2002 SATURN LS Complaints

WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 25-30 MPH AND THE ENGINE STALLED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. CREATED AN IMMEDIATE TRAFFIC HAZARD IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC AND COULD NOT MOVE OFF CURBED ROADWAY. TOWED TO REPAIR WHERE DIAGNOSIS IS BROKEN TIMING CHAIN. AFTER RESEARCHING ON THE INTERNET FOUND RECALL ON 2001 VERSION OF SAME VEHICLE. NOW I READ THERE IS AN INVESTIGATION AND SAME CONCERNS IN 1999-2003 VERSIONS OF THIS VEHICLE. I ALSO READ THAT SATURN IS CLAIMING THESE WOULD PROBABLY HAPPEN WHEN THE CAR IS IN PARK DUE TO HEAVY LOAD ON CHAIN AT THAT TIME. MINE FAILED AT APPROXIMATELY 25-30 MPH! I ALSO READ THAT IN REOPENING THIS CASE THE NHTSA IS ESPECIALLY INTERESTED IN THE NUMBER OF THESE FAILURES IN YEARS OTHER THAN 2001 IN WHICH THE VEHICLE WAS ON THE ROAD. MINE FITS THIS SITUATION. MY CAR IS BEING REPAIRED BUT I BELIEVE THAT SATURN SHOULD PAY THE BILL AS MY ENGINE IS THE SAME ONE THAT IS RECALLED JUST A YEAR LATER. SATURN DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM IN 2002 SO WHY WOULD THEY HAVE MADE A CHANGE IN THE ENGINE? SATURN OBVIOUSLY KNOWS THIS IS THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG AND IS HOPING TO GET BY WITH A ONE-YEAR RECALL WHEN IT SHOULD BE MORE. I HAVE MAINTAINED TIMELY MAINTENANCE OF MY 2002 SATURN WITH ROUTINE WORK (OIL CHANGES, ETC). THE VEHICLE HAS 99,000 MILES ON IT. *TR

TIMING CHAIN BROKE ON OUR CAR 2002 L-SERIES SATURN THAT HAS 50,000 MILES ON IT. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND ONLY THE 2001 YEAR MAKE OF MY CAR IS COVERED ON A RECALL, EVEN THOUGH MY CAR WAS PURCHASED IN 2001. THE DEALER JUST WORKED ON THIS PART 5 MONTHS AGO AND THEY DENY THAT THE TWO PROBLEMS ARE RELATED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L200. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE ENGINE'S TIMING CHAIN FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT THE COST OF $3,000. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT BECAUSE HIS MODEL YEAR WAS NOT AFFECTED BY NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V519000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), THEY WOULD ONLY ASSUME PARTIAL FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF HAVING THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 90,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L200. EVERY TIME THE SECURITY LIGHTS FLASH, THE VEHICLE WILL TURN OVER, BUT FAIL TO START. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED ON THREE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF THIS TYPE OF FAILURE. THE CONTACT DOES NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 84,700 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,650.UPDATED 09/17/08.*LJ UPDATED 09/25/08. *JB

COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. MECHANIC REPORTED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED. THERE WAS NO WARNING OR INDICATION THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. SERVICE REPORT FROM SATURN DEALERSHIP, WHEN TAKEN IN FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, A FEW WEEKS BEFORE, DID NOT LIST ANY PROBLEM WITH THE TIMING CHAIN. SATURN SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE ACTUALLY SAID THIS CAR DOES NOT HAVE A TIMING CHAIN. HAD THE TIMING CHAIN REPLACED BUT ENGINE HAS NO COMPRESSION, ON TWO CYLINDERS. ESTIMATED COST TO REPAIR ENGINE DAMAGES, AS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE TIMING CHAIN BREAKING, EXCEEDS THE VALUE OF CAR. I HAVE THE OLD CHAIN, ON WHICH, ONE OF THE LINKS FAILED. THE CAR HAS 78K MILES. THE FAILURE OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH UNDER LIGHT TO MODERATE ACCELERATION. *TR

I WAS DRIVING HOME ON 7/26/08 SATURDAY NIGHT, AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN MY ENGINE JUST SHUT OFF. I HAD NO WARNING AND ALMOST GOT IN AN ACCIDENT. I PULLED OVER AND HAD TO PUSH THE CAR INTO A PARKING LOT AT 11:00 PM. I DID HEAR A NOISE FROM THE ENGINE RIGHT BEFORE IT STOPPED, BUT I HAD NO IDEA WHAT IT WAS. I HAD MY MECHANIC TOW IT TO HIS SHOP ONLY TO HAVE HIM CALL ME AND TELL ME THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKEN. IT IS GOING TO COST 2000.00 DOLLARS TO FIX AND I AM A SINGLE MOTHER, AND DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY. I GUESS I AM TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY SATURN CAN GET AWAY WITH ONLY RECALLING CERTAIN YEAR CARS FOR THIS PROBLEM!!!! MY CAR IS A SATURN L200 SERIES, AND I GOT IT IN 2002. IT ONLY HAS 45000 MILES ON IT, AND I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS TIMING CHAIN RANDOMLY BROKE!!! THEY SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR ALL THE CARS IN QUESTION NO MATTER WHAT THE COST. I ALMOST MADE MY DAUGHTER MOTHERLESS!!!!!!!!!! *TR

1) EVENTS LEADING TO FAILURE: THE CAR WAS BOUGHT WITH 15K AND NOW HAS 56K. REGULAR MAINTENANCE. NOTHING TO SIGNAL A PROBLEM. 2) THE FAILURE: DRIVING 55-60 MPH BREAK PETAL PRESSED TO THE FLOOR WITH NO WARNING LIGHTS. WE DROVE TO A NEAR BY MECHANIC WHICH WASN'T OPEN. TURNED THE CAR OFF, STILL NOT BREAKS. DROVE 15 MILES BACK TO TOWN USING EMERGENCY BRAKE. PULLED THE CAR UP TO A MECHANIC. TURNED CAR OFF. WHEN RESTARTED, BRAKES WORKED FINE. MECHANIC COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM WITH BRAKE PADS, NOTHING THAT WOULD LEAD HIM TO BELIEVE THERE WAS A PROBLEM. TOLD US TO TAKE IT TO A SATURN DEALERSHIP. 3) WHAT WAS DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE: SATURN SAID THERE WAS NO RECORD OF A SIMILAR PROBLEM. THEY CHECKED EVERYTHING AND SAID THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE THE BREAK SYSTEM. THEY SAID IT WAS MOST LIKELY BECAUSE WE DID NOT CHANGE THE FLUIDS AT 42K. THEY WOULD NOT GIVE US ANYTHING IN WRITING SAYING THE BRAKES WOULD NOT FAIL AGAIN. *TR

MY BATTERY WENT BAD AFTER I TOOK IT INTO THE SHOP TO GET A RECALL COMPLETED ON THE VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM WAS PRESENT AFTER A NEW BATTERY WAS INSTALLED. THE BODY CONTROL MODULE I AM TOLD IS BAD. THERE ARE COMPLAINTS ALL OVER THE INTERNET ABOUT THE CAR HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH OTHER PEOPLE. MY CAR HAS ONLY 48,000 MILES ON IT. SATURN WILL GIVE ME 10% OFF ON A $1,000.00 REPAIR BILL. THEY SAID BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE ALL MY SERVICE WORK DONE AT A SATURN DEALERSHIP, THEY WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING BETTER. IT IS A SHAME. MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME COMPLAINT ABOUT THE SAME VEHICLE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE AT 65 MPH AT NIGHT. WHEN SUDDENLY I HEARD A NOISE IN THE ENGINE AND THE CAR IMMEDIATELY STARTING SLOWING DOWN. I NEARLY WAS INVOLVED IN ACCIDENT WITH TWO TRACTOR TRAILERS TRYING TO MAKE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAD A TIMING BELT BRAKE. I TOOK THE CAR TO SATURN, THEY REPLACED THE HEAD ASM,CORE-HEAD, GASKET AS, CHAIN PGK, SEAL ASM, BOLT ASM, GASKET-EN, BOLT-6, AND BOLT HV. THE TOTAL REPAIR COST WAS $2,780.34. *TR

2002 SATURN L 200 HAD COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE WHILE ON ROUTE 197 AND CAR STOPPED IN MIDDLE OF ROAD AND WOULDN'T RESTART. CAR HAS ABOUT 60K MILES ON IT. FORTUNATELY MY DAUGHTER WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR OFF THE ROAD. PROBLEM WAS FOUND TO BE TIMING CHAIN FAILURE WITH DESTRUCTION OF THE ENGINE. SATURN REVIEWED OUR MAINTENANCE RECORD, DEEMED IT "EXCELLENT" AND SAID IT WOULD COST ME ONLY $3500 TO GET A REBUILT ENGINE PUT IN. THEY REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE ANY PROBLEM WITH TIMING CHAIN. I AM RELUCTANTLY GOING FORWARD WITH REPAIR BECAUSE I CAN'T AFFORD A NEW CAR NOW, BUT I THINK THIS PROBLEM COULD LEAD TO MORE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES FOR OTHER DRIVERS AND TIMING CHAIN PROBLEM IN ALL L200 SHOULD PROMPT RECALL. *TR