2002 SATURN LS Complaints

MY 2002 SATURN L200, PURCHASED FROM SATURN OF SCHAUMBURG IN DECEMBER OF 2005, NO LONGER RUNS BECAUSE OF A 'SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW IN THE TIMING CHAIN MECHANISM'. THE VEHICLE HAS ONLY ABOUT 48,000 MILES ON IT AND THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THIS CAUSED THE VALVES IN THE ENGINE TO BEND. I WAS TOLD BY SATURN OF SCHAUMBURG THAT THIS PROBLEM DID NOT EFFECT MY MAKE OR YEAR, ONLY 2001 VEHICLES. I WAS FURTHER TOLD THAT THIS PROBLEM 'HARDLY EVER HAPPENED WITH THE L-SERIES' HOWEVER, UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION I DISCOVERED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN ASSEMBLY USED IN THE RECALLED VEHICLES WAS ALSO USED IN MODEL YEAR 1999 THROUGH 2003 SATURN L-SERIES VEHICLES WITH 2.2 LITER ENGINES, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE MY VEHICLE. I GOT THIS INFORMATION FROM CONSUMER AFFAIRS. I ALSO FOUND THAT SATURN HAS REPAIRED 2,932 VEHICLES UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE OF TIMING CHAIN FAILURES AND THERE ARE ANOTHER 890 CONSUMER COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS PROBLEM. WHEN I CALLED WITH THIS NEW INFORMATION I WAS TOLD THAT I HAD TO TOW MY DISABLED VEHICLE TO SATURN FOR THEIR DIAGNOSIS AT ADDITIONAL COST TO MYSELF BEFORE THEY COULD TELL ME IF ANY OF THE COST OF REPAIR (ESTIMATED AT $2,272.00 BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC) WOULD BE COVERED BY SATURN. I ALSO SPOKE TO TIM IN SATURN'S CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER, WHO SAID HE WOULD TRY TO GET THE DIAGNOSIS CHARGED WAIVED, BUT PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO. HE ALSO INFORMED ME THAT SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE USED, IF SATURN DID DECIDE TO COVER SOMETHING IT WAS HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT THEY WOULD COVER 100%. *TR

MAY 27, 2008 -WHILE AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT THE CAR CUT OFF WHEN I TRIED TO ACCELERATE. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY INSTALLED A NEW FUEL PUMP. FOUR DAYS LATER THE SAME THING OCCURRED. FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED(3X'S)THIS INCIDENT HAS OCCURRED A TOTAL OF FIVE TIMES. THE FOURTH TIME THEY REPLACED THE PCM( COMPUTER MODULE) AND IT CUT OFF AGAIN, THE CAR IS STILL @ THE DEALERSHIP. I HAVE HAD THE CAR IN MY POSSESSION FOR LESS THAN TWO WEEKS SINCE THE INITIAL INCIDENT, IN MAY IT IS NOW JULY 15,2008. *TR

MY 2002 SATURN L SERIES CAR HAD THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPEN TO IT AS YOUR #07V519000. THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND ENGINE STALLED AND IT WOULD NOT RESTART. LUCKILY THERE WAS NO CRASH. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L200. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND THE BATTERY WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A LOCAL SERVICE SHOP AND THEY STATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED, WHICH CAUSED THE VALVE IN THE ENGINE TO FAIL ALSO. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE REPAIR WOULD COST $2,300. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 60,000.

I HAVE A 2002 SATURN L200 WITH 37157 - THE TIMING CHAIN SNAPPED ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY AT 60 MPH. I CALLED SATURN WHO SAID THIS IS NOT COVERED IN ANY WAY. *TR

I WAS VERY SURPRISED TO SEE SEVERAL OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THIS SITE ABOUT THE SMELL OF GASOLINE IN SATURNS. I TOOK MY CAR TO SATURN OF JOLIET WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED USED IN 2005. IT IS A 2002 L200 SERIES. THEY PUT IT ON THE RACK AND SAID THERE WAS A LEAK AT THE TOP OF THE FUEL TANK. THEY SAID IT WOULD COST ANYWHERE BETWEEN $500 AND OVER $900 TO REPAIR DEPENDING ON WHERE THE LEAK IS AND WHAT HAS TO BE DONE. I AM A SENIOR CITIZEN LIVING ON DISABILITY SOCIAL SECURITY AND CAN NOT AFFORD SUCH A HIGH REPAIR BILL. WITH ALL THE OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, I WOULD CERTAINLY THINK IT IS A PROBLEM THAT CALLS FOR A RECALL. THIS MUST BE A DANGEROUS PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L-SERIES SEDAN. WHEN THE CONTACT DRIVES THE VEHICLE AND PARKS, HE SMELLS GASOLINE. HE CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD, BUT COULD NOT LOCATE ANY LEAKS. HE WALKED TO THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE AND THE SMELL OF GASOLINE INTENSIFIED. HE LOOKED UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE, BUT COULD NOT LOCATE ANY LEAKS. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED HIM TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL DEALER; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT DID NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING 20 MILES IF THE FUEL TANK WAS LEAKING. THE MANUFACTURER ALSO STATED THAT HE COULD TAKE THE VEHICLE TO BOUNDS AUTOPLEX. WHEN THE CONTACT ARRIVED, THE MECHANIC COULD SMELL THE GASOLINE; HOWEVER, HE COULD NOT LOCATE ANY LEAKS UNDER THE HOOD. THE MANAGER WAS NOTIFIED AND WAS ABLE TO LOCATE A LEAK ON TOP OF THE GAS TANK. THE CONTACT DECIDED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO AMERICAN AUTO, WHERE THEY REMOVED THE FUEL TANK AND IDENTIFIED THE LOCATION OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT IT WOULD COST $800 TO REPLACE THE TANK. HE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING THE FAILURE AND THEY INSTRUCTED HIM TO HAVE THE TANK REASSEMBLED AND THEN BRING THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 88,000.

CONSUMER COMPLAINT ABOUT LEAKING AXLE SEALS. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE MECHANIC INFORMED HIM THAT THE AXLE SEALS WERE LEAKING AND IT WOULD COST HIM ABOUT $770.00 TO FIX IT. *KB ***NAR***

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L200. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 55-60 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS COASTED OFF THE ROAD AND TOWED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATIONS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE FIRST DIAGNOSIS WAS THAT THE FUEL PUMP AND FUEL FILTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AFTER THEY WERE REPLACED, THE FAILURE STILL PERSISTED. THE SECOND DIAGNOSIS WAS THAT THE TIMING CHAIN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 100,000.

THE DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHTS ARE ON ALL THE TIME AND NONE OF THE GAUGES ARE WORKING. CAN HEAR CLICKING NOISES IN CONSOLE AND STATIC FROM SPEAKERS. *TR