2002 SATURN LS Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN LW300. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED THERE WAS A GASOLINE ODOR. IT OCCURRED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF OR WHEN IT REMAINED ON CONTINUALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK 3.5 MILES THE VEHICLE STOPPED. INSPECTION CONFIRMED A BROKEN TIMING CHAIN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L200. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 65 MPH THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST POWER WITHOUT WARNING AND STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED BY ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE THAT THE TIMING CHAIN WAS FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC SHOP WHO CONFIRMED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD FRACTURED AND THE VALVES WERE BENT ABNORMALLY. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT HE WOULD REPAIR THE VEHICLE AFTER CONTACTING THE MANUFACTURER. THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,000.

I HAVE DISCOVERED THE CAUSE OF THE EXTREMELY HIGH FAILURE RATE IN THE BCM'S IN THE SATURN L-SERIES SEDANS. IN AN INVESTIGATION TO FIND THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE FAILURE OF THE BCM, WE PULLED THE BCM OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND PERFORMED ELECTRICAL TESTS ON THE UNIT TO DETERMINE THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEMS WE WERE EXPERIENCING. THE ROOT CAUSE TURNS OUT TO BE MICROSCOPIC FRACTURES IN THE SOLDER JOINTS ON THE HEADER CONNECTOR BETWEEN THE BCM AND THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS. THESE FRACTURES ARE BELIEVED TO BE CAUSED BY IMPROPER MOUNTING OF THE HEADER CONNECTOR TO THE MAIN BOARD OF THE BCM. AS THE MANUFACTURE OF THE HEADER CONNECTOR HAS PROVIDED STRAIN RELIEF MOUNTING POINTS ON THE CONNECTOR TO KEEP IT WELL MOUNTED TO THE BOARD SO VIBRATION WILL NOT AFFECT THE JOINTS TO ALL OF THE PINS. SATURN HAS FAILED TO USE THESE MOUNT POINTS AND HAS OPTED TO NOT USE ANY MECHANICAL DEVICE OR BOLTS TO SECURE THE HEADER CONNECTOR TO THE MAINBOARD AT ALL. THIS ULTIMATELY LEADS TO THE VIBRATION CAUSED MICRO FRACTURES IN THE PIN SOLDER JOINTS CAUSING INTERMITTENT ELECTRICAL OPENS TO THE MAINBOARD ON THE HEADER PINS.THE ULTIMATE SAFETY COMPLAINT COMES INTO PLAY WHEN THE BCM STOPS DISPLAYING INFORMATION ON THE DASH (I.E. ALL OF THE DASH GAUGES GO DEAD), THE DRIVER HAS NO IDEA OF WHAT SPEED THEY ARE DOING, NOR IF ANY OF THE SAFETY SYSTEMS IN THE VEHICLE ARE WORKING AT ALL. THE ELECTRICAL ENGINEER THAT SIGNED OFF ON THE PLANS FOR THIS DESIGN SHOULD HAVE AN ETHICS VIOLATION COMPLAINT FILED AS WELL, FOR KNOWINGLY ALLOWING THIS TYPE OF PRODUCT TO GO INTO FULL PRODUCTION PUTTING THE GENERAL PUBLIC SAFETY INTO QUESTION. *TR

THERE IS A STRONG FUEL ODOR IN THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE AND FUEL DRIPPING UNDERNEATH. *TR

THE TIMING CHAIN ON MY 2002 L200 WITH 75,000 MILES SNAPPED WHILE DRIVING LOST CONTROL, BUT WAS ABLE TO GUIDE THE VEHICLE TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD WITH OUT BEING HIT THANKFULLY. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE 2001 MODEL BUT THE 2002 WAS NEVER ISSUED. *TR

I OWN A 2002 SATURN L200 WITH ABOUT 74,000 MILES. MY WIFE NOTICED A FAINT GAS SMELL COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE CAR. A VISUAL INSPECTION BY MY MECHANIC DIDN'T SHOW MUCH. HOWEVER WITHIN A FEW DAYS THE LEAK HAD GOTTEN MUCH WORSE SO THAT GAS COULD BE SEEN LEAKING FROM THE TOP OF THE TANK. I HATE TO THINK WHAT WOULD OF HAPPENED IF MY WIFE AND CHILDREN WERE IN THE CAR AND THE GAS LEAKED A FEW MORE INCHES TOWARD THE MUFFLER. ON SEPTEMBER 14, 2010 I HAD THE FUEL PUMP MODULE (PART 22710031) REPLACED AT A COST OF $655.87. I SEE OTHER SATURN OWNERS HAVE HAD THE SAME DANGEROUS PROBLEM. WHY HAS THIS NOT BE RECALLED? LAST YEAR THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE AND WRECKED THE ENGINE. ALSO A COMMON, BUT AS OF YET, NOT RECALLED PROBLEM. AT LEAST THAT WOULDN'T HAVE SET THE CAR ON FIRE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L200. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A FUEL ODOR WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS IDLE. THERE WAS ALSO A LEAK COMING FROM THE FUEL TANK. THE DEALER WAS INFORMED ABOUT THE LEAK AND STATED THAT HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 91000.

DRIVING TO SCHOOL. TIMING CHAIN BROKE ON 2002 SATURN L100. MECHANIC COST $1,900 TO FIX. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L200 SEDAN. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT STATED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED JUST BEFORE THE FAILURE OCCURED. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE BUT IT WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND THE MECHANIC ADVISED HER THAT THE TIMING CHAIN NEEDED REPLACING. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,000.