Used 1996 Saturn S-Series Consumer Reviews
Used S-Series for sale
shellies 96 SL1saturn
shellie, 02/08/2003
1996 Saturn S-Series SL1 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
great car 28 to 30 miles in the city, fun and repairs are resonable, no major problems
Didn't live up to it's billing
Bob of Pickering, 07/18/2002
1996 Saturn S-Series SL2 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
from day one this vehicle has had more than it's share of problems, here is just a few: door gaskets replace or repaired 3 times, 2 alternators, 4 sets of spark pugs and wires, 2 radios, valve cover gasket replaced or repaired 4 times, still leaking. Cruise control malfunctioned. Currently the wippers will turn on for no apparent reason. Now that the warranty has expired, I've been dis-owned by both the dealer and GM.
1996 Saturn S-Series for sale near you
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- SL2 SedanMSRP: $2,9972,007 mi away
Point A to Point B
George K, 02/09/2003
1996 Saturn S-Series SL1 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
In searching for a economy car along the lines of a Civic, I ended up buying a 4-door, Saturn SL. After 40,000 miles in 2 1/2 years, I've had one incident, but it was caused by shoddy road-work. I switch fluids every 3000, keep everything in proper order, and the car keeps on running. I will say that it's like a sick horse when it comes to engine performance, but I never bought it to beat any cars at the green light. I bought it for longevity and mileage, and it has come through so far on both ends. I can make a 7 hour road trip on one tank of gas.
What were we thinking?
Jack Blacko, 02/17/2003
1996 Saturn S-Series SL2 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
We started off with 14 warranty repairs during the first year of owning our brand new car. The alternator is only good for 36k miles. I have lost count on the number of spark plugs and wire sets that the dealer tried to correct many misfire problems. My independent mechanic had not trouble diagnosing a cracked crank sensor. The dealer put in new valve seals at 59k to slow down th oil usage with only partial success. After 50k, synthetic oil is the only thing that will keep the valve train from tapping for the first mile each morning. The EGR valve has gone bad twice, the A/C unit burned up last year ($602 for the part!!).
Saturn SL2
Saturn Danny, 04/19/2002
1996 Saturn S-Series SL2 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
We bought our SL2 with 17k miles. It now has 106k. The interior is well designed but the seats are low which causes difficulty getting in and out of the car. The Ignition failed at 18,000 miles and a water pump fail at 80,000 miles. which isn't bad. The engineering flaws we've noted include an inherent problem with the front brake rotors causing the wheel to shimmy especially when stopping. We also have major rust on both rear rockers which is obvious when you open the back doors. It also burns oil and has since about 65k miles. Engine compression is great so no idea why but it uses a quart every 2000 miles.