2002 SATURN LS Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. IT WAS MANEUVERED OFF THE ROAD AND TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE TIMING CHAIN FRACTURED CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE, AND REQUIRING REPLACEMENT. UPDATED 2/9/2007 - THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE WAS DEFECTIVE. THE MANUFACTURER OFFER TO REPLACE THE ENGINE BUT THE CONSUMER HAD TO PAY THE LABOR TO HAVE IT INSTALLED. *NM

I AM A 3TIME SATURN OWNER--BOTH MY SL SERIES WERE EXCELLENT! THIS L300 HAS BEEN A DISAPPONTMENT. THE ODOMETER SUDDENLY WENT FORM 43K TO 694K (STUCK) W/O WARNING OR EVENT. THE DASH TRUNK RELEASE STOPPED WORKING. IM TOLD THE BCM (BODY CONTROL MODULE) HAS TO BE REPLACED, AT A COST OF $600. THIS MAY BE THE SATURN THAT DRIVES ME BACK TO TOYOTA. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE ENGINE POWER SURGED A COUPLE OF TIMES, THEN ALL POWER FAILED AND THE VEHICLE DRIFTED TO A STOP. WHEN TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE CONTACT WAS TOLD TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTHORIZED SERVICE DEALER. ON INSPECTION IT WAS FOUND THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD FRACTURED. UPDATED 11/3/2006 - *NM

REAR TAILGATE BRAKE LIGHTS BURN OUT FREQUENTLY. I HAVE HAD CAR FOR 5 YEARS AND HAD TO HAVE SEVERAL REPLACED OVER 4 TIMES. *NM

ON SEPTEMBER 25, 2006, I TOOK MY 2002 L200 TO SATURN OF THE VALLEY WHERE I HAD PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW IN OCTOBER, 2001, DUE TO A POSSIBLE FUEL PUMP LINE LEAK THAT HAD BEEN DISCOVERED ON THE PRIOR SATURDAY, 9/23/06, BY THE FIRESTONE FACILITY WHERE I HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE FOR SERVICING BECAUSE I COULD SMELL GAS COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. SATURN OF THE VALLEY DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL PUMP LINES WERE LEAKING AND THAT THE FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AT THE TIME, THE VEHICLE''S MILEAGE WAS 75,202. SATURN OF THE VALLEY AGREED TO COVER THE COST OF THE PART BUT I PAID THE LABOR. PRIOR TO THE ABOVE EVENT, ON JANUARY 30, 2006, MY 2003 L200 WOULD NOT START. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO SATURN OF THE VALLEY WHERE I HAD PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW IN OCTOBER, 2002. THEY DETERMINED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS A FAILED FUEL PUMP THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AT THE TIME, THE VEHICLE''S MILEAGE WAS 58,270. THE TOTAL COST OF REPLACEMENT CAME TO $553.79 INCLUDING PARTS, LABOR AND APPLICABLE TAX. SATURN OF THE VALLEY DID NOT OFFER TO COVER THE COST OF THE PART OR LABOR. SUBSEQUENT TO THIS, I WROTE TO SATURN CUSTOMER SERVICE AND REQUESTED THAT THEY COVER THE COST OF THE PART WITH REGARD TO THE 1/30/06, 2003 L200 FUEL PUMP FAILURE. I EXPLAINED THAT THE FUEL PUMP FAILURE WAS DUE TO A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT, AS THE SAME PART FAILED ON BOTH OF MY VEHICLES OF THE SAME MODEL, ONE PRODUCTION YEAR APART, PURCHASED NEW AT THE SAME FACILITY, AT RELATIVELY LOW MILEAGE. SATURN CORP. DENIES THAT THERE'S A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT ON THIS PART. HOWEVER, SATURN HAS DISCONTINUED PRODUCTION OF THE L SERIES MODEL VEHICLES. THIS IS HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS AND WARRANTS AN INVESTIGATION TO DETERMINE IF A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT IS AT FAULT. *JB

SATURN L200 STOPPED RUNNING WHILE IT WAS BEING DRIVE. NO WARNING, JUST TOTAL ENGINE STOPPAGE. STILL HAD ELECTRICAL POWER. INITIALLY I WAS TOLD IT WAS THE STARTER, AND AFTER BUYING AND REPLACING THE STARTER, I AM NOW BEING TOLD IT WAS/IS THE TIMING CHAIN. APPARENTLY SATURN KNOWS THAT IT HAS WEAK TIMING CHAINS YET DOES NOTHING TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM OF WEAK TIMING CHAINS. *NM

2002 SATURN L200 LEFT FRONT TIRE BLEWOUT CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. *KB THE TREAD COMPLETELY CAME OF THE TIRE. *JB

TIMING CHAIN BROKE AT 74,000 MILES ON MY 2002 L SERIES SATURN, SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM THAT SATURN DOES NOT WANT TO FIX. *JB

I PURCHASED MY 2002 SATURN L300 BACK ON 9/30/2002. CAR, AT TIME OF PURCHASE, WAS BRAND NEW. SINCE ITS PURCHASE MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP MORE TIMES THAN I CAN REMEMBER. RECENTLY I HAD A PROBLEM WHERE VEHICLE WOULDN'T START SO SATURN HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THEIR COLUMBUS, GA LOCATION TO EVALUATE THE PROBLEM. WAS ADVISED BATTERY HAD DIED AND I NEEDED TO REPLACE IT. THE NEW BATTERY REPRESENTS THE 3RD BATTERY THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD SINCE I PURCHASED IT (VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS JUST OVER 55,000 MILES ON IT). I ASKED, WHILE THEY HAD IT IN THE SHOP, TO LOOK AT THE TIRES AS THEY WERE WEARING UNEVENLY. MY WIFE WENT TO PICK THE CAR UP YESTERDAY 8/29/06 AND WAS ADVISED ALL 4 TIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THIS WILL BE THE 4TH SET OF TIRES THIS CAR HAS HAD SINCE IT WAS PURCHASED BACK IN LATE 2002. AT TIME OF PURCHASE I ADDED A 5 YEAR 60,000 MILE B-T-B WARRANTY WITH NO DEDUCTIBLE. SATURN, FOLLOWING COMPLAINTS BOTH TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND THEIR CORP HEADQUARTERS HAS DECIDED THAT THE CAR IN FACT DOES NOT HAVE A PROBLEM AND THAT MY PREGNANT WIFE (WITH 1 YEAR OLD IN BACK SEAT) MUST BE DRIVING IT POORLY. TO DATE, THE VEHICLE'S TIRES HAVE NOT BEEN REPLACED AND THE PROBLEM CAUSING THE TIRES TO WEAR DOWN SO QUICKLY HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE ENTIRE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL ASSEMBLY DETACHED, CAUSING THE CONTACT TO HAVE TO GUIDE THE VEHICLE DOWN THE RIGHT GUARDRAIL WITH THE BRAKE DEPRESSED TO KEEP THE VEHICLE UNDER CONTROL. ALSO, THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE REPAIR SHOP, WHERE THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE ENTIRE TRANSAXLE ASSEMBLY HAD BEEN SMOOTHLY SHEARED OFF. THERE WERE NO REPAIRS MADE IMMEDIATELY. THERE WAS A POLICE REPORT FILED, AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO INFORMED.*AK UPDATED 10/25/2006 - *NM