2003 SATURN L300 Complaints

2003 SATURN L300 HAS FIRESTONE TIRES THAT ARE DRY ROTTED. *NJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE CAME EQUIPPED WITH 5 TUBELESS RADIAL FIRESTONE TIRES WHICH CARRIED A MANUFACTURER'S DATE OF 2002. YESTERDAY, THE CONSUMER NOTICED THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE HAD A GAP AROUND THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE FACE OF THE TIRE WHERE IT JOINED THE TREADS. *JB

SATURN 2003 L300, PURCHASED NEW, MULTIPLE ISSUES. INTERIOR LIGHTS FLICKER. CAR WILL NOT START WHEN GAS IS UNDER 1/4 TANK, DEALERSHIP SAYS OPERATING PER DESIGN. IGNITION, KEY FROZE, WOULD NOT TURN, KEY STUCK, CAR HAD TO BE TOWED, IGNITION REPLACED. MAJOR ISSUE: STEERING. INTERMEDIATE SHAFT HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE. IN ADDITION TO GEAR BOX. PROBLEM MAKES STEERING LOOSE, CLUNKING FEEL AND NOISE WHEN TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT. *TR

FUEL PUMP FAILURE -- DISINTEGRATED. HAVE OVER $1,000 OF REPAIRS. THIS IS ON TOP OF $400 REPAIRS LAST MONTH TO REPLACE THE HEATER CORE AND A RECOMMENDED $600+ TO REPLACE THE OIL COOLER HOUSING. THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 80,000 MILES ON IT AND IS NOT PAID OFF FOR 2 MORE MONTHS. I'VE GONE TO THE WEBSITE WWW.CARSURVEY.ORG AND MANY OTHERS ARE HAVING SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS WITH THIS AS WELL. LUCKILY, THE PUMP DIDN'T DISINTEGRATE WHILE WE WERE DRIVING, UNLIKE SOME OTHER OWNERS. *TR

AFTER TURNING ON MY LEFT BLINKER, SMOKE STARTING COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. I HAD IT REPAIRED THIS MORNING AT THE SATURN DEALERSHIP. I OVERHEARD TWO OTHER CALLS OF THE SAME PROBLEM. IN FACT, ONE OF THE SERVICE ADVISORS TOLD THE CUSTOMER NOT TO USE THEIR BLINKERS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNED A 2003 SATURN L300. THE CONTACT'S ATTORNEY STATED THAT A FORD VEHICLE LOST CONTROL AND STRUCK THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE ON THE DRIVER SIDE. THE CONTACT'S WIFE STRUCK HER HEAD ON THE LEFT SIDE AND HER HAIR WAS CAUGHT IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR. THE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RESTRAIN HER AND SHE DIED DUE TO HER HEAD INJURY. HER SON, SEATED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT, WAS PROPERLY RESTRAINED AND SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. A SAFETY RESTRAINT EXPERT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT SHOWED WITNESS MARKS OF PROPER RESTRAIN, BUT THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT DID NOT SHOW ANY WITNESS MARKS. PARKER HEIGHTS POLICE FILED REPORT NUMBER 05-00081. THE DEALER AND SPEED INFORMATION WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 40,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN L300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE RECENTLY RAN OUT OF WARRANTY AT 45,000 MILES. THREE SEPARATE FAILURES HAVE OCCURRED ON THE VEHICLE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE MECHANIC DIAGNOSED IT AS ELECTRICAL FAILURE. FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ENGINE EXPERIENCED MASTER ENGINE FLOW FAILURE. THREE MONTHS LATER THE ENGINE FAILED AGAIN. THE CONTACT HAS SPENT ALMOST $1,200 ON REPAIRS. HE HAS CONTACTED THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU AND THEY REFEREED HIM TO NHTSA. THE DEALER OFFERED TO PROVIDE A WARRANTY FOR THE VEHICLE DUE TO THE NUMBER OF FAILURES. HOWEVER, THE DEALER DOES NOT KNOW WHY THE FAILURE RATE IS SO HIGH. THE CONTACT CALLED SATURN WHO STATED THAT HIS DESCRIPTION OF THE FAILURES LACKED MECHANICAL KNOWLEDGE. SATURN WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE AN EXPLANATION, BUT RESPONDED BY STATING, "DIDN'T WE HELP YOU OUT BY EXTENDING THE WARRANTY TO FIX THE ISSUE?" THE MANUFACTURER AND THE DEALER BOTH REFERRED THE CONTACT TO ONE ANOTHER. HE STATED THAT SATURN DOES NOT WHAT ANY PART IN THE MATTER AND HIS VEHICLE DOES NOT FALL UNDER THE LEMON LAW FOR HIS STATE. THE ENGINE SIZE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 44,000.

HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE PASS LOCK SYSTEM ON THE 2003 SATURN L300. OUT OF THE BLUE THE CAR WON'T START. SOMETIMES THE PASS LOCK LIGHT COMES ON AND SOMETIMES IT DOES NOT. IF A WAIT ABOUT 10 MINUTES AND THEN TRY TO START THE CAR IT WILL WORK. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING EVERY DAY FOR THE PAST WEEK. BASED ON MY ONLINE SEARCH, IT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF GM CARS ARE EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM. SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE.*AK

PURCHASED 2003 SATURN L 300 ON MARCH 24, 2007 AND HAD IT IN THE SHOP ON APRIL 2, 2007 AND APRIL 9, 2007 WITH SAME PROBLEM. INTERIOR LIGHTS, HEADLIGHTS, AND FAN PULSATE WHICH COULD CAUSE A SAFETY HAZARD ON THE HIGHWAY. THE LONGER YOU DRIVE IT THE MORE IT HAPPENS. THEY SAY IT IS NORMAL.*AK

DT*: THE CONTACTS STATED AFTER DRIVING LONG ENOUGH FOR THE MOTOR TO GET WARM THE HEADLIGHTS FLICKER FROM DIM TO BRIGHT. THIS IS A CONTINUOUS PROBLEM. IF THE HEATER OR AIR CONDITIONER FAN IS TURNED ON, THE FLICKERING BECOMES MORE RAPID. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS FOR THIS PROBLEM. BOTH THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER DETERMINED THIS WAS NORMAL OPERATIONS FOR THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE.

SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER IN ENGINE, HAD TO PULL OFF ROAD. ENGINE DID NOT STALL. AFTER 5 MINUTES AT IDLE, WAS ABLE TO CONTIUE. FIRST HAPPEND IN JUNE 2004. MILEAGE NEAR 35000 ON CAR. DEALERSHIP REPLACED TANK FUEL PUMP, SAID IT WAS OVERHEATING AND FAILED. NON SHELL GAS HAS BEEN USED. MAY 2005, MILEAGE NEAR 52000, EXACT SAME PROBLEM. DEALERSHIP WAS PERPLEXED.