I have a 2002 Saturn SL2 and lately I’ve had a lot of repairs. Expense is high to repair. Problem is I was laid off my job and think maybe I should get rid of the car. Car needs intake manifold and has other problems too as it needs motor mounts, serpentine belt. Is it worth keeping or consider another car? Parts are getting hard to come by as no longer making Saturns. Thanks for any help.
this is a tough decision, i just went Through the same thing with my sons 1995 Honda civic- " by the way he has nothing: in the last 7 months – new exhaust, brakes, gas tank & pump, repair gas lines, right front axle broke, towed,-- slight front fender bender— new radiator, thermostat, battery quit-- had towed-- new battery— that quit— new alternator ran fine for 7 days — got a call from him 40 miles away–, car quit— not battery-- had that towed i came to the conclusion the head gasket was gone— with the symptoms i was told - he put in prestone and more oil car started to overheat-- car came to slow halt and smelled gas-- towed to junk yard had enough-- maybe you will have better luck then I sorry to discourage you maybe i should have worn garlic around my neck??? goo luck to you in whatever you do-- god bless
Thanks for your answer. It’s really draining my bank account and I’m worried I won’t be able to pay other bills. Have been out of work for over a year after being laid off so money is tight. I think you reach a point of “diminishing returns” when you are paying for repair bills all the time and car keeps breaking down. My car is paid off but I may have to look into a used car. Problem is Saturn parts are hard to find. I appreciate your response.
Look at expense to repair and then what you could buy for a similar amount of a money.
If expense <$2000 you should likely stay with your vehicle unless some gem comes your way, meaning a private sale that you know was taken care of.
If you purchase a used car to get something decent off a car lot you need to spend in the $4000-$5000 range.
i hear you , I’m retired myself-- so it is very hard, i was just trying to be the best father i could be, to help him keep the car going- he was home for one week he is living out of town for the time being, so i had him use my car to get a lot of things done while he was home. when he went to turn in his plates didn’t someone back up out of a parking space and hit my passenger door in the middle-- talk about luck??? again good luck to you
Oh that is really bad luck. I can’t even afford a car for my daughter. We share the Saturn. I am worried about what could happen if I keep driving it, i.e transmission failure, etc. My current bill will be over $600 and really can’t afford it. Thanks for you reply.
Thanks for your answer. I am going to start looking at used cars.
Parts are not rare for a 2002 car. The Saturn is identical to other GM cars. GM doesn’t make 2002 parts any longer either. Other companies do. Belts and engine mounts are typical replacement parts. Keep it.
Sl2 is a unique vehicle with no peer in the GM lineup.
There are certain parts that rot out and are harder to acquire likely due to volume of them failing. My brother in law finally dumped his when the stated issue failed on his at 300k. But other issues took time to repair as part distribution is slower on Saturn as GM dealers do not stock them.
Get rid of that Saturn. They’re problem cars. You’ll still have problems with a used car, but they’ll be far fewer if you stick with Japanese brands like Honda, Toyota, and Mazda. Some Nissans are OK, but check Consumer Reports and MSN Auto for trouble spots with older vehicles. I’d be looking for something driven by an older, more responsible person who has kept maintenance records. Keep away from car dealers and used car lots. Also do a Carfax check.