2001 SATURN LS Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE ENGINE STALLED AND COULD NOT BE RESTARTED. NO WARNING LIGHTS ALERTED THE CONTACT PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE DEALERSHIP WAS CONTACTED WHO INDICATED THE BATTERY COULD BE THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT CERTIFIED MECHANIC BECAUSE THE NEAREST DEALER WAS 100 MILES AWAY. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THE TIMING CHAIN FRACTURED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE REMAINED INOPERABLE AT THE AUTO SHOP. THE CONTACT WAS AWARE OF SEVERAL COMPLAINTS DUE TO THE TIME CHAIN FAILURE. UPDATED 12/05/06. *JB

THE TIMING CHAIN ON MY 2001 SATURN L200 (81,00 MILES) BROKE WHILE DRIVING. ALL POWER STOPPED AND HAD TO COAST TO SAFETY, WAIT ALONE ON THE TURNPIKE FOR HELP. RESEARCH SHOWS AN OPEN INVESTIGATION OF THIS PROBLEM. I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THIS IS STILL HAPPENING! *NM

I WAS DRIVING WITH MY TWO YOUNG CHILDREN ON I-75 IN KENTUCKY DOING 70 MILES PER HOUR. I NOTICED THAT I LOST THE GAS PEDDLE AND BARELY HAD STEERING. NO LIGHTS WERE ON IN THE DASH AND I HAD VERY LITTLE CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE. I MANAGED TO GET MY CAR TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD ON A STEEP DOWN GRADE CROSSING 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC! HAD MY CAR TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC (AFTER SITTING FOR 2 HOURS ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY WITH CHILDREN). THE MECHANIC SAID THAT THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE AND CAUSED ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. THE CAR WAS THEN 3 HOURS FROM HOME WITH IT NEEDING A COMPLETELY NEW ENGINE!! I CONSIDER MYSELF LUCKY TO NOT HAVE BEEN HURT! MY CHILDREN AND MYSELF COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED ON A BUSY HIGHWAY WITH A CAR THE DECIDED TO QUIT RUNNING ON A STEEP GRADE AND ALL THE SEMIS AROUND!! *NM

I OWN A 2001 SATURN L200 WHICH I BOUGHT IN 2003 USED. I WAS DRIVING ON A VERY BUSY 6 LANE MAJOR ROAD WHEN MY CAR SUDDENLY DIED AND COULD NOT BE RESTARTED. I WAS ABLE TO PULL INTO THE RIGHT LANE BEFORE ROLLING TO A STOP, BUT CAUSED A MAJOR HAZARD SITTING IN THE ROAD WITH CARS HAVING TO GO AROUND ME. WE HAD THE CAR TOWED AND FOUND IT WAS THE TIMING CHAIN THAT HAD BROKEN, ALSO DAMAGING SEVERAL VALVES IN THE PROCESS. THE REPAIR WAS COMPLETED AFTER 12 DAYS AT A COST TO ME OF $2700. I ALSO HAD TO RENT A CAR FOR THE TIME MY CAR WAS BEING FIXED AT A COST OF SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS. I HAD TO TAKE A LOAN TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR AND RENTAL. IN DOING A LITTLE RESEARCH, I FOUND THAT MANY, MANY SATURN L200'S HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AT VARIOUS MILEAGE MARKS. I HAVE ONLY 56,000 MILES ON MY CAR AND UP UNTIL NOW, HAVE HAD NO OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR, BUT THIS WAS MAJOR. I, LIKE THE OTHER OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, HAVE KEPT MY OIL CHANGED AND KEPT UP THE MAINTENANCE ON THIS CAR. I UNDERSTAND THERE WAS AN INVESTIGATION LAUNCHED BY THE NHTSA WHICH WAS CLOSED. I HAVE SEEN AT LEAST 45 PAGES OF COMPLAINS ON THE INTERNET AND WONDER IF ANYTHING IS BEING DONE. PLEASE DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE DEATH TOLL IS SIGNIFICANT TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU. *NM

I WAS DRIVING YESTERDAY, AND MY 2001 SATURN L200, JUST GAVE OUT ON ME. I COULD NOT TURN MY STEERING WHEEL, I HAD NO CONTROL OVER MY CAR. IT WOULDN'T STOP OR ANYTHING. I WAS SCARED THAT I WOULD CRASH INTO ANYTHING. I CAME ABOUT 2 INCHES AWAY FROM HITTING A LIGHT POLE. MUST OF BEEN GOD THAT STOPPED THE CAR. I HAD MY CAR TOWED, AND THEY SAID IT WAS THE TIMING BELT OR CHAIN. I BEEN READING THAT THERE WERE SO MANY COMPLAINTS ON THIS SAME ISSUE. I COULD OF BEEN REALLY HURT OR GOT INTO A BAD ACCIDENT OR ANYTHING. RIGHT NOW I'M WAITING ON THE COST OF HOW MUCH IT WILL BE FOR REPAIRS. *NM

2001 SATURN L-200 TIMING CHAIN FAILURE WITH ONLY 70K MILES SEEMS TO BE A REAL PROBLEM THAT SATURN WILL NOT ADMIT. *NM

2001 SATURN 200L KEY WOULD NOT TURN IN ENGINE, STEERING SHOOK VIGOROUSLY WHILE DRIVING. *TS WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, ON THE DAY THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED, THE VEHICLE'S STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO VIBRATE AND PULL TO THE RIGHT. THERE WAS ALSO A NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE CONSUMER ASSUMER THE PROBLEM WOULD RESOLVE ITSELF BUT IT DIDN'T. TWO WEEKS LATER THE CONSUMER CALLED THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WA TAKEN TOT HE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS WHEEL BALANCING. THE ADJUSTMENT WERE MADE AND THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TOT HE CONSUMER. ABOUT A MONTH LATER THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONSUMER CALLED THE DEALER WHO EXPLAINED THAT THIS WAS A SAFETY FEATURE. SEVERAL MONTHS WENT BY AND THE PROBLEM CONTINUED TO OCCUR. SOMEONE SUGGESTED TOT HE CONSUMER THAT SHE NEEDED A NEW STARTER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THE CONSUMER . ONCE AGAIN THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO NOT START. THE DEALER FINALLY REPLACED THE STARTER. THE VEHICLE TIE ROD EVENTUALLY HAD TO BE REPLACED. THAT WAS THE NOISE THE CONSUMER HEARD WHEN SHE FIRST PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. ON DAY WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE SUDDEN LOST ALL POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SERVICE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE'S TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKEN. NONE OF THESE FAILURES WERE COVERED BY THE VEHICLE EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED YHE MANUFACTURER BUT THEY PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. *NM

I BOUGHT MY CAR WITH 36,000 MILES ON IT AND SPENT $8000. LESS THAN FOUR MONTHS LATER, I HAD TO SPEND ALMOST $2000 TO FIX A TIMING CHAIN. THEN WHEN IT HAD 61,000 MILES ON IT, I HAD TO HAVE A FUEL PUMP FIXED. I HAVE FOUND OUT THIS IS SUCH A COMMON PROBLEM, THERE IS A FIX IT KIT FOR IT. THEY REFUSE TO ASSIST ME IN GETTING IT FIXED BECAUSE I WILL NOT PAY FOR A SECOND TOW TO TAKE IT TO THEIR RETAILER TO HAVE IT DIAGNOSED BECAUSE MY CERTIFIED MECHANIC LETS ME MAKE PAYMENTS. THEY ALSO REFUSE TO RECALL THE DEFECTIVE PART. *NM

I PURCHASED A 2001 SATURN LW200 NEW FROM SATURN OF GREENVILLE, SC. MY TIRE DEALER UPON CHECKING ALIGNMENT DISCOVERED THAT THE REAR CAMBER (WHICH IS NOT ADJUSTABLE) WAS OUT OF SPEC. I HAD THE SATURN DEALER CHECK THIS & THEY VERIFIED IT. I THINK THIS IS AN ASSEMBLY OR DESIGN DEFECT. HOWEVER, THE SATURN DEALER WANTED APPROXIMATELY $500 TO RETROFIT A KIT THAT WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM. OBVIOUSLY, SATURN IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT WILL NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR DEALING WITH IT. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, GAS FUMES WERE NOTICED AND THE GAS GAUGE DROPPED AT AN ACCELERATED RATE. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM FOR A FEW MONTHS. ONCE WHILE PULLING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY A LEAK WAS OBSERVED UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THE FUEL LINE CLIP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.