Saturn SL2
I've already put on record what I think of the Saturn SL2, but since it fits the Our Cars theme, I'm going to include two photos of our Saturn which sum up our entire experience with that car. And, to give me some text to flow around the photos, I'll reprint the most pertinent section:
In our first weekend of ownership, the Saturn sprang a coolant leak that left the car smelling vaguely of antifreeze for the rest of our time together. After the leak and a near-overheat situation, there emerged a curious squawk from the engine that sounded like a leaky hose or a bad seal. The shop, of course, couldn't find a problem.
Since there were no cupholders, we used to rest our drinks in a convenient divot in the center console; unfortunately, the collected condensation from our drinks worked its way down through the plastic and shorted out the whole electrical system. The clutch had to be replaced and the gearbox rebuilt. There were also random but seemingly impossible-to-find oil leaks that left the underside of the hood soaked in oil.I suppose I can't blame this on the car, but two tires (both with good tread life, at good pressures) blew up massively on the freeway, one cutting the wires to the fuel pump and leaving my wife and I stranded on the freeway on our way to a vacation for our first wedding anniversary. I still have a photo of my wife sitting despondently on the hood of the Saturn that day, grim and depressed. Happy Anniversary, honey!
The Saturn was supposed to be our nice newer car; it was pampered by the first owners, was only six years old, and only had about 70,000 miles on it. Instead, it was thoroughly outclassed in every way by our much older 250,000-mile Volvo 240. When I subsequently bought my beater 1983 Chevy Malibu Wagon, I was struck by how markedly superior the decade-older Malibu was in every respect.
But the Saturn's real crime against humanity was sucking out part of my enjoyment of driving. Before the Saturn, I trusted and enjoyed my cars, pushing them to their limits, confident that the machinery would do its part. But the Saturn destroyed my psyche; the effect is not unlike that of a betrayal by a loved one--regaining the ability to trust takes time, and I am only slowly recovering from that damage.
The photos here are from the Saturn's breakdown on our first anniversary trip. The second one to the right is one of my favorite photos of all time--I love the weary, beaten-down depression and disgust that fills my wife's face there. Frankly, I'd love to see that picture in Saturn's marketing.
Just looking at pictures of this car makes my blood pressure rise to an unhealthy degree.
--Chris H.
Mochi Mochi on March 18, 2008 at 04:35 AM
Does Saturn still make cars? ... w w w . s a t u r n . c o m - oh yeah ! they do. wow thought they were out of business or something. (website intro plays...) hmm... Makes me want to buy and old car.
SilentStorm on March 18, 2008 at 05:10 AM
Speaking as the "traumatized" former owner of a '99 SW2, I feel your pain, Chris.
Bought mine used in 2002. Found out that when I bought it, it was one month past its 3/36 warranty period. Had to replace the transmission before it hit 45K on the odometer. Burned oil on a regular basis. Transmission (again) led to its demise not one week after my father passed away last year. Lots of bad memories.
Most Saturn owners swear by their cars. I understand though that there are the occasional "Bad Saturns" out there. And, I think I got me one of them.
Were it not for a trusted mechanic telling me that, based on working experience, I could put some trust in later year Chevy Ventures (one of which I did in fact buy), I would have sworn off GM completely. I used to own a French 'Vette [also known as a "Che Vette"] :) that also gave me bad experiences, so giving GM a new try was pretty hard to do.
Steaming Pile on March 18, 2008 at 07:28 AM
@Mochi - Yeah, Saturn still makes cars. They'd rather make crappy small SUVs, though, and it shows. The second-generation SL2 was the pinnacle of their manufacturing prowess. I heard it was so good (Chris' experience notwithstanding) that GM decided they weren't going to make any more.
SilentStorm on March 18, 2008 at 07:31 AM
Additional: As I said before, most Saturn owners swear by their cars.
Chris and I, however, belong to the group that swears AT them.
Christopher Fotos on April 06, 2008 at 03:48 PM
I loved my Saturn SL2.
>>Since there were no cupholders, we used to rest our drinks in a convenient divot in the center console; unfortunately, the collected condensation from our drinks worked its way down through the plastic and shorted out the whole electrical system. The clutch had to be replaced and the gearbox rebuilt. There were also random but seemingly impossible-to-find oil leaks that left the underside of the hood soaked in oil.<<
Mine had a cupholder--a single cupholder as far as I recall, which granted is kind of weird--that folded out transformers-style from the center console armrest.
When I got rid of the car, I had over 110,000-120,000 miles on the original clutch.
I did have one weird experience early on, where I thought the oil consumption was a little high, about three or four months after I'd bought it new. The dealer did some kind of fairly substantial engine work that didn't cost me a dime, and it was fine for a long time. But towards the end of my ownership, it began eating oil very seriously (not leaking, and no blue smoke theatrics). I don't think I was extra-wonderful with maintenance but I was definitely not happy with that.
It was the first car I'd every bought new and overall I enjoyed the experience. For an econo car it was very stable through sharp turns and after a good wash and wax those plastic panels looked fantastic right up until the last day I owned. I liked not having to worry about parking lot dings, which is something I can't say for my wonderful Hyundai Elantra. I might have considered a second generation SL2 but I detested the styling.
mike on July 06, 2008 at 06:49 PM
i bought my saturn with 247,000 miles on it. I now have 303,000. it burns a little bit of oil but other thatn that i love my saturn. oh yeah i also dog the shit out of it, take it to mud bogs, do burn outs, and run it through fields. and it still runs good
random_bald_guy on August 04, 2008 at 04:42 PM
I bought my 2002 Saturn SL2 brand new off the lot.
The only major thing that has gone wrong with it is one of the fuel injectors went bad a few months after I bought it. I barely made it to the dealer and they got me right in, fixed it, and I didn't pay a dime.
I also had a horribly loud squeak that began shortly after I bought the car. Mechanics kept telling me it was the brakes, which it wasn't and now after 6 years of ownership, the mechanic I use now finally found it. It had something to do with the axle and the transmission. Something was bent and was rubbing on something else. I'm not a mechanic. Can you tell? Anyway, it was relatively easy and inexpensive fix. They said it could've been from a pothole or any other kind of bump.
I've driven my car to Colorado twice, St. Louis and Kansas City many times, Georgia many times, Texas, and many states in between and I love it! After owning so several crappy vehicles, except for my 1989 Grand Am, it's nice to have one like this.
Donnie M on August 08, 2008 at 10:00 PM
I was first skeptical about saturns before i bought one, and i own a 98 saturn sc2, with 190k on it, other than that it runs awesome and i drive it hard. In fact my gf's family all drive saturns, and other than reg mainteance the worst i think they has was rad replacement, water pump replacement and alternator. all pretty inexpensive.
That Car Guy on October 22, 2008 at 07:38 PM
Sadly, I'm the first person to fully road test a Saturn (SC) on national TV. We were at the then-Saturn Spring Hill, Tennessee, plant "Ride & Drive Day", Oct. 11, 1990, a fortnight before the cars went on sale as 1991 models. Our time with the car was limited to 45 minutes, as CBS wanted the car for their evening news that day.
The all-new car felt heavy, unrefined, and behind the times. It had the same radio as my 1986 Fiero. One of the outside mirrors was power, the other cable-operated. A taxi cab would have been embarassed by the quality of materials used in the interior. Then there was The Flaw, aka NVH (Noise, Vibration, Harshness) coming from under the hood. Of course, a decade or so later, came the much-improved Saturn... the (ahem) Ion.
The plant took 5 years to build, mainly because the car design wasn't finished yet. Most SLs sold for around $14,000, but they cost $35,000 each to build, and GM was happy about that. The name "Saturn" came from the rockets that took Americans to the moon, winning the Space Race, and GM decided this product line would win the Car Race.
The old Saturn plant is now called the GM Spring Hill Assembly Plant, and they build the Chevy Traverse. Ironically, the only area that still says "Saturn" is on the tour center. GM has never successfully built a small car in America, and I can't help but wonder if they ever will.
Robert Meek on December 14, 2008 at 02:59 AM
I had a 1997 Saturn. I recall 2 things: it was brand new when I bought it, and the alternator burned itself up - literally. To the point that the switch to warn me that it was not functioning anymore was also burned up, and I had no warning light.
Thus, I found out when I had a dead battery.
They did replace it, but I had to buy a new battery.
They said it happened because we were in the middle of a drought and using the A/C so much, but that the new one was much better, stronger, more insulated, and would not falter.
They also said that the 1996 models were doing it a lot, because they had less durable, less insulated alternators, in them, but they had not expected it in mine, because it a better, more durable, more insulated alternator than the 1996 ones.
(Mind you, they knew the 1996 and older ones were failing in the heat. The dealership service manager admitted that. Note: they did NO RECALL.)
A month later, driving along, I noticed that the windshield washers slowed down, the interior lights dimmed, and the light in the radio was blinking in sync to the turn signal, driving in the rain.
The service manager's comment: "Hmm. Sounds like the alternator."
I reminded him, "Um, yea. Like the one you replaced a month ago?" "Oops," he said.
Ahem.
They knew I was upset when I saw them, that day. They let me trade it EVEN for a Pontiac, one year older, 10,000 more miles on it, with me only paying tag transfer fees.
I agreed.
I went to Saturn's web site, and emailed them about it, alleging that they knew about it all along, and were hoping that we made it past the 12,000 mile mark on the warranty, thus doing no recalls.
I got an exceedingly terse response that of course it would put extra strain on the alternator and wear it out when things like the (factory installed) air conditioning were used “too much”!
Riley on December 18, 2008 at 09:40 AM
I briefly owned a 1993 SL2 a few years ago, and have very bittersweet memories of the little teal car. We bought it used, with about 138k on it, and have NO idea what the previous owner had done to it, except it looked ok...
My three favorite memories of the car:
1) The thing had electrical issues... Seemingly at random, you'd go to shut the car off, turn the key to the off position, the steering wheel would lock like it was supposed to, but the engine would still be running... the only way to shut the darn thing off was to pop the hood and pull out the fuse that controlled the fan... but sometimes it would shut off with the key... weird.
2) The automatic transmission in "sport" mode was insane. If you'd floor it (which I did frequently, being a 16-year-old new driver), the 1-2 shift would literally SLAM into 2nd gear after hitting the 7000rpm redline in 1st gear. The shift was so rough and abrupt that it would often trip the "traction control" system and the little light would flash because it would chirp the tires. I personally found this to be quite amusing.
3) The ABS / Traction Control system would often just "go crazy". Sometimes you'd be at a stop sign or traffic light, and you would press the accelerator to proceed, and the little "traction control active" light would come on and nothing would happen when you hit the gas. Luckily, the problem was always resolved by shutting off the car and restarting it. Similar situation with the ABS - sometimes the ABS system would kick in when it didn't need to (such as gradual braking on dry pavement) which would greatly increase the stopping distance of the car. Really kind of scary.
2 other things I know about this car - the top speed is 113mph, and the car floats in very large puddles.
on December 19, 2008 at 04:49 PM
Riley. . LMAO
Lance on December 19, 2008 at 04:55 PM
My brother's giving me his old gray 97 Saturn SL!!
I'm excited!!!
Hopefully it doesn't do all of the things that happened to you guys!!
Yay!!!
I do have one story about it though. . . one time when I was like 10 years old I was sleeping in the backseat against the door and the freakin' door pops open, on the highway. . . my pillow flies out and my head is hangin out the door. . . Saturns are basically pieces of crap. . . But. . as long as it moves and doesn't blow up in my face. . I'm good. . oh and the stupid lighting's f'ed up. . like the radio doesn't have a backlight and half of it is lighted and half isn't. . . so annoying. . you gotta turn the light on the ceiling on in order for it to work. . but the thing has 150,000 miles on it. . so I guess it's a "good" Saturn. . When I get it, I'll just make a deal with it. . . it doesn't try to pull any crazy sh't with me, and I won't crash it into a wall.
Oh, and it has an alarm, too . . which I'm so excited to play with
Lance on December 19, 2008 at 04:57 PM
Oh, and Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays
Crystal on January 16, 2009 at 10:54 AM
My fiance's first car was a 95 SL. (ours did have cup holders) It was nothing but trouble. the first few days he got his license we were down on an empty parking lot doing donuts in the snow...BAD IDEA...because my neighbour told us that why our transmission went. Got that fixed, then the piston rings shot right outta then engine and sent oil everywhere.It was also hard to control on the road where its made outta plastic. We sold tha car and we ended up working with a lady who bought it like a year down the road after we sold it, and she had to put another transmision in it too. Best think about these cars is the body dont rust cuz its plastic. But sucks when someone backs into the fender and cracks it...lol
zoomzoom on January 24, 2009 at 03:33 PM
OK, Saturn produced millions of car, and it just so happened that you got one of the few bad ones. Since the mid 90's, car manufacturing reached a new standard that eliminates almost completely the type of trouble on the road you showed here. I'm sorry for you, but I don't agree that Saturn is as bad as you say.
Jessica Wood on February 16, 2009 at 04:23 PM
WOW I have a 1996 saturn SL2 and after 4 years of driving about 45miles-60miles a day and over 175,000 miles on the vehicle I just traded it in for another SL2 I have not had any of the problems you wrote about at all in fact my car has great pick up and balls as well on the highway the only thing with the saturn which anyone who reads the car manuel is you need to check the radiator fluid more often then other small vehicles do to the type of engine used in the SL2 and if you neglect to do so it can cause over heating issues but as far as my experience has gone with the SL2 I love it its a great realiable car and awesome on gas!!!!
Jessica Wood on February 16, 2009 at 04:27 PM
o0o0o and P.S both of my 96 SL2 had cup holders so maybe it was the year of the SL2 that you got the 97 apperntl has some issues that can build up to many repairs
Joe on March 20, 2009 at 07:53 PM
In the summer of 2007 I bought my recent college grad daughter a 2000 Sl2 with 97,000 miles. I did an Auto Check and the milage was accurate. She put on about 100 miles when the oil pump failed, blowing the engine up. Big towing bill. I installed a salvage yard engine.
1000 miles later the transmission literally disintergrated creating a baseball size hole in the case. Big towing bill. I installed a salvage yard transmission only to find it was already on it's second transmission.
5000 miles later the fuel pump went out. Big towing bill. Replaced with new pump.
1000 miles later the ERG valve failed. Big towing bill. Replaced with new valve.
The windshield cracked for no reason, along the bottom. Replaced windshield.
Trunk lock won't open with the key; have to use lever by front seat.
Some observations about the 2000 Sl2, the tilt steering wheel doesn't move up enough to allow an average size person to get behind the wheel, even with the seat all the way back, without being a contortionist. The radio must be a K-Mart Blue Light special, the volume knob is smaller than a dime and the fade control needs a tweezer to adjust. The windshield wipers are too short in length so they don't reach very far up on the windshield and this 5'10' person ends sliding down in the seat to avoid looking through water splattered glass. I will say the driver's seat has great lumbar support.
After being stranded 4 times my daughter refuses to drive it so I have the Sl2. After $4000 in repairs & towing I'm hoping to get 50,000 miles out of it or it will meet the car crusher.
Being close to Social Security age, I've owned a dozen Fords and Chevys, mostly used with high milage, and none fell apart like the Sl2. You would have to put a gun to my head to get me into a Saturn dealership.
Leonard on April 05, 2009 at 01:15 AM
"The second-generation SL2 was the pinnacle of their manufacturing prowess. I heard it was so good (Chris' experience notwithstanding) that GM decided they weren't going to make any more."
I believe it. I bought a 2002 Sl2 new and I still drive it. No complaints except for the cheapness of the interior trimming. The only major repair I've had to have done is replacement of the driver-side front door upholstery...
Oh, hey Joe, the poster above me... Look, I don't mean to disrespect your age but your story falls apart around the fifth sentence where you say you installed all freaking salvage yard parts in your daughter's car. Of course it has problems!
Al on April 12, 2009 at 01:52 AM
My wife and I have owned a 1992 Saturn SL2 (since new) with 110,000 miles of cold starts and short distance / stop and go city driving. Perhaps only 10% of its life has been on highway. So life has been tough.
The main issue with the 92 SL2 is progressively worse oil consumption which I believe is probably caused by worn piston rings and consequent blowby. I am not complaining too much because I like a challenge and would like to fix the problem and then watch blowby drop off after installation of new rings.
Other repairs/ major maintenance:
> needs new battery - truck size
> 5 alternators
>loose lower ball joint in front right suspension - easy R&R in 3 hours.
Craig on May 19, 2009 at 11:28 AM
My dad bought me a 1992 Saturn SL2 about 3 years ago. 160,000 miles
List of things gone wrong
- blown speakers (all 4 replaced)
- slipping clutch (manual trans.)
- coolant leak which lead to....you guessed it....overheated engine (new engine)
- hail damage (bought a used hood and trunk, new front windshield)
- A/C hoses both had pin holes in them (replaced)
- Muffler rusted out (new muffler)
- left side driver window regulator broken
- front passenger seat belt no longer motors forward (I guess that happens to most of them)
now that pretty much everything under the hood is fixed...I'm praying to god nothing else goes wrong...it currently has 197,300 miles on it and everything is running great...
Drew Grigsby on May 22, 2009 at 12:40 PM
well i got a 93 saturn sl2.. i had it for a month when the AC went.. next was the water pump...then 3 weeks later i had a antifreeze leak.....then i crack in the engine block...i replaced the engine.....the only thing i liked about the car was that it was quick not fast tho it would top out at 120 then it would kick out of gear...it was a 5 speed manual i loved that car.....but one day we had a bad freeze i was snowed in i didnt drive the car for 3 days then when i got in it i lost 5th well i drove it for a day then on the way home i get off the interstate and droped it down in 3rd and the whole fu**ing trannie BLOW OUT shreds of metel on the road im putting a new transmission in it soon and finding everything thats wrong and i bet its going to break down after a month.... but that car had ballz...i beat a honda civic and a prelude iv never lost a race it the bitch
Brandon hale on June 03, 2009 at 09:49 PM
i dont know what you all mean. stuff happens to electrical systems when wet such as auto windows. the only thing wrong with my 95 SL1 is a oil leak. but thats because of the 200,000 miles on it but that is expected. its only a car not god. and i need to replace the timeing belt but again... normal wear and tear. on all vihicles go bad. ITS LIFE
Dom on June 23, 2009 at 11:38 AM
Joe the same happened to me. It wasn't shifting right for a minute or two, so I stopped, had someone take me to a shop to buy some transmission fluid. I pour it in, look under the car, and see a puddle of red goo. Somehow There was a hole almost as big as a golfball in the transmission. I've spent double on repairs in the last six months than the day I bought it 8 months ago.