| 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
Expensive Saturn S-Series repairs by problem area
Engine (38%)
Transmission and Drivetrain (14%)
Brakes and Traction Control (3%)
Suspension and Steering (31%)
Electrical and Air Conditioning (14%)
Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (0%)
Other (0%)
Chart based on 29 repairs.
Saturn S-Series repair cost distribution
$2500+ (5%)
$1000 - $2499 (95%)
$500 - $999 (0%)
$100 - $499 (0%)
< $100 (0%)
Chart based on 19 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.
2002 Saturn S-Series 4dr Sedan
100-horsepower 1.9L I4 5-speed manual FWD
| 39000 mi US $1100 |
Head gasket replacement. |
| 250480 mi C $310 |
Actual problem part was the control arm, which included the tie rod end. |
| 247720 mi C $282 |
Muffler replaced under warranty, but center pipe not covered by warranty and also required replacement. I believe the labour was also not covered by warranty; just the muffler part itself. |
| 255720 mi C $300 |
Front "flex" pipe was replaced. |
| 256680 mi C $2486 |
Clutch pressure plate, disc, and release bearing were replaced...clutch was beginning to occasionally "slip", but I could probably have "nursed it" for awhile longer. Had noticed a bit of whine and suspected wheel bearings; shop confirmed they were bad while it was in for the clutch replacement. Lower control arm (with ball joint attached) were replaced during visit to replace clutch. |
| 260400 mi C $197 |
Replaced front pads, rotors, and left front caliper, $120 Replaced both front headlight assemblies. Bought parts online for $76.95 total with free shipping. |
| 264120 mi C $144 |
Wheel bearings got noisy after only 11,000 kms since previous replacement in September, 2015. Found new shop that quoted 1/3 the cost of my usual shop to replace the bearings, so I tried them out. Excellent, fast work. |
2002 Saturn S-Series 4dr Sedan
100-horsepower 1.9L I4 4-speed automatic FWD
| 168000 mi US $1200 |
The entire exhaust system, including the catalytic converter and muffler, was replaced. |
2002 Saturn S-Series 4dr Coupe
124-horsepower 1.9L I4 5-speed manual FWD
| 238000 mi US $1500 |
Too many parts replaced to count. Most parts were original. Many suspension, brake, and drive train parts replaced. Engine rebuilt. Clutch replaced. |
2002 Saturn S-Series 4dr Coupe
100-horsepower 1.9L I4 4-speed automatic FWD
| 102000 mi US $1500 |
Intake manifold gasket Solenoids |
2001 Saturn S-Series 4dr Sedan
124-horsepower 1.9L I4 4-speed automatic FWD
| 150000 mi US $1850 |
Rebuild tranny 60k miles. Change the fluid every year! This one was on me I'm pretty sure. Otherwise good...new starter and radiator...ok for 148K miles. |
| 143000 mi US $190 |
Water pump replacement, it appears that after ~140k miles the original water pump developed a small leak. Replaced by dealer with OEM part without incident or hassle. Dealer price was competitive with independent shops in area. |
| 153000 mi US $1200 |
Had a lot of preventative work done, the actual required repair was swaybar links, struts were very worn as well so we had the struts and mounts replaced along with the actual failed swaybar links. All repairs completed in ~5 hours. |
2001 Saturn S-Series
4-cylinder automatic 2WD
| 92000 mi US $150 |
Replace OEM headlight assemblies with 3rd party parts purchased online. The exterior lexan (?) was beyond polishing to get clear. |
| 108000 mi US $200 |
Short draining battery led to Body Control Module. BCM replaced. BCM had to be reflashed. The dealer did it incorrectly and a local shop knew more about it and reflashed it while on the phone to GM engineers (like the dealer should have done). Saturns are more difficult to flash than most cars. Rear brake job done including new cylinders. master cylinder had an internal leak, replaced it. |
| 117000 mi US $710 |
water pump, serp belt, replaced starter |
| 117000 mi US $260 |
Replaced rear sway bar links. One broken off, one frozen. |
| 148000 mi US $1000 |
Strut spring broke on the highway, digging into the wheel and rendering the car undrivable, needed tow. |
2000 Saturn S-Series 4dr Sedan
100-horsepower 1.9L I4 5-speed manual FWD
| 101000 mi US $1500 |
AC repaired O2 sensor repaired |
1999 Saturn S-Series
Engine not specified
| 147200 mi US $1500 |
Transmission was broken and they pulled a JY trans and installed it in this car. The only problem is that the 3rd gear synchronizer doesn't work...JY did not give us a good part. |
1999 Saturn S-Series 4-door
4-cylinder manual 2WD
| 104900 mi US $350 |
Manual shift linkage broke, car stuck in second gear. |
| 106100 mi US $1200 |
NY State inspection. Brakes and struts needed to be replaced. |
| 116000 mi US $200 |
exhaust repair |
| 193800 mi US $127 |
A/C Fix: Replace discharge hose seal at compressor. Evacuate, Recharge system & check for other leaks. Replace shrader valves (owner's part from OEM parts dealer). |
| 209000 mi US $680 |
Intermittent starting problems. Starter replaced with remanufactured starter. Water pump replaced. Previous pump lasted only 34,000 miles. |
| 225000 mi US $140 |
Crack in Coolant Reservoir. Replaced with OEM. |
| 238300 mi US $341 |
New radiator. I was planning to go on an 800 mile trip so I had my mechanic do a thorough look-over. He detected a crack. |
| 251000 mi US $1300 |
FWD front wheel bearings bad. Replaced wheel bearings. Replaced tie rods and control arms. |
1998 Saturn S-Series 4-door
4-cylinder automatic 2WD
| 145000 mi US $1800 |
EGR Valve malfunctioning, causing service engine light to come on. The EGR valve was then replaced. One power window was non-functional; two other power windows were somewhat functional but moving very slowly. Had three window motors and windows replaced. |
| 61000 mi US $2200 |
Catalytic converter near engine block |
1998 Saturn S-Series 2-door
4-cylinder automatic 2WD
| 157000 mi US $347 |
AC compressor would not engage. Low refrigerant. Due to leaking Shrader valves, which were replaced. |
| 159000 mi US $1435 |
Radiator started a slow leak. The radiator had to be replaced. Original radiator. Temps are in the 100s for 50 days or more each summer here. Steering rack had to be replaced. Original one was wearing, starting to leak and the power steering fluid was getting very dark. Flushed the fluid, replacing it with new after the rack was replaced. |
| 162000 mi US $950 |
High pressure valve in the transmission stuck, creating a very high pressure that had the transmission fluid pushing out past the transmission spin-on filter gasket. |
| 167500 mi US $355 |
Replaced passenger side inner and outer CV joints after outer CV joint boot failed. Was original |
| 169100 mi US $550 |
Replaced all motor mounts. Most were original. Had shrunk and loosened. Runs much smoother and quieter now. |
| 170000 mi US $399 |
Air conditioner compressor stopped engaging. Due to refrigerant loss caused by original O seals on hose fittings having shrunk. The compressor seal, non-repairable, also showing signs of slight leaking. Still operable. Coolant pressure cap was leaking slightly. |
1996 Saturn S-Series 4-door
4-cylinder manual 2WD
| 178000 mi US $1300 |
Previous replacement of cylinder head did not stop high oil consumption issue. Engine completely rebuilt by owner from the ground up. New oil return rings used, oil drain back holes added to pistons. New compression rings added of course. |
1996 Saturn S-Series 2-door
4-cylinder manual 2WD
| 307000 mi US $2500 |
Replaced worn-out struts, springs, control arms, tie rods, and all bushings we could easily get to. |
1995 Saturn S-Series 4-door
4-cylinder automatic 2WD
| 143500 mi US $120 |
Brake line developed a leak. Leaking parts replaced. |
| 142000 mi US $2000 |
Engine lost power, broken piston. Pulled engine and rebuilt it. |
| 236900 mi US $1600 |
Automatic transmission was failing to settle into reverse and 2nd |
See TrueDelta's information for all Sedans
See TrueDelta's information for all Saturn models.
