2002 SATURN LS Complaints

I HAVE A 2002 SATURN L-100. WHEN THE LIGHT SWITCH IS IN THE AUTOMATIC POSITION THE HEADLIGHTS, INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS, INTERIOR LIGHTS AND TAIL LIGHTS FLASH INTERMITTENTLY BUT QUITE FREQUENTLY. WHEN THEY FLASH THE FUEL AND TEMPERATURE GAUGES GO BACK AND FORTH AS IF THEY LOSE POWER AND RE-GAIN IT. WHEN THE GAUGES LOSE POWER AND CONTINUE TO LAY DOWN, THE SHIFT LEVER CANNOT BE MOVED FROM THE PARK POSITION UNTIL THEY RECEIVE POWER AGAIN. WHEN THE LIGHT SWITCH IS MANUALLY TURNED ON THE HEADLIGHTS AND TAILLIGHTS DO NOT FLICKER, HOWEVER THE GAUGE, INTERIOR AND DASH LIGHTS CONTINUE TO FLICKER. HAVE HAD IT LOOKED AT SEVERAL TIMES. NO ONE HAS A CLUE OF WHAT THE CAUSE CAN BE. CAN HEAR CLICKING FROM UNDERHOOD FUSE BOX WHEN IT DOES THAT. CAN ALSO FEEL THE CLICKING IN THE RELEASE BUTTON ON THE GEAR SHIFT. I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS IS NORMAL AS SATURN CLAIMS. *NM

LTR FM (MA) BELIEVES THE ACCIDENT HE HAD WAS CAUSED BY A DEFECT IN THE WHEEL ASSEMBLY OF HIS 2002 SATURN L100. *TS THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE AND CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING ALONG THE GUARDRAIL AND THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO MOVE IT BECAUSE THERE WAS NO STEERING. THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE BRAKES BUT THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. WHEN THE VEHICLE FINALLY CAME TO A STOP THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT NON OF THE FRONT OR SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR FACILITY WHO DETERMINED THAT THE ENTIRE TRANSAXLE ASSEMBLY HAD BEEN SMOOTHLY SHEARED OFF. *NM

FAILED TIMING CHAIN IN MY 2002 SATURN L100. I ONLY HAD 69,000 MILES ON THIS CAR. IT TOOK MY MECHANIC HOURS TO FIND THE PROBLEM WHY THE CAR WOULDN'T START. THE TIMING CHAIN LOOKED OK. TURNED OUT IT WAS STRETCHED AND WASN'T CATCHING. TO FIND THE PROBLEM THIS HAD TO BE DONE BY TURNING THE MOTOR BY HAND. HE SUGGESTED I HAVE IT TOWED TO OUR LOCAL SATURN DEALER(OF CLARENCE) WHICH I DID. HE ALSO SAID THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN OUT ON THIS EXACT PROBLEM. ALSO MY MECHANIC SAID SATURN HAS REDESIGNED THE TIMING CHAIN BECAUSE OF PAST PROBLEMS WITH IT. IT NOW IS A WHOLE KIT. THE HOLE THAT THE OIL GOES THROUGH WAS TOO SMALL AND THEY DESIGNED IT WITH A LARGER HOLE. THIS REPAIR COST ME $913.00!! I AM VERY UPSET AND HAVE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH SATURN. THEY SAID THEY WILL "REVIEW MY COMPLAINT." *JB

REAR BRAKE LIGHT ASSEMBLIES FINALLY REPLACED VIA A BULLETIN. HOWEVER, THE CENTER BRAKE LIGHT ASSEMBLY MOUNTED UP NEAR THE TOP OF THE WINDOW CONTINUOUSLY HAS ONE OF THE CENTER LAMPS INOPERATIVE, ONE TIME THE LAMP HAD JUST FALLEN OUT. IT HAS BEEN FIXED 5 TIMES BY THE DEALERSHIP. *JB

STEREO COMES ON AND GOES TO AUX MODE EVERY TIME CAR IS TURNED ON. THE STEREO WAS REPLACED ONCE, NOW THERE IS A BULLETIN THAT STATES ONE MUST REMOVE POWER TO THE UNIT IN ORDER TO RESET IT. THIS ENTAILS PULLING THE FUSE EACH TIME IT STARTS HAPPENING, EVERY 3 TO 4 MONTHS. *JB

MY TIMING CHAIN IS GOING OUT ON MY 2002 SATURN L100. I DON'T KNOW THE COST TO FIX YET AS I HAVE ONLY TAKEN IT TO A GAS STATION AND NOT A REPAIR FACILITY. *NM

WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK WHEN THE CAR STARTED TO MAKE A NOISE AND THEN JUST DIED. HAD IT TOWED TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED IT AS A BROKEN TIMING CHAIN. HE HAD HEARD THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE L-SERIES. THEN I HAD IT TOWED TO OUR LOCAL SATURN DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE WORK DONE; TIMING CHAIN & GUIDES, HEAD, VALVES, PISTONS WERE ONLY SCORED -- TOTAL BILL OF $3,700!! CAR IS A 2002 WITH ONLY 58,000 MILES ON IT AND THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. DEALERSHIP TRIED TO SAY IT WAS POSSIBLY DUE TO "POOR MAINTENANCE," BUT IF THEY HAD LOOKED AT THEIR RECORDS, THEY WOULD HAVE SEEN I HAD THE CAR SERVICED ONLY BY THEM ON A REGULAR ON-TIME BASIS! IN FACT IT HAD BEEN IN FOR A SERVICE (OIL CHANGE) ONLY THE WEEK BEFORE. LET'S FACE IT: THE TIMING CHAIN WAS DEFECTIVE. *JB

SECURITY LIGHT FLASHES ON AND OFF AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS THE HEADLIGHTS FLASH, GAS GAUGE MOVES UP AND DOWN, MILEAGE RESET BACK NUMBERS. *JB

NHTSA #: 10002122 SERVICE BULLETIN #: 030601017 THERE WERE NO EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE. I WAS DRIVING ON A MAJOR ROAD AT ABOUT 45-55 MPH WHEN THERE WAS A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. I WAS ABLE TO PULL SOMEWHAT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BUT I HATE TO THINK WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED HAD I BEEN ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY TRAVELING AT HIGH SPEEDS WITH MANY OTHER VEHICLES. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS. I HAD TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED TO A MECHANICS GARAGE. I WAS THEN TOLD THAT THE TIMING CHAIN ON MY ENGINE, WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO LAST THE LIFETIME OF THE ENGINE (NOT 67000 MILES!), HAD SNAPPED AND THAT IN TURN DESTROYED THE UPPER HALF OF THE ENGINE REQUIRING IT TO BE REPLACED. AFTER TWO UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS OF RESOLVING THE ISSUE THROUGH SATURN AND NEEDING MY CAR TO TRAVEL TO WORK, I ENDED UP PAYING FOR THE ENGINE MYSELF TO THE TOLL OF $2400. AT THAT TIME I WAS NOT AWARE OF THESE INVESTIGATIONS AND THE CURRENT ENGINE IN STILL USING THE OLD TIMING CHAIN/OILIER. *JB

LETTER FROM CONGRESSMAN ON BEHALF OF HIS CONSTITUENT REGARDING A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT THAT OCCURRED WHEN HIS VEHICLES WHEEL ASSEMBLY DETACHED. *TS THE CONSUMER STATED HE SUDDENLY FELT THE VEHICLE SHAKE AND THEN HE BEGAN RIDING ALONG THE GUARDRAIL. THERE WAS NO STEERING AND THE CONSUMER COULDN'T ACCELERATE AWAY FROM THE GUARDRAIL AND WHEN HE HIT THE BRAKE, THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. *JB THE ENTIRE RIGHT WHEEL ASSEMBLY INCLUDING TIRE, RIM, BRAKE ASEMBLY, ROCKER ARMS, AXLE AND STRUT WERE MISSING. *NM