2002 SATURN LS Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L200. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS AND HEADLIGHTS FLASH AND FLICKER RANDOMLY. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS FLICKER IN THE DAYTIME AND THE CONTACT NOTICED THE HEADLIGHTS FLICKERING AT NIGHT. SHE HAS TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS GIVEN A HANDOUT STATING THAT IT WAS NORMAL. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO REMEDY THE FAILURE. SHE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH CHRYSLER. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 49,700 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. THE DEALER STATED THAT CONSUMER HEARS A WHISTLING NOISE UPON ACCELERATION, WINDOWS MAKE CHIRPING NOISE WHEN ROLLING THEM UP, AND HEATER WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. UPDATED 11/27/07 *TR

THERE WERE NO SPECIAL EVENTS (ACCIDENTS, UNUSUAL ROAD CONDITIONS, ETC) PRECIPITATING THIS PROBLEM. WE HAVE A 2002 SATURN L200 WITH 75.5K MI.S ON IT. WE HAVE BEEN INCREASINGLY SMELLING GASOLINE ODOR COMING FROM THIS CAR AFTER PARKING IT. I GOT UNDERNEATH THE CAR AND FOUND THAT LIQUID GASOLINE IS COMING FROM ON TOP OF THE GAS TANK AND SOAKING THE SIDES OF THE TANK. WHEN I CALLED THE DEALER, THE SERVICE DEPT SEEMED FAMILIAR WITH THE PROBLEM. THEY SAID IT IS LIKELY A LEAKING FITTING ON THE FUEL PUMP; REQUIRING A NEW FUEL PUMP $400+. WE OWN AN 2002 FORD F-150 THAT HAD A RECENT RECALL ON A CRUISE CONTROL DEVICE THAT THEY SAID COULD CAUSE A FIRE AFTER ENGINE SHUTDOWN-WE HAD THAT RECALL DONE ALTHOUGH WE HAD NO PROBLEMS. THE GAS LEAK WE ARE HAVING ON OUR SATURN SEEMS MUCH MORE VOLATILE THAN THE FORD'S PROBLEM. THE ODOR HAS BAD ENOUGH THAT WE HAVE BEEN AFRAID TO PARK THE CAR INSIDE OUR GARAGE (NEAR OUR WATER HEATER), BUT NO RECALL. THIS SEEMS LIKE A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD THAT SATURN IS WELL AWARE OF (I FOUND MULTIPLE REFERENCES TO FUEL PUMP PROBLEMS ON THIS MODEL WITH THE 2.2L 4-CYL ENG ON THE INTERNET). I'D LIKE TO KNOW IF YOUR AGENCY IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND IF YOU HAVE CONSIDERED COMPELLING SATURN TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT REPAIRING THIS LEAKING FITTING. CAN YOU RECOMMEND WHAT MY IMMEDIATE ACTION OR RECOURSE ON THIS MATTER SHOULD BE AT THIS POINT? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L-100. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN LOSING POWER AND WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED AND CAUSED INTERNAL DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. THE COST TO REPLACE THE ENGINE WAS $5,400. THE PURCHASE DATE AND VIN WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 103,940 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,900. UPDATED 01/11/08. *LJ UPDATED *JB

ON AUGUST 8, 2007 I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WITH MY SON IN THE BACK SEAT TRAVELING 65 MILES PER HOUR WHEN THE POWER TO MY CAR CUT OFF AND MY WHEELLOCKED IN POSITION. LUCKY FOR MY I HAPPENED TO BE IN THE LANE CLOSET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND WAS ABLE TO SAFETLY EXIT THE ROAD. I THEN BROUGHT MY CAR TO MY TRUSTED MECHANIC TO FIND OUT THAT MY TIMING CHAIN SNAPPED AND I DID EXTENSTIVE DAMAGE TO MY CAR THAT I ONLY BOUGHT 1YEAR PRIOR IN JUNE OF 2006 FROM A SATURN DEALERSHIP. I HAD TO PAY $2400 TO GET MY CAR REPAIRED AND HAD NO VEHICLE TO USE FOR 2 WEEKS. I AM A SINGLE MOTHER WHO THOUGHT SHE BOUGHT A RELIABLE CAR. I COULDN'T AFFORD TO PAY THE DAMAGES TO MY CAR AND HAD TO BORROW MONEY. MY NEXY STEP IS TO CONTACT SATURN TO COMPLAIN. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L200. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF AND THERE WAS A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER. THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A CURB. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED. AS OF SEPTEMBER 4, 2007, THE DEALER HAD NOT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 100,000.

1)REAR BRAKE LIGHTS INOPERATIVE. 2)NO CONSEQUENCES 3)SATURN REPLACED LIGHTS SOCKETS FOR REAR TAIL LIGHTS ACCORDING TO NHTSA RECALL #05V245000 BUT REFUSED TO REPLACE LIGHT BULBS WHICH WERE SHORTED OUT BY THE DEFECTIVE SOCKETS. *TR

2002 SATURN L-200 WITH HEAD LIGHT SWITCH PROBLEM CUSTOMER STATES THAT THE SWITCH SHORTS OUT WHICH CAUSES HEAD LIGHTS TO COME ON AND DRAIN THE BATTERY**CC THE CONSUMER STATED THAT HIS VEHICLE HAD A FAULTY HEADLIGHT SWITCH THAT SHORTS AND CAUSES THE BATTERY TO GO DEAD. AT TIMES THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD COME ON WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. *TR

ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 12 AS I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY IN UPSTATE NY, MY 2002 SATURN L200 SUDDENLY BEGAN DECELERATING AND AS MUCH AS I PUSHED ON THE ACCELERATOR, THE CAR CONTINUED TO STOP. I MANAGED TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER, WHICH WAS VERY SCARY BECAUSE THE TRAFFIC WAS HEAVY AND MOST CARS WERE SPEEDING AROUND ME. THE CAR DIED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A SATURN DEALER WHO, WITHOUT EVEN EXAMINING THE CAR SAID IT SOUNDED LIKE THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKEN. THIS DIAGNOSIS PROVED TO BE TRUE AND I WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH I LEARNED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM OF THE L200 SERIES. I ALSO BECAME ANGERED BECAUSE I HAD BROUGHT MY CAR TO SATURN AT LEAST THREE TIMES COMPLAINING OF THE WARNING SIGNS--THE CAR HAD DONE THIS SAME THING SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE, BUT ALWAYS RESTARTED AFTER A WAIT OF ANY WHERE FROM ONE MINUTE TO THREE HOURS. EACH TIME I BROUGHT IT TO SATURN THEY ACTED LIKE THEY NEVER HEARD OF THE PROBLEM BEFORE, AND TOLD ME THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. THEY SHOULD HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE A TSB HAD BEEN ISSUED ABOUT IT AND ALL SATURN MECHANICS SHOULD HAVE BEEN TAUGHT ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. I PAID $21,000 FOR THIS CAR, WITH THE INTENTION THAT IT WOULD LAST AT LEAST 10 YEARS. I JUST FINISHED PAYING FOR IT A FEW MONTHS AGO. I BELIEVE SATURN SHOULD PAY TO FIX THIS. THE TIMING CHAINS SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED. I WOULD LIKE TO FILE A CLASS ACTION SUIT AGAINST SATURN. *TR

WHILE DRIVING, ONCE CAR WAS WARM, I STARTED HEARING A LOUD WHISTLING NOISE FROM UNDER THE HOOD. MECHANIC RAN AN EMISSIONS TEST AND DETERMINED THAT I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. I DECIDED TO TAKE THE CAR TO A SATURN DEALER, ALTHOUGH I HAD NO MORE WARRANTY. I WAS INFORMED THAT ONCE THEY INSTALLED THE GASKET, THE PROBLEM WAS WORSE AND THE CAR WAS NOW UNDRIVEABLE AS THE MANIFOLD ITSELF WAS WARPED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED (INCLUDING ANOTHER GASKET AS THE 1ST WAS DAMAGED BY TRYING TO INSTALL IT ON A WARPED MANIFOLD). THE CAR HAS APX 58,000 MILES. SERVICE MANAGER SAID HE HAD NEVER SEEN ONE DO THIS BEFORE AND ONLY EXPLANATION FOR IT HAPPENING WAS EXTREME HEAT, YET THIS ENGINE HAS NEVER OVERHEATED; OIL IS CHANGED AS SOON AS LIGHT COMES ON. LUCKY I DID NOT INCUR MAJOR DAMAGE TO OTHER PARTS OR THE ENGINE (AFTER READING THIS WEBSITE I AM WAITING FOR THE TIMING BELT TO GO. WHY NO RECALL ON THIS??) *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L200. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH THE ENGINE STALLED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE TIMING BELT BROKE AND DAMAGED THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED HOWEVER APPROXIMATELY 10,000 MILES LATER THE TIMING BELT BROKE AND DAMAGED THE ENGINE AGAIN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000 THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 74,000.