welcome to the world of saturn!

wow, that's not good, be sure to let us know what it is/was

Cmon dont be nockin saturns. I had an s series that had 160k miles on it without a prob. The redlines are in its first year of production so there are probobly a few kinks that could be worked out. Its probobly somethin very small, so dont sweat it.

Redlinekid_04 said:

Cmon dont be nockin saturns. I had an s series that had 160k miles on it without a prob. The redlines are in its first year of production so there are probobly a few kinks that could be worked out. Its probobly somethin very small, so dont sweat it.

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Thank you, all first year production cars have some bugs to work out. It's a price you have to pay by any manufacturer if you want the car right away...

Tom

Exactly dudes.

The RL is my 3rd Saturn. I had a 2000 SL with 105K that NEVER gave me a lick of trouble. My wife's VUE (before the wreck) was the same way at 38K. If she wouldn't have had that accident, there is no doubt in my mind that vehicle would have easily made it to the 100K+ mark as well.

I just started having a tranny leak problem with the RL but they are putting a new tranny in it for me so..............we'll see.

One of the reasons that I went with this car is because out of all small cars around, Consumer Reports has rated it one of the most reliable. I think it was #3 with only the corolla and civic ahead of it. I don't know about other saturns, but the ion is quite dependable. And statistics don't lie. Will there be problems specific to the redline add-ons? Surely. But not to the same tune that SRT-4 owners are having them, which is one other reason why I didn't get one of those. . .

shaneathan said:

Will there be problems specific to the redline add-ons? Surely. But not to the same tune that SRT-4 owners are having them, which is one other reason why I didn't get one of those. . .

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The only issues with the SRT4 that I have heard of and seen to be honest is a TPS issue (something with the wiring seems to be a problem on some of the cars) other than that the car seems to be problem free. The only other thing I can think of was the VERY early 2003 models some people had clutch issues but this issue has not resurfaced as of late.
Of course all cars have their issues some more than others...lets just hope for your guys sake these tranny issues are isolated and NOT something to be concerned about for new RL purchasers!

I know my SRT4 has had ZERO issues thus far in the year I have been driving it at over 20000 miles without a hiccup in the slightest. The car is modded (runs low 13's on street tires and traps consistently 108+mph) again zero issues here!

Thanks for the input on the SRT-4. We're all happy that you have had zero problems. The reality is again, that statistics do not lie. The ion will, statistically speaking, be much more reliable than the neon. Don't get me wrong, I love the SRT-4, I just wanted something which was a bit more reliable and that handled better. Again though, a nice car still.

If you thought that the redline was going to be a economical car and reliabilty was a concern, then you should have got the ion qc3. These are performance vehicles and werent tailored around economical standards, they were tuned for more of a fun cruising car. Now dont get me wrong im not saying that this car isnt reliable, like i said ive had my other saturn that had over 160k miles with performance mods and it didnt have any problems. What im saying is with a tuner car, there is alot more stress on them so of course things might go wrong with them especially being first year productions. Saturn corporate is new to the performance scene so they didnt know what to expect or how the car would do. dont worry give em a chance, im sure they will be more than willing to help.

Last time I checked I didn't say a word about "economy." I did say something about "reliability." Check Websters--they aren't the same thing. I don't mind paying for premium gas and $100 tires. But I do need a car that can get me to where I need to go everyday and not spend the whole time in the shop. . . Tuner problems aside, the ion is a very reliable car in general . .

shaneathan said:

Thanks for the input on the SRT-4. We're all happy that you have had zero problems. The reality is again, that statistics do not lie. The ion will, statistically speaking, be much more reliable than the neon. Don't get me wrong, I love the SRT-4, I just wanted something which was a bit more reliable and that handled better. Again though, a nice car still.

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Comparing the Ion and the Neon in regards to reliability/quality and then relating that the the SRT4 makes no sense though...yes the SRT4 IS a neon at heart but...

100% different drivetrain (motor, tranny, axles, etc)
different suspension, different brakes, you get the point.

The two cars in no way shape or form relate in regards to a quality or reliablility aspect...much like I would not compare the Ion and Redline in the same respect!

Hope that helps clears somethings up and hopefully we will all share ZERO problems in the future!!

Mike Candler

You make a good point. Still, the majority of the parts on both of our cars are still ion/neon, and they are manufactured on the same lines. Just so you know, the neon is not an unreliable car. It actually is above average, just not as high as the ion (which, sans the redline trim) is a piece of trash. So yes, you can't do the reliability comparison straight up, but with some adjustments the comparison is still valid. If you call consumer reports and ask they will make the prediction of the reliability of an srt4 or redline based upon the base vehicle. Is it 100% accurate? No, but it is the best indicator of what you can expect. . .

Ive had enough about the darn neon stabs at the srt owners. ANY car that you maintain (change oil ,rotate tires,etc) WILL last. You cannot judge an srt4 for bein non reliable because some lil kid drove around in his neon without changin the oil, and racin around bein dumb. Thats why the other neons had problems. And ive heard of people sayin saturns are crap because they break so much . Its not a problem with the car its a problem with the owner. sorry had to get that out, Cant we all just get along?? At least we are both domestics!

As for the Economical thing shane, it wasnt directed at you. i was saying in general; if someone bought a redline because they wanted good gas milleage, easy maintnance, and Room for 4 large people and a canoe, then maybe this isnt the car they should have bought.

Redlinekid_04 said:

Ive had enough about the darn neon stabs at the srt owners. ANY car that you maintain (change oil ,rotate tires,etc) WILL last. You cannot judge an srt4 for bein non reliable because some lil kid drove around in his neon without changin the oil, and racin around bein dumb. Thats why the other neons had problems. And ive heard of people sayin saturns are crap because they break so much . Its not a problem with the car its a problem with the owner. sorry had to get that out, Cant we all just get along?? At least we are both domestics!

As for the Economical thing shane, it wasnt directed at you. i was saying in general; if someone bought a redline because they wanted good gas milleage, easy maintnance, and Room for 4 large people and a canoe, then maybe this isnt the car they should have bought.

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Could not agree more!! This is one of the largest issues I feel in regards to American "quality" I mean the car is cheap...so what buyers do you generally get...well cheap ones LOL.

Thanks for sticking up for us silly Neon owners , I have actually owned 4 neons now (if you include the SRT4) and I have to say I have yet to have any major issues with the cars in regards to qualitly or reliability and I am sure that the Ion/Redline owners that care about their cars can say the same!

Redlinekid_04 said:

Ive had enough about the darn neon stabs at the srt owners. ANY car that you maintain (change oil ,rotate tires,etc) WILL last. You cannot judge an srt4 for bein non reliable because some lil kid drove around in his neon without changin the oil, and racin around bein dumb. Thats why the other neons had problems. And ive heard of people sayin saturns are crap because they break so much . Its not a problem with the car its a problem with the owner. sorry had to get that out, Cant we all just get along?? At least we are both domestics!

As for the Economical thing shane, it wasnt directed at you. i was saying in general; if someone bought a redline because they wanted good gas milleage, easy maintnance, and Room for 4 large people and a canoe, then maybe this isnt the car they should have bought.

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Ok. At any rate, changing the oil and rotating your tires is not going to do a lot for the first years of reliability. If the molding comes off, if the window motors break, if the suspension breaks or the transmission leaks, well I don't think WD40 will fix those. But anyway, this is beating a dead horse so I'm done. No stabs at srt-4 owners though. besides styling and handling, i love the srt-4. It was the runner up to my redline . . .

MikeCandler said:

Could not agree more!! This is one of the largest issues I feel in regards to American "quality" I mean the car is cheap...so what buyers do you generally get...well cheap ones LOL.

Thanks for sticking up for us silly Neon owners , I have actually owned 4 neons now (if you include the SRT4) and I have to say I have yet to have any major issues with the cars in regards to qualitly or reliability and I am sure that the Ion/Redline owners that care about their cars can say the same!

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I'd have to agree. The reliabilty (at least mechanically) of the RL and SRT-4 are going to vary from their inferior twins, lol.

Anyways, I absolutely love the SRT-4's. Don't like most of the drivers of them, but that's a different story. I almost bought one, but the RL came out on top due to $$$. It was a way better bang for the buck with the deal I got. I think the RL was very much detuned from GM, and I can't wait to see what's in store for it. I'll hopefully lay some pretty impressive times for it when I do race it (note she is my daily).

Tom

I didn't think I saw anyone address your problem yet. So I will

Your car is not starting because of a failed cam sensor. Your car will read having fuel pressue and spark. The same exact thing happened to my car. More than likely your saturn dealership isn't going to have it in stock and they will probably have to order it from tennessee. They have a TSB out for this.

Warm up your car and it wont die. I had a string when it just got cold and My car was having problems. I let it warm up for atleast five minutes and it's fine now.

HersheyRedLine said:

I didn't think I saw anyone address your problem yet. So I will

Your car is not starting because of a failed cam sensor. Your car will read having fuel pressue and spark. The same exact thing happened to my car. More than likely your saturn dealership isn't going to have it in stock and they will probably have to order it from tennessee. They have a TSB out for this.

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The TSB is for the gasket and sensor since they leak oil. Has nothing to do with the starting of the car.

alright well I'm finally home from work... and my car was towed to the dealer about an hour after i called the dealer... the tech told me all four spark plugs were fouled, and they didnt have the plugs in today so they will replace them on monday and start the testing. hmm no spark plugs in? couldnt have gone to murrays for a set. but anyways, Im glad it happened now instead of something goign wrong while it gets put away in the garage hopefully in a couple weeks. the only thing im worried about is that my first new car will be in the shop more than out.... i see a lot of problems here and there with redlines.

In no way did i start the thread to knock saturn... my family happens to own three of them.... my redline, my mothers 04 4door ion, and a 92 scd2.

Im just a lil disapointed that not even 3 months with the car and 2000 miles, its already in the shop.