My Wifes 99 SL1 review.

[Mork]

We bought this vehicle new in 99. I was sold on the composite body and the relitively good reviews I read about this car. Sooooooo 5 years and 65K miles later here is the goods on it.
Problems:

a) Service Engine Light. This has been a constant erretant since day 1. Bought back to the dealer numerous times but continues to come on and stay on. I just ignore it now. I will soon pull the bulb.
b) Brakes. Can't keep a set of rotors/drums on it.
c) Side Window Panels. Little metal strips along side windows rotted off in the first year. Dealer replaced.
d) Exhaust Strap. This strap wraps around the muffler and rusted off after two years. Midas replaces this every year. Leave it to Midas for quality materials.
e) Seat Adjustment Cable. On my fifth cable.


Positives:

a) Dealer Service
b) Dealer Service
c) Dealer Service

This car delivers decent gas milage but is very small and low to the ground. You have to basicly fall into it.

Any more opinions?

[Perchjerker]

I hate our 99 Saturn as well. We bought it new. It looks OK, but it does sit low to the ground and I, being 6'6", have a very hard time getting in and out of it. The car rides and handles and sounds like a go-cart--I hate it.The only problem we have had with it, though, is that the fuel sending unit went out after 10K. I have 100K on it now without too much else except that it drinks oil worse than my 1971 Chevy truck!!!
Also, if you can find parts, they are outrageously higher than parts for other cars. I'll never buy another Saturn.

[SabreKhan]

That's interesting. I have a '00 SL1. I've got 100,000 miles on it, and I've only had one unscheduled maintenance pit stop, and that was for a bent tie rod. And I know why the tie rod was bent: I rally-race in a car that was meant for buying groceries. All the other times I've been to the Saturn dealership, it was for scheduled stuff and optional repairs.
It runs a little loud, it feels like a cheap car, and the driver's seat is becoming a little too-often-sat-in, but it's the most reliable little car I've ever had. And it gets 36 miles to the gallon. Not to mention the dent-resistant door panels.

[SabreKhan]

On the other hand, I'm under the hood of my cars every other day whether there's something to do there or not, and I have a '96 Dodge Neon that's just begging to fall apart and yet somehow stays together. Sometimes it's just fun to look at the motor for no reason...

[Perchjerker]

Who scewed you??? Saturns don't have tie rods, they have rack and pinion steering.

[Mork]

All cars have Tie Rods. Actually Rack and pinion systems have two sets, inner and outer. :-)

[SabreKhan]

It would be interesting to see the car without tie-rods... maybe just a double motorcycle-style system? I'll have to run that past my engineer friends, see if they can come up with anything. On a side note, the Neon finally went to the great scrapyard in the sky. Started burning more oil than gas. My parting words to it were, "Rest in peace, @$$hole!" The Saturn, on the other hand, runs like the day it was born even though it's pulling double-duty now that we're down to one car.

[sickcallawayc12]

I was sketch about buying a Saturn since you seem to either get a really good one or a really bad one, but then again I was shooting for some kind of ricer compact car. Cavalier had some mechanical problems and I will never sit in another Ford of any kind again (unless it's a mustang). The Neon is worthless (what people have told me) and couldn't afford a Civic. I've been pretty happy with my 97 SL2; I've only had to get new brake pads and the coolant light constantly flashes, although nothing has gone wrong. My dad has owned 3 saturns since '94 and nothing went wrong with any of them. Saturn has won my respect.