions?
    It is not the speaker in the passenger door (that has its own special noise) or the window winder handle(ditto special noise) and stuff isnt rattling around in the glove box. the tires are balanced and it cant be felt through the steering column. In addition to being annoying, my fear is that it is getting worse, and may result in leaving a piece on the highway (!) or, more realistically, setting in motion a cascsade of other thing loostening up due to the vibration/rattle. thanks
  • begonia2begonia2 Member Posts: 3
    saturnboy,
    Thanks for the speedy reply. I went to saturnfans.com, stumbled around for awhile and came across queries similar to mine with responses that indicated a problem with the top motor mount(s), but mostly in older models than mine. Any experience in that regard? Are these mounts covered by warranty?
  • paulsiupaulsiu Member Posts: 28
    The negative I have read so far originated from the book Lemon Aid book, which list Saturn's reliability to be no more than average. He also warned that Saturn's reliability is more sales and marketing than reality. Worse yet, the repair stats indicate that later models of Hyundai had better repair record than later models of Saturn.

    Recently, cars.about.com published an article with a similar stand on Saturn.

    http://cars.about.com/autos/cars/library/weekly/blbailey112900.htm

    The third negative article came from the Edmund review of the new SC2. They seemed to have complaint about a bunch of stuff like styling, which I ignored (styling is subjective. I am sure that someone out there finds the Toyota Echo cute). What alarmed me was the lack of build quality.

    Previous to this I haven't heard any bad things about Saturn, except from the owners who own them. A friend of mine owned two Saturn and had no problems except for a dead alternator and some sensor problems. He plans to buy another in the future. Another Saturn owner had nothing but trouble. His auto transmission actually self-destruct. He said he will never buy another.

    Paul
  • phytogirlphytogirl Member Posts: 1
    My 97 SL1 does the same thing. My hubby has asked the service guys about it twice when it was in for regular services and they never could give a good answer. They'd check for the source and never find anything loose. I'll ask about the engine mounts the next time one of us takes it in. Does the pitch of your rattle vary? Mine seems to. I used to worry about it, but it's been going on for about a year now and nothing has fallen off, so I guess it's OK!

    Has anyone else noticed that their car makes whistling noises when it rains? Normally my car is really quiet.
  • regfootballregfootball Member Posts: 2,166
    no cracked heads
    no oil consumption
    no engine mount problems
    no electrical problems

    no reason for me to bash ford
  • L8_ApexL8_Apex Member Posts: 187
    ...helpful and informative negative feedback is welcome and will be allowed. Saturn Ownership is not required but a desire to carry on polite discussion with the other guests is. I've removed several inappropriate posts.

    Thanks,

    L8_Apex
    Sedans Host
  • afk_xafk_x Member Posts: 393
    It seems I have missed all the "action"

    :)
  • kmagkmag Member Posts: 98
    While my SL was getting serviced last week I noticed on the bulletin board a picture of an older Saturn that is serviced there. It was a 95 sedan with 414,000 miles on it! No other information, I hope mine lasts 1/3 of that.

    Also sat in an Ion 2 while I was there and was not impresssed. The center instruments I just cant stand. The rest of the interior is an improvement in quality but not in design or function. The seats are improved but the bottom cushion is still too short for my stubby 30" inseam legs to have any support behind my knees. Add to all this the weird styling and I can sure unerstand why they are not selling well.
  • fredfred3fredfred3 Member Posts: 73
    You didn't miss much....just the same old, same old. Saturnboy didn't like one of my posts regarding Saturn pros and cons. He accused me of "living to bash Saturn" and told me to "Drop Dead." Theoretically I guess that makes sense. If I "dropped dead" I would no longer be "living to bash Saturn."
  • afk_xafk_x Member Posts: 393
    Well Saturnboy is very enthusiastic about Saturns. That seems to be fairly common with Saturn owners. That is also why when a person gets a BAD Saturn they complain more and louder than your average car owner.

    I am anxiously awaiting the new S series. If it is as good as the L series then it will be a very nice car.
  • fredfred3fredfred3 Member Posts: 73
    With all due respect, if it is common for a Saturn owner to wish someone dead for not agreeing with them about a make of a car...then I am glad I am not a Saturn owner.
  • saturnboysaturnboy Member Posts: 89
    To clear up the whole Drop dead thing, I was not wishing anyone dead, I was simply asking if one had seen a movie "Drop Dead Fred" which came out in the early 90's. It's main character was quite annoying and wouldn't go away. No pun intended.
    Anyone could have seen that if our lovely host had not deleted that post. Apparently, they felt it was deemed innapropriate. Have a nice day
  • norbert444norbert444 Member Posts: 195
    I was wondering if the bashing was from floridian, who used to get very personal in this forum. But he must be counting these days ;=)
  • begonia2begonia2 Member Posts: 3
    Yeah, but it sure is annoying. I did some extensive poking around with the hood up and the car running after having sat all night. The rattling was there and nothing I touched in the engine compartment changed its pitch or intensity. Despite my lousy hearing (too many loud amps when I was younger and more foolish) I did localize the rattle to the right front headlight assembly. some gentle pressure on the assembly made the rattle almost disappear, so I folded up a couple of latex gloves and shoved them under the assembly to act as a damper. Voila! attenuated rattle. My concern now is that the sympton has been taken care of, but what about the cause???
  • ken1776ken1776 Member Posts: 41
    I just spoke with a buddy at work who had a similar problem with his 95 Saturn wagon. He tried all the tune-up stuff and the good gas with no luck. Finally took it to the dealer, they knew right away what it was. "His compression rings were shot". The wagon was a sohc with 59,000 on it. He had the extended warranty and Saturn covered the rebuild in full. This might not be your problem "let's hope" but you might want the dealer to look at it. In any event Good Luck
  • floridianfloridian Member Posts: 219
    Gee, i don't remember bashing Saturn all that much. I at least do have one (palmed it off on the wife, she hates it too)but it has been reliable, i'll give it that much. my main gripe about the 1998 SC2 (leased) is the poor build quality,no "fun factor" in driving the thing and in the case of a purchase way overpriced. I feel a Cavalier or a Sunfire are better deals but they are kinda crappy too.

    Plus they are going into the dumper on resale. Chase Auto Finance is gonna take a real "bath" on the residual on my lease as it is way too high.At this point it's higher than retail on a low mileage 1998. In nine more months it will be even worse. Too bad for them. I am very grateful I didn't buy the car.

    Saturns ar a good example of GM hype that the public bought into. The buying experience is nice tho at the dealers but give me less "birthday cards", calandars and donuts and coffee and a better car for less money. I was looking forward to the "new" L series till i saw one. Same old stuff. Haphazard build quality, dull styling and still overpriced. Big daddy GM should just "absorb" Saturn and forget the whole thing. If it had not been for Roger Smith's ego, Saturn would have been stillborn and the whole experiment would have been forgotten. That has cost GM billions of $.

    Floridian
  • saturnboysaturnboy Member Posts: 89
    Interesting comments......zZzZzZzZzZ
  • floridianfloridian Member Posts: 219
    zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz to you too!!

    Floridian
  • saturnboysaturnboy Member Posts: 89
    Gee, Im sorry

    I thought this room was for SATURN OWNERS, to talk about their SATURN CARS. Apparently the hosts at edmunds.com are out snacking with the police at Dunkin Doughnuts, never around when you need em.
  • fredfred3fredfred3 Member Posts: 73
    No, If you go back and look at post 581, it says something to the effect of
    "...helpful negative feedback is appropriate and will be allowed. Saturn ownership is not required..."
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