2001 SATURN LS Complaints

WHILE AT A STOP SIGN, MY 2001 SATURN L200 WITH OUT ANY WARNING DIED. FORTUNATELY I WAS NOT TRAVELING ON THE EXPRESS WAY. I HAD CAR TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP AND WAS TOLD THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE. THEY ADVISED ME TO CALL MY SATURN DEALER BECAUSE A WELL MAINTAINED AUTO WITH ONLY 40,000 MILES SHOULD NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM. I CALLED THE DEALER AND I'M STILL WAITING FOR THEM TO CALL ME BACK. *NM

2001 SATURN L300. THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. BOTH OXYGEN SENSORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY AND WHEN IT DOES I NOTICE THAT THE CAR "JUMPS" WHEN ACCELERATING (LIKE THE TRANSMISSION MAKING A NOISE BUT ONLY WHEN THIS LIGHT COMES ON OTHER TIMES IT'S OK. *NM

MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND A POP WAS HEARD FROM THE ENGINE, THEN THE CAR QUIT AND SHE WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER THE CAR TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. EVENT OCCURRED AT NIGHT ON A UNLIT ROADWAY. WHEN THE AR WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC, I WAS TOLD THE TIMING BELT HAD BROKEN AND THE ENGINE WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. SATURN SAID IT WAS DUE TO OIL CHANGE MAINTENANCE BUT ALL OIL CHANGES WERE DONE ON A REGULAR BASIS. SATURN ALSO CLAIMED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT A MAJOR ONE, BUT AFTER RESEARCHING I FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. SATURN ISSUED A TSB IN JUNE 2003 WHICH STATED THAT THE OILER TO THE TIMING CHAIN HOUSING WAS NOT LARGE ENOUGH TO PROPERLY OIL THE CHAIN, BUT REFUSES TO TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR REPEATED FAILURES. A CLASS ACTION SUIT ON BEHALF OF ALL OWNERS WITH THIS FAILURE MAY NEED TO BE STARTED IF SATURN CONTINUES TO REFUSE TO OWN UP TO THE PROBLEM. *NM

I HAVE A 2001 SATURN L SERIES. A FEW MONTHS AGO I STARTED HEARING LITTLE NOISES IN THE ENGINE WHEN IT WAS COLD, AND AS THE ENGINE WARMED UP THE NOISE WOULD STOP. I HAVE THE CAR SERVICED PRETTY REGULARLY, AND HAVE NOT HAD ANY BAD EXPERIENCES WITH THE CAR. 2 DAYS AGO, I DROVE ONE MILE FROM MY WORK,AND WITH NO WARNING AT ALL I HEARD A LOUD POP IN THE ENGINE AND EVERYTHING STOPPED. I WAS SURPRISED TO KNOW THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKE AND THE REAR CAM WAS COMPLETELY FROZEN. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO MY HOUSE AND THERE IT WILL SIT FOR AWHILE. I CANNOT AFFORD TO FIX IT AS THE ESTIMATED COST TO JUST GET INTO IT IS $400, AND THEN MOST LIKELY WILL NEED A NEW ENGINE. I AM ON A MODEST INCOME, AND I AM STILL MAKING PAYMENTS ON THIS VEHICLE AND HAVE TO CONTINUE TO MAKE PAYMENTS ON A CAR I CAN'T DRIVE. THIS IS MY PRIMARY TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM WORK, SO IT WILL MOST LIKELY AFFECT MY LIVELIHOOD. I CONTACTED SATURN AND THEY TOLD ME THEY HAD NOT SERVICED THE CAR SINCE 2001 AND PRETTY MUCH I WAS ON MY OWN. I HAD SERVICED THE CAR REGULARLY, BUT NOT AT THE DEALERSHIP. THIS HAPPENED AT 89000 MILES. I THINK THAT SATURN SHOULD STAND BEHIND THIS PROBLEM AS IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. APPARENTLY BY THE RESEARCH I HAVE DONE, THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH SATURNS AND I WANT THEM TO REPLACE MY ENGINE, PARTS AND LABOR AND STAND BEHIND THEIR WORK AS WELL. I FEEL LIKE WITH ALL THE COMPLAINTS THAT THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL, AS WELL AS A CLASS-ACTION SUIT AGAINST SATURN. *NM

2001 SATURN L200 HAD A CAM CHAIN FAILURE WHICH HAS CAUSED CYLINDER HEAD AND POSSIBLE PISTON DAMAGE THAT WILL COST WELL OVER 1500 DOLLARS TO FIX ON A CAR THAT HAS 75000 MILES ON IT! I UNDERSTAND THIS PROBLEM IS IN INVESTIGATION BY YOUR AGENCY NOW. *NM

TL* - THE CONTACT STATED THAT ON THE EVENING OF 12/29/06 VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WEEK BEFORE HE WAS HAVING PROBLEMS ACCELERATING THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MECHANIC AND HE PUSHED THE VEHICLE TO THE AUTO SHOP. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MECHANICWAS REPLACING THE TIMING CHAIN, AND THEN HE WILL BE ABLE TO TELL IF ANY VALVES WERE BENT. 8AK

WITH MY SATURN L-200 THERE WAS AN OCCASIONAL GRINDING NOISE WHEN STARTED, WHEN I TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER IT WOULD NOT MAKE THE NOISE BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN RUNNING. I WAS ON MY WAY TO A COMPANY MEETING IN KC, AND THE CAR ALL OF A SUDDEN WOULD NOT ACCELERATE WHEN I STEPPED ON THE GAS, IT JUST STAYED AT A CONSTANT IDLE. I OF COURSE PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AND TRIED TO RESTART IT, AND HAD NO SUCCESS. I HAD IT TOWED TO A SHOP. THAT IS WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT THE TIMING BELT BROKE, AND THAT IT HAD DONE DAMAGE TO THE MOTOR. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT IT WOULD COST BETWEEN 2,000 - 7,000 DOLLAR RANGE TO REPLACE THE MOTOR. NOT HAPPY! *NM

MY TIMING CHAIN BROKE ON THE WAY TO MY FAMILIES THANKSGIVING WITH NO WARNING. I WAS STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD FOR OVER 5 HOURS TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED. MY OIL HAS BEEN CHANGED ON TIME THE WHOLE LIFE OF THE CAR, THIS I HAVE RECORDS OF. AND I STILL HAVE NOT HEARD BACK FROM SATURN CORPORATE REGARDING THIS ISSUE. WITH THE NUMBER OF OTHER CLAIMS I HAVE SEEN THIS SHOULD DEFINITELY BE RECALLED. I AM NOW WITHOUT A CAR BECAUSE THE BILL TO FIX THE PROBLEM IS WAY TO HIGH FOR ME TO PAY, OVER 3 THOUSAND DOLLARS. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE'S FUEL PUMP LEAKED GAS PROFUSELY AND ON A WORSENING BASIS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER WHO DETERMINED THERE WAS A CRACK IN THE FUEL PUMP AND THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER SERVICED THE VEHICLE, AND NO FURTHER PROBLEMS HAD OCCURRED. UPDATED 12/15/06. *JB

WHILE DRIVING, MY HUSBAND'S 2001 L200 SATURN 4-CYL LOST ALL POWER. HE SAFELY COASTED TO A PARKING LOT. THE CAR WOULD NOT RESTART. REPAIR SHOP STATES TIMING CHAIN MALFUNCTION. THE EXTENT OF DAMAGE/COSTS IS NOT KNOWN AT THIS TIME. *JB