Getting a good price on a car may not be all it’s cracked up to be, especially if it’s an older vehicle with less mileage or if it’s priced to sell quickly. Recently, Sherwood from Royalty Auto Service added another issue to be wary of: Parts availability.
Royalty Auto Service (@royaltyautoservice) has gained a large following on TikTok with straightforward and honest advice about car maintenance and buying cars. Videos like what happens when mechanics look over the whole vehicle and what do with your car at 100,000 miles have garnered thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of views.
In a recent video, Sherwood garnered over 330,000 views when he discussed two cars you should avoid buying under any circumstances.
Should you avoid buying Saturns?
The first car on the list is Saturn. According to Car and Driver, Saturn was a U.S. company that disbanded in 2010. As a GM subsidiary opened in 1985, the company represented GM’s attempt to compete with Japanese automakers.
“There’s quite a few Saturns for sale out there for really, really low prices. The problem now is that the car’s haven’t been built in so long. Some of those parts are really hard to get. Lots of people buying the car are like, ‘Oh I can get a really cheap car with good mileage,’ but you take it into the shop and you can’t get parts,” Sherwood said.
Car and Driver agree with Sherwood’s assessment and also warns potential buyers about buying Saturns because an owner will have to “spend time and money” to get their car repaired. Also, fewer and fewer shops stock the parts needed for repairs, and finding these parts could end up costing you way more than a part was worth.
A SAAB Story
The second vehicle to avoid is SAAB. Sherwood explains that SAAB had a niche market and were great cars back in the day. Though he says they are still a fun collector’s item, he warns everyday car shoppers to avoid buying any SAAB that’s priced cheaply.
“If you are buying a SAAB cheap, do not buy that SAAB, because that car is going to be very difficult to find parts for,” Sherwood said.
He added that the programming software is hard to find and getting parts is even harder.
“When they put [parts] on Ebay they are crazy expensive. We had to buy a joint for a top motor assembly, and we had to buy it with the joint and arm on. It was originally $30 and we ended up paying $500 for that part,” Sherwood said.
SAAB Planet, a SAAB-enthusiast website, reports that the cars are still very reliable, and can be a great family car. However, parts are expensive and hard to find. To avoid issues later down the line, SAAB Planet suggests getting “insurance that you will also be able to get spare parts for the car.” Luckily, the site also points potential buyers to the SAAB aircraft manufacturer for parts and explains that SAAB parts have been renamed as Orio AB.
Viewers defend the two car brands
Many viewers defended their Saturns and SAABs
“Still driving my 2004 Saturn VUE. Base model with a manual transmission. So simple to work on,” one said.
“I love my SAAB,” another added.
“My boss drove a Saab for 25 years that car never broke down,” a user replied.
Others recalled issues with the two brands.
“Saab – electrical problems. My friend had one, what a pita,” a user said.
“My Saab came from the factory with a tool kit. That should have been my first clue. Still, I loved that thing,” a second recalled.
“I had a friend who had a Saturn. In 2015 she was having problems trying to get the thing an oil change,” a third added.
@royaltyautoservice Save yourself the pain of these two vehicles! #buyingacar ##mechanicsoftiktok #mechaniclife #cartok #saturn #saab #autorepair #automotive #car #dealership #duet #stitch #fyp #foryou #viral ♬ Pop beat BGM / long version(1283324) – nightbird_bgm
The Daily Dot reached out to Royalty Auto Service via TikTok Comments and contact form.
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