2001 SATURN LS Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN L SERIES. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, BUT THE VEHICLE STILL WOULD NOT BUDGE. THE VEHICLE STALLED AND WAS TOWED TO AN AUTO BODY SHOP. THE TIMING CHAIN WAS DIAGNOSED AS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V519000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED AND IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 117,887.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN L200. WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE, THE ENGINE STALLED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. AAA ARRIVED AND STATED THAT THERE WAS A TIMING CHANGE FAILURE WITH THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V519000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE DEALER INFORMED THEM TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR A DIAGNOSIS BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT RELY ON AAA'S INFORMATION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT PAY FOR THE DEALER'S DIAGNOSTIC IF IT WILL BE THE SAME INFORMATION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,343.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN L200. WHEN THE CONTACT STARTED THE VEHICLE AND PLACED THE GEAR INTO REVERSE, THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER AND THE ENGINE SHUT OFF COMPLETELY. SHE ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE MULTIPLE TIMES, BUT IT WOULD NEVER COMPLETELY START. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS TIMING CHAIN FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V519000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING ). THE CONTACT BELIEVES THAT HER VEHICLE SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AND REPAIRED FOR FREE SINCE THE FAILURES ARE IDENTICAL. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 115,000.

MY DAYTIME LIGHTS BEGAN FLICKERING. THIS EVENTUALLY LED TO FLICKERING OF MY NIGHT LIGHTS, THEN MY BRIGHT LIGHTS. IT TOOK MY LOCAL REPAIR SHOP 6 HOURS TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE. THEY CONTACTED THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP FOR THE PART, WHICH THE REPAIR SHOP DID NOT EXPECT THEM TO HAVE. SURPRISINGLY THEY DID. THE COMMENT FROM THE DEALERSHIP WAS THEY FOUND IT TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM ON THIS VEHICLE. APPARENTLY THERE IS A SHORT IN THE RELAY; THE REPLACEMENT FIXED THE FLICKERING OF THE NIGHT LIGHTS. IN ORDER TO FIX THE DAYTIME & BRIGHT LIGHTS, MORE WORK NEEDS TO BE DONE AND A RE-SETTING OF THE COMPUTER, COSTING OVER $700. THIS CAN ONLY BE DONE BY THE DEALERSHIP DUE TO THE SPECIALIZED COMPUTER THEY HAVE FOR THE SATURNS. MY LIGHTS WILL CONTINUE TO FLICKER AS I REFUSE TO PAY $700 FOR A "COMMON PROBLEM" THAT SATURN HAS NOT RECALLED. *TR

IN JUNE OF 2007, MY HUSBAND AND DAUGHTER WERE TRAVELING TO LOS ANGELES, WHEN OUR 2001 SATURN L200 (WITH ONLY 65,714 MILES) STOPPED RUNNING ON THE FREEWAY OUTSIDE OF SANTA BARBARA, CA. THAT MORNING THE CAR STARTED, DROVE OFF FINE AND GAVE NO WARNING OF ANYTHING GOING WRONG, UNTIL THE CAR'S ENGINE IMMEDIATELY STOPPED AND FORTUNATELY THEY WERE NOT INVOLVED NOR THE CAUSE OF AN ACCIDENT. THE SATURN WAS TOWED AND THE MECHANIC INFORMED US THAT IT NEEDED A NEW ENGINE AS THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE. UPON CALLING SATURN WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE CAR WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY, AND THEY WOULD NOT PAY FOR THE NEW ENGINE. WE DID FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE SATURN CUSTOMER CARE CENTER. WE INCURRED A $3,000+ REPAIR BILL BEFORE HAVING THE ENGINE REBUILT. AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION, WE HAD LEARNED THAT THE '00-'03 L SERIES WERE BEING INVESTIGATED BY THE NHTSA AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS. WE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE CONSUMER AFFAIRS , BUT NOT WITH NHTSA AS OUR YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL WAS CURRENTLY UNDER INVESTIGATION. YESTERDAY, WE LOOKED AT THE NHTSA SITE TO SEE THE OUTCOME OF THE SATURN L200. AGAIN AFTER CONTACTING SATURN THEY STATED THAT THE RECALL DID NOT AFFECT OUR VIN. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN L200. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL. THE CONTACT SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND DROVE INTO A SHOPPING CENTER PARKING LOT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE IGNITION MODULE, BUT THEY WERE UNSURE IF IT WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IF THE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATES, THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. A REPORT WAS FILED WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V231000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: IGNITION MODULE) ON SEPTEMBER 30, 2003. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 130,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN LW300. INTERMITTENTLY, WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED WHEN ATTEMPTING TO DECELERATE. TYPICALLY, FIFTEEN MINUTES AFTER THE FAILURE, THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 69,000. UPDATED 3/3/09 *CN THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. UPDATED 03/04/09. *JB

TIMING CHAIN FAILURE IN THE 2001 SATURN L200 SERIES 2.2L "F" ENGINE RESULTING IN SEVERE ENGINE DAMAGE. THIS ENGINE DAMAGE VIRTUALLY LEAVES THIS CAR WITH A NEGATIVE NET WORTH VALUE. I BELIEVE SATURN KNOWS WELL OF A POOR TIMING CHAIN COMPONENT IN THESE ENGINES AND SHOULD BROADEN THE SCOPE OF THE RECALL CAMPAIGN. MY VEHICLE APPARENTLY FALLS 1 MONTH SHORT OF THE ORIGINAL RECALL PARAMETERS. I HAVE MUCH EXPERIENCE WITH ENGINES AND HAVE A VERY HARD TIME BELIEVING THAT THERE IS ANY DIFFERENCE IN THE QUALITY OF TIMING CHAINS BEFORE AND AFTER THE RECALL TIME LINE SEEING THAT THESE CHAINS FAIL IN THE SAME MANNER. TIMING CHAINS DO NOT JUST BREAK OR SEPARATE AT 100,000 MILES, WEAR IS A COMPONENT I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND. THE END RESULT IS MOST LIKELY ENGINE REPLACEMENT, WHICH IS DUE TO VALVE INTERFERENCE IN AN OUT OF TIMED ENGINE. MY FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 94 AT 65 MPH WHEN THE ENGINE JUST SHUT DOWN WITHOUT WARNING. I COMMENDED MY DAUGHTER ON SOME FINE DRIVING, DARTING THROUGH HEAVY TRAFFIC AND AVOIDING A COLLISION WHILE FINDING HER WAY TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. I MIGHT ADD THAT THIS VEHICLE IS IN FINE SHAPE AND HAS HAD REGULAR SERVICE WORK COMPLETED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN L SERIES. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE SPONTANEOUSLY STALLED. AFTER TWO HOURS, THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED. MONTHS LATER, WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V519000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); THEREFORE, THEY WOULD NOT ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 82,000.

WHILE DRIVING THE ENGINE FAILED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. FORTUNATELY, NO ONE WAS HURT. THE CAR (ENGINE) STALLED, LOCKED UP AND IT COULD NOT BE RESTARTED. THIS HAPPENED AT TWO SEPARATE INSTANCES. I REPLACED THE ENTIRE ENGINE WITH THE FIRST INSTANCE (3/14/06) AND THE MOST OF IT THE SECOND TIME (2/4/08). I WAS TOLD BY SATURN THAT OUR VIN # DOES NOT FALL WITHIN THE RECALL. I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THIS A FLUKE WHEN IT HAS HAPPENED TO OTHERS AND ME TWICE. *TR