2000 SATURN LS Complaints

I WAS DRIVING HOME AT APPROXIMATELY 9:30 PM ON A BUSY HIGHWAY (RTE 695 - THE BALTIMORE BELTWAY) AND APPROACHING THE INTERSECTION OF INTERSTATE 70 WHEN MY CAR ENGINE CUT OUT WITH NO WARNING. I WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED BY A SEMI AND FORTUNATE TO COAST TO THE SHOULDER WITHOUT AN ACCIDENT. FORTUNATELY A MARYLAND STATE POLICE VEHICLE CAME BY TO PROVIDE FLARES FOR MORE VISIBILITY WHILE I AWAITED A TOW TO THE SATURN DEALERSHIP. MY COMPLAINT IS SIMILAR TO PENDING CASES (PE06-006 AND DP05-008) IN THAT THE SOURCE OF THE FAILURE IS ATTRIBUTED TO A TIMING CHAIN THAT SKIPPED. THE DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO RECOGNIZE THE WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM AS DOES SATURN HEADQUARTERS IN TENN. THEY OFFER NO MITIGATION TO THE $3,200 ESTIMATE FOR REPAIR. IF CIRCUMSTANCES HAD BEEN DIFFERENT, I.E., RAIN OR SNOW, I AM MY FAMILY COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED BY AN AUTOMOBILE WITH THIS KNOWN DEFECT THAT DIED ON THE ROAD WITH ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO DIE IN AN ACCIDENT BEFORE THIS KNOWN DEFECT IS CORRECTED?? *JB

I OWN A 2000 SATURN LS1 WITH A 4 CYLINDER ENGINE. IT WOULD NOT START AFTER TURNING THE IGNITION KEY IN THE MORNING WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS A TIMING CHAIN FAILURE. MY VEHICLE HAS APPROXIMATELY 82,000 MILES AND HAS HAD THE RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE PERFORMED DURING THE LIFE OF THE CAR. THE ESTIMATE FOR REPAIR IS $3,000. *NM

FOR THE 2ND TIME IN TWO YEARS I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE ENGINE IN MY 2002 L SERIES SATURN DUE TO A TIMING CHAIN FAILURE. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL. THE CAR JUST STOPS RUNNING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT ANY WARNING AND WILL NOT RESTART. THE ENGINE THEN NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND IS A MAJOR EXPENSE.($3000 TO $5000) I RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM ON CARSURVEY.COM AND FOUND MANY OTHER OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM THANK YOU. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART; IT WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. THE TIMING CHAIN WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALTERED.

SINCE WE BOUGHT THE CAR, WE HAVE HAD CHRONIC PROBLEMS WITH THE HVAC SYSTEM AND OTHER MINOR ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS; RE-CHARGING THE AC THE FIRST 3 SUMMERS WE OWNED THE CAR, DETERMINING THE AC DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH POWER GOING TO IT TO RUN PROPERLY, DASH LIGHTS GOING OUT, AUTOMATIC DOORS NOT WORKING, AND THE TAILLIGHTS GOING OUT INTERMITTENTLY, AND DIFFICULTIES WITH THE WIPERS WORKING APPROPRIATELY. THE ENGINE LIGHT WOULD CHRONICALLY GO ON, BUT THE DEALER MECHANICS COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG AFTER READING THE CODES. WE REQUESTED THE DEALERSHIP PLEASE TRACE THE ELECTRICAL LINES TO FIND A SHORT, BUT SAID THERE WAS NONE AND THE PROBLEM WAS "FIXED". THEN, AFTER 6 YEARS OF ONGOING PROBLEMS, AND NO AC FOR 2 YEARS, THE HEATER BEGAN TO REMAIN ON FOR APPROX. 30 SECONDS AFTER THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF AND THE KEY WAS NO LONGER IN THE IGNITION. A WEEK LATER THE CAR FAILED TO START. A PERSONAL MECHANIC FRIEND DISCOVERED THAT THE BLOWER MOTOR WAS CROSS WIRED AND THERE WAS A SHORT IN THE RELAY FROM THE HVAC SYSTEM TO THE ENGINE. WE HAVE REPLACE THE RELAY AND THE BLOWER MOTOR. THE AC AND THE HEATER NOW WORK FINE. I AM FRUSTRATED THAT SATURN REFUSED TO DEAL WITH THIS CHRONIC PROBLEM APPROPRIATELY. *JB

TRANSMISSION SLIPPING AND OCCASIONAL STALLING OF CAR, PARTICULARLY WHEN STOPPING. CAR FINALLY WOULD NOT START AGAIN. DEALERSHIP DID NOT FIND FAULT WITH CAR. PERSONAL MECHANIC INVESTIGATED AND DETERMINED THE CRANK SENSOR HAD GONE BAD, SO THE CAR COULD NOT MONITOR THE MPH AND FIND THE GEARS APPROPRIATELY.*JB

BRAKE LIGHTS FAIL WHEN YOU PUSH ON THE BRAKES WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS ARE ON. THE PLASTIC WELDS HOLDING THE REAR HOUSING TO THE TAILLIGHT REFLECTOR MELT AND THE REAR HOUSING SHORTS OUT THE BRAKE LIGHT..*NM

GOOD AFTERNOON! MY 2000 SATURN LS1 STARTED SPUTTERING AND FINALLY BROKE DOWN. ALL OF THE SIGNS LEAD TO THE FUEL FILTER. WE CHANGED THE FUEL FILTER AND THE CAR STILL WOULD NOT RUN. I TOWED THE CAR TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND HE DIAGNOSED THE CAR TO HAVE A BAD TIMING CHAIN. THE MECHANIC WAS CONFUSED AS TO WHY I WOULD HAVE A BAD TIMING CHAIN WITH ONLY 68,000 MILES ON IT. AFTER LOOKING ON THE INTERNET, I NOTICED THAT MANY OTHER PEOPLE WITH A SATURN ARE HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE RECALL THIS VEHICLE. TIMING CHAINS ARE VERY EXPENSIVE AND I THINK THE COST SHOULD BE BILLED TO SATURN. THANK YOU!! SINCERELY, NICOLE ARCHER. *JB

VEHICLE HAS BEEN BROUGHT INTO DEALER 3 TIMES CONCERNING OVER A YEAR WITH A "NO START" AFTER DRIVING SUCH AS TO A STORE & VEHICLE WILL NOT START. TURNS OVER BUT WILL NOT START. THE SECURITY LIGHT KEEPS FLASHING WHEN TRYING TO START. AFTER APPROX. 15 MINUTES TO ONE HOUR WAIT THE CAR WILL START. DEALER CAN NOT DUPLICATE AND STATES PASS SYSTEM IS NOT AT FAULT. WITH MY WIFE DRIVING ONE EVENING LAST WEEK SHE STOPPED TO GET GAS AND CAR WOULD NOT RESTART. SHE BECAME FEARFUL OF HER SAFETY AT NIGHT AFTER A FEW SHADY PERSONS KEPT APPROACHING HER TO ASSIST. OVER THE PAST 3 DAYS, THE CAR FAILED TO START 4 TIMES BUT AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME IT WILL START. THIS SITUATION IS GETTING SERIOUS BUT DO NOT HAVE A SOLUTION TO RESOLVE. NOT BEING ABLE TO START A CAR IS STARTING TO BECOME A SAFETY ISSUE FOR BOTH MY WIFE AND GRANDCHILDREN. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH SOMETHING WAS NOTICED THROUGH THE REAR VIEW MIRROR COMING OFF THE VEHICLE. IT WAS PULLED OVER AND UPON INSPECTION THE RIGHT REAR TIRE HAD SEPARATED. THE SPARE TIRE WAS PUT ON THE VEHICLE THEN IT WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC NOTICED THE LEFT REAR TIRE WAS ALSO SEPARATING AND THE LEFT REAR TIRE WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED. UPDATED 05/04/06