2002 SATURN LS Complaints

I HAVE A 2002 SATURN AND HAVE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS SINCE 2007. I TOOK IT TO BE SERVICED BY SATURN AND WAS TOLD THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. ARE THERE REPORTED PROBLEMS WITH SATURNS TOO? THE MOST RECENT EPISODE WAS IN NOV.2009. *TR

2002 SATURN L200 STALLED AT 55MPH AND DID NOT RESTART. SATURN DIAGNOSED BROKEN TIMING CHAIN WHICH DESTROYED MOTOR. *TR

ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2010, MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, WHEN THE CAR STARTED KNOCKING AND THEN JUST CUT OFF. SHE WAS NOT ABLE TO RESTART IT AND STRUGGLED TO QUICKLY GUIDE IT TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. SHE THEN CALLED A WRECKER WHO TOWED IT TO A LOCAL GARAGE. THEY RAN AN ANALYSIS AND DISCOVERED THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKEN. HE SAID , IN HIS OPINION, THAT THIS WAS HIGHLY UNUSUAL WHICH SPURRED US TO SEARCH THE INTERNET TO LEARN IF THIS WAS A DOCUMENTED PROBLEM WITH OTHER 2002 SATURN L200'S WITH LESS THAN 100,000 MILES, AND APPARENTLY IT IS. WE CALLED THE ONLY SATURN DEALERSHIP LEFT IN OUR CITY AND WERE TOLD THAT HER VIN NUMBER WAS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST. WITH ALL THAT I HAVE READ IN THE PAST 24 HOURS, I FIND IT VERY HARD TO BELIEVE THIS PROBLEM IS ONLY LIMITED TO JUST THE 2001 L200 SERIES. SATURN SEEMS NOT TO WANT TO HELP IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM OTHER THAN TO BRING THE CAR IN AND REPLACE THE PARTS AND/OR ENGINE AT OUR EXPENSE! THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE FOR HER OR ANYONE ELSE WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS! SHE HAS ALWAYS TAKEN GOOD CARE OF THIS VEHICLE. IF MY DAUGHTER HAD NOT HAD THE PRESENCE OF MIND TO GET THE CAR OFF THE ROAD WHEN SHE DID, THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A FAR DIFFERENT OUTCOME! *TR

2002 SATURN L100, 148000 MILES, PRIMARY SAFETY CONCERN IS HEADLIGHTS WILL SHUT OFF SPONTANEOUSLY WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. OTHER ISSUES INCLUDE SPONTANEOUS/ERRATIC ACTUATION OF WIPERS, DOME LIGHT, AND DOOR LOCKS, AS WELL AS FLASHING OF HIGH BEAMS AND DRL LAMPS. ALSO ERRATIC INSTRUMENTATION ANOMALIES, E.G. "SECURITY" LAMP ILLUMINATES AND SHUTS OFF, "CHANGE OIL SOON" LAMP FLASHES, ALL GAGES FLICK FROM ZERO TO NORMAL, ETC. *CN

I WENT OUTSIDE TO GET IN MY CAR THIS MORNING WHICH STARTED RIGHT AWAY. AFTER SHIFTING INTO FIRST I BEGAN TO TAKE OFF WHEN THE CAR STALLED ONLY GETTING ABOUT 2 FEET FORWARD. PUSH CAR BACK TOWARD THE CURB AND ATTEMPTED TO JUMP THE CAR WITH MY SISTERS. THEN TRIED TO CHARGE THE BATTERY, AFTER ALL OF THIS FAILED, WE CALLED THE LOCAL MECHANIC OVER AND SAID THE TIMING CHAIN HAD SNAPPED.. 3200 REPAIR. I'M NOT READY TO SEARCH FOR A NEW CAR BUT LATELY IT'S BEEN ONE THING AFTER ANOTHER WITH THIS CAR I USED TO LOVE. AT THIS POINT NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. THIS SHOULD BE RECALLED!!!!!!!!! *TR

MY 2002 SATURN L300 REAR TAILLIGHTS ARE MELTING AND FAILING OFTEN. A RECALL REPAIR WAS PERFORMED 4 YEARS AGO AND IT IS INEFFECTIVE. SATURN IS UNWILLING TO RE-EVALUATE THE MATTER. *TR

TODAY, WHILE TRAVELING 70 MPH (ON CRUISE CONTROL) ON A BUSY INTERSTATE, MY 2002 SATURN L200 (WITH 75,000 MILES) STARTED LOSING ALL POWER, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THE CAR. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO GET OVER TO THE MEDIAN AND WAITED FOR A TOW TRUCK. THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS SHOWING OIL AND BATTERY WERE LIT UP BEFORE TURNING THE CAR OFF. NOT KNOWING WHAT WAS WRONG, I TRIED STARTING THE CAR TWICE, BOTH TIMES RESULTING IN THE CAR NOT TURNING OVER. AFTER RUNNING DIAGNOSTIC TESTS ON THE CAR, AAA FOUND OUT THE TIMING CHAIN SNAPPED. AT THIS POINT, NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE, AS I AM WAITING ON QUOTES FROM VARIOUS MECHANICS. *TR

TIMING CHAIN OF SATURN L200 FAILED A SECOND TIME WITHIN 35,000 MILES OF FIRST REPAIR LEAVING THE CAR STRANDED ON THE ROADSIDE AGAIN. THE CAR HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED, BUT THE TIMING CHAIN IN THIS MODEL SEEMS TO BE POORLY DESIGNED LEADING TO FAILURE. *TR

2002 SATURN L200 SUDDENLY DIED WHILE I WAS DRIVING. IT WAS DARK OUT AND A LOT OF TRAFFIC. DIDN'T FEEL SAFE WAITING IN CAR FOR TOW TRUCK. HAD TO STAND ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IN THE DARK IN 10 DEGREE WEATHER. TIMING CHAIN BROKE, DAMAGED VALVES. GETTING A USED ENGINE = $2,000+. SATURN SAID MY VIN # WASN'T LISTED AS BEING A PART OF THE RECALL ON THE TIMING CHAINS. DOESN'T MAKE SENSE THAT SOME VIN #S WEREN'T INCLUDED WITH THE THOUSANDS THAT WERE RECALLED. *TR

RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 05V245000. COMPONENT: EXTERIOR LIGHTING BRAKE LIGHTS. I HAD MY RECALL SERVICE DONE ON DEC. 26 2005. ON NOV. 27TH 2009. I GOT PULLED OVER BY THE POLICE. MY REAR RUNNING AND BRAKE LIGHTS WERE OUT. NO TICKET BECAUSE I WAS CLOSE TO HOME. TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC THE NEXT DAY TO FIND OUT THAT BOTH LIGHT BULBS WERE BROKE. PLASTIC MELTED DOWN AND HIT THE BULBS. TRIED TO REPLACE BULBS BUT THE MELTED PLASTIC WAS IN THE WAY. I TOOK PICTURES OF THE MELTED PLASTIC. WENT TO SATURN DEALER TO HAVE THEM LOOK AT IT AND THEY SAID THAT A FRONT DRIVER SIDE PARKING LIGHT WAS OUT AND IT HAD CONDENSATION UNDER THE LENS. THEY SAID THAT SHORTED THE REAR LIGHTS. THEY REPLACED THE BULBS BY GRINDING THE MELTED PLASTIC OUT OF THE WAY. THEY SAID THEY DID NOT BUT THERE WAS NO WAY TO GET THE BULB PAST THE MELTED PLASTIC. I TOOK MORE PICTURES. SO THE LIGHTS WORK FOR NOW. BUT IT WON'T BE LONG BEFORE THE PLASTIC MELTS DOWN ONTO THE BULBS AGAIN. I DO BELIEVE THIS HAS TO DO WITH THE RECALL. IT READS-ON CERTAIN SEDANS AND WAGONS, THE PLASTIC HOUSING IN THE REAR TAIL LAMP ASSEMBLY CAN BECOME DISTORTED IF THE BRAKE LAMPS REMAIN ON FOR AN EXTENDED TIME. NOT A BURNED OUT PARKING LIGHT WITH CONDENSATION UNDER THE LENS. THIS COULD BECOME VERY DANGEROUS. NO TAIL OR BRAKE LIGHTS! TAILGAITERS! I NOW CARRY EXTRA LIGHT BULBS AND WAIT FOR THE NEXT MELT DOWN. SATURN HAS BEEN NO HELP. JUST A BANDAID. *TR