2003 SATURN L200 Complaints

BODY-CONTROL MODULE FAILURE: WITHIN 3 MONTHS OF EACH OTHER, THE BODY-CONTROL MODULE (BCM) AND ENGINE COOLANT THERMOSTAT HAD TO BE REPLACED. SATURN DEALER, ON 3/28/2009 TOLD ME THAT THE BCM, IF NOT REPLACED, COULD LEAD TO SERIOUS FAILURES, SUCH AS FAILURE TO START, OVERHEATING AND OTHER PROBLEMS. OVER PRIOR SEVERAL WEEKS, THERE WERE INTERMITTENT READINGS ON DASHBOARD, INCLUDING CHECK ENGINE, SERVICE ENGINE, AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT AND ABS WARNING LIGHT. APPARENTLY NOTHING WRONG WITH THE ENGINE, AIRBAG OR BRAKES THEMSELVES, BUT THE BCM WAS GOING BAD, CAUSING THE READINGS ON DASHBOARD. BCM REPLACEMENT APPROX. $450 AND ENGINE COOLANT THERMOSTAT REPLACEMENT COST APPROX $300. *TR

REARENDED AND SHOULDER STRAP FROM SEATBELT DIDN'T LOCK, I BUMPED MY HEAD ON THE STEERING WHEEL, AND SPRAINED MY LEFT SHOULDER; HEATING SYSTEM POPPED ON AT IMPACT AND NOW IT WON'T BLOW. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN L200. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED OR EVEN WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN PARK, THE HEADLIGHTS TURN ON AND OFF, THE GAUGES CONSTANTLY FLASH ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, THE DOOR LOCKS WILL LOCK AND UNLOCK THEMSELVES, AND THE WINDOWS WILL ROLL DOWN AND BACK UP AUTOMATICALLY. THE WINDOWS ARE CURRENTLY INOPERATIVE DUE TO THIS FAILURE. WHENEVER THE CONTACT DRIVES THE VEHICLE, HE SMELLS BURNING WIRES, BUT THERE IS NO SMOKE. HE FEELS THAT THE VEHICLE IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THEY STATED THAT THE BODY CONTROL MODULE WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT DID NOT GET THE VEHICLE REPAIRED BECAUSE HE BELIEVES IT SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER A RECALL DUE TO THE SAFETY RISK INVOLVED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE OWNER WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 115,000.

I WAS DRIVING MY KIDS TO SCHOOL DOWN THE LEFT HAND LANE OF INTERSTATE 290-IN CHICAGO,WHILE IN THE FLOW OF THE MORNING RUSH HOUR, WHEN SUDDENLY, WITHOUT ALERT OR WARNING LIGHT, MY CAR LOST ALL IT'S POWER, CAUSING NUMEROUS CARS THAT WERE DIRECTLY BEHIND AND NEXT TO ME, TO SWERVE OFF THEIR DESTINED LANES-AVOIDING A CHAIN REACTION PILE UP. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET MY KIDS SAFELY OUT OF THE CAR AND ON TO THE SIDE OF THE EXPRESSWAY, IF IT WERE THE WAY AROUND I DON'T THINK I WOULD BE ALIVE RIGHT NOW. IN TOTAL, THERE WERE 7 CARS INVOLVED IN THE ENTIRE ORDEAL. LUCKILY NONE CRASHED INTO EACH OTHER BUT THEIR OCCUPANTS WHERE SEVERELY SHAKEN UP BY THE INCIDENT. ALL PULLED OVER TO AWAIT A PATROL MAN WHO WAS VERY CONCERNED AND UNDERSTANDING ABOUT THE ENTIRE SITUATION. MY VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO MY MECHANIC, WHO COULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED. HE HAD SERVICED AND INSPECTED THE VEHICLE A FEW DAYS BEFORE. ALLEGING THAT THE VEHICLE INDEED HAS BEEN SERVICED, MAINTAINED AND INSPECTED REGULARLY. A FEW DAYS LOOKING INTO THE CAR HE FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS INDEED A TIMING CHAIN FAILURE. AS HE LOOKED FURTHER IN TO THE CAR HE SAW THAT OIL WAS ENCRUSTED ALONG THE WALLS UNDER THE MANIFOLD AND THAT THE INDICATION OF THAT WAS POOR LUBRICATION TO THE CHAIN AND TENSIONER. THE REPAIR WILL COST ME AN ESTIMATED 900-1200 DOLLARS. NOT TO MENTION THE POSSIBILITY OF REPLACING THE ENTIRE ENGINE WHICH WOULD COST ABOUT 3500 IN TOTAL. MY CAR HAS ONLY 83,000 MILES, IT WAS BOUGHT USED WHEN IT HAD 17,000 MILES ON IT. WHEN I BOUGHT MY SATURN L200 IN 03', I WAS BOUGHT OFF BY IT'S STRIKING EFFICIENCY AND SAFETY FEATURES, TO THE POINT WHERE SAFETY WAS NEVER AN ISSUE UP UNTIL NOW. AS A HIGHLY RESPONSIBLE AND EXPERIENCED DRIVER, I WAS CAUGHT OFF GUARD WITH THIS INCIDENT. I SINCERELY HOPE THAT THIS ISSUE WITH THE TIMING BELT ON THIS CAR IS CAREFULLY CONSIDERED AND CORRECTED BEFORE IT CAUSES DEATH. I WOULD BE MORE THAN WILLING TO PROVIDE YOU WITH AN "IN DEPTH DIAGNOSIS" AND PARTS IF NEEDED. *TR

ODO ~82000. I WAS DRIVING NORTH ON M-39 WHEN I NOTICED SEVERAL DASH LIGHTS ILLUMINATE: ABS, TC AND THEFT (THERE MAY HAVE BEEN MORE, BUT I AM CERTAIN THAT IT WAS NOT ALL OF THE DASH INDICATORS). THE VEHICLE WAS STILL RUNNING AT THIS POINT. MOMENTARILY, THOUGH, THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER (NOT LIKE A STALL, BUT JUST LIKE IT WENT DEAD SINCE ALL DASH LIGHTS HAD GONE OUT). IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO NAVIGATE THE VEHICLE SAFELY TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC WITHOUT THE ASSISTANCE OF POWER BRAKES OR POWER STEERING. AFTER STOPPING THE VEHICLE, I RECYCLED THE IGNITION AND THE VEHICLE OPERATED NORMALLY THE REST OF THE WAY HOME (~20 MILES) AND TO WORK THE NEXT MORNING. EARLIER THAT MORNING WHILE STOPPED AT AN INTERSECTION LIGHT, THE ABS, TC AND THEFT LIGHT ALSO ACTIVATED, THOUGH THE VEHICLE DID NOT EXPERIENCE A SHUT DOWN/POWER DOWN, OR EVEN A STALL. I CONTACTED SATURN OF PLYMOUTH AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AGREED TO RESEARCH THE ISSUE AND CONTACT ME BACK TO SET UP AN APPOINTMENT TO BRING THE CAR IN. PRIOR VEHICLE HISTORY WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT BE RELEVANT TO THIS ISSUE: 1) IGN MODULE REPLACED UNDER RECALL, 2) HEADLAMPS FLICKER OCCASIONALLY AND INTERMITTENTLY UNDER CHANGES IN VEHICLE ELECTRICAL LOAD ' THIS HAS OCCURRED EVER SINCE I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE NEW, BUT GM SAYS THIS IS "NORMAL OPERATION", 3) BATTERY & STARTER REPLACED FALL 2007. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR HELPING TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. IT IS A VERY SCARY FEELING TO EXPERIENCE SUDDEN VEHICLE SHUTDOWN AND DRASTIC CHANGE IN STEERING AND BRAKE PERFORMANCE. *TR

THE TIMING CHAIN ON MY 2003 SATURN L200 WITH 108,000 MILES IS ABOUT TO FAIL AND APPARENTLY THERE IS A KNOWN (NHTSA INVESTIGATED EVEN) PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES. $1300 I DON'T HAVE TO FIX IT. THIS IS ALONG WITH A SERIES OF AIR CONDITIONER PROBLEMS (IMPROPER TUBE MOUNTING SUCH THAT IT WORE THROUGH) COSTING OVER $1000 DOLLARS SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING WHEN THE VEHICLE STOPPED RUNNING. WHILE THE FUEL PUMP NEEDED REPLACEMENT, IN FACT IT APPEARS THAT THERE WAS WIDE SPREAD ELECTRICAL DAMAGE. THE DAMAGE IS IDENTICAL TO THE DAMAGE DESCRIBED IN SATURN RECALL 03V231000. I CONTACTED SATURN, BUT THEY SAY THAT THE RECALL DOES NOT COVER MY CAR. BASED ON THE SYMPTOMS, IT'S POSSIBLE THAT IT SHOULD COVER MY PARTICULAR VEHICLE. MY VIN NUMBER IS . SATURN DID ASSIGN A CASE NUMBER TO THIS INCIDENT, CASE NUMBER 71-654487537, HOWEVER, THEY CLAIM NO RESPONSIBILITY. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY SATURN L200 ON A COUNTRY ROAD AT ABOUT 35 MPH. THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STOPPED RUNNING, AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THE CAR BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER AND STOP WITHOUT THE POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. I CAME CLOSE TO RUNNING INTO A DITCH AS A RESULT OF THE DIFFICULTY IN CONTROLLING THE CAR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN L200. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND THE CONTACT COULD NOT GET IT TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC AND THEY STATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED FOR THE SECOND TIME IN SEVEN MONTHS. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 93,800 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 81,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN L200. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SHUT OFF AND WAS UNABLE TO BE RESTARTED. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE VEHICLE HESITATED WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND THEY STATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 84,000.