2000 SATURN LS Complaints

MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING OUR 2000 SATURN LS1 IN DOWNTOWN LOUISVILLE, KY ON 12/19/06. THE CAR DIED AS SHE WAS DRIVING. SHE WAS ABLE TO GET OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. SHE WAS CARRYING TWO SMALL CHILDREN IN THE CAR AT THE TIME. AFTER ANALYSIS BY A MECHANIC IT WAS FOUND THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKEN AND RUINED THE ENGINE. ESTIMATED REPAIR COST IS $4000. I AM TURNING THE CAR IN FOR SALVAGE. *NM

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE WAS ON NHTSA WEBSITE AND FOUND THAT HER 2000 SATURN L SERIES HAD BEEN RECALLED DUE TO THE IGNITION MODULE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RECALL ON THE WEBSITE WAS IN AUGUST 2003. SHE HAS ALREADY HAD THIS REPAIR DONE, AND STILL HAVE THE REPAIR ORDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE DID GET A RECALL ON THE SAME VEHICLE FOR HER BRAKE LIGHT BUT NOT FOR THIS RECALL. THE RECALL STATED THAT PROBLEMS WITH IGNITION MODULE MAY CAUSE PROBLEMS WITH THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND CONTACT HAS HAD THIS REPAIR DONE ON VEHICLE ALSO. TELESIS WILL CALL THE CONTACT AND GIVE HER THE INFORMATION IN THE FAQ. UPDATED 2/22/2007 - *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE PARKING THE VEHICLE IN THE GARAGE, AND TURNING THE KEY TO THE OFF POSITION, THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN. A FUSE WAS PULLED TO STOP THE ENGINE. IT STARTED ON ITS OWN ONE HALF HOUR AFTER THE FUSE WAS REPLACED. THE DEALER WAS ALERTED.

THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT OF MY 2000 SATURN SL2 COMES ON AND THEN THE REDUCED POWER LIGHT COMES ON AND THE POWER IS REDUCED AND THE CAR STOPS AND WILL NOT RESTART. THE REDUCED POWER AND SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT COMES ON AND THE CAR STOPS AND STALLS IN BUSY TRAFFIC, OR ANYWHERE THE WHEN THE LIGHTS COME ON , THE CAR THEN HAD TO BE TOWED BY AAA ON SATURDAY TO MY HOME AND AGAIN ON MONDAY TO DEALERSHIP AFTER STOPPING IN BUSY MORNING TRAFFIC, WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THE DEALERSHIP HAS CHARGED ME OVER $925. THEY REPLACED THE ECM, BUT THE CAR IS STILL NOT STOPPING AND THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON AND REDUCED POWER LIGHTS ARE STILL ON. *JB

I WAS DRIVING MY 2000 SATURN LS1 AND THE CAR LOST ALL POWER, ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR AND AVOID OTHER TRAFFIC IN MOTION WHEN I LOST ALL POWER BRAKES AND POWER STEERING. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC SHOP AND THEY FOUND THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE AND THE ENGINE CAN NOT BE REPAIRED. THE CAR ONLY HAS 68,000 MILES AND COULD HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT WITH MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR. I AM UNABLE TO AFFORD THE ENGINE REPLACEMENT AND I STILL OWE $1500.00 ON THE LOAN.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP SIGN AT 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE INDEPENDENT SHOP WHO DETERMINED THAT BOTH TIMING CHAINS WERE FRACTURED. THE PARTS WERE REPLACED; PART NO. RC1031. ALSO, THE MECHANIC OBSERVED THAT WHEN THE TIMING CHAIN FRACTURED IT RUINED ALL THE OIL VALVES AND SEALS. AS A RESULT, A NEW OIL VALVE AND SEALS HAD TO BE REPLACED AS WELL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED.

CAR WAS RUNNING NORMALLY CAR STOPPED RUNNING DUE TO THE TIMING CHAIN BREAKING ENTIRE ENGINE MUST BE REPLACED. *NM

SATURN 2000 LW200. WIFE RETURNED HOME FROM AN ERRAND AND PARKED THE CAR. NEXT DAY SHE TRIED TO GO TO WORK, CAR WOULD NOT START. HAD IT TOWED TO A SHOP. THEY THINK THE TIMING CHAIN SLIPPED (MAYBE). MECHANIC IS NOT 100%. IT BROKE SOMETHING IN THE ENGINE, PISTON, CAM SHAFT NOT SURE. ENGINE HAS ABOUT 77K. UNABLE TO FIX THE CAR AT THIS TIME AS I DO NOT HAVE AN ESTIMATED 3300.00 TO REPAIR USING A USED ENGINE. *JB

I PURCHASED A PRE-CERTIFIED VEHICLE FOR CARMAX 12/13/03. ON 12/16/03 I HAD TO RETURN THE CARE BECAUSE I HEARD A LOUD RATTLING NOISE AS IF SOME WAS VERY LOOSE IN THE STEERING COLUMN. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE CAR A GAVE ME A LOAN CAR. I DID NOT GET MY CAR BACK UNTIL 01/05/04 . CARMAX DIAGNOSTIC TEST FOUND THE STEERING SHAFT HAD TO BE REPLACED AND WAS SUBLET TO AIRPORT SATURN FOR REPAIRS. I COMPLAINED SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT THE RETURN OF MY CAR BUT THE SERVICE MANAGER ALWAYS LOANED ME CAR TO KEEP ME QUITE, BECAUSE I TOLD THEM I WANTED ANOTHER CAR BECAUSE THE CONTRACT STATES IF YOU ARE IN ANY WAY DISSATISFIED WITH A CAR YOU CAN RETURN IT WITHIN 5 DAYS. I TRIED TO RETURN MY CAR THE NEXT DAY BUT THEY TOLD ME SINCE THE PURCHASE WAS ALREADY MADE I HAD TO GO THROUGH THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND THEY WOULD HONOR ANY REPAIRS NEEDED. NOW AUGUST 31,2006 I AM HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR, THE STEERING SHAFT IS MAKING THE SAME NOISE ALL OVER AGAIN MY CAR IS STILL UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY,BUT IS VERY CLOSE TO THE END OF THE WARRANTY. PLEASE HELP ME TO GET THE SERVICE I NEED FROM CARMAX. *JB

ON THE 27TH OF MAY I HAD MY SATURN LS SERVICED DUE TO A TIMING CHAIN FAILURE. AFTER SPENDING 3K IN REPAIRS I NOTICE A OIL LEAK APPROX. 3 MONTHS LATER. 3 MONTHS TO THE DAY OF HAVING THE REPAIR WORK DONE MY ENGINE LOST POWER AGAIN. THE SERVICE TECH QUOTED ANOTHER 2K REPAIR COST TO GET THE CAR BACK UP AND RUNNING. THE FAULT WAS DUE TO LOW OIL PRESSURE OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. MY RESPONSE TO THAT IS WHEN I HAD THE CAR REPAIRED AND SERVICED I SHOULD HAVE LEFT WITH AN ENGINE IN GOOD REPAIR AND A CAR FULL OF OIL. I HAVE PURCHASED 3 SATURNS AND AFTER THIS INCIDENT I CAN GUARANTEE I WON'T EVEN CONSIDER ANOTHER SATURN OR GM CAR. *NM