Honda Car Forum

My daughter wants to purchase a 1999 Saturn SC2 from Carmax. Can I get
input on this car? Good gas mileage? Maintenance? Any major problems
seen with this model (not just one person's car, but in general for
this car)?

Also, what is the last year they made this car?

Thanks for your help!

cynthia

On Tue, 07 Aug 2007 16:38:38 -0700, poppymommy wrote:

> My daughter wants to purchase a 1999 Saturn SC2 from Carmax. Can I get
> input on this car? Good gas mileage? Maintenance? Any major problems seen
> with this model (not just one person's car, but in general for this car)?
>
> Also, what is the last year they made this car?
>
> Thanks for your help!
>
> cynthia


Buy a Honda and drive in peace. Or a Toyota.

<poppymommy@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1186529918.358768.147150@j4g2000prf.googlegro ups.com...
> My daughter wants to purchase a 1999 Saturn SC2 from Carmax. Can I get
> input on this car? Good gas mileage? Maintenance? Any major problems
> seen with this model (not just one person's car, but in general for
> this car)?
>
> Also, what is the last year they made this car?
>
> Thanks for your help!
>
> cynthia
>

Recommend you find a Saturn newsgroup or post on a GM site. Doubt many
Honda owners have experience with the Saturn.

On Tue, 7 Aug 2007 19:54:18 -0400, "tww1491" <twaugh5@cox.net> wrote:

>
><poppymommy@gmail.com> wrote in message
>news:1186529918.358768.147150@j4g2000prf.googlegr oups.com...
>> My daughter wants to purchase a 1999 Saturn SC2 from Carmax. Can I get
>> input on this car? Good gas mileage? Maintenance? Any major problems
>> seen with this model (not just one person's car, but in general for
>> this car)?
>>
>> Also, what is the last year they made this car?
>>
>> Thanks for your help!
>>
>> cynthia
>>
>
>Recommend you find a Saturn newsgroup or post on a GM site. Doubt many
>Honda owners have experience with the Saturn.
>

Only what I read in the Saturn newsgroup. The biggest issue with
these cars is oil consumption due to ring problems. If the oil level
is not maintained, reduced oil pressure to the timing chain tensioner
may promote chain wear (assuming you don't fry the engine first.)
Cracked heads and bad head gaskets affect certain models. Alternators
often fail as do engine mounts. The ATs sometimes fail. Rust around
the windshield and other places is a problem.

They seem to get pretty good mileage, especially the 8-valve engine.
Routine maintenance is pretty cheap.

I think '99 was the last year for the S series. Some of the problems
may have been fixed by then, but knowing GM I wouldn't count on it.

Gordon McGrew <gRmEcMgOrVeEw@mindspring.com> wrote:
> On Tue, 7 Aug 2007 19:54:18 -0400, "tww1491" <twaugh5@cox.net> wrote:
> ><poppymommy@gmail.com> wrote in message
> >news:1186529918.358768.147150@j4g2000prf.googlegr oups.com...
> >> My daughter wants to purchase a 1999 Saturn SC2 from Carmax. Can I get
> >> input on this car? Good gas mileage? Maintenance? Any major problems
> >> seen with this model (not just one person's car, but in general for
> >> this car)?
> >>
> >> Also, what is the last year they made this car?
> >>
> >> Thanks for your help!
> >>
> >> cynthia
> >
> >Recommend you find a Saturn newsgroup or post on a GM site. Doubt many
> >Honda owners have experience with the Saturn.
>
> Only what I read in the Saturn newsgroup. The biggest issue with
> these cars is oil consumption due to ring problems. If the oil level
> is not maintained, reduced oil pressure to the timing chain tensioner
> may promote chain wear (assuming you don't fry the engine first.)
> Cracked heads and bad head gaskets affect certain models. Alternators
> often fail as do engine mounts. The ATs sometimes fail. Rust around
> the windshield and other places is a problem.

I actually drove a 94 SC1 MT until about 4 months ago when I got a 2007
Civic coupe, so I have direct experience (my wife drove an SW2 for a
while, too, but she's had a Civic sedan for 4 years now). Oil problems
are true, but if the oil is changed absolutely regularly without fail, it
*usually* doesn't crop up. A/C evaporator went on mine, and it's behind
the dash, so it would've cost a lot to replace. SW2 had the oil problem,
and also some kind of valve-body AT problem that would've gotten worse,
but she took it to a Carmax to sell it. Caveat Emptor... :-) I had my
alternator fail, as well as an engine mount, but generally they're fairly
maintenance-free, and it is fairly cheap to get done... Hope this helps.

brian
--
If you want to reply to this message by mail, you will
have to change the reply address to beuchaw@beuchaw.net

<poppymommy@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1186529918.358768.147150@j4g2000prf.googlegro ups.com...
> My daughter wants to purchase a 1999 Saturn SC2 from Carmax. Can I get
> input on this car? Good gas mileage? Maintenance? Any major problems
> seen with this model (not just one person's car, but in general for
> this car)?
>
> Also, what is the last year they made this car?
>
> Thanks for your help!
>
> cynthia
>
Mistake 1: Buying a Saturn.
Mistake 2: Buying it from Carmax.

Seriously, buy a Honda.

"Paul" <pkmueller@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message news:wSoui.44732$Um6.12094@newssvr12.news.prodigy. net...
> Mistake 1: Buying a Saturn.

I could agree on this, but it is only a taste choice.

> Mistake 2: Buying it from Carmax.

What is wrong with buying at Carmax?

"Pszemol" <Pszemol@PolBox.com> wrote in message
news:f9cra5.2uns.0@poczta.onet.pl...
> "Paul" <pkmueller@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
> news:wSoui.44732$Um6.12094@newssvr12.news.prodigy. net...
>> Mistake 1: Buying a Saturn.
>
> I could agree on this, but it is only a taste choice.
>
>> Mistake 2: Buying it from Carmax.
>
> What is wrong with buying at Carmax?



There is no one statement to cover *all* Carmax's, and over any
given period of time, some Carmax's that were good go bad and
visa versa.