2000 SATURN LS Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SATURN LS1. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE ENGINE MADE A LOUD NOISE, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, AND THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY LOST POWER. THE VEHICLE CRUISED TO A STOP AND TRIPLE A WAS CALLED TO TOW IT TO THE DEALER. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED AND WOULD COST $2,700 TO REPLACE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 121,000.

TIMING CHAIN FAILURE ON 2000 SATURN LS1 MODEL. FAILURE CAME UNEXPECTEDLY. LOOKING INTO IT, I FOUND DOZENS OF OTHER SATURN OWNERS WHO EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS SIMPLE FAILURE HAS DAMAGED MY ENGINE. I AM FACING A MINIMUM OF $2600 IN REPAIRS TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THIS SEEMS TO BE AN PERSISTENT PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE. MECHANICS I HAVE CONSULTED STATE THAT THEY HAVE SEEN THIS HAPPEN MANY TIMES BEFORE. *TR

TIMING CHAIN BROKE ON 2000 SATURN L200 CAUSING BENT RODS AND ENGINE FAILURE. SATURN ESTIMATES COST OF REPAIRS TO BE $2000-3000. I HAVE BEEN READING OF THE CURRENT NHTSA INVESTIGATION OF 1999-2003 SATURNS AND THE HIGH OCCURRENCE OF TIMING CHAIN FAILURES. I DO HOPE SOMETHING CAN BE DONE FOR SATURN TO RECALL AFFECTED VEHICLES. *TR

MY 2000 SATURN LS1 WAS RUNNING PERFECTLY FINE. I CAME BACK TO MY CAR AFTER WORK AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT WOULDN'T START AT ALL. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO A SATURN DEALERSHIP, WHO THEN TOLD ME THAT IT WAS A FAULTY TIMING CHAIN. *TR

2000 LS1 WITH APPROX 75000 MILES STARTED MAKING A PUTTING/FLUTTERING NOISE. TOOK TO DEALER WHO STATED TIMING CHAIN COVER HAD A HOLE FROM THE TIMING CHAIN DUE TO THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER FAILING. REPLACED THE TIMING CHAIN, CHAIN COVER, AND TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER. WORK DONE ACCORDING TO STATEMENT... CHAIN, CAMSHAFT TIMING - REPLACE... CHAIN PKG, GASKET-EN,SEAL ASM, COVER ASM, OIL CHANGE. LOOKED UP INFO ON INTERNET AFTER FRIEND STATED UNUSUAL THAT TIMING CHAIN WOULD FAIL UNDER 100,000 MILES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SATURN LS1. WHILE THE CONTACT'S SPOUSE WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH ONTO THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE SHUT COMPLETELY OFF AND COULD NOT BE RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN SNAPPED AND BENT THE VALVES AND THE HEAD. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V579000 (POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT) WAS REFERENCED FOR THE 2001 SATURN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 58,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000. UPDATED 09/10/08 *BF UPDATED 09/15/08 *JB

2000 SATURN WITH BROKEN TIMING CHAIN CAUSED DAMAGE TO ENGINE. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN BREAKING CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. SHE STATES THAT UPON HER RESEARCH THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH SATURN VEHICLES. *KB CONSUMER WROTE IN ON BEHALF OF HER FATHER-IN-LAW. *JB

I HAVE BEEN INFORMED BY MY RELIABLE, CARING MECHANIC THAT MY TIMING CHAIN IS ABOUT TO GO OUT AND NOT TO DRIVE ANY DISTANCES OR IT COULD BE DANGEROUS. I HAVE TAKEN PROPER CARE OF MY CAR WITH REGULAR OIL CHANGES. THIS PART SHOULD LAST THE LIFETIME OF MY CAR. I CANNOT AFFORD TO FIX IT AND FEAR THE DANGER OF DRIVING IT. *TR

CAR STOPPED BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY AT MY HOME - WOULD NOT RESTART - BATTERY OK. TOWED TO DEALERSHIP IN OAK LAWN IL -- ADVISED $2,500.00 REPAIR TO SNAPPED TIMING CHAIN AND RELATED ENGINE DAMAGE. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2000 SATURN LS 1 FROM CARMAX WITH 63,000 MILES ON IT IN SEPTEMBER, 2007. SINCE FEBRUARY, 2008, I HAVE SPENT MORE THAN $2,600 IN REPAIRS ON THE CAR; $1,600 WAS THE TIMING CHAIN WHICH BROKE WHEN THE CAR ONLY HAD 73,000 MILES ON IT! I WAS TOLD THIS WAS NOT A TYPICAL PROBLEM AND THAT IT WAS EARLY FOR IT TO HAVE BROKEN. I SEE THROUGH MY RESEARCH THAT THIS IS NOT UNTYPICAL AND IS A FREQUENT PROBLEM. *TR