2001 SATURN LS Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN L200. WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE ENGINE DID NOT HAVE ANY COMPRESSION. THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT THE COST OF $7,200. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED, WHICH CAUSED THE ENGINE TO FAIL. HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL FOR THE TIMING CHAIN AND WAS ADVISED TO RETURN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT NO COMPENSATION WOULD BE PROVIDED BECAUSE THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN L SERIES. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED EXCESSIVE HESITATION. THE CONTACT IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE IGNITION. THE ENGINE FAILED TO RESTART AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE TIMING BELT FAILED AND RECOMMENCED THAT THE ENGINE BE REPLACED. THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V519000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), ALTHOUGH THE FAILURES WERE IDENTICAL. CURRENTLY, THE ENGINE IS BEING REPLACED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 66,103.

TIMING CHAIN BROKE AND ENGINE WAS DESTROYED AS A RESULT SATURN STATES IT IS OUTSIDE THEIR CURRENT RECALL. *TR

CAR PURCHASED USED AND INSPECTED (MIDAS) IN JUNE 2007; DRIVEN HOME TO KS FROM IA (8 HRS) IN DEC--NO OIL REMAINING WHEN ARRIVED. OIL LEVEL A PROBLEM ALL WINTER, BUT NOT DRIVEN MUCH--OIL ADDED AS NEEDED. AGAIN DRIVEN HOME FROM IA IN MAY 08-- TIMING CHAIN EXPLODED AND BENT ENGINE VALVES IN FAST LANE ON HIGHWAY BRIDGE! FORTUNATELY, OUR SON WAS ABLE TO PUSH IT TO SIDE BEFORE HIT BY TRAFFIC. TOWED TO NEAREST GARAGE AND THEN TO SATURN DEALERSHIP IN LIBERTY MO. DEALERSHIP INFORMED US THAT VALVES WERE BENT BUT DIDN'T MENTION THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON TIMINGCHAIN...$2500 FIX. ALSO RECEIVED A LECTURE ABOUT CHECKING OIL PROPERLY...BASICALLY BLAMED SON FOR SUPPOSEDLY NOT CHECKING OIL (WHICH HE DID DO). NOTE: I READ AN ACCOUNT OF ANOTHER OWNER WHO GOT THE SAME "TALKING POINTS"--VIN NOT IN RECALL, CHANGE OIL REGULARLY. IN AUG 08, YOUR CAR LOST ALL OIL IN 2 DAYS AND STARTED MAKING HORRIBLE SOUNDS. MIDAS MECHANIC SAID IT COULD BE VALVES AGAIN OR DEEPER. TOWED IT (50 MILES) TO LIBERTY SATURN DEALERSHIP BECAUSE IT WAS THEIR VALVE WORK UNDER WARRANTY. THEY GUESSED IT WAS DEEPER IN ENGINE (WOULDN'T CHECK W/O PAYMENT) AND DIDN'T KNOW IF THE MAY TIMING CHAIN BREAK HAD CAUSED THE DEEPER DAMAGE--ASSESSMENT: ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED FOR $5900. WE ASKED ABOUT THE RECALL AND WERE TOLD OUR VIN DIDN'T FALL UNDER THE RECALL SO THEY HADN'T SAID ANYTHING IN MAY WHEN TIMINGCHAIN ORIGINALLY BROKE. NOW WE ARE IN THE POSITION OF REPLACING THE ENGINE WITH ANOTHER SATURN ENGINE THAT MIGHT HAVE THE VERY SAME PROBLEM! SO THE CAR SITS IN THE GARAGE WHILE WE HOPE SATURN IS PRESSURED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR NEGLIGENCE IN NOT FIXING ALL THE ENGINES WITH THIS PROBLEM BEFORE AN ACCIDENT. A TIMING CHAIN BREAK COULD BE FATAL ON A HIGHWAY AND WE WOULD LIKE THE NHTSA TO INVESTIGATE AND HOLD SATURN RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS BLATANT ACT OF IRRESPONSIBILITY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN L200. THE CONTACT STARTED HER VEHICLE AFTER PLACING GAS IN IT AND HEARD A RUMBLING SOUND. SHE TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE, BUT IT WAS UNABLE TO BE RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT HER VEHICLE WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V519000. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 60,000.

TIMING CHAIN BROKE CAUSING ENGINE DAMAGE, TRAFFIC HOLDUP, AND HAVING TO PUSH CAR OUT OF WAY. WAS TOLD BY SATURN THIS VEHICLE DID NOT QUALIFY FOR RECALL, BUT INCIDENT HAPPENED EXACTLY HOW IT WAS DESCRIBED IN RECALL. *TR

MY 2001 SATURN L200, PURCHASED IN DECEMBER OF 2006, NO LONGER RUNS BECAUSE OF A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW IN THE TIMING CHAIN MECHANISM. THE VEHICLE HAS ONLY ABOUT 90,000 MILES ON IT AND THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THIS CAUSED THE VALVES IN THE ENGINE TO BEND. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS PROBLEM 'HARDLY EVER HAPPENED WITH THE L-SERIES' HOWEVER, UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION I DISCOVERED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN ASSEMBLY USED IN THE RECALLED VEHICLES WAS ALSO USED IN MODEL YEAR 1999 THROUGH 2003 SATURN L-SERIES VEHICLES WITH 2.2 LITER ENGINES, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE MY VEHICLE. I GOT THIS INFORMATION FROM CONSUMER AFFAIRS. I ALSO FOUND THAT SATURN HAS REPAIRED 2,932 VEHICLES UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE OF TIMING CHAIN FAILURES AND THERE ARE ANOTHER 890 CONSUMER COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS PROBLEM. WHEN I CALLED WITH THIS NEW INFORMATION I WAS TOLD THAT I HAD TO TOW MY DISABLED VEHICLE TO SATURN FOR THEIR DIAGNOSIS AT ADDITIONAL COST TO MYSELF BEFORE THEY COULD TELL ME IF ANY OF THE COST OF REPAIR (ESTIMATED AT 2,272.00 BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC) WOULD BE COVERED BY SATURN. I WAS INFORMED FROM SATURN'S CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE USED, IF SATURN DID DECIDE TO COVER SOMETHING IT WAS HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT THEY WOULD COVER 100%. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN L SERIES. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A CLICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT THE COST OF $950. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED THAT A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN WAS OPEN FOR THE FAILURE THAT HE WAS EXPERIENCING; HOWEVER, HE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER BACK WHEN A RECALL WAS ISSUED FOR THE TIMING CHAIN FAILURE AND WAS INFORMED THAT NO COMPENSATION WOULD BE PROVIDED BECAUSE HIS VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM THE RECALL. THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN L200. WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 25 MPH, THE ENGINE WOULD SKIP AND EVENTUALLY STALL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THERE WAS A MISFIRE IN THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A SATURN DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT HIS VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V519000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), ALTHOUGH THE FAILURES WERE IDENTICAL. THE VEHICLE IS STILL AT THE DEALER AND HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 49,000.

AFTER 2 TIMING CHAIN REPLACEMENTS IN LESS THAN THREE YEARS,THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE AGAIN ON MY SATURN 2001 L200 DAMAGING THE TOP HALF OF THE ENGINE. TOWED IT TO SATURN OF TOMS RIVER N.J. THEY SAID THAT SINCE I HAVE ALREADY HAD 1 CHAIN REPLACED ON THE RECALL THAT I WAS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THE RECALL. I WAS TOLD WHEN THE CHAIN WAS REPLACED UNDER THE RECALL (AT SATURN OF FREEHOLD WHICH IS OUT OF BUSINESS)THAT THIS WAS NOT THE SAME CHAIN BUT A NEW AND IMPROVED DESIGN. I WAS TOLD TODAY THAT MY REPAIR WAS NOT REALLY WORTH FIXING BUT IF I'D LIKE THEY COULD INSTALL A USED ENGINE FOR $4300. THIS IS JUST PLAIN NEGLECT FROM A DYING COMPANY. WHY WOULD THEY REPLACE A CHAIN THAT'S JUST GOING TO GO AGAIN AND WORSEN THE DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE EVEN MORE. SATURN/GM NEEDS TO MAKE GOOD FOR THEIR POOR HISTORY IF THEY'RE EVER GOING TO RIGHT THE SHIP. I REALLY FEEL RIPPED OFF. *TR