2001 SATURN LS Complaints

NOT SURE IF I REPORTED HERE ALREADY, BUT DOING SO AGAIN JUST IN CASE. I OWN A 2001 SATURN L200 ("PREMIUM CERTIFIED" PRE-OWNED). IT FALLS SQUARELY WITHIN THE DATE OF MANUFACTURER OF THE TIMING CHAIN DEFECT (MY CAR WAS MANUFACTURED 2/01). I RECENTLY EXPERIENCED THE TIMING CHAIN FAILURE, TO THE TUNE OF $2900 WORTH OF REPAIR COST. AS WRITTEN ON THE REPAIR ORDER, THIS WAS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE TENSIONER (SP?) PROBLEM WITH THE CHAIN DESIGN. MY FAILURE HAPPENED UPON STARTING MY VEHICLE IN MY DRIVEWAY; HOWEVER, IN MY RESEARCH ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, THERE ARE MANY, MANY PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCED THIS WHILE DRIVING AND IT IS ONLY A MIRACLE THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ANY DEATHS OR SERIOUS INJURIES RESULTING FROM THIS DEFECT (AT LEAST, NOT THAT WE KNOW OF). MY VEHICLE HAD 80K MILES AT THE TIME...HOWEVER, MOST OF THOSE MILES WERE HIGHWAY (LONG TRIPS DOWN SOUTH). I WONDER WHETHER IT TOOK SO LONG FOR THIS TO HAPPEN BECAUSE I STARTED MY CAR LESS OFTEN THAT OTHER PEOPLE. IN ANY CASE, I WANTED TO ENCOURAGE A RECALL, SINCE THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A WIDESPREAD DEFECT AND A DANGEROUS CONDITION NOT ONLY TO THE OWNERS OF THE VEHICLES, BUT TO OTHER DRIVERS, AS WELL. SEARCH THE WEB AND SEE HOW MANY SITES THERE ARE WITH STORIES OF CHAIN FAILURE IN THIS VEHICLE--I GUARANTEE YOU WILL FIND HUNDREDS--QUITE A LARGE PERCENTAGE FOR THE SHORT MANUFACTURING PERIOD OF THIS PARTICULAR MODEL, NOT TO MENTION MANY OTHER SATURN MODELS WITH THE SAME DESIGN. MY DATE OF FAILURE IS WITHIN A DAY OR TWO--I DON'T HAVE THE PAPERWORK WITH ME. *JB

ON MONDAY, JULY 9, 2007 MY CAR HAD PROBLEMS CRANKING, AND THEN HAD PROBLEMS TAKING OFF. MY HUSBAND TOOK THE CAR TO OUR LOCAL MECHANIC AND WAS ADVISED THAT THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH THE TIMING CHAIN. I HAVE NOW HAD A VERY EXPENSIVE CAR REPAIR BILL TO HAVE TO FOOT. AT THIS POINT, BECAUSE OF THE UNRELIABLY AND SAFETY ISSUES, I HAVE NOW PURCHASED A NEW HONDA THAT I CAN DEPEND ON. FROM THE HUNDREDS OF LISTINGS I HAVE FOUND ONLINE I DO SEE THAT THIS IS NOT UNIQUE TO MY CAR BUT THERE ARE MANY, MANY OTHERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE ALWAYS HAD MY OIL CHANGED EVERY 3,000 MILES AND BELIEVE THIS TO BE RIDICULOUS. *TR

FRONT LEFT SPRING IN MCPHERSON STUT SUSPENSION. SPRING SNAPPED AT BOTTOM. MECHANIC SAID HE HAD SEEN THIS ON ANOTHER SATURN. REPAIR COST IS $972.00. CLEAN BREAK WITH RUST. MECHANIC SUGGESTED MANUFACTURING FLAW. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN L100. WHEN THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT OFF AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE SATURN DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN, ALTERNATOR, AND BATTERY WERE NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 83,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN L100. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH INTO A PARKING SPOT, THE TIRES PRESSED AGAINST THE CURB AND CAUSED THE FRONT AIR BAGS TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS NO CRASH AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVEN AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. SATURN STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS IN REGARDS TO THIS FAILURE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A CARD FROM SATURN PERTAINING TO THIS FAILURE ALONG WITH A CLAIM NUMBER. THE VIN AND ENGINE SIZE WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 61,000.

MY PREGNANT WIFE WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND IT DIED AS SHE WAS MAKING A U-TURN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO ELK GROVE SATURN AND THEY STATED THE TIMING BELT HAD BROKEN AND WE NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. THE CAR ONLY HAS 51,283 MILES ON IT. I FOUND THAT THERE IS INVESTIGATION OPEN INTO THIS ISSUE. (DP05-008). IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS SHE WAS ON THE ROAD WHEN IT BROKE. I HATE TO THINK WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF SHE WAS ON THE FREEWAY WITH THE KIDS IN THE CAR. *TR

MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING MY 2001 SATURN ON A COUNTY ROAD AT 55 MPH WHEN THE CAR JUST STOPPED. LUCKILY, SHE WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE ROAD SAFELY AND WAS NOT INJURED. THE MECHANIC AT THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT THE MOTOR WAS SHOT DUE TO THE TIMING CHAIN BREAKING. I NOW HAVE TO PAY 1500 FOR A NEW MOTOR TO BE INSTALLED. I STILL OWE MORE THAN 4,000 ON THE CAR. IN RESEARCHING THE SATURN, I FOUND THAT THERE WERE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME PROBLEM BUT THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A RECALL OF THE SATURN FOR THIS. I BELIEVE IT IS TIME FOR ACTION TO BE TAKEN AGAINST GM REGARDING THIS PROBLEM WITH THE TIMING CHAIN IN THE SATURN. *TR

2001 SATURN WAGON. DRIVING AT 30K MPH WHEN TIMING CHAIN FAILED. LOST ALL POWER INCLUDING POWER STEERING AND BREAKS. WAS ABLE TO COAST THE CAR TO A STOP. CURRENTLY BEING LOOKED AT BY LOCAL SERVICE STATION. CAR HAS 88K MILES. *TR

I WAS DRIVING HOME WITH THE WINDOWS OPEN AND AT A STOP HEARD A SUBTLE METALLIC CLICKING SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR. WHEN I PULLED INTO MY DRIVEWAY A FEW MINUTES LATER I LEFT THE CAR RUNNING AND LIFTED THE HOOD TO INVESTIGATE. THE SOUND WAS COMING FROM THE TOP OF THE ENGINE WHERE THE TIMING CHAIN DRIVES THE CAMS. HAVING HEARD ABOUT A PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS BREAKING TIMING CHAINS AND READING COMPLAINTS ON THE NETS WEB SITE ABOUT THIS VERY PROBLEM I WAS IMMEDIATELY ALARMED. BEFORE I COULD EVEN STEP AWAY FROM THE CAR TO SHUT IT OFF, I HEART A LOUDER METALLIC CLANK AND THE CARE STOPPED. THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE LITERALLY UNDER MY NOSE. HAD I BEEN ON THE FREEWAY, CROSSING AN INTERSECTION OR SUCH THIS SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT ENDANGERING MYSELF AND OTHERS. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN FAITHFUL ABOUT CHANGING THE OIL IN MY 2001 SATURN L200 AT THE RECOMMENDED INTERVALS AND SUCH A THING SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN AT ONLY 85000 MILES. THE CAR IS IN THE SHOP NOW BEING FIXED. THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE AT SATURN WOULD NOT ADMIT HAVING EVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM AND ACTED LIKE IT WAS VERY UNUSUAL THAT THIS HAPPENED. I KNOW OTHERWISE. I BEG OF YOU TO PLEASE TAKE ACTION ON THIS. MYSELF AND OTHERS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BARE THE COST OF THIS VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR CAUSED BY BAD ENGINEERING NOT TO MENTION THE TERRIBLE SAFETY HAZARD THIS REPRESENTS. THANK YOU. *AK

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN L200. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPPED ON ITS OWN. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER AND TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CAUSE OF FAILURE WAS A FAULTY TIMING CHAIN. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED SATURN AND DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE AMONG SATURNS. HE FEELS AS IF THIS IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT THAT SHOULD BE REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 103,000. UPDATED 02/01/08. *LJ