Aguecheek, I assume that it was a recall, but the work was done at the dealer while the car was under an extended warranty.
I could be wrong. It’s my wife’s car and she takes it to the shop, not me.
As a former Service Advisor for a Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep Dealership, do NOT buy a Neon. Any year.
First, there are NO recalls on the Neon Headgasket problem. Chrysler has realized the problem and will sometimes cover it, depending on the year and mileage. They pay for the headgasket its self and the labout, but not the $60 - $100 of extra stuff (fluids, etc). Neon’s are also notorious for a/c problems. As well as water leaks…blah blah on and on
The newer Neon’s have electical problems. Trust me on this. I don’t wanna rag on the Neon’s but… well, if the shoe fits…
Despite the hokey “Dja git enuf BarBQ Earl?” TV ads back then, I bought an Aquamarine 94 Saturn SC2 new and it is now my second car, with only 55,000 miles on it.
Replaced the battery THREE times in the first two years. Replaced the alternator in year three.
However, other than the electrical, it has been a great car and I intend to run it to the ground as my “drive to work” car.
My air conditioner just died three weeks ago and I haven’t had time to take it to a garage…does anybody know if the 94 SC2 model still uses the old freon gas, or the newer ecologically sound fluid?
At any rate…I too looked at a Neon when I was shopping around back then…the Neon seemed too much like a stripped-down East German car. I will say, however, Neon had more room…I’m pretty tall and the moonroof cuts even more space away…tight fit…and the backseat is really comfortable for anemic 6 year olds. No other human being or large animal should ever try to get back there.
P.S. to Arken above…I have never been to a Starbucks in my life. I prefer locally run cafe’s.
[hijack]Lady Venom, was it a dealership in Ottawa? Mine came from Capital City Dodge. 'Twould be very amusing if so.[/hijack]
Thanks for the info, cornflakes and Lady Venom. Looks like I’m not gonna get the gasket replaced after all. Oh well, I’ve got me an Elantra now. Which is doing fine, as well.
Ex-1996 Neon owner here. Yes, the engine started leaking oil like crazy. It was about the only problem we had with the car, however. The reason we got rid of it and kept my Sundance, however, was the physical construction of the car. It drove fine (it was a sports model, had a peppy 5-speed, and very easy on gas), but we couldn’t see out the side windows or the back window, and we sat so low it was a huge pain to get in and out of the car. And the back seat was a joke. My vision of the perfect economy car would be the Sundance body and interior (that is one surprisingly comfortable car!), and the Neon engine and handling.
spooje-
Keep in mind that the Saturn S-Class will be gone after the 2002 model year. The new ION will be replacing it, and from the rumors I’ve heard, it will be a much better car. So, if you can stand to wait till the fall, it might be worthwhile.
-Andrew L
Aguecheek - Yes, it was Capital Dodge lol
spoooooooooooooky!!
I’ve got a 1997 Neon (Highline DOHC). I’m not going to say it’s a bad car, but it has quite a few “minor” problems in its life. The leaky head gasket was replaced with a “deductable” (dealer’s words) of $100. There is also something very screwy with the electrical system. It has chewed up way more than its share of spark plugs and spark plug wires. Occasionally, the car will start, idle roughly (due to misfiring), and turn the “Service Engine Soon” light on. Then, we go in and replace either the spark plugs or the wires (or both) and go on our happy way. Apparently, this misfiring is spreading carbon all over the engine, too. Said carbon plugged up the catalytic converter (replaced under warranty). Oh, and the “exhaust donut” broke. And the switch for the oil light (would come on as I turned corners. Very annoying!)
Oh, and the squeaky brakes! Any other Neon owners have this problem? Any rainshower, car wash, or humid summer day will cause the brakes to SQUEEALLLL. The dealership says that there is nothing you can do about it and blames “non-asbestos brakes”. OK, I don’t think asbestos has been used in brakes for quite a while. Many cars on the road today are my car’s age or newer. Do they have that loud, embarrassing squeal? Do their fathers-in-law come up to them all the time saying, “You’d better check those brakes!” :rolleyes:
I’ve never had any water leak or A/C problems, though…knock on wood.
When it’s behaving itself, though, it’s a fun car to drive, and the interior is quite roomy for its size. It handles well and has quite a bit of power. It was cheap, too…at one year old, it was much cheaper than any used Saturn at the time. And you can carry mid-sized adults in the back seat if you need to.
If you don’t have time to visit the dealership for a lot of niggling little problems, you probably want to skip the Neon. I had heard that they fixed most of the problems in the post-2000 ones, but as Lady Venom says, they probably haven’t.
YES!!! I forgot that you have to make a stop or two in the morning to de-squeak the brakes!
DOH! I can’t believe I forgot the brakes on the NEON’s. They’re notorious for squeeky brakes because of the metalics in the pads. Nothing you can do to stop them. The Neon’s brake pads are of unusual size. So chances are you wouldn’t be able to buy other pads from other manufactures and change em. The best way to stop them from doing this is to brake hard a few times as soon as you start driving. DON’T be suckered into frequent brake cleanings as this will not help Neons.
I forgot about the misfiring thing too. How could I forget? They do seem to go thru a lot of plugs and wires.
Oh my god, the brakes! I remember the first time that ever happened, I thought the wheels were going to fall off! Never had any misfirings or wiring problems (OK, one taillight, but I fixed it myself in about 1/2 an hour. No biggie.)
Lady Venom, mayhaps you sold the car to my parents! If so, apparently you’ve got a lot to answer for…
Seriously, each owner has been quite happy with it, so no one’s getting any complaints here.
I don’t know what exactly your requirements are, or whatever else you have looked at, but it just might be worth your time to look into a Honda Civic. My brother just bought one, and it is very spacious, meets cost well, and honda has an incredible reliablitily history. My sister still drives an 86 accord without problems.
Hondas have very good reputations, but I will point out one thing: Hondas are amongst the most stolen cars (if not the most), while no one steals Saturns. This can be a good thing in terms of insurance rates…
I just bought a Saturn SC2 yesterday, so I can’t really say anything other than that I liked the styling, and it drove really smoothly on my first day. For the first time in my life, I was able to play a CD on I-94 (aka Craters of the Moon Memorial Highway) and not have it skip. My sister has had a Saturn SL1 since last august, and it hasn’t given her any trouble at all. Saturn has a very good reputatiion for reliability and good service.
I have had a 1991 SL1 4-door (silver) and now have a 1999 SC2 (gold). I was fond of the SL1; I adore the SC2! It is one of only two cars in my life that I literally fell in love with at first sight.
It has a moon roof. Or sun roof. Depending on when you’re driving it. I feel good when I drive this car.
My only beef is that the service division is too attentive. I don’t want to fill out any more forms rating the service when I just have an oil change. I don’t want reminder post cards sent to me so I’ll fill out the damned form. I just want my service done. . . and then leave me the hell alone!
I totally recommend the Saturn product otherwise.
According to my Haynes Repair Manual, 1994 and earlier use R-12 (the older kind).
Now, wheteher you’re going to find any…
I didn’t SELL the cars. I was a service advisor!! I was the person who tells you that you need to spend xxx on your blown catamaran joint ** grin **
I own a Saturn, and my husband works at Starbucks. muahahaha…
Anyway, back to the OP: I own a dark green 97 SL-2, and I absolutely love it. I’ve had it for about 1-1/2 years, with hardly a problem (all problems caused by environment etc, not by car). It has about 51k on it, and I expect to have it for at least 8 more years. Only issue I have with it (and these may have been changed on more recent models): trunk lid doesn’t stay up when parked on a hill (owie on the head!).
For more info, check out the Car Talk section of Cars.com. They have an ongoing poll, and you can read all about what other owners have said. It’s very helpful.
Good luck – I highly recommend a Saturn!
I have a '94 Saturn SC1…Medium Red, 5-speed. It’s been good for me mostly. I’m around 145,000 miles now and it burns a qt. of oil every 1500 miles. I’m disappointed in that because I’ve changed the oil every 3,000 to 5,000 miles since I bought it. It’s also had a leaky driver’s side door since I bought it. One year I took it to the dealership 6 times to fix and they never were able to. I eventually stopped caring and now use a towel for the driver’s seat whenever it rains.
Other than that…no major problems other than a clutch at 75,000 miles.
Thanks galen ubal!
I hope I don’t have to have a complete airconditioner re-build $$$$…and as I live in Las Vegas, it’s kindasorta nice to have airconditioning in a car.
I forgot to mention…I hear that Saturn S models are still being built by the good 'ol boys in Kentucky, but the other models are now sneakily being built in Detroit - much to the aggravation of the people in the Springhill(sp?) location. For that reason, I heard the S model quality is far better. I’m not sure if I read that in Consumer Report or where, but at the time it seemed like a credible source of information.