2000 SATURN LS Complaints

BOTH TAIL LIGHTS HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO AN UNKNOWN FAILURE. THE RIGHT SIDE WAS REPLACED BY DEALER LAST YEAR AT 40,392 MILES, AND THE LEFT SIDE WAS DONE CURRENTLY AT 55,183 MILES. *AK THE BRAKE SWITCH AND CRUISE FAILED, THERE WOULD BE AN INTERMITTENT CONNECTION WHEN THE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE TAIL LAMP WOULD BECOME DIM WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED AND INOPERATIVE WHEN THE HEADLIGHT WOULD COME ON AND THE HIGH MOUNT BRAKE LIGHT WAS INOPERATIVE. *SC *JB

I OWN A 2000 SATURN LS. WHEN THE CAR HAD 40,000 MILES, I NOTICED THAT THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS WHERE SEVERELY WORN DOWN (.90 INCHES) EVEN THOUGH THE BRAKE PADS HAD MORE THAN 50% LIFE LEFT. I CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT THE ROTORS ON THE LS HAVE BEEN FAILING EARLIER THAN NORMAL AND THAT WHEN THE PADS WEAR OUT, THEY ALSO REPLACE ROTORS. ROTORS AREN'T SUPPOSE TO WEAR OUT UNLESS THE PADS WEAR OUT AND THE METAL BACKING DESTROYS THE ROTORS. MOST CARS ON THE HIGHWAY NEVER HAVE A ROTOR CHANGE FOR THEIR ENTIRE LIFE. SATURN WILL NOT DO ANYTHING UNDER WARRANTY. NOW, I HAVE 60,000 MILES ON THE CAR WHICH IS DRIVEN BY MY WIFE WHO DRIVES VERY SLOW AND BRAKES LIGHTLY AND THE ROTORS HAVE LOST OVER .120 INCHES WHICH PUTS THE ROTOR TOLERANCE OUTSIDE THE SAFETY LIMIT BY GM. AGAIN, ROTORS ARE NOT SUPPOSE TO WEAR TO THIS EXTREME. THIS COULD BE A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM. DON'T YOU AGREE? THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *JB

WATER IS LEAKING INTO THE DASHBOARD AND VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

CAR VIBRATES AT 55 - 70 ALWAYS. IT WEARS TIRES OUT.SEVERAL NEW SETS OF TIRES WORN OUT. IT HAS HAD SEVERAL FRONT END ALIGNMENTS, TIRE BALANCES. NOTHING WORKS. UR LOCAL SATURN DEALER RECOGNIZES THERE IS A PROBLEM AND HAS TOLD ME THAT IT NEEDS TO HAVE REAR SHIMMS INSTALLED AND THAT A LOCAL AUTO STORE CAN DO IT AT A PRICE OF 250.00 PER AXLE! AND MAYBE THAT WILLL FIX IT!*AK

WHEN DRIVING, THE STEERING COLUMN MADE A CRUNCHING NOISE WHEN A TURN WAS MADE. THE RACK AND PINION WAS REPLACED FOUR TIMES. IT WAS JUST REPLACED AGAIN. THE STEERING COLUMN WAS DEFECTIVE AND THE MANUFACTURER DENIED THAT THERE WERE ANY DEFECTS. *JB

BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT BRAKE WEAR PAD INDICATORS FAILED.*MR THE INDICATORS FAILED TO PERFORM AS STATED ON PAGE 326 OF THE VEHICLE OWNERS MANUAL. SPECIFICALLY THEY FAILED TO FIVE AN AUDIBLE WARNING SOUND THAT THE BRAKE PADS HAD WORN OUT TO A DANGEROUSLY LOW LEVEL. *NM

AT 54,000 MILES MY WATER PUMP, TIMING BELT, ENGINE OIL COOLER, AND POWER STEERING PUMP ALL FAILED AT THE SAME TIME. *AK

2000 SATURN 4CYL L SERIES:POWER STEERING PUMP, SERPENTINE BELT, AND IDLER ARM ALL HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 72,000 MILES. PARTS STARTED TO FAIL AT 65,000 MILES, MAKES A NOISE LIKE THE TRANSMISSION WAS FAILING.*AK

PROBLEMS WITH BRAKE PAD WEAR INDICATORS NOT SOUNDING. *MR THE FRONT ROTORS WORE DOWN PREMATURELY. THE BRAKE PAD WEAR INDICATORS FAILED TO PRODUCE ANY AUDIBLE INDICATION THAT THE PADS HAD WORN DOWN AND THE ROTORS HAD BEEN SCORED TO THE POINT WHERE THE ROTORS NEEDED TO BE GRINDED. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE LININGS HAD FORMED HOT SPOTS ON THE ROTORS AND THEY DID NOT FEEL THE ROTORS COULD NOT BE CUT WITHOUT PRODUCING A PULSATION IN THE PEDAL. *SC *JB

TAIL LIGHTS ON MY 2000 SATURN LS1 KEEP BLOWING OUT. BOTH HOUSINGS WERE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY A FEW MONTHS AFTER I GOT MY CAR AND NOW THEY ARE DOING THE SAME THING. MY WARRANTY IS EXPIRED AND THEY WANT ME TO PAY THE COST OUT OF POCKET. I FEEL SATURN OWES ME REPLACEMENT TAILLIGHTS AND ALL THE MONEY I HAVE SPENT ON REPLACEMENT BULBS. THIS SHOULD BE A SAFTEY RECALL, AS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT SATURN AND MANY CUSTOMERS KNOW ABOUT. IT IS EXTREMLY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AROUND WITH TAILIGHTS THAT YOU CAN NOT RELY ON WORKING WHEN YOU REALLY NEED THEM.*AK