2001 SATURN LS Complaints

THE BLINKER / LIGHT HANDLE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE STEERING WHEEL, WHICH ALSO CONTROLS THE BRIGHT LIGHTS. WHEN I TURN THE BLINKER ON EITHER TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT, THE BRIGHT LIGHTS COME ON, AND CAUSES THE BLINKER ELECTRICAL WIRING TO ARC AND CAUSE A SMALL FIRE IN THE STEERING COLUMN AREA, WHICH EMITS SMOKE INTO THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE, ALSO AN ODOR OF BURNING WIRES. AT ONE POINT THERE WAS A SMALL FIRE IN THAT AREA, WHICH CAUSED ME TO HAVE TO PULL OVER AND BLOW OUT MANUALLY (DO NOT HAVE A PLACE FOR A FIRE EXTINGUISHER IN THE VEHICLE). EVER SINCE THAT DAY, IT HAS DONE THIS, ARCING AND CAUSING THE SMOKE IN THE CABIN. ONE TIME ONLY HAS IT FLARED UP WITH VISIBLE FLAMES AND IT DID NOT DESTROY THE VEHICLE, NOR CAUSED ANY OTHER DAMAGE OF ANY SORT. HOWEVER IT STILL DOES CAUSE THE ARCING IN THE WIRING AND CAUSE THE SMOKE TO FILL PART OF CABIN. *TR

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK IN MY 2001 SATURN L200. I HAD STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT AND WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN I BEGAN TO GRADUALLY ACCELERATE. WHEN THE CAR REACHED ABOUT 20 MPH, THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN AND THE CAR ROLLED TO A STOP. AFTER HAVING IT TOWED TO A SERVICE STATION, THE MECHANIC CONCLUDED THAT MY TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKEN. HE COULD NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THIS HAD HAPPENED BECAUSE THE CAR ONLY HAD 57,000 MILES AND THE CHAIN LOOKED IN GOOD CONDITION. THE CHAIN BREAKING ALSO CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE CYLINDER HEADS. THE TOTAL WAS NEARLY $2,800.00 OF DAMAGE. IN JANUARY OF 2008, SATURN LAUNCHED A RECALL OF 21,000 OF THERE 2001 L200'S. THE REASON FOR THE RECALL WAS "LINKS IN THE ENGINE TIMING CHAIN CAN SEPARATE". I NOTIFIED THEM OF MY OCCURRENCE 6 MONTHS PRIOR AND SUBMITTED MY INFORMATION. WITHIN 2 WEEKS THEY NOTIFIED ME THAT MY VEHICLE DID NOT MATCH THE VIN RANGE OF THERE RECALL. I STILL HAVE THE ORIGINAL TIMING CHAIN. *TR

2001 SATURN L200. THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE IN THIS CAR WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING IT AT 64MPH. THE RESULT INCLUDED 8 DAMAGED VALVES AND IT WILL COST THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO REPAIR. I AM TRYING TO DO THE WORK MYSELF BECAUSE I CANNOT AFFORD IT. EVEN WITH ME DOING THE WORK IT IS STILL VERY EXPENSIVE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN L200. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. A LOCAL MECHANIC INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND STATED THAT THE TIMING BELT WAS LOOSE. THE DEALER HAS NOT DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 105,000.

2 FRONT COIL SPRINGS HAD TO BE REPLACED ON 2001 SATURN L SERIES WITH 53,450 MILES SPRING HAD BROKEN AWAY. *TR

NHTSA COMPLAINT APRIL 6, 2008 REF: 2001 SATURN L200 4-DOOR SEDAN WITH 2.2L DOHC ENGINE PURCHASE DATE: JULY 15, 2004 WITH 27,309 MILES DATE OF INCIDENT: FEB. 27, 2008 WHAT HAPPENED? MY WIFE DROVE APPROX 13 MILES, JUST PULLED INTO THE DRIVEWAY AT HER WORKPLACE, AND THE VEHICLE DIED. SHE CALLED AND I DROVE TO THE LOCATION TO ATTEMPT TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM WHICH I COULD NOT. I HAD IT TOWED TO A NATION-WIDE AUTO REPAIR CENTER WHERE I WORK AS A TECHNICAL SERVICE ADVISOR. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY TWO OF THE MASTER TECHNICIANS AS WELL AS THE SERVICE MANAGER. THEY REMOVED THE VALVE COVER AND DETERMINED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD SEPARATED AND THE 4 CYLINDERS HAD NO COMPRESSION DUE TO BENT VALVES. THE REPAIR ESTIMATES ARE FROM $1,150.00 TO $3,800.00. RESULTS: I DISCOVERED THERE IS A RECALL FOR CORRECTING THIS PROBLEM FROM SATURN AFFECTING APPROX 20,000 VEHICLES. I CONTACTED A SATURN DEALER IN COLORADO SPRINGS AND DISCUSSED THE PROBLEM WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER. HE CHECKED AND SAID OUR VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AND WOULD CONTACT THE ?REGIONAL MANAGER? AND SEE WHAT COULD BE DONE. TWO DAYS LATER, HE INFORMED ME THAT SATURN WOULD INSTALL A NEW ENGINE ASSEMBLY BUT WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY HALF OF THE TOTAL EXPENSE WHICH IS $7,200. SATURN HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE TIMING CHAIN AND OILER NOZZLE IN THESE ENGINES. AT ENG IDLE, THERE IS LACK OF LUBRICATION TO THE TIMING CHAIN RESULTING IN FAILURE. SATURN NOW HAS AN IMPROVED TIMING CHAIN AND OILIER DESIGN WHICH "INCREASES OIL FLOW TO THE TIMING CHAIN AT IDLE". SEE SATURN TECHNICAL BULLETIN "TIMING CHAIN DESIGN CHANGE AND REVISED SERVICE PROCEDURES #03-06-01-017 - (JUN 9, 2003). I'VE CHANGED THE OIL AND FILTER EVERY 3-4K MILES, USING ONLY SPECIFIED OIL. THERE WERE NO SYMPTOMS NOR ANY NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. HOPE YOU FOLKS CAN HELP! BEST REGARDS, WILLIAM MAJOR *TR

I HAVE A 2001 L200 SERIES SATURN. I HAVE HAD FOR 1 YEAR. WHILE DRIVING OVER THE WEEKEND ABOUT 75 MILES AWAY FROM HOME, MY CAR WAS ON THE INTERSTATE AT A SPEED OF ABOUT 65 MILES PER HOUR WHEN IT SUDDENLY QUIT RUNNING. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF THE INTERSTATE AND HAD TO QUICKLY CHANGE LANES AND GET THE CAR OFF BUSY I-75. I HAD TO TOW THE CAR HOME AFTER LEARNING THAT THE CAR HAD A BROKE TIMING CHAIN. MY TOW BILL WAS 150.00. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT WILL COST TO REPAIR MY CAR. I BOUGHT THIS CAR TO HELP WITH FUEL MILEAGE. *TR

2001 LS SATURN - TIMING BELT BROKE WHILE ON THE EXPRESSWAY - ENGINE STOPPED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. EVEN THOUGH SATURN HAS RECALLED SOME OF THE L SERIES FOR THIS PROBLEM - THEY SAY THIS VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED! *TR

THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ON THE HWY AT 50MPH. FORTUNATELY SHE WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. UPON HEARING ABOUT THE SATURN RECALL FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, I SUBMITTED MT CLAIM TO SATURN FOR REIMBURSEMENT. THEY CALLED ME ABOUT A WEEK LATER TO TELL ME THAT MY CLAIM WAS BEING PROCESSED. ABOUT A WEEK AGO THEY CALLED TO TELL ME THAT MY CLAIM WAS DENIED. I REQUESTED BUT HAVE NOT RECEIVED WRITTEN CONFIRMATION OF THAT DENIAL. I SUSPECT THAT THE DENIAL WAS BASED ON THE FACT THAT MY SATURN WAS MANUFACTURED IN 09/00 AND THE RECALL WAS FOR CARS MANUFACTURED FROM 11/00 TO 02/01. I REQUEST THAT THE RECALL ORDER BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE THE DATE THAT MY CAR WAS MANUFACTURED. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT 55MPH MY TIMING CHAIN BROKE ON MY 2001 SATURN LS200. WHEN THIS HAPPENED IT ALSO BLEW THE MOTOR IN MY CAR. I AM STILL SHOPPING AROUND FOR PARTS AND TO GET IT REPLACED. *TR