general problems of the 1999 Saturn SC1

Today I went to put my 1999 5 speed Saturn Sc1 into reverse. When I did, I felt a pop and was stuck in reverse. After removing the console, we found that the plastic bushing holding the gearshift rod to the cable had snapped. (luckily I was in a parking lot when this occurred). This could've been a dangerous situation. Saturn refuses to sell the bushing by itself and will only sell it as a part of a $250 gearshift cable kit, even though the bushing is the only broken part. The service/parts employee acknowledged that this is a common problem, and if the bushing were made of metal and not plastic it probably wouldn't have broken. We temporarily wired the rod to the cable to get home, but do not feel safe driving the car until it is permanently fixed. It is a rip-off that Saturn will not sell the replacement part for a reasonable price.