8.0

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$20
Average Mileage:
128,000 miles
Total Complaints:
1 complaints

Most common solutions:

  1. replace gaskets (coil pack gaskets are no fun to set in) (1 reports)
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problem #1

Mar 202016

L100 L 2.2L V4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 128,000 miles

Saturns are actually quality and easy to maintain vehicles. When it comes to the valve cover and valve cover gaskets, it not extremely hard, and not extremely easy. GM did not build aluminum lines for the gaskets to sit on near the inside of the block, so the coil pack gaskets are not connected to the outer ring; most valve cover gaskets are. GM also did not set the lugs for the valve to sit attached to the engine after the cover is removed; instead, they used bolts (most likely cheaper to mass produce). This makes aligning the gasket more difficult because you cannot just sit the gasket on the block, using the lugs as place holders, and then place the cover on top. You have to put the gaskets on the cover, begin to set in place, and hope that gravity will not knock them loose and fall somewhere under the cams. Yes, it is not easy, but compared to a lot of other cars (German anything), it is not the worst thing in the world. Always remember though, Saturns are not actually that bad, just not popular.

- jhinton, Clayton, NC, US