2002 SATURN LS Complaints

1. EVENTS LEADING UP TO FAILURE, NONE 2. THE FAILURE, TIMING CHAIN LINK SEPARATES WHILE CAR RUNNING, AND WILL NOT RESTART. 3. HAVE TO REPLACE TIMING CHAIN. *TR

SATURN WAGON LW200 HAD A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE, I.E., ITS TIMING CHAIN FAILED WHILE BEING DRIVEN ON 9/20/08 WHICH DESTROYED THE ENGINE AND PUT MY SPOUSE AT RISK OF HARM AS THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER DRIVABLE. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN FULLY INSPECTED AND SERVICED ON 9/13/08 AT A LOCAL SATURN DEALERSHIP WHERE IT HAD BEEN FAITHFULLY SERVICED SINCE ITS PURCHASE. THE TIMING CHAINS ON THIS MODEL OF VEHICLE WERE RECALLED FOR MODEL YEARS 2000 AND 2001 AND THE MECHANIC AT HASLETT MARATHON WHERE IT WAS TOWED FOR INSPECTION REPORTED THIS WAS THE SAME PART. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SALVAGEABLE. *TR

MY SATURN L200 STOPPED IN TRAFFIC. I HAD IT TOWED TO A MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THE TIMING CHAIN WAS BROKEN AND SATURN HAD ADDED A PART TO THE ENGINE TO GET MORE OIL OR LUBRICANT TO THIS CHAIN SO IT WOULDN'T BRAKE. I HAVE HAD MY CAR AT SATURN DEALERSHIPS AND THEY HAVE NEVER MENTIONED THIS PART THAT SHOULD BE ADDED. I CALLED THE LOCAL SATURN DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THEY ARE REPLACING THE ENGINE IN L100 MODELS WHEN THE TIMING CHAIN BREAKS, BUT NOT THE L200'S. THE L100 AND L200 HAVE THE SAME ENGINE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L100. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TURN SIGNALS DO NOT WORK. IN ADDITION, THE FUEL PUMP CRACKED IN THE GAS TANK AND CAUSED FUEL TO POUR OUT OF THE VEHICLE. HE SMELLED FUEL AND NOTICED IT "DUMPING" OUT OF THE VEHICLE, WHICH ALERTED HIM TO THE FAILURE. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THE FUEL PUMP AS THE ORIGIN OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER COVERED $300 OF THE $650 REPAIR COST. THE CONTACT FELT THAT THE FAILURE WAS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 62,394 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 62,100.

RE. 2002 SATURN L200 MODEL W/2.2 4CYL. ENGINE...VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPPED AND WOULD NOT RESTART....I HAD TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED IN TO A LOCAL GARAGE WHERE THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS A BROKEN TIMING CHAIN.....I HAVE 69,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AND HAVE MAINTAINED THE CORRECT MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES.....SATURN HAS BEEN ISSUED A TSB IN 2003 REGARDING A REPLACEMENT OIL NOZZLE TO FACILITATE THE OILING OF THE TIMING CHAIN....I PLAN ON CONTACTING MY LOCAL SATURN DEALER REGARDING THIS MANNER AND PLAN ON GOING HIGHER UP WITH THE COMPLAINT IF NECESSARY....I AM NOT A HAPPY CAMPER OVER THIS AND HOLD SATURN ENTIRELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS PROBLEM. SINCERELY, BONNIE L. KRUEGER *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L200. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, HE NOTICED A SUDDEN JOLT. HE ALSO EXPERIENCED LOSS OF ACCELERATION AND THE STEERING COLUMN FAILURE CAUSED THE STEERING WHEEL TO LOCK. HE WAS ABLE TO SAFELY MANEUVER THE VEHICLE TO THE EMERGENCY LANE. THERE WHERE NO WARNING INDICATORS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, INSPECTED AND ADVISED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE REPAIR COST WOULD BE $2,500.00. THE REPAIRS HAVE NOT BEEN PERFORMED. THE CONTACT WILL NOTIFY THE MANUFACTURER. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 152,000.

MY CAR STALLED ON HIGHWAY AND WOULD NOT START. HAD IT TOWED TO A LOCAL SATURN DEALER AND THEY CHARGED ME $85 TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. IT IS A DEFECTED TIMING CHAIN THAT DESTROYED MY ENGINE. THE COST OF REPAIR WILL BE OVER $3,000. MY CAR IS A 2002 SERIES AND DOES NOT FALL UNDER THE RECALL FOR TIMING CHAIN FAILURE. WE HAVE CONTACTED THE MAIN SATURN HEADQUARTERS IN DETROIT TO VOICE OUR COMPLAINT AND WAITING TO SEE WHAT CAN BE DONE WITH THIS CAR DEFECT. *TR

11-2006 FAILURE #1 NORMAL DRIVING. CAR SLOWED AND BECAME UNDRIVABLE AS IF OUT-OF-GAS. WOULD NOT RE-START. TOWED BACK TO DEALER. REMEDY REPLACE TIMING CHAIN. NO OLD PART. 11-29-2008 FAILURE #2 ENGINE OIL WARNING LIGHT AND BELL ON TEMPORARILY (MEANING NO SERIOUS EVENT, ACCORDING TO SATURN VEHICLE MANUAL) AFTER 20-30 MINUTES OF OPERATION BEFORE PARKING CAR. THIS HAPPENED THREE TIMES OVER TWO DAYS. ON FINAL THIRD DAY AFTER 15 MINUTES OF OPERATION GRINDING RUMBLE BECAME INCREASINGLY LOUDER. AT TRAFFIC LIGHT ENGINE STALL. CAR RESTARTED. KEPT RPMS ABOVE STALL THRESHOLD. FOR FIVE MORE MINUTES BEFORE PARKING. ENGINE CRANKCASE VOID OF OIL. ADDED TWO QUARTS. UPON STARTING ENGINE. FRESH OIL WAS SEEN EXITING UPPER REAR OF ENGINE. DROVE TO DEALER. TEAR DOWN HALTED WHEN METAL SHAVINGS WERE FOUND IN OIL PAN. CAR CURRENTLY PARKED AT DEALER. RECOMMENDATION FULL ENGINE REPLACEMENT. *TR

DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE ENGINE QUIT (STOPPED RUNNING AND DECELERATED). I HAVE HAD IT CHECKED AND BEEN TOLD THAT THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED AND THE PRESSURES INSIDE THE ENGINE ARE BAD. SPOKE WITH SATURN AND WAS TOLD IF I REPAIRED IT AND THERE WAS A SUBSEQUENT RECALL LIKE THE OCT. 2008 COMPLAINT, I WOULD BE REIMBURSED. *TR

THE TIMING CHAIN ON MY 02 SATURN L100 BROKE CAUSING THE CAR NOT TO START. AFTER READING SOME OF THE BLOGS, I FEEL FORTUNATE THAT I WAS PARKED WHEN ITS FAILURE REVEALED ITSELF. *TR