List your Saturn components that failed!

[dave.sl]

Who has the longest and who has the shortest list of failed parts on their Saturn S Series that has gone at least 100,000 miles. Do not include wear items like brakes,plugs,hoses,battery,and bulbs. State the current mileage on the car. This will really jog your memory unless you have perfect maintenance records.
I will start with my 98SL which has been a good car so far with 128k on it now.
1. Instrument Cluster....my largest expense to date.....
2. Horn
3. Emergency Brake button assembly
4. Backup Light switch.
5. Tensioner
And that is it.......Counting myself lucky.....I am sure there are longer lists....How about shorter?

[SonnyD]

I'll have had mine 8 years come January, only thing that's failed so far....Temp sending switch....and everything still works on my car as good as new.

Regards Sonny

[quiksc2]

I'm at 110,000 miles.
Starter, cam gasket. That's it. Well, cam gasket was before the 100,000 mark, though. Starter was like104,000 or so.

[xupthree60]

auto transmition
tam mount
and a dogbone...

and thats it... unless u wanna count the ignitino switch and the fuel guage being weird but thats stuff that was wrong with it when i got it. also the backup light switch was bad on the used tranny i bought, but i cant complain when they left on the hydrolics unbleed, the tranny dogbone and mount, and the icm with coils lol

[redkees@msn.com]

I have two Satty's so I'll post two lists:

1998 SL2, 188,000 bought it new and replaced:

Transmission at 106,000 miles, in a snowstorm, my fault;
Belt tensioner; Idler Pulley
Serp belt;
cam cover gasket.

1998 SL, bought used 8 months ago, 160,000 miles now on it;
Belt tensioner;
Serp belt;
That's it.

Both cars run well, get good gas mileage and I have no complaints.

In fact, If I don't buy a new Saturn in a few years I might buy another
S series maybe from 2001-2002-the last year of production.

It'll be hard to find them because where I am people fall into 2 categories;
those if have wrecked their car by poor maintenance or an accident or
those who love them, and am like me who want to keep them as long as possible.

We'll see, but for right now my two Sattys are taking good care of us.

[Cortana]

Originally Posted by redkees@msn.com

It'll be hard to find them because where I am people fall into 2 categories;
those if have wrecked their car by poor maintenance or an accident or
those who love them, and am like me who want to keep them as long as possible.

Agreed. I lucked out because my 2001 SC2 was sitting on a lot where nobody in the area wants to drive a 5 speed. Their loss

My car search found only two saturns total on car lots; one was on a "Yeah it's beat to hell but we're selling it CHEAP" lot, and the other I bought. I find that probably the strongest point in saturn ownership; I see tons of them on the road but practically none for sale.

** Back on topic **

I've had my 2001 SC2 for 4 days (bought used) and the master/slave clutch cyl went out, does that count?

More the dealer's fault for leaving the piston rod bolt too loose and it shaking around inside the cylinder.

[panic100973]

1997 SL1 with 143,800 miles.

Belt tensioner
Idler pulley
Fuel injector
ECTS

[BigSho]

109k miles

ECTS
seat belt sensor

[MikeH]

ECTS
Alternator
Starter
Idler pulley
Rear brake caliper
TAM engine mount
Ignition switch
Both dogbone mounts
At 165,000 I rebuilt the engine with a 2002 block and new clutch. The old engine looked like the timing chain had been replaced because it had black RTV on the timing cover and the chain was still in good shape.
Have new struts but I've not installed them yet.
Thinking about adding a turbocharger in the spring.

[dave.sl]

Now I see what I meant by jogging the memory. I forgot to mention that on my 98 the CPS sensor and ECTS both went bad, but luckily neither was expensive.

[andy_95sl2]

1995 SL2a- Valvebody, Alternator charging slowly, speakers blown.
1995 SL2a- Clutch, Driver's rear door skin, timing chain, cam cover gasket, possibly rear main seal.

[99blacktop]

Failed? Nothing that couldn't be described as wear & tear except for the horn, no excuse for that to fail. I had some exhaust pieces replaced due to a factory flaw, a couple sensors and a thermostat. I have all my records, but after 34 oil changes, I have a lot of papers that I'm not going to look through. Almost everything on the car is original.

After 8 years and 102,321 miles as of the last fillup, my SC2 is still running with the completely factory original braking system. Who says brakes are "wear & tear?"

[amazinghl]

Oil pan gasket, cam cover gasket, PCV valve, radiator, alternator, top engine mount, ... can't remember...

[quiksc2]

Oh ya, and PCV valve. It actually blew. I think my strut bar was rubbing on it a little.

[SaturnManiac]

I seriously couldn't make a list, because I don't know what's lasted 100K or more because I just got the car in April and haven't put 100K on it and have no previous maintenance records from the car.

[madpogue]

Hm, most of what's listed here is wear-out items (cam cover gasket, serp belt, top engine mount, etc), rather than "components that failed".

1996 SW2, 91,000-ish miles
TPS at 32,000 (they overtorqued the bolts, so had to replace the whole TB a week later)
LR ABS reluctor (who hub replaced) at 43,000
Cruise module at 43,500
Rear sway bar link at 63,500
Rear wiper motor at 72,000
Rocker panels rusting since about 50,000 - finally treated at 86,000

Everything else has been wear-and-tear stuff (TAMS, filters, belt, brakes,

[quiksc2]

I didn't know cam cover gasket was supposed to wear out...

[madpogue]

Well, it sure isn't expected to last the life of the car....

[SL2sleeper]

117,??? Miles
1.valve cover gasket
2.TAM soon to be replaced this week and checking all other mounts at the same time for possible replacement.
3.Radiator installed a new thermostat at the same time (just as a precaution)
4.Alternator
5.Starter
6.ECTS no code thrown but the gauge was acting funny so I checked and sure enough it was cracked.
7.PCV valve
8.Passenger front fender (ice sucks!!) got an exact match for my paint color though .
9.coolant reservoir cap
10.springs, struts, mounts, strut bearings and strut boots come spring. (Should those be individual?)
Number 10 is by choice not because they have failed

Yes all replaced by yours truly no one touches the car but me to many shady mechanics out there looking to replace the camshaft position sensor ha ha ha. I like to know what I am driving not what someone tells me.


ER OUT

[10W30]

1994 SL2 133,000
Radiator
Resevoir
Water Pump
Idler pulley
Alternator
Starter
Power steering pump
Timing chain
Timing chain guides
Timing chain tensioner
Sprockets
#2 Piston
#4 Piston
Rings for all pistons
IAC sensor
ECT sensor
CP sensor
Intake manifold gasket
Exhaust manifold gasket
Clutch
Flywheel
Slave cylinder
Struts
Strut mounts
EGR
Fuel Injectors
Wheel bearing Front driver side
Wheel bearing Front passenger side
Inner tie-rods
Outer tie-rods
Control arm driver side
Control arm passenger side
Emergency brake cable
Downpipe
Catalytic converter
Exhaust pipe
Muffler
Rear passenger door sills rusted
I'm sure there is more, but that's all I can think of for right now. I know it seems like alot. But I've owned it now for almost 5 years, and have done all the work myself.