2001 SATURN LS Complaints

1. THE BATTERY DIED EXACTLY ONE YEAR AFTER I PURCHASED THE CAR. 2. TIRES DON'T LAST. THEY WEAR OUT VERY FAST. I READ THAT IT'S DUE TO A FRONT END SUSPENSION PROBLEM, AND CAN BE FIXED WITH A KIT THAT COSTS OVER $500.00, WHICH I CAN'T AFFORD AT ALL. 3. HEATER CORE WENT BAD AND LEAKED ENGINE COOLANT INTO THE PASSENGER SIDE FLOOR BOARD. 4 AFTER MY CAR DIED IN TWO SEPARATE INTERSECTIONS, AND A SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON, I FOUND OUT THE PROBLEM WAS THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR AND CRANK SENSOR WAS BAD. THOSE PARTS WERE AROUND $400.00 TO REPLACE. 5. WHILE DRIVING A REDUCED POWER LIGHT CAME ON AND THE ENGINE LOST POWER, LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF TO THE SIDE BEFORE IT COMPLETELY WENT OUT. 6. ANOTHER SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME ON. THE COMPUTER READER SAYS IT IS A LEAN FUEL DISTRIBUTION. THE MECHANIC IS CHECKING ANY POSSIBILITIES FOR THE PROBLEM, BUT IT IS LOOKING LIKE THE FUEL PUMP NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. 7. SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT WITH THE WRENCH IS ON. THE CAR JOLTS PRETTY HARD WHEN SHIFTING GEARS. THIS USED TO HAPPEN ON A VERY RARE OCCURRENCE. NOW IT HAS BEEN ON THE PAST FEW DAYS, SO THAT ALSO NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT BY MY MECHANIC. 8. ONCE HITTING 60MPH THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES. THE CAUSE TO THIS IS STILL UNDETERMINED. 9. THE OIL FILTER HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE THIS MONTH AND IS STILL LEAKING OIL. SO THIS PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE FIXED AS WELL. 10. THE REAR BRAKES AND LIGHTING SYSTEM HAS BEEN RECALLED. THE SOCKETS LOOK AS THOUGH THEY HAVE BEEN BURNED AND MELTED. SATURN HAS PRODUCED A VERY UNRELIABLE CAR. I, ALONG WITH THE THOUSANDS OF OTHER CONSUMERS WHO ARE FACED WITH THESE PROBLEMS ARE OUTRAGED, AND FEEL AS THOUGH SATURN SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS. BECAUSE NO MATTER THE MILEAGE OR AGE THIS MODEL, WE ARE ALL EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUES. AS CONSUMERS, WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PUT UP WITH THIS. I WISH THERE WERE SOMETHING THAT COULD BE DONE, AND I AM GOING TO DO MY BEST TO GET THE WORD PUT OUT IN THE OPEN. NO MORE AMERICAN MADE CARS FOR ME. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN MY TIMING CHAIN IN MY 2001 SATURN L200 WENT. I CONTACTED SATURN AND THEY SAID THERE IS A RECALL FOR 2001 TIMING CHAIN BUT NOT FOR MY VIN #. IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. *TR

REAR BRAKE LIGHT (LEFT) GOING OUT YEARLY. HOUSING WARPED/MELTED--EXTREME DIFFICULTY REMOVING BULBS. SERVICE DEALER R. CONFIRMED CHANGING BULBS AND HARNESS BUT NOT THE PLASTIC HOUSING WHILE UNDER WARRANTY (03-11-2006: PAPERWORK AVAIL.) {GOOGLED PROBLEM:FOUND A SITE THAT STATES NHTSA COMPLAINT (#05V245000) ALREADY FILED (BUT NOT FOUND AT NHTSA) WITH MFG CAMPAIGN #05052 FOR 2001 L200 SEDANS, BUT NO VIN #'S RANGES AVAIL.} *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN L200. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HER AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND WOULD NOT DIM. IN 2007, SHE HAD HER AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM SERVICED, BUT IT CONTINUED TO FAIL. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE THE FAILURE WAS FINALLY CORRECTED. MOST RECENTLY, AS THE TEMPERATURE BECAME HOTTER IN HER STATE, THE AIR CONDITIONING FAILURE RECURRED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE ALTERNATOR WAS THE CAUSE OF THE NOISE IN THE AIR CONDITIONING. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER REGARDING A TIMING BELT RECALL. AFTER DISCUSSING THE FAILURES WITH THE DEALER, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WOULD ONLY REPAIR THE AIR BAG FAILURE IF SHE REPAIRED THE ISSUE WITH THE ALTERNATOR. THE RECALL NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 86,857 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,757.

I WAS DRIVING AT A STEADY SPEED (CRUISE CONTROL) OF 72 MPH, HAVING JUST RAISED THE SPEED SETTING FROM 70 MPH. ENGINE SPEED INCREASED TO 4200 RPM WHILE INCREASING VEHICLE SPEED. 1 TO 2 MINUTES LATER, THE ENGINE STOPPED PRODUCING POWER AND I QUICKLY LOST SPEED. I PULLED OVER THE SHOULDER AND STOPPED. THIS COULD HAVE PROVEN TO BE DISASTROUS HAD I BEEN IN A LEFT LANE WITH NO SHOULDER OR HAD THE ENGINE SEIZED AND LOCK THE WHEELS. *TR

I ALSO HAVE A 2001 L200. MY PROBLEMS STARTED JUNE 5, 2006. WHILE DRIVING ALONG AT 70 MPH, AND AFTER JUST CRESTING A HILL IN NORTHWESTERN IOWA, MY ENGINE JUST STOPPED. I DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT BUT FOUND OUT THAT THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED AT 64,800 MILES. I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS UNACCEPTABLE BUT DIDN'T WANT TO TOW THE CAR 230 MILES ONLY TO HAVE SATURN OF LINCOLN TELL ME THAT IT WAS MY FAULT THAT THE CHAIN BROKE. (EITHER FROM HAVING INCOMPLETE MAINTENANCE RECORDS OR SOME OTHER REASON.) I HAD THE MOTOR REPLACED WITH A USED ONE. THE REPAIR SHOP TOLD ME THAT THE MOTOR HAD 39,000 MILES. I HAD TO TAKE THEIR WORD FOR IT. (MIGHT HAVE HAD 60,000 HARD MILES) IT WORKED FINE, I KEPT GOOD TRACK OF THE OIL CHANGES WITH THIS MOTOR. THIS PROBLEM COULD HAVE HAD DISASTROUS EFFECTS HAD THE ENGINE SEIZED OR TRAFFIC NOT ALLOWED ME TO GET TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. *TR

IGNITION SWITCH IN ALL SATURN CARS IF FAULTY AND HIGHLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO LOCKING UP WHETHER DRIVING, STARTING OR TURNING OFF THE VEHICLE. THERE IS NO RECALL ON THIS PART. WHERE AS MANY CONSUMERS HAVE PARADED THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL. INSTEAD IT IS A $150-$300 REPLACEMENT CHARGE DEPENDING ON LOCATION AND VEHICLE. *TR

MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING ALONG AT 50 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE ENGINE STOPPED AND SHE LOST ALL POWER. SHE NEARLY AVOIDED AN ACCIDENT WHILE TRYING TO GET TO THE SHOULDER AND EVENTUALLY ROLLED TO A STOP. AFTER HAVING A MECHANIC LOOK AT THE ENGINE AT THE SITE, IT WAS DETERMINED THERE WAS NO ENGINE COMPRESSION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO OUR LOCAL MECHANIC AND DETERMINED THE TIMING CHAIN HAD SNAPPED. I CONTACTED THE SATURN DEALER AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS A RECALL BUT WE DID NOT QUALIFY. EVEN THOUGH THE RECALL WAS FOR OUR EXACT MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR VEHICLE THE VIN DID NOT MATCH. SATURN DEALER STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR AS IT WASN'T COVERED AND IT WOULD COST ABOUT $3500-$4000. I SPOKE TO LOCAL MECHANIC AND HE IS REPAIRING FOR $1355. I CALLED SATURN CORPORATE AND FILED A REPORT AND HAVE THAT ID#. I WAS TOLD THAT IS WAS NOT COVERED BUT THEY WOULD OPEN A CASE AND REPORT IT TO THE AREA MANAGER. THE AREA MANAGER CONTACTED ME AND SAID THAT THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP ME OUT. HOWEVER, I WOULD HAVE TO STOP ALL WORK, TOW IT TO SATURN, PAY FOR A RENTAL CAR WHILE THEY RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM, AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW IF THEY COULD HELP OR NOT EVEN IF IT WAS DEFECTIVE. IF THE COULDN'T HELP I WOULD HAVE TO PAY THE $3500-$4000 AT THE DEALER. I INFORMED HIM THAT I CAN'T TAKE ALL THAT TIME AND SPEND THE EXTRA MONEY. I HAVE NEED FOR USE OF THE CAR. I TOLD HIM I WOULD HAVE TO SEEK OTHER ASSISTANCE WITH SATURN BEING HELD LIABLE FOR THEIR DEFECTIVE PART AND HE AGREED. HE APOLOGIZED FOR THE PART BREAKING SO EARLY IN THE LIFE OF THE CAR AND ALSO APOLOGIZED FOR THE INCONVENIENCE. AT THIS POINT, THE VEHICLE IS BEING REPAIRED AT OUR LOCAL MECHANIC AND I HAVE ALL OF THE DEFECTIVE PARTS. THE DEFECTIVE CHAIN SNAPPED AND INJURED VALVES ON THE ENGINE AS WELL. THOSE ARE ALSO BEING REPAIRED. *TR

WAS DRIVING WHEN TIMING CHAIN SUDDENLY SNAPPED. PUSHED VEHICLE TO ROADSIDE AND PROCEEDED TO GET TOWED. REPAIR ESTIMATED AT $2,400.00. CONTACTED BEAVERTON SATURN RETAILER AND WAS TOLD I'D BE CONTACTED LATER WITH NO RESPONSE. UPON CALLING SATURN CORP. AND USING INFORMATION ACQUIRED FROM NSHTA.COM ABOUT A SPECIFIC RECALL ON MY VEHICLE WAS TOLD ONLY THAT MY VEHICLE'S VIN # IS WITH IN THE RECALL BREAKPOINT BUT IS NOT COVERED AND THEY HAVE NO INFORMATION AS TO WHY MY CAR IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE CAMPAIGN . ONLY THAT IT WASN'T AND THEY HAVE NO REASON OR EXPLANATION AS TO WHY. *TR

2001 SATURN L300 WON'T START, AFTER SEVERAL REPAIRS INCLUDING REPLACING THE FUEL PUMP, IT STILL WON'T START. AFTER BEING DIAGNOSED, CAN'T STILL FIND THE PROBLEM. *TR