2002 SATURN LS Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L300. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE EXTERIOR LIGHTS REMAIN ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE SWITCHES FOR ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED BECAUSE THE ENGINE MODULE COMPUTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH OTHER SENSORS. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE OIL HOUSING FAILED. WHILE GETTING AN OIL CHANGE AT JIFFY LUBE, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE OIL HOUSING SCREW WAS LOOSE AND THE FILTER COULD NOT BE CHANGED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 82,564 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 500.

MY SON WAS DRIVING OUR 2002 L100 SATURN AT 11:00PM COMING HOME AND IT JUST QUIT. IT HAS BEEN A VERY WELL MAINTAINED VEHICLE. IT IS A TIMING CHAIN THAT WENT OUT. SATURN DOESN'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. IT HAS ABOUT 97,000 MILES ON IT. *TR

TIMING CHAIN FAILURE ON MY VEHICLE CAUSED THE CAR TO STOP SUDDENLY WHILE DRIVING AROUND 65MPH ON A HIGHWAY. THE SATURN TECHNICIAN SAID MY CHAIN 'SNAPPED IN TWO' AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE HEAD. AFTER BRIEF RESEARCH I FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THE ECOTEC ENGINE IN THE SATURN L-SERIES FROM 2000-2003. SATURN WAS VERY UNWILLING TO HELP OR ACCEPT ANY SORT OF RESPONSIBILITY. *TR

THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD 3 CATALYTIC CONVERTERS REPLACED. THE FIRST ONE WHEN THE CAR WAS MADE, SECOND ONE WAS INSTALLED 09/17/2004, WHICH WAS PUT ON BACKWARDS BY THE DEALERSHIP, WHICH CAUSED MY EXHAUST MANIFOLD TO CRACK IN SEVERAL PLACES AND THE THIRD CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS INSTALLED ON 03/03/2005, SIX MONTHS AFTER THE SECOND ONE. I HAVE STRONG EXHAUST FUMES INSIDE MY VEHICLE. I HAVE ASKED THE SATURN DEALERSHIP WHY SO MANY CONVERTERS ARE HAVING TO BE REPLACED AND THEY TELL ME IT'S EITHER CHEAP GAS OR LACK OF TUNE-UPS. THEY WANT $2,000.00 TO REPLACE THE MANIFOLD AND ANOTHER CONVERTER. ALSO, MY HEAD LIGHTS KEEP FLICKERING. I AM THE SECOND OWNER OF THIS CAR, SO WHEN I STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH IT, I HAD THE DEALERSHIP DO A HISTORY SUMMARY ON THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THE FIRST OWNER HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS THAT NEVER HAD BEEN RESOLVED. *TR

I WAS DRIVING TO CHAMPAIGN TRAVELING ABOUT 60 MPH WHEN THE SATURN L200 DIED. THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND I WAS LUCKY TO MAKE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I HAD MY KIDS WITH ME AND THEY WERE TERRIFIED! I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO SATURN OF CHAMPAIGN. THEY CALLED AND TOLD ME THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKEN. I WAS SHOCKED BECAUSE IT TOTALED THE ENGINE. IT WAS JUST AFTER CHRISTMAS AND I HAD NO MONEY. SATURN TOLD ME I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE $2700. I HAD TO GET A LOAN FOR THE REPAIRS WHICH HAS CAUSED MORE FINANCIAL PROBLEMS. I JUST FOUND OUT THAT THEY NEW THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE PART AND SAID NOTHING! *TR

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2001 SATURN L200 TO WORK AT HIGHWAY SPEED WHEN THE ENGINE STALLED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. SHE WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT CAUSING A COLLISION. DIAGNOSIS BY A GM MECHANIC FOUND THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKEN, CAUSING 6 EXHAUST VALVES TO BEND. WE ARE CURRENTLY PURSUING OUR OPTIONS FOR REPAIR. *TR

OUR 2002 L200 SATURN HAD THE TIMING CHAIN FAIL AT APROX 79,000 MILES. COST TO REPAIR THIS WAS $2973.15 THAT IS INCLUDING THE COST OF TOWING O THE DEALER. THE TIMING CHAIN SHOULD NOT OF FAILED AT 79,000 MILES. THEY NEED TO INCLUDE 2002 L200'S IN THE RECALL THAT THEY ALREADY HAVE ON THE 2001 L SERIES CARS FOR THE TIMING CHAIN ON THOSE. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A PROBLEM WITH THE 2002'S AS I HAVE READ MANY OTHERS WITH THIS YEAR HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

IGNITION CONTROL MODULE AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILURE. CAR WOULD NOT RUN. *TR

ELECTRONIC IGNITION AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER WENT OUT. CAR WOULD NOT OPERATE. *TR

IGNITION KEY HOUSING WOULD NOT WORK (I.E. KEY SWITCH WORN OUT). REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF HOUSING. *TR