2001 SATURN LS Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN L200. WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. HE WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE TIMING BELT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 67,000.

I WAS TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE @ A SPEED OF 70 MPH WHEN MY CAR JUST SUDDENLY DIED. I HAD MY TWO CHILDREN IN THE BACK SEAT AND WAS LUCKY THAT I WAS NEAR AN OFF RAMP. MY CAR WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC WHO SAID THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD SNAPPED AND THAT IT HAD BENT ALL OF THE PISTONS. THE TOTAL COST OF REPAIR WAS OVER $1600.00. I LATER FOUND OUT ABOUT THE RECALL AND WAS UPSET TO FIND OUT THAT MY VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. SATURN SAID IT MUST HAVE BEEN A COINCIDENCE THAT MY CAR WAS AFFECTED BY THE SAME THING THAT THE RECALLED VINS WERE AFFECTED BY. SATURN NEEDS TO RECALL ALL CARS THAT THE TIMING CHAIN WERE USED IN. THIS WAS NOT A COINCIDENCE! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN L200. THE CONTACT'S SPOUSE LEFT THE VEHICLE IN DRIVE, REMOVED THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION, AND EXITED THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ROLLED BACKWARDS DOWN A HILL. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 70,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,000. UPDATED 10/03/08 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE KEY SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BE REMOVED WITH THE VEHICLE IN DRIVE. UPDATED 10/07/08. *JB

TL - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN LS. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH THE ENGINE SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED A SAFETY RECALL 07V519000 - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING. WHEN THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED HE SAID THAT THE RECALL DID NOT APPLY TO THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 129,000. KG *UPDATED 10/20/08 *BF UPDATED 10/21/08. *JB

2001 SATURN L200. DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING 45 MILES PER HOUR AND THE CAR CUT OFF. THERE WAS NO STEERING OR BRAKES. SHE LUCKILY WAS ON A STRAIGHT A WAY AND COASTED TO A STOP. THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE AND TOOK THE TOP HALF OF THE ENGINE WITH IT. NOT THE BELT THE CHAIN BROKE. IT CAME TO A TOTAL OF $2500.00 TO REPAIR. I WENT ONLINE AND TYPED IN 2001 SATURN L200 TIMING CHAIN AND CAME UP WITH A LIST OF OVER 9 PAGES OF COMPLAINTS FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM. THE MILEAGE ON THE CARS RANGED FROM 20,000 (NEW) TO 100,000 MILES. I BELIEVE THIS NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED AND RECALLED. NOT TO MENTION MY DAUGHTER COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. I AM VERY DISGUSTED IN HOW WE WERE TREATED AS WELL BY SATURN. *TR

I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE ON MY 2001 SATURN L-SERIES VEHICLE CONCERNING THE TIMING CHAIN IN JAN. 2008, WHEN I CALLED TO SCHEDULE THE SERVICE, I WAS TOLD THAT MY CAR WAS NOT IN THE RECALL POPULATION. I QUESTIONED WHY I HAD GOTTEN THE RECALL NOTICE, BUT WAS NOT GIVEN A REASON. HOWEVER, THE TECHNICIAN ASSURED ME THAT THE TIMING CHAIN IN MY CAR WAS GOOD AND WOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM. HOWEVER, EIGHT MONTHS LATER - THE TIMING CHAIN IS OUT IN CAR. AFTER INVESTIGATING, I REALIZED THAT MY CAR WAS BUILT IN MARCH 2001 AND THE RECALL POPULATION ENDED WITH CARS BUILT IN FEB. 2001. I HAVE CONTACTED SATURN AND THEY WERE EXTREMELY UNHELPFUL. MY CAR IS BEING FIXED AT MY COST. THE CAR JUST REFUSED TO START ONE DAY WITHOUT WARNING. THERE WAS NOTHING TO INDICATE THAT ANYTHING WAS GOING BAD. I HAVE SINCE FOUND OUT THAT SATURN WAS AWARE THAT THE TIMING CHAIN PARTS WERE FAULTY, BUT DID NOTHING ABOUT IT. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR AND IT QUIT. UPON INVESTIGATION I DETERMINED THE CAUSE TO BE A TIMING CHAIN FAILURE. I PURCHASED THE PARTS AND MADE THE REPAIR. RECENTLY I DISCOVERED THIS MODEL OF CAR WAS INVOLVED IN A RECALL FOR TIMING CHAIN FAILURE AND WANT TO BE REIMBURSED FOR MY EXPENSE. I HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALER AND CUSTOMER SERVICE HOTLINES BUT THEY TELL ME MY PARTICULAR CAR WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THE RECALL EVEN THOUGH MY VIN NUMBER IS IN THE RANGE INDICATED IN THE RECALL NOTICE. *TR

I HAD JUST EXITED FROM INTERSTATES 440 WHEN MY TIMING CHAIN SNAPPED AND RENDERED THE VEHICLE WITHOUT ANY ENGINE POWER OR POWER STEERING IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY ROAD. *TR

LOUD TAPPING @ HIGHWAY SPEED, TOWED TO MECHANIC WHO SAID ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. ONLINE SEARCH REVEALED RECALL OF 2001 L2 SERIES SATURN FOR TIMING CHAIN FAILURE. I NEVER RECEIVED NOTICE WHICH WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS DAMAGE, WHICH MECHANIC SAYS WILL BE APROX $2000.00. *TR

WHILE DRIVING A RECENTLY PURCHASED 2001 SATURN L-SERIES HOME THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE, RUINING MY ENGINE AND LEAVING ME STRANDED. MY DATE OF MANUFACTURE IS 10-2000, ONE MONTH BEFORE THE RECALL. *TR