2002 SATURN LS Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L200. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A TURN AND THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE HAD TO PUSHED OFF OF THE ROAD AND TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WERE NO OPEN RECALLS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 67,000.

THIS IS MY SECOND COMPLAINT ON THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE A 2002 L200 SERIES SATURN. THERE IS A STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE WHILE DRIVING AND IT IS EVEN STRONGER AFTER PARKING. WHEN I HAVE MY OIL CHANGED THEY TELL ME THE GAS DRIPS DOWN ON THE MUFFLER...THIS IS DEFINITELY A FIRE HAZARD. I KNOW THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THIS SAME PROBLEM. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW MANY OTHERS WERE REPAIRED WITHOUT FIRST MAKING A COMPLAINT. THIS HAS GOT TO BE A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. IF YOU CAN RECALL A CHEVY BECAUSE THE LATCH ON THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT DOESN'T WORK, THEN THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE A TOP PRIORITY. ARE YOU GOING TO WAIT UNTIL A CAR BLOWS UP AND/OR SOMEONE IS KILLED OR INJURED? *TR

2002 SATURN L 300 6 CYL. SAW SMOKE COMING FROM MY STEERING COLUMN, HAVE REPORTED THIS TO SATURN , AFTER HAVING MY OIL CHANGED. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS DUST BURNING IN THE STEERING COLUMN, AND THAT IT HAPPENS OCCASIONALLY. IT HAS HAPPENED TWICE SINCE THEN, MY CHILD WITNESSED THE SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE TURN SIGNAL LEVER AREA ON THE STEERING COLUMN. MY CAR IS NOW AT A SATURN DEALERSHIP, WITH A BAD BCM ( BODY CONTROL MODULE) THIS IS THE COMPUTER THAT CONTROLS ALL ELECTRICAL DEVICES INSIDE THE CAR. THE LIGHT SWITCH , TURN SIGNAL, WIPERS,INSTRUMENT PANEL, KEYLESS ENTRY, POWER DOORS AND WINDOWS,RADIO, CAR IGNITION, ANTI-THEFT, ETC. WHEN I SPOKE TO THE SERVICE TECH TODAY. HE STATED THE TWO ARE NOT RELATED, AND THAT THERE WILL BE AN EXTRA CHARGE TO HAVE A TECH. LOOK INTO THE STEERING COLUMN. I TOLD HIM I WOULD PAY THE DIFFERENCE BECAUSE SMOKE SHOULD NOT COME OUT OF THE STEERING COLUMN. CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT MOST OF THE THINGS THE BCM CONTROLS RUN THROUGH THE STEERING COLUMN. THEY DO NOT WANT TO LOOK AT MY COMPLAINT, THEY ONLY WANT TO PUT IN A 600 DOLLAR PART. IF THE WIRES ARE BURNT THE BCM STILL WON'T WORK. AND THE CAR STILL WON'T WORK OR ELSE IT MAY BURN OUT A NEW BCM. WHY IS SATURN SO HESITANT TO LISTEN TO A CUSTOMERS COMPLAINT ? *TR

2002 SATURN L300 . HAVE FOLLOWED ALL MAINT. GUIDELINES. THOUGH IT IS ON IT'S THIRD BATTERY, THIRD SET OF TIRES, POWER STEERING PUMP REPLACED, TIMING BELT REPLACED, ECM REPLACED, TWO CATALYTIC CONVERTERS REPLACED, THE LIST GOES ON AND ON. LESS THAN 90,000 MILES. DROVE THE CAR. GOT OUT, PUSHED THE KEYLESS ALARM ( ORIGINAL FACTORY) GOT DINNER, PUSHED THE KEYLESS ENTRY, GOT INTO THE CAR , TURNED THE KEY..AND THE CAR WAS DEAD. CAR DOES NOT START. LOCKED IN PARK, HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED. TOW TRUCK DRIVER HAD TO USE THE DOLLY LIFTS TO MOVE THE CAR, SO HE COULD POSITION IT TO BE ABLE TO TOW IT. HAD IT TOWED TO A SERVICE GARAGE, THEY FOLLOWED GM'S INSTRUCTIONS ..NO LUCK. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED AGAIN , TO A SATURN DEALERSHIP ( THE ONLY ONES WHO HAVE THE CODES) TO RESET THE VEHICLE. THEY TOLD ME THEY COULD NOT RESET IT. TOLD ME IT NEEDS A NEW BCM. STATED ECM AND BCM ARE UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE. SO THAT UNTIL THE MODULE IS REPLACED THE CAR IS INOPERABLE. STATED THEY KNEW THE BCM'S GO BAD, STATED THEY HAVE HAD ALOT OF THESE GO BAD ( ALOT)???. THE SERVICE TECH STATED " THEY ARE LIKE A COMPUTER HARD DRIVE ON STEROIDS" . STATED THEY BURN OUT WITH NO WAY TO CHECK THEM OR FIX THEM. HE SAID THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TOFIX THE CAR. BUT THEY DO NOT KEEP ANY BCM IN STOCK. IT WILL BE A WEEK BEFORE THEY CAN GET THE PART. AFTER REPLACING THE BCM I WAS TOLD THE CARS INFORMATION WILL NOT BE ACCURATE. THEY TOLD ME THE ODOMETER GOES BACK TO ZERO. HOW CAN THAT BE THE DEALER JUST TURN BACK THE ODOMETER ISN'T THAT ILLEGAL? I WAS TOLD THAT SOMETIMES THERE MAYBE SOME OTHER ISSUES ALSO AFTER INSTALLING A NEW BCM?? IF THEY KNOW THAT THE BCM IS A PROBLEM, AND THAT WHEN IT GOES BAD, THE CAR IS COMPLETELY USELESS! WHY ISN'T SOMETHING BEING DONE ! YOU ARE AT THE MERCY OF SATURN / GM BECAUSE NO ONE ELSE IS ALLOWED TO FIX THE CAR. I WILL NOW BE WAITING A WEEK FOR MY VEHICLE TO BE REPAIRED. ONLY TO HOPE IT RUNS CORRECTLY AFTER IT'S REPAIRED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L200. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED AND CAUSED THE ENGINE TO BLOW OUT. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING THE FAILURE, BUT NOTHING HAS BEEN RESOLVED. SHE FEELS THAT THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE BECAUSE THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE 2001 L200 REGARDING THE TIMING CHAIN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 80,000.

I HAVE A 2002 SATURN L200. I WAS DRIVING ON A BUSY HIGHWAY IN THE DALLAS AREA (I635). WHEN SUDDENLY MY CAR STALLED WHEN I TRIED TO ACCELERATE AND THEN IDLED TO ABOUT 5 MPH. I DROVE MY VEHICLE TO THE ACCESS ROAD WHERE IT DIED AND THE ENGINE NO LONGER TURNED. AFTER DIAGNOSTIC I AM TOLD THAT I WAS THE TIMING CHAIN. SINCE I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY MY VALVES AND ENGINE HEADS CRACKED. NOW SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE COST ME $500 IS NOW GOING TO COST ME $1500. I PRACTICALLY HAVE TO GET A NEW ENGINE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 55MPH AND MY 2002 L200 SATURN'S ENGINE STOPPED. NO NOISES BEFOREHAND OR WARNING LIGHTS. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE CAUSING SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE'S CYLINDERS. ESTIMATED COST IS OVER $2,000. THE CAR ONLY HAS 82,000 MILES ON IT. NO CRASH OR INJURIES OCCURRED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L100. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT THE TIMING BELT FAILED. THE MECHANIC ALSO STATED THAT IT SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED AT ONLY SIX YEARS OLD AND WITH LESS THEN 75,000 MILES. THE DEALER ADVISED HER TO BRING IN THE VEHICLE FOR A DIAGNOSIS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V519000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), ALTHOUGH THE FAILURES WERE IDENTICAL. CURRENTLY, THE VEHICLE IS STILL AT THE DEALER BEING INSPECTED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 79,003.

MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE CAR SHUT DOWN WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START BACK UP. HE WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. HE CALLED A ROADSIDE SERVICE TO GIVE HIM A JUMP WITH NO LUCK. THE SERVICE TECH INFORMED HIM IT WAS PROBABLY THE TIMING CHAIN. IT WAS AFTER HOURS SO WE HAD IT TOWED TO A GARAGE. WE WERE UNABLE TO FIND SOMEONE TO LOOK AT THE VEHICLE AND COULD NOT AFFORD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE SHOP. I SPOKE WITH THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID IF THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING MOST LIKELY THE CYLINDER HEAD WAS DAMAGED. WE WERE FINALLY ABLE TO GET IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY SAID THE TIMING CHAIN WAS OUT AND THE CYLINDER HEAD NEEDED REPLACE ALONG WITH SOME OTHER REPAIRS. THE DEALER INFORMED US THAT OUR VEHICLE DOES NOT FALL UNDER THE RECALL ON PREVIOUS MODELS. THE TOTAL COST WOULD BE $2527.84. WE HAVE NOT REPAIRED THIS AS OF YET. I HAVE RESEARCHED ALL OF THE OTHER COMPLAINTS AND ALL ARE SIMILAR AND I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE RECALLED. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 60 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY AND FELT A JERK. THE ENGINE DIED AND I HAD TO QUICKLY MOVE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. TURNS OUT THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE. THE AUTO REPAIR SHOP SAID THAT THE ENGINE VALVES WERE BENT. TOTAL REPAIR COST WOULD BE AROUND $3,500. *TR