2003 SATURN L200 Complaints

MY 2003 SATURN L200 HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE GENERAL MOTORS PASSLOCK ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM. THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF AFTER BEING STARTED AND THE PASSLOCK LIGHT BLINKS ON AND OFF. AFTER RESEARCHING ONLINE, I FOUND A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THEIR GM VEHICLES. SINCE IT APPEARS THAT THERE MAY BE A PROBLEM WITH THE PASSLOCK SYSTEM, I WAS HOPING SOMEONE WOULD LOOK INTO SIMILAR COMPLAINTS TO SEE IF A RECALL WAS NECESSARY. *JB

TL*- WHILE DRIVING A 2003 SATURN L 200 AT A SPEED OF 25 MPH THE WIRING HARNESS FROM THE STEERING COLUMN CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE CONTACT HAD TO PULL VEHICLE OVER AND TURN THE POWER COMPLETELY OFF. WHEN CONTACT TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF THE WIRING HARNESS STOPPED BURNING. BEFORE INCIDENT THERE WAS NO PRIOR WARNING. THE CONTACT TOOK VEHICLE INTO DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE WIRING HARNESS. *AK

TL* - THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE SITTING AT A STOP ON 12/30/06 THE CONTACT TRIED TO ACCELERATE TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC ON A 50 MPH HIGHWAY AND THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE, BUT THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT VEHICLE WOULD NOT TRAVEL AT AN ACCELERATED SPEED. WHILE TRYING TO ACCELERATE THE VEHICLE MADE A LOUD NOISE LIKE METAL GRINDING ON METAL. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO GET VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AND SHE TRIED AGAIN TO GET VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE, BUT IT WOULD NOT. THE CONTACT CALLED FOR ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE, AND HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO SATURN OF HOLLAND. THE CONTACT DID CALL EDSATURN, AND FILED A COMPLIANT ,AND WAS GIVEN FILE# 1-22553734 FROM CUSTOMER SERVICE.*AK THE AXLE CV JOINT FAILED. THE INNER SPLINES STRIPPED AND THE OUTER AXLE CRACKED. UPDATED 01/29/07. *JB

TL* - THE CONTACT'S 2003 L SERIES SATURN WAGON STALLED. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER IN GREENSBORO, NC. NO WARNING LIGHTS OR NOISES WERE EXPERIENCED. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 72 MILES AN HOUR AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, THE CAR DRIFTED AFTER IT LOSS POWER AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THE WARRANTY ENDED 3 TO 4 MONTHS AGO AND SHE INCURRED THE COST FOR THE REPAIRS. THE CONTACT REVIEWED A NOTICE ON NHTSA WEBSITE DEFECT PETITION DATED JANUARY 23, 2006 STATES NUMBER PE06006 WHICH STATES THAT THE TIMING CHAIN CAN CAUSE FAILURE AND STALLING.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE BOLT THAT HELD THE REAR LEFT SEAT BELT TO THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE DETACHED FROM THE FRAME, RENDERING THE SEAT BELT USELESS. 5 MONTHS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT, THE SAME SITUATION OCCURRED WITH THE REAR RIGHT SEAT BELT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHERE THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT BOTH SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ENTIRELY. THERE WERE NO IMMEDIATE REPAIRS MADE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO NOTIFIED, WHO OFFERED A REBATE OF 100 DOLLARS TOWARD THE REPAIR OF THE ASSEMBLIES. UPDATED 12/15/2006 - *NM

2003 SATURN L200 WITH 48,000 MILES DIED WHILE DRIVING. WE HAD TO QUICKLY SWERVE TO OPPOSITE SIDE OF ROAD WHERE THERE WAS A SHOULDER IN ORDER TO GET OUT OF THE TRAFFIC LANE(NO SHOULDER ON THE LANE WE WERE IN). CAR WAS TOWED, AND WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A BROKEN TIMING CHAIN, PROBABLE ENGINE DAMAGE, AND POSSIBLE FUEL PUMP FAILURE. SINCE I JUST PUT A NEW ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY IN THE VEHICLE THREE WEEKS PRIOR, I CONTACTED MANUFACTURER AND TALKED WITH DEALER ABOUT WORKING WITH ME TO FIX THIS CAR. THEY WOULD NOT EVEN DISCUSS NEXT STEP UNTIL I AUTHORIZED (PAID FOR) A $750 TEAR DOWN OF THE MOTOR TO "FULLY DIAGNOSE" THE PROBLEM. I REFUSED TO TO AUTHORIZE, BECAUSE ALL OF THE BURDEN AT THAT POINT WOULD BE ON ME, WHATEVER HAPPENED. SITUATION WAS NEVER RESOLVED; I TRADED THE CAR (AT A DRASTIC REDUCTION OF VALUE DUE TO ITS NON-WORKING CONDITION). *NM

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON - FOUND OUT THAT GAS CAP DOES NOT STAY SECURE AND WILL HAVE TO HAVE GAS CAP REPLACED - I COULD NOT LOCATE ANY DAMAGE TO CAP THIS STARTED IN AUGUST OF 2006 - I ORIGINALLY THOUGHT I WAS NOT SECURING GAS CAP BUT I MADE SURE IT CLICKED AND WHEN I PULLED ON IT - CAME RIGHT OUT THIS MORNING. *NM

ON JANUARY 30, 2006, MY 2003 L200 WOULD NOT START. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO SATURN OF THE VALLEY WHERE I HAD PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW IN OCTOBER, 2002. THEY DETERMINED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS A FAILED FUEL PUMP THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AT THE TIME, THE VEHICLES MILEAGE WAS 58,270. THE TOTAL COST OF REPLACEMENT CAME TO $553.79 INCLUDING PARTS, LABOR AND APPLICABLE TAX. SUBSEQUENTLY, ON SEPTEMBER 25, 2006, I TOOK MY 2002 L200 TO SATURN OF THE VALLEY WHERE I HAD PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW IN OCTOBER, 2001, DUE TO A POSSIBLE FUEL PUMP LINE LEAK THAT HAD BEEN DISCOVERED ON THE PRIOR SATURDAY, 9/23/06, BY THE FIRESTONE FACILITY WHERE I HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE FOR SERVICING BECAUSE I COULD SMELL GAS COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. SATURN OF THE VALLEY DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL PUMP LINES WERE LEAKING AND THAT THE FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AT THE TIME, THE VEHICLES MILEAGE WAS 75,202. SATURN OF THE VALLEY AGREED TO COVER THE COST OF THE PART BUT I PAID THE LABOR. SUBSEQUENT TO THIS, I WROTE TO SATURN CUSTOMER SERVICE AND REQUESTED THAT THEY COVER THE COST OF THE PART WITH REGARD TO THE 1/30/06 2003 L200 FUEL PUMP FAILURE. I EXPLAINED THAT THE FUEL PUMP FAILURE WAS DUE TO A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT, AS THE SAME PART FAILED ON BOTH OF MY VEHICLES OF THE SAME MODEL, ONE PRODUCTION YEAR APART, PURCHASED NEW AT THE SAME FACILITY, AT RELATIVELY LOW MILEAGE. SATURN CORP. DENIES THAT THERE'S A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT ON THIS PART. HOWEVER, SATURN HAS DISCONTINUED PRODUCTION OF THE L SERIES MODEL VEHICLES. THIS IS HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS AND WARRANTS AN INVESTIGATION TO DETERMINE IF A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT IS AT FAULT. *JB

I LEFT MY HOUSE (RELEASED MY PARKING BRAKE) AND WENT FOR A SHORT DRIVE 3-4 MILES. MY BRAKES FAILED AND THE REAR BRAKE OVERHEATED AND SMOKE BEGAN BILLOWING OUT FROM THE WHEEL. MY MECHANIC AND I CHECKED THE CAR AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE CABLE SHOWED A COMPLETE CORROSION BREAKDOWN OF THE CABLE SHEATHING. THE CAR IS RELATIVELY NEW 2003, I HAVE OWNED THE ENTIRE TIME, NO ACCIDENTS OR ANY SERVICE WHICH HAS NOT BEEN DONE BY THE DEALER. THERE IS NO CORROSION ON ANYTHING ELSE ON THE UNDERCARRIAGE. THE CABLE SEEMED TO BE INSTALLED WITH A LOOP WHICH POOLED MOISTURE AT A LOW POINT IN THE SHEATHING CASE OF THE CABLE. THE SHEATHING COMPLETELY CORRODED AT THAT POINT. THE SATURN DEALERSHIP WAS NOT INTERESTED IN INVESTIGATING MY PROBLEM AND I WENT TO A PRIVATE SERVICE STATION. THE CABLES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND POSSIBLY DOWN THE ROAD THE CAR WILL NEED A NEW DRUM DUE TO THE OVERHEATING. *NM

SINCE PURCHASING MY SIX MONTH OLD CAR IN 2003 I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS. I'VE HAD A SEAT BELT BUCKLE REPLACED, I'VE HAD MY RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BEARING REPLACED, I'VE HAD THEM LOOKING THE BACK END OF MY CAR FOR A VIBRATION THAT WONT GO AWAY WHEN EVER I TURN THE AIR OR HEATER ON, WHICH THEY SAY THEY CAN'T FIND AND DON'T HEAR. MY REAR WINDSHIELD LEAKS BADLY. AND TODAY ONLY TWO AND A HALF YEARS AFTER I GOT MY CAR, MY BRAKES FAILED ME TWICE, THE SECOND TIME HAVING ME DIVE IN TO A CURB TOTALLY DAMAGING MY TIRE AND THE STEERING IN MY CAR, AND THE AIR BAGS NEVER WENT OFF. GOING TO FILE WITH INSURANCE AND TAKE TO REPAIR SHOP. *JB