Saturn Reliability Help

[whoah whoah]

ok im new here but i need help. I am thinking of buying an SL2, 2000 with 70000 miles on it... they are asking for $6000 down here in new orleans... im wondering if this thing will last for the next 4-5 years for me(and hopefully beyond?)... my mechanic said they have had some serious problems with oil leakeage (about a quart per 1000 miles) and some are great some arent... what have you guys heard/ experienced? is this a good price?

[Onimacus]

Did the oil leak come from this specific saturn, or just the mechanics?

[peppermrj]

Bought a 96 SC2 in 2002 for 6 grand with 77000 miles. So far I have replaced.
Therrmostat
Tires
Coolant temp. sensor ($8.25 + S&H)
4 plugs
Valve cover gasket
1 PCV intake hose
Fuel filter
Left front fender (Dumb deer)

I still need to replace the condensor for the AC.

The car uses 1 quart of oil between oil changes (3000 miles). It is usally due for a quart at change time. There is a technical service bulletin detailing a service to decrease oil consumption but I have yet to bother.

The car has 127,000 miles at present. The only repair other than the PM I did was the temp sensor. They are know problems and an updated problem free model is available from the dealer. The installation was no more difficult than changing a spark plug.

I bought the car on the recommendation of my mechanic. He suprised me, being a factory trained ford service tech. I like the car. It is fun to drive, gets excellent fuel economy, has decent perfomance, and is very reasonable to insure.
The only down side for me is the lack of head room in the SC2. With the seat all the way back and the seat back straight up I can litteraly rest my nose on the roof thru the sunroof. The necessity for the laid back driving position is fun for a short fast drive but a little confining on a long trip.

My 2 cent.

[Onimacus]

My dad has had 2 saturns, my ex girlfriend had 2 saturns, and now i have a saturn.

The only problem is with my ex girlfriends 04 Ion. And its not even Saturn's fault, its sears for messing up the tire size and gave her the wrong tire when we went inthere to get it replaced. Now her alignment is alllll messed up. But she is a slut so who cares...


other then that no problems that I can think of.

[peppermrj]

Now her alignment is alllll messed up. But she is a slut so who cares...

LMFAO

[mysatilac]

[sierrap615]

Originally Posted by Onimacus

But she is a slut so who cares...

hey, sluts are people too......people to avoid....also a lesson i learned the hard way.


back on topic - every car has SOME problems(give me a name, i bet i have heard a story). take good care of it and it will take good car of you.

[mysatilac]

I agree Saturns are good cars if you make/keep 'em good,

They are reliable,
Along with Peppermrj, all the work I've done on mine is Preventative Maintenance, and I haven'e had to do anything to it, except regular oil changes, and mine doesn't burn much oil at all, (Although there was this one time...I was 2 qts. low after a 2 hour trip, knew I shoulda checked it first...my fault not the car's) good thing too, I've got platinum plugs in there, pulled 'em the other day, no fouling, no oil deposits,

My little Saturn is the best car I've had yet, number 4 for me, though not my quickest, its the cleanest and it'd keep up.

[rrrich7]

I have a 1997 SL-1 which I have owned since 2001 and have had relatively few problems. One thing I would mention is that Saturn only has 3 dealerships in the Greater New Orleans area - one in Marrero, one in Metairie and one on the Northshore. If you need to, or like to, take your car to the dealership, this gives you less choice than, say, Honda or Toyota, both of which have about 8-10 dealerships, or the other major brands.

I have been to both the Marrero (which calls itself Saturn of New Orleans) and Metairie places for service. They were ok. In Marrero, when I asked about a loaner or a ride to work when they had to keep my car for a few hours on a work day, they looked at me like I was crazy. I have heard that the Metairie dealership will drop you off and pick you up from work, though.

The brand only has about a 10 year track record since they created it. Whatever you do, don't fall for the TV commercials that make it look like Saturn is the totally happy car experience.

ALL THAT being said, I'm happy with my Saturn and it's been very reliable.

[gls1000]

Originally Posted by whoah whoah

ok im new here but i need help. I am thinking of buying an SL2, 2000 with 70000 miles on it... they are asking for $6000 down here in new orleans... im wondering if this thing will last for the next 4-5 years for me(and hopefully beyond?)... my mechanic said they have had some serious problems with oil leakeage (about a quart per 1000 miles) and some are great some arent... what have you guys heard/ experienced? is this a good price?

$6000 is not a bad price UNLESS it is the basic (plain jane) model with a manual transmission. In this case I would say $5500 would be fair.
The interior or exterior should be very close to new condition, if either are visably damaged it is worth less.
I would get the name/address/phone of the previous owner and talk to them. If you cannot contact the previous owner, run a carfax report on the car.
ALL OF THE ABOVE ASSUMES THIS CAR IS AT A DEALER.
PRIVATE PARTY PRICE WILL BE LOWER.
You can run a price check at kelly blue book (kbb.com)

I have a 94 SL1 with 190,000 miles
Original motor (SOHC) & transaxle.
No bad oil leaks, uses about 1/2 quart between oil changes (3000mi)