2002 SATURN LS Complaints

MY 18 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING OUR 2002 SATURN L200 WITH 2.2 4 CYLINDER ON SATURDAY JUNE 8, 2007 THROUGH AN EXTREMELY BUSY INTERSECTION OF INTERSTATE ROUTE 93 AND MONTVALE AVENUE IN STONEHAM MASSACHUSETTS WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING SHUT DOWN, LEAVING HER STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION FORTUNATELY FOLLOWING VEHICLES WERE ABEL TO SWERVE AROUND HER. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO SATURN OF MEDFORD ,AND I AM AWAITING FINAL DETERMINATION OF PROBLEM ,BUT I SUSPECT THAT THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE. I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE HAVE BEEN MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS REGARDING SIMILAR SITUATIONS WITH SATURNS AND I WOULD LIKE TO BE ADDED TO THIS LIST. IF SATURN HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS PROBELM, IT IS IRRESPONSIBLE THAT WE WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF SUCH A PROBLEM. MY DAUGHTER IS VERY LUCKY! I HAD CALLED THE DEALERSHIP LAST WEEK TO HAVE A TAPPING NOISE CHECKED OUT AND THEY SCHEDULED ME FOR NEXT TUESDAY AND MADE NO MENTION ON THE PHONE THAT THIS COULD BE SUCH A SERIOUS PROBLEM.*AK

PREMATURE TIMING CHAIN FAILURE ON MY 2002 SATURN L200. I HAVE A 2002 SATURN L200 WITH 54000 MILES ON IT AND THE TIMING CHAIN WENT OUT THIS MORNING WITH NO WARNING. I WAS DRIVING TO WORK THIS MORNING ON THE EXPRESS WAY WHEN, WITHOUT ANY WARNING, THE ENGINE STALLED. I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO GET HIT BY THE SEMI BEHIND ME. FORTUNATELY HE WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN AND AVOID ME AS I PULLED OFF THE ROAD. I HAD A MECHANIC CHECK THE CAR OUT AND HE SAID IT WAS THE TIMING CHAIN. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE MIGHT HAVE TO BE REPLACED. AFTER READING A NUMBER OF OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, I DECIDED TO FILE THIS COMPLAINT. WHEN WILL SOMETHING BE DONE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM? SATURN SHOULD BE FORCED TO RECALL THESE CARS AND FIX THE PROBLEM AT THERE OWN EXPENSE. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO DIE BEFORE SOMETHING IS DONE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L200. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE STOPPED WITHOUT WARNING. THERE WAS LIGHT RAIN AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 36,361. UPDATED 02-01-08. *KB THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED. UPDATED

5/2007 - AC COMPRESSOR HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO FREON LEAKING; THE CONDENSER WAS REPLACED ON THIS SAME VEHICLE IN MAY OF 2006. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L SERIES SEDAN. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH THE ENGINE SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE AND THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE 70,000. *AK

23 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER, HER COUSIN, AND 3 YEAR OLD NIECE WERE DRIVING ON I-70 NEAR CHICAGO WHEN THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND DIED. HAD TO BE PUSHED OFF INTERSTATE TO SIDE OF ROAD BY 2 YOUNG WOMEN WITH 3 YEARS IN CAR. TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKEN WITHOUT WARNING ON A CAR WITH 54,000 MILES ,LEAVING THE CAR NON FUNCTIONAL IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF THE EXPRESSWAY, 300 MILES FROM HOME, AND LEAVING DAUGHTER, COUSIN AND NIECE STRANDED IN A STRANGE CITY WITH NO TRANSPORTATION. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT SATURN DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS PROBLEM EXISTS, OR THAT A CAR THAT SUDDENLY LOSES ALL POWER WHILE DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC IS NOT A SAFETY CONCERN THAT WOULD WARRANT A RECALL. *AK

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L200. WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH THE CONTACT HEARD A POP AND THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY CAME TO A ROLLING STOP. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND THE MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE AS NEEDING A NEW TIMING CHAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 43,000. *AK

I PURCHASED A 2002 SATURN L200 ABOUT 1 1/2 YEAR AGO WITH A 1 YEAR WARRANTY IT NOW HAS 80,000K MILES. MY WARRANTY RAN OUT A FEW MONTHS AGO. I WAS BACKING OUT OF A PARKING LOT AT ABOUT 2MPH AND MY CAR JUST SHUT OFF. AFTER TAKING INTO THE SHOP THEY SAID MY TIMMING CHAIN BROKE WHICH CAUSED A LOT OF DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. I AM VERY UPSET AND DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH AND FOUND MANY PEOPLE HAVING THIS SAME ISSUE. I GET MY OIL CHANGES DONE ON TIME AND I DONT THINK THIS SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED. MY CAR BILL WAS $2725.00. I WENT TO THE SATURN DEALERSHIP AND THEY PRETTY MUCH DID NOT WANT TO TALK TO ME AND SAID THEY DID NOT KNOW OF THIS PROBLEM.

THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE ON THE 2002 SATURN L200 WHILE DRIVING , NOT AT START UP WHILE PARKED . WE WERE DRIVING AT 30 MPH ON A SECONDARY ROAD WHEN IT HAPPENED SO WE AVOIDED A COLLISION OR OTHER PHYSICAL MISHAP. AS WE HAVE LEARNED HAS BEEN THE CASE WITH DOZENS OF OTHER SATURN, THE CHAIN BREAKAGE CAUSED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE UPPER ENGINE COMPONENTS, E.G., VALVES. THUS, THE REPAIR COST WAS FAR GREATER THAN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN, HAD THE ENGINE BEEN DESIGNED WELL. ONE NEED NOT BE AN AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEER TO CONCLUDE THAT SATURN HAS PRODUCED SEVERAL MODELS WITH A MAJOR DESIGN FLAW IN THE ENGINE, AND THAT THIS FLAW WAS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS. THOSE UNFORTUNATE ENOUGH TO OWN SUCH A MODEL, AND TO THOSE DRIVING ON OUR NATION'S HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS.*AK

NORMAL DRIVING 50-60 MILES PER HOUR, ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING WHATSOEVER BEFORE THE EVENT OCCURRED. TIMING CHAIN BROKE AT 51000 MILES, LOST COMPRESSION IN 3 OF 4 CYLINDERS, LOST ALL POWER TO THE VEHICLE, WAS ABLE TO STOP AND GET OUT OF TRAFFIC WITHOUT GETTING INTO AN ACCIDENT. SATURN REFUSED TO REPAIR FOR FREE, CHARGED ME 2000 DOLLARS (DEDUCTIBLE ON THEIR WORST WARRANTY THEY SOLD AT THE TIME). OLD PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE, FAILURE WAS CONFIRMED BY TWO OTHER MECHANICS BEFORE AS A LAST RESORT TAKEN TO A SATURN DEALER TO BE FIXED. SERVICE MANAGER ALSO REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THE TSB THAT HAD BEEN RELEASED CONCERNING THE OIL NOZZLE ON MY SATURN. *JB