2001 SATURN LS Complaints

ENGINE KNOCKING BADLY. DEALER LISTED CAUSE AS "WEAK TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER"TOLD IT WAS NOT NORMAL FOR THE MILEAGE (77468). CHAIN PKG COST $733.86 (PARTS/LABOR) I'VE HEARD THAT THERE ARE MANY SATURNS WITH THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY 2001 L200 SATURN IN MODERATE TRAFFIC WHEN I HEARD A SOUND AND THE ENGINE QUIT. I COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND CALLED FOR A TOW TRUCK. THE DEALERS MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT LATER INFORMED ME THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKEN AND THAT IT WOULD COST BETWEEN $2,900 AND $3,300 TO REPAIR OR REPLACE THE ENGINE. *TR

TRAVELING ON RTE 27 SOUTH IN AVON PARK FLORIDA ENGINE DIED WITH NO WARNING. I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND GET VEHICLE TOWED TO ALAN JAY SATURN IN SEBRING. AFTER THREE DAYS OF WAITING THEY TOLD ME THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKE AND WOULD COST $1000 TO FIX. I WAS TOLD IT WAS AN UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE. I FIND THIS NOT TO BE THE CASE. THEY REPLACED THE CHAIN THEN TOLD ME SOME VALVES WERE BENT AND WOULD COST $1600.00 MORE. I WAS ALMOST IN AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. IT WAS FORTUNATE I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO ROADSIDE. *TR

2001 SATURN L200. 59,000 MILES. TIMING CHAIN FAILURE. YOUNGEST DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING CAR AND SHE LOST POWER. THANKFULLY, SHE WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD AND CALL FOR HELP. NO ONE WAS HURT. I READ THAT THIS WAS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE. I COLLECT CARS AND THIS IS THE FIRST ONE THAT I HAVE EVER HAD A TIMING CHAIN GO OUT ON WITHOUT SERIOUS REVVING, AND RELEASE OF THE ENGINE RPMS!! *AK

WE HAD THE TIMING CHAIN BREAK ON THE 2001 SATURN L200 WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN OPERATION IN RICHMOND ON APRIL 17, 2007. BREAKING IN THIS FASHION IT FATALLY DAMAGED THE ENGINE. I LEARNED AFTER THE FACT THAT SATURN HAD CHANGED THE DESIGN OF THE LUBRICATING NOZZLE FOR THE TIMING CHAIN DURING THE 2001 MODEL YEAR, BUT THEY NEVER FIXED THE EXISTING MODELS, INCLUDING OURS, EVEN THOUGH WE PURCHASED IT AFTER THE DESIGN CHANGE HAD BEEN IMPLEMENTED. SATURN THEMSELVES HAS WARRANTED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN WAS SCHEDULED TO BE REPLACED AT THE 90,000 MILE SERVICE - OURS BROKE AT 84,700. SATURN HAS REFUSED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROBLEM. *AK

I OWN A 2001 SATURN L200 WITH THE 2.2L 4 CYLINDER ENGINE. WITHOUT WARNING, AND WITH NO PRIOR SYMPTOMS, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. TOOK IT TO LOCAL MECHANIC AND FOUND THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED. THE ENGINE NEEDED TOTAL REPLACEMENT TO THE TUNE OF $5000. WE'VE OWNED THE VEHICLE FOR THREE YEARS, TOTAL OF 60000 MILES ON THE CAR. REGULAR OIL CHANGES FROM THE SAME SERVICE FACILITY. *AK

2001 SATURN L200 CUSTOMER IS DISAPPOINTED AND CONCERNED ABOUT RECALLED IGNITION CONTROL MODULE THAT FAILED 35,000 MILES AFTER BEING REPLACED**CC THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THAT THE RECALL PART WAS NO BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL PART. THE LEFT REAR WINDOW REGULATOR BROKE AND THE REAR GUIDE WAS MIS-ALIGNED. *JB

I WAS DRIVING MY 2001 SATURN L200 SEDAN MONDAY APRIL 23, 2007 WHEN I WAS ENTERING THE HIGHWAY(ACCELERATING AND MERGING) WHEN I HAD NO WARNING, MY CAR JUST STALLED ON ME. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO QUICKLY EXIT THE HIGHWAY TO MY RIGHT. MY ENGINE WOULD TURN OVER BUT NOT START. IT IS AT A NON-DEALERSHIP REPAIR CENTER BECAUSE 1. WHERE I WAS WHEN IT HAPPENED AND 2. WHO MY INSURANCE COMPANY WOULD AUTHORIZE THE TOW TRUCK TO GO TO. I HAVE BEEN READING A LOT OF SURVEYS ON THE INTERNET WHERE PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME THING HAPPEN TO THEIR SATURNS AROUND THE SAME YEAR AND WITH SIMILAR COMPONENTS. THE REPAIR CENTER HAS CONFIRMED THAT MY TIMING BELT HAS GONE OUT AND I HAVE 6 BENT VALVES WHICH THEY HAVE SENT IN TO BE MACHINED AND FIXED. I AM AWARE OF THE NHTSA INVESTIGATION INTO THIS TIMING BELT FAILURE(DP05-008). IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THIS IS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. *JB

THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE AFTER ONLY 31,000 MILES ON A 2001 MODEL SATURN L SERIES. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN LS1. WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED AND ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO LOCAL SERVICE CENTER, WHO RECOMMEND THAT THE VEHICLE BE TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN DETACHED AND DAMAGED THE HEAD. ALSO, THE HEAD, FRONT GASKET, AND ALL RELATED PARTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE REPAIR WAS COMPLETED AND COST $1,669.94. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH MILES ON IT TO HAVE SUCH A FAILURE. ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE HE DISCOVERED A FEW COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME FAILURE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 53,898.*AK