2001 SATURN LS Complaints

MY TIMING CHAIN BROKE WHILE DRIVING DOWN ZKINSIE AVE IN RACINE WI. I WAS TRAVELING AT 35 MPH WHEN THE CAR JUST DIED. I LOST PWR STEERING AND PWR BRAKING AND HAD TO WRESTLE THE STEERING WHEEL IN ORDER TO GET OUT OF THE INTERSECTION AND COAST TO THE CURB. I'M JUST GLAD THERE WAS NO SEMI-TRUCK FOLLOWING CLOSE BEHIND ME. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN L200. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT HEARD A PERSISTENT KNOCKING SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY AND SHE WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS FLICKERED WHEN SHE DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURES. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 77,535.

2001 SATURN L200 WITH 2.2 4 CY. ENGINE. TIMING BELT BROKE , ENGINE HAD 70,000 MILES. $3000 WORTH OF DAMAGE. SATURN HAD KNOW THIS WAS PROBLEM AND HID FACTS TO OWNERS. *TR

2001 SATURN L200 TIMING CHAIN FAILURE CAUSING ME TO COAST THROUGH A BUSY INTERSECTION NARROWLY MISSING ONCOMING TRAFFIC. *JB

I DRIVE A 2001 SATURN L200. IT HAS ABOUT 60,000 MILES ON IT. MY CAR WAS TAKEN IN TO A TIRE SHOP TO GET NEW TIRES. THE MAINTENANCE MAN WENT TO TURN ON THE CAR AND THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN. WE ENDED UP CALLING SATURN AND, AT FIRST, THEY SAID IT WAS A WORN KEY AND THAT WE COULD COME IN AND THEY WOULD MAKE US A NEW ONE. SO WE DID THAT, AND THE KEY STILL WOULDN'T TURN. WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID IT NEEDED A NEW IGNITION CYLINDER AND HOUSING. WE WENT TO PICK UP THE CAR AND THE MAINTENANCE GUY TURNED THE CAR ON AND IT STARTED UP FINE. HE TURNED IT OFF TO DO SOME PAPERWORK. HE GOT BACK INTO THE CAR, TURNED IT ON, AND ALL IT DID WAS "SPIN." THEY CAME OUT TO TELL US THAT THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE. NOW THEY ARE TRYING TO MAKE US PAY FOR IT, EVEN THOUGH IT WASN'T IN OUR POSSESSION AT THE TIME. I JUST GOT THROUGH READING ABOUT ALL THE OTHER CARS OF THE SAME TYPE THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE, ONLY I WAS LUCKY THAT THE CAR WASN'T MOVING. MORE PARTS DIDN'T GET DAMAGE. ALSO, I WOULD HAVE HAD TO GET ON THE HIGHWAY TO COME HOME. I'M PRETTY SURE MY CAR STOPPING ON THE HIGHWAY DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC DUE TO SOMETHING THAT IS BREAKING IN MANY OF THE SAME CARS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. NO PARTS HAVE BEEN PLACED SO FAR, THOUGH I WAS TOLD THAT ONLY THE TIMING CHAIN WOULD NEED REPLACED. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN L300. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE SENSOR FAILED AND THEY MADE THE REPLACEMENT, HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE RECURRENCE. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 64,435 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 63,000.

TIMING CHAIN ON MY 2001 SATURN L200 BROKE WITH NO WARNING AT ABOUT 90,000 MILES. I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 15 MILES AN HOUR ON A CITY STREET. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER SAFELY AFTER LOSING ALL POWER. AFTER READING MANY, MANY POSTS ABOUT PROBLEMS WITH SATURNS OF THE SAME YEAR/MODEL WITH THE 2.2L ENGINE, I FELT I NEEDED TO REPORT THAT I ALSO EXPERIENCED THE CHAIN BREAKING WHILE DRIVING. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE CHAIN "BUNCHED UP" BENDING SEVERAL VALVES AND BREAKING A PISTON RESULTING IN THE NEED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THE CAR HAD BEEN SERVICED ON A REGULAR BASIS. I DID NOT DRIVE THE CAR FOR 5 MONTHS DUE TO ANOTHER ISSUE THAT WAS NOT AFFECTED BY NOR HAD AN AFFECT ON THE TIMING CHAIN ISSUE. *JB

I OWN A 2001 SATURN L200, 2.2L, 4 CYL, DOUBLE OVERHEAD CAM SEDAN, VIN [XXX]. 106K MILES. I MAINTAIN IT REGULARLY. I WAS DRIVING TO WORK YESTERDAY 9/5/07 AND THE ENGINE STALLED ABRUPTLY MAKING A NOTICABLE "CLUNK" NOISE. I WAS ALMOST UP TO 55MPH WHEN THE INCIDENT HAPPENED. I COASTED TO A STOP AND TRIED TO RESTART BUT IT WOULDNT FIRE, IT WOULD TURN OVER HOWEVER. THAT GAVE ME THE AWFUL FEELING THAT THE TIMING BELT OR CHAIN PROBABLY BROKE. I TOWED THE CAR HOME AND TORE IT DOWN AND CONFIRMED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKEN. ALSO THE LEFT ADJUSTABLE CHAIN GUIDE WAS ALSO BROKEN. NOW I AM WORRIED THAT THE VALVES OR PISTONS MAY BE DAMAGED. AFTER SEARCHING THE INTERNET FOR THIS PROBLEM, IT APPEARS I AM DEFINITELY NOT ALONE. GM MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR CRAP DESIGNS. I'M SICK OF THIER QUALITY ISSUES. AFTER I FIX THIS THING I WILL BUY A HONDA! *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A MAJOR INTERSTATE AT 70 MPH WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY CAR CUT OFF. I HAD MY TWO YEAR OLD SON WITH ME. IT LEFT US STRANDED 5 HOURS AWAY FROM HOME. WE WERE STUCK ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AND A GAS STATION FOR A TOTAL OF 7 HOURS WHILE I WAITED FOR MY DAD TO COME GET US. MY SON HAS SEVERE ASTHMA AND THE TEMPERATURE THAT DAY WAS NEAR 100 DEGREES. AFTER BEING ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD FOR AN HOUR HIS WHOLE BODY TURNED RED. I HAD TO WALK 2 MILES ON THE SIDE OF THIS MAJOR INTERSTATE TO GET US TO THE CLOSEST GAS STATION WHERE WE SAT AND WAITED FOR HELP TO ARRIVE. THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE AND TORE UP THE HEADS ON THE MOTOR. I HAD TO HAVE A COMPLETE TOP END OVERHAUL ON THE MOTOR. THIS COST ME 1500 WHICH WAS AT A DISCOUNTED RATE BECAUSE MY DAD KNEW THE MECHANIC. SEVERAL OF THE PAST WERE ON BACK ORDER SO IT HAS NOW BEEN TWO WEEKS SINCE IT HAS BEEN AT THE MECHANIC AND WE ARE STILL WAITING ON BOLTS SO HE CAN PUT IT BACK TOGETHER. *JB MY TWO YEAR OLD SON AND I FINALLY ARRIVED BACK HOME AT 6:00 AM THE NEXT MORNING, MY CAR BROKE DOWN AT 1. *JB

SUDDEN FAILURE OF TIMING BELT IN OUR 2001 SATURN L300 (56,000 MILES, REGULAR DEALER SERVICE), CAUSING COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER AND CONTROL WHILE DRIVING. MY WIFE WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF ROAD WITH NO POWER STEERING. ENGINE COMPLETELY RUINED. DEALER WANTS $4,000 TO REPAIR. SATURN SAYS REPLACE BELT AT 100,000 MILES. INTERNET RESEARCH SHOWS A LARGE NUMBER OF THESE COMPLAINTS. DANGEROUS LOSS OF POWER. *JB