2002 SATURN LS Complaints

MY WIFE'S CAR QUIT RUNNING SUDDENLY. WE HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO REPORTED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKEN AND REPAIRS WOULD COST $3200, INDICATING ADDITIONAL DAMAGE BESIDES THE BROKEN CHAIN. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT, NOR WERE THERE ANY INJURIES. WE PURCHASED THE CAR NEW FROM THE DEALER AND HAVE HAD ALL RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE PERFORMED BY THE DEALER. THE CAR HAS ~97000 MILES ON THE ORIGINAL ENGINE. *TR

I WAS ABLE TO SMELL GASOLINE WHILE DRIVING. I TOOK IT TO AAA AUTO CARE TO HAVE IT CHECKED. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A CRACK ON THE TOP OF THE FUEL TANK. AS IT WAS BEING REPLACED, THE FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REMOVED. ACCORDING TO THE TECH, THE PUMP BROKE IN PIECES. IT TOO NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT +/- 18:50, ON NOVEMBER 18TH 2008 WITH MY 2002 SATURN L200 WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STALLED OR CUT OUT. I HAD TO QUICKLY TRY AND SWITCH LANES TO GET TO THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY WHILE THE CAR WAS LOSING SPEED. WHEN THE CAR STOPPED I TRIED TO START IT AGAIN BUT TO NO AVAIL. I CALLED MY INSURANCE COMPANY TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE NEAREST SATURN DEALERSHIP I.E. SATURN OF PLANO. THE NEXT MORNING I PHONED THE DEALERSHIP TO CONFIRM THAT MY CAR WAS THERE AND THAT I WOULD LIKE THEM TO INVESTIGATE WHAT IS WRONG. THEY PHONED BACK EXPLAINING THAT MY TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKE AND THAT IT THERE IS A VERY GOOD CHANCE THAT MY VALVES WHERE DAMAGED AND A 50/50 CHANCE THAT MY PISTONS WERE DAMAGED AS WELL. THEY CAN'T TELL EXACTLY WHAT MIGHT BE DAMAGED UNTIL THEY OPEN THE ENGINE WHICH IS GOING TO COST ME $800 (ON TOP OF THE INVESTIGATION CHARGES ETC). THEY SAID I HAVE 2 OPTIONS: 1) LET THEM OPEN THE ENGINE AND DETERMINE TO SEE WHAT IS DAMAGED OF WHICH THE OUTCOME MIGHT BE: A. VALVES ARE DAMAGED - REPLACE ENGINE HEAD FOR AT LEAST $2491 B. PISTONS ARE DAMAGED - REPLACE ENGINE WITH SECOND HAND FOR AT LEAST $3800 OR 2) REPLACE THE ENGINE FROM THE BEGINNING THEN I WON'T HAVE TO FORK OUT THE INITIAL $800 AND IT WOULD ONLY COST ME AT LEAST $3800 WHEN I ASKED WHAT I COULD HAVE DONE TO PREVENTED THIS THE ANSWER WAS: "NOTHING" AND THAT THE CHAINS NORMALLY LAST LONGER THAN 100,000 (I THINK MY MILEAGE ON THE CAR NOW STANDS AT ABOUT 104,000). I SERVICED MY CAR AT LEAST 3 TIMES AT THAT DEALERSHIP IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS AND HAVE FORKED OUT ABOUT +/- $3000 ALREADY IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS - SO SPENDING ANOTHER $3000 OR MORE DOESN'T SOUND LIKE A WORTHY INVESTMENT. THE THING THAT UPSETS ME IS THE FACT THEY DON'T MENTION THAT HUNDREDS OF OTHER PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR ISSUES AND OFFER TO FIX IT. THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE SAID THAT I SHOULD FIRST PAY THE $800 FOR INVESTIGATION BEFORE THEY COULD COMMENT ON POSSIBLE ASSISTANCE ETC. YET IT IS THEIR FAULT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L200. WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE RESTARTED. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC INVESTIGATED THE FAILURE AND DISCOVERED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED AND SOME OF ITS COMPONENTS FELL INTO THE ENGINE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 74,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L100. WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 50 MPH AND ACCELERATING, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART AND WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN WAS DEFECTIVE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE SAME YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL VEHICLE; HOWEVER, HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 145,000.

TIMING CHAIN ON MY 2002 SATURN SL2 BROKE WHILE PULLING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY. LOCAL SATURN DEALER CLAIMS THEY HAD A RECALL ONLY ON 2001 MODELS. LOOKING AT THE NHTSA THERE SEEMS TO BE MULTIPLE INVESTIGATIONS INTO THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE REFERENCE PEP08-061. *TR

THE CAR WAS IDLING REALLY ROUGH EARLIER IN THE DAY. I WAS GOING TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT BUT ONLY GOT A FEW FEET BEFORE THE CAR DIED. IT TRIES TO TURN OVER BUT NO LUCK. A MECHANIC FRIEND SAID IT SEEMS TO BE THE TIMING BELT. AFTER REVIEW ON THIS AND OTHER WEBSITES I TEND TO AGREE. IT'S BEEN TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND I'M AWAITING MY DIAGNOSIS. IF IT IS IN FACT THE TIMING BELT AND SATURN KNEW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM WHY DIDN'T THEY FIX IT? A RECALL WOULD BE GREAT BUT IF NOT THAT AT LEAST NOTIFY US OF THE PROBLEM SO WE CAN DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT TO HAVE IT FIXED. I'M REALLY UPSET THAT THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED WITH MY 4 YEAR OLD AND 5 MONTH OLD IN THE CAR WITH ME. DO SOMETHING SATURN!! *TR

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, CAR LOST ALL POWER, IT WILL NOT TURN BACK ON CAR HAS 90,000 MILES. JUST HAD WATER PUMP REPLACED 1 MONT EARLIER FOR LEAKING. 2002 SATURN L100 BELIEVE IT IS THE TIMING CHAIN. *TR

TIMING CHAIN ON 2002 L200 SEDAN WITH 2.2 L ENGINE BROKE WHILE TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE AT 65 MPH, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL AND REFUSE TO START. THIS CAR HAD NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS PRIOR TO THE UNEXPECTED BREAK. LUCKILY, IT WAS VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING (6:10 AM) AND TRAFFIC WAS MINIMAL. I DID MANAGE TO GET THE CAR TO THE EDGE OF THE ROAD SAFELY. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED AT A BUSIER TIME, MY LIFE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN DANGER. IN ADDITION TO THE TIMING CHAIN NEEDING REPLACEMENT, ALL VALVES AND THE HEAD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR A WEEK AND COST IS ESTIMATED TO BE AT LEAST $ 2,500.00. BLUE BOOK PRICE FOR THIS CAR IS $ 4,165.00. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L200. SOON AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT BEGAN TO SMELL GAS. APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS LATER, WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE FUEL PUMP SPRAYED GASOLINE OUT OF THE FUEL TANK AND ONTO THE GROUND. THE FITTING FROM THE PUMP TO THE FUEL LINE HAS DETERIORATED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 53,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,900.