2001 SATURN LS Complaints

SATURN 2001 L-200 2.2L I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD IN RUSH HOUR MORNING TRAFFIC. AS I SLOWED DOWN FOR STOPPED TRAFFIC AHEAD OF ME, MY ENGINE SHUT OFF, AND I LOST POWER STEERING, AND POWER BRAKES. I DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO SO I RECKLESSLY VEERED OFF ONTO A SIDE STREET WHERE I CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE CAR WOULD NOT RESTART BUT WOULD ONLY TURN OVER. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE SATURN DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THAT JUST BY TURNING IT OVER, AND SEEING THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS NOT TURNING, SINCE IT WAS DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO THE CAM SHAFT, THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKE. HE ALSO SAID HE SEES IT ALL THE TIME ON THIS YEAR MODEL. ALONG WITH THE BROKE TIMING CHAIN, THEY SAID THAT THE HEAD WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACE AS WELL BECAUSE THE INWARDS OF THE ENGINE HAVE COLLIDED AND CAUSED EVEN MORE DAMAGE. THIS CAR WAS MAINTAINED TO THE T. EVERY OIL CHANGE WAS DONE AT SATURN ON TIME AND ALL SERVICE WAS DONE THERE. THEY QUOTE ME 3500 DOLLARS TO PUT IN A 90K MILE USED ENGINE. MINE HAD 150K AND RAN LIKE A CHAMP BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. WE THEN GOT ANOTHER QUOTE FROM A LOCAL GARAGE TO PUT IN A 60K MILE CAR FOR 1600 DOLLARS. WE WILL PROBABLY DO THAT. THEY SAID TO REPLACE THE HEAD AND CHAIN WILL COST ABOUT THE SAME AND YOU NEVER KNOW IF THE INTERNALS WILL BE INTACT AFTER THE TIMING CHAIN GOES. *TR

I OWN AN 2001 SATURN L-33, WITH 38,280 MILES. ON TWO OCCASIONS THE SERVICE LIGHT (NOT THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND WHEN THIS OCCURRED, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SHIFT HARSHLY. ON 04-30- 2009, I HAD STARTED THE CAR, WHICH HAD NO BEEN USED THAT DAY, I WAS SITTING SOMEWHAT SIDEWAYS IN THE DRIVERS SEAT TALKING TO MY FATHER, WHEN THE AUTO WHEN THE AUTO WENT INTO REVERSE BY ITSELF, AND DRAGGED ME ACROSS THE STREET, HITTING A BLOCK WALL. I GOT UP AND INTO THE AUTO, AND NOTICED THE SHIFT LEVER WAS STILL IN "PARK". I FOUND A WEBSIGHT "THE SATURN FORUM" WHEREIN OTHER SATURN L-300 OWNERS HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE SERVICE LIGHT COMING ON ETC. AS FAR AS I KNOW, SATURN HAS NOT SENT OUT A SERVICE BULLETIN, OR RE-CALL ON THIS PROBLEM. I ALSO FOUND OUT THE PROBLEM MIGHT BE DUE TO "PINCHED" WIRING GOING TO THE "TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE. I AM HESITANT IN TAKING THE AUTO TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR AS I WAS INJURED, AND I MIGHT RE-TAIN LEGAL COUNCIL IN THIS MATTER. I THINK SATURN SHOULD BE NOTIFYING PEOPLE OF THE POSSIBLE HAZARD INVOLVED IN THIS AUTO. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN L200. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND THEY STATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V519000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), ALTHOUGH THE FAILURES WERE IDENTICAL. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 109,000.

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND THE TIMING CHAIN BECAME DEFECTIVE. I HAD TO LOAD IT ON A TRAILER AND TAKE IT TO A GARAGE. THE TOP SIDE OF THE MOTOR IS RUINED. I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO WITH THE CAR. THE SEDAN IS A 2001 SATURN L200 WITH THE 2.2 4CYLINDER. *TR

I WAS AT A STOPLIGHT HERE IN TOWN. WHEN I WENT TO ACCELERATE, WITHOUT WARNING, MY SATURN DIED. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE MECHANIC. THE REASON FOR LOSS OF POWER -- BROKEN TIMING CHAIN WHICH CAUSED (IRONICALLY) A CHAIN EVENT. *TR

2001 SATURN L300 3.0L V6 GRINDING NOISE ENGINE STALLED. TOOK TO MECHANIC SAID TIMING CHAIN BROKE AND SEIZED ENGINE. WHOLE ENGINE NEEDS REPLACED. NOTICED 4 CYLINDERS HAVE RECALL BUT NOT THE V6. *TR

TIMING CHAIN FAILED WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. FAILURE ALSO DESTROYED ENGINE VALVES AND HEAD. *TR

MY CAR HAS SERVICE LIGHT ON. MY LIGHTS FLICKER. SATURN HAS A RECALL ON TIMING BELT AND SATURN COMPANY SAYS MY CAR IS NOT IN A RECALL. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY 2001 SATURN AND IT SEEMED LIKE IT WAS RUNNING OKAY. I STOPPED AT MY DAUGHTERS HOUSE TO PICK HER UP FOR AN APPOINTMENT AND WHEN I GOT BACK INTO THE CAR IT WOULD NOT START. I HAD A MECHANIC LOOK AT IT AND HE SAID THE TIMING CHAIN WAS BAD. MY CAR HAS ABOUT 60,000 MILES ON IT. I CANNOT GIVE THE EXACT AMOUNT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THE CAR IS SITTING AT SATURN OF BOISE. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE SATURN DEALERSHIP, BECAUSE I READ ABOUT THE RECALL OF 2001 SATURN'S FOR TIMING CHAIN ISSUES AND THEY SAID THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP ME. WELL, THEY SAID IT WAS MY FAULT THE TIMING CHAIN WENT OUT OF IT, BECAUSE THE OIL HAD NOT BEEN CHANGED OFTEN ENOUGH. THAT IS UNTRUE, BUT MY HUSBAND CHANGES THE OIL EVERY 6000 MILES OR LESS, BUT I DO NOT HAVE ANY "RECORDS" SHOWING THIS BECAUSE HE IS THE ONE TO CHANGE THE OIL. THEY SAID THAT IT HAD PROBABLY SLAPPED THE VALVES, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS NOT BROKEN SO I HAD TO GET THE ENGINE REPLACED AND THEY COULD DO IT FOR ONLY $3100. I AM HAVING THE CAR TOWED HOME AND WILL HAVE A LOCAL MECHANIC CHANGE THE TIMING CHAIN. I AM GLAD THAT I WAS STOPPED WHEN IT QUIT WORKING, BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR. MY LOCAL MECHANICS SAID THAT THE CHAIN SHOULD NOT HAVE GIVEN OUT SO SOON AS I ONLY DRIVE THIS CAR 8 OR SO MILES PER WORKDAY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN L200. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. WHEN HE INSPECTED THE VALVE COVER, HE NOTICED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V519000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE VEHICLE WILL BE REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 104,321. UPDATED 03/18/09. *LJ UPDATED 03/19/19. *JB