2001 SATURN LS Complaints

STRONG SMELL OF FUEL AROUND REAR OF CAR. FUEL PUMP LEAKING FUEL. FUEL PUMP REPLACED, OLD FUEL PUMP PART AVAILABLE. 2001 SATURN L-200, 116,000 MILES. SMELL WAS SO STRONG AT TIMES A SPARK OR LIT CIGARETTE WOULD CAUSE EXPLOSION OR FIRE. DEALER SAID THIS IS A COMMOM PROBLEM AT 100,000 MILES. *JB

TIMING CHAIN ON 2001 SATURN L200 WITH 78,000 MILES BROKE WHILE DRIVING ALONG HIGHWAY, LOST ALL POWER. SATURN REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE PROBLEM. THISWAS A WELL DOCUMENTED PROBLEM WITH MOST VEHICLES WITH A 2.2 L ENGINE MANUFACTURED BETWEEN 200-2003. THEY NEVER ISSUED A RECALL ON THE DEFECTIVE OIL NOZZLE, AND WERE TELLING THE CUSTOMERS IT WASTHEIR FAULT DUE TO NOT KEEPING UP WITH THE OIL CHANGES. HAVING A VEHICLE LOSE POWER ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY CONSTITUTED A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN.*AK

I WAS DRIVING A 2002 SATURN L-100 WITH 72,000 MILES ON IT. I WAS STOPPED WAITING FOR THE TRAFFIC TO CLEAR, AND WHEN IT DID, I STEPPED ON THE GAS TO MERGE WITH THE HIGHWAY TRAFFIC. AT ABOUT 45 MPH, THE CAR STALLED AND I COASTED IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I WAS UNABLE TO START THE CAR, AND HAD IT TOWED. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE ENGINE HAD SUFFERED A TIMING CHAIN FAILURE. I WAS LUCKY THAT THERE WAS LITTLE TRAFFIC, AS I WOULD HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO AVOID ANYONE OR ANYTHING HAD CIRCUMSTANCES BEEN DIFFERENT. THE CAR IMMEDIATELY LOSES POWER, BUT DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE MASS OF THE ENGINE IS STILL TURNING, THE LIGHTS INFORMING YOU THAT THE CAR HAS STALLED DO NOT COME ON. MY OIL AND IGNITION LIGHTS ONLY CAME ON WHEN THE CAR WAS TRAVELING SLOWER THAN 10 MPH. DRIVERS ARE UNAWARE THAT THE ENGINE HAS STALLED, THEN YOU HAVE VERY LITTLE BRAKE POWER REMAINING. ONCE THE VACUUM BOOSTER IS FULL OF AIR, THE BRAKES BECOME HARDER TO ACTUATE, BUT DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE LIGHTS DO NOT COME ON, IT DID NOT OCCUR TO ME THAT MY BRAKES WERE ALSO ABOUT TO GO. IT WAS TRULY WEIRD. *JB

AIR BAG LIGHT ON WON'T GO OFF WAS IN WRECK AND AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY ONLY LIT UP ON DASH *JB

THE TIMING CHAIN ON MY 2001 SATURN L200 BROKE, WHICH CAUSED THE PISTONS TO STOP WORKING, WHICH TOTALLY RUINED MY ENGINE. I ONLY HAVE 36,000 MILES ON THE CAR! THERE WAS NO WARNING THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG, MY CAR STOPPED RUNNING WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT. LUCKILY I HAD NOT ENTERED THE THRUWAY YET. I HAD TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED AND REPAIRED. IT COST ME $2,479.50 TO HAVE THIS REPAIRED. IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING ON A MORE CROWDED STREET OR THE HIGHWAY, I COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY HURT, AS WELL AS ANYONE AROUND ME. I CONTACTED SATURN BECAUSE SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT DEAL WITH CARS, SAY THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED WITH THE LOW MILEAGE. I DID CALL THE COPS BECAUSE I ENDED UP IN THE MIDDLE OF A SCHOOL ZONE IN A NO PARKING AREA. I DID CAUSE TERRIBLE TRAFFIC CONGESTION. THE TOW TRUCK CAME AND TOOK THE CAR AWAY BEFORE THE POLICE SHOWED UP.*JB

I WAS DRIVING ALONG A CITY STREET DOING NO MORE THAN 25 MILES PER HOUR WHEN MY CAR JUST SHUT DOWN. UPON TAKING IT TO THE REPAIR SHOP I WAS TOLD THAT MY TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKEN AND THAT THIS WAS VERY UNUSUAL. I NOW AM FACING 3,000-3,500 IN REPAIR COST IF I DON'T USE SATURN PARTS DOUBLE THAT IF I DO SINCE THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO HAVE THE ENGINE REPLACED. *JB..UPDATED 02/12/15*BF

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING THE 2001 SATURN L200 AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH SHE HEARD A LOUD POPPING SOUND, AND EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE, AND A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO A MECHANIC, WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THE TIMING CHAIN SHEARED OFF. THE CONTACT STATED THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE TIMING CHAIN. THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ANY OTHER OCCURRENCES WITH THE VEHICLE SINCE THE REPLACEMENT OF THE TIMING CHAIN. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAD 62,000 MILES. *AK

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THE 2001 SATURN L200 AT 25 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED AND LOST POWER. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS BEFORE OR AFTER THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. AFTER ATTEMPTING TO RESTART A FEW TIMES THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE TIMING CHAIN SHEARED, THERE WAS NO COMPRESSION IN TWO CYLINDERS, AND THERE WAS HIGH COMPRESSION ON THE OTHER TWO CYLINDERS. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAD 77,000 MILES.*AK

I NOTICED ABOUT ALL THE COMPLAINTS THROUGHOUT THE INTERNET AND I DECIDED TO ADD MY COMPLAINT TO THE NHTSA. I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY OUT OF TOWN ON CRUISE CONTROL AT 70 MPH WHEN MY VEHICLE LOST ALL ENGINE POWER. I WAS ABLE TO GLIDE IT OFF THE ROAD. I HAD IT TAKEN TO MY MECHANIC AND HE SAID THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAS BROKE ON IT. I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT TIMING CHAINS SHOULD NEVER BREAK. MY CAR HAS LESS THAN 110K ON IT. NOW I HAVE A BROKEN VEHICLE WITH PAYMENTS STILL AND A LARGE COST TO FIX OR REPLACE THE ENGINE. *NM

MY SATURN LW300 HAD MANY PROBLEMS WHILE I OWNED IT. ON TUESDAY I HAD A SIGNIFICANT ACCIDENT WHICH RESULTED IN THE TOTAL LOSS OF MY CAR. THE IMPACT WAS SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO TOTAL THE CAR BUT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT INFLATE. THE INSURANCE ADJUSTER TOLD ME THE LIGHT WENT ON BUT THEY MALFUNCTIONED. LUCKILY I WAS NOT INJURED NOR WAS MY THREE YEAR OLD SON. *NM