this problem came up today. never had any issues with it slipping or with difficulty shifting.

179k miles.

if the car is not running, the clutch feels fine. if it's running and in neutral, the clutch feels fine but i can't shift it into gear. if the car is in first and i start it, it lurches forward very roughly and if i start to go, it'll go, but it's very hard to shift from 1st to 2nd, but i can't get from 2nd to 3rd or 4th.

any ideas?

sounds like you need a new clutch to me, or maybe the hydrolics, etherway, its not fully releasing

sounds like you need a new clutch to me, or maybe the hydrolics, etherway, its not fully releasing

new clutch being the hydraulics, the pressure plate, and the flywheel? cuz from what i've heard, if it were the pressure plate or the flywheel, it would show symptoms gradually such as slipping and difficulty shifting. and i've never had that problem.

the local dealership is telling me that the master cylinder, the slave cylinder, the pressure plate, and the flywheel all need to be replaced at a nice chunk of 1700 bucks in change. and i just can't believe that the whole system would just blow all at once.

i don't know if it's relevant or not, but the last month or so, it's been revving high in neutral from time to time. doesn't do it very often, but it's done it a few times

Before you do anything, check the fluid level in the clutch master cylinder. Sierrap615 is right. It's not releasing all the way which means low fluid, bad master or slave cylinder or air in the line.

a basic clutch job includes for any car the clutch plate, pressure plate, throw-out bearing, and servicing the flywheel as needed(can't tell til you get in there). anything more then that is dependent on the manufactior. Saturn also includes the hydraulic system(which is the master and slave cylinders) because the hardware and hydraulic have about the same amount of life spans. chances are, if one is bad the other is soon to follow. just like every time you change the oil you change the filter too. not fully releasing may be the hydraulics, but can also be the hardware, maybe the throw-out bearing worn down, or the plate binding on the input shaft, or something else?

start by checking the clutch fluid, check both the level and color(dark brown = bad)

is the reving in neutial only while moving or stoped also?