2002 SATURN LS Complaints

I OWN A 2002 SATURN L100. ABOUT A MONTH AGO THE AUTOMOBILE EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY IN STARTING. IT TURNS OUT, AFTER TAKING THE VEHICLE TO SATURN THE PROBLEM WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE BODY CONTROL MODULE(BCM). REPLACEMENT COST APPROX. $550.00. I HAVE TWO ISSUES. 1. BECAUSE THE CAR WOULD START AFTER MAKING A NUMBER OF ATTEMPTS, IT WAS DRIVABLE. UNFORTUNATELY, THE AIRBAG SENSOR WAS TRIPPED WHICH COULD CAUSE THE AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY(ACCORDING TO THE OWNER'S MANUAL) CAUSING AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION. 2. MY RESEARCH ON VARIOUS ON-LINE SITES SEEMS TO INDICATE THAT A VAST NUMBER OF SATURN CUSTOMERS HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM,I.E. BCM FAILURE. CONSEQUENTLY, I BELIEVE THAT THIS BCM HAS BEEN POORLY MANUFACTURED AND SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPLACED AT NO CHARGE TO THE CONSUMER. *JB

I WAS RESPONDING TO AN EMERGENCY CALL WITH MY LOCAL FIRE DEPT WHEN MY 2002 SATURN L SERIES MOTOR QUIT RUNNING ON THE MAIN HIGHWAY. IT TURNED OUT THAT I AM ONE OF MANY THAT HAD THE TIMING BELT BREAK WITHOUT ANY WARNING SIGNS. NO ROUGH IDLE OR HESITATIONS, PIFF IT WAS DEAD. THE MOTOR HAS ONLY 75000 MILES. I CAN NOT AFFORD TO HAVE SATURN FIX IT NOR WANT TO GIVE THEM THE FUNDS SO I AM HAVING ANOTHER MECHANIC FIX IT WITH STILL SOME HIGH EXPENDITURES. LUCKILY I WAS NOT LIKE SOME WHO HAD TO REPLACE VALVES AND SUCH. THE CHAIN FELL TO THE LOWER AREA. THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. LOOKS AS IF ENGINEERING OR QUALITY MATERIALS ARE AN ISSUE, NOT OIL CHANGES AS IT APPEARS SATURN IS USING AS AN EXCUSE TO AVOID THE ISSUE. *JB

DRIVING AT 30 MILES PER HOUR MY 2002 SATURN L200 LOST ALL POWER. I WAS IN TRAFFIC AND FORTUNATELY HAD ENOUGH STRENGTH TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL,WHICH HAD NO POWER, TO WHERE I COULD SAFELY PULL OFF THE ROAD. I HAD 3 CHILDREN IN THE CAR AT THE TIME. HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A SATURN DEALERSHIP AND FOUND IT WAS THE TIMING CHAIN THAT BROKE CAUSING VALVE DAMAGE. THE COST TO REPAIR IS $3019.I WOULD LIKE TO ADD MY COMPLAINT TO THE MANY ON FILE AND HOPE SATURN WILL RECALL AS THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A DANGEROUS SITUATION. SATURN HAS OFFERED ME 2 YEARS OF FREE OIL CHANGES IF I REPAIR IT,HARDLEY SEEMS TO WARRANT WHAT COULD CAUSE DEATH. *NM

WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH, MY 2002 SATURN L100 LOCKED UP AND QUIT WORKING. AFTER GETTING IT TOWED TO THE SATURN DEALERSHIP, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKEN AND THE HEAD WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED, RESULTING IN A COST OF APPROXIMATELY $2,150, PLUS $190 IN TOWING CHARGES. ALTHOUGH THIS CAR IS 4 YEARS OLD AND OUT OF WARRANTY, I FEEL THIS IS STILL A NEW ENOUGH CAR THAT A COSTLY REPAIR AS THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH I FOUND THAT THERE IS A PATTERN OF TIMING CHAINS BREAKING ON THE L SERIES CARS. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED, WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH., THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND, FAILED TO SLOW THE VEHICLE. AFTER PUMPING THE BRAKE PEDAL MANY TIMES, THE BRAKES RESPONDED AND SLOWED THE VEHICLE. THIS PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED 5 TIMES. THE SERVICE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN ALERTED.

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS THE CONTACT HEARD A HIGH PITCHED SQUEAL COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE FRONT WHEEL BEARING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO REPAIR THE BEARING. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DETERMINED THE BEARING OVERHEATED CAUSING THE SQUEAL. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONTACT THE BEARING SHOULD HAVE LASTED THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. THE BEARING WAS REPLACED BY THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. *AK

MY HUSBAND AND I OWN A 2002 SATURN L300, OF WHICH I AM THE PRIMARY DRIVER. A FEW WEEKS AGO, I NOTICED THAT THE "BRIGHT" INDICATOR WOULD APPEAR SOMETIMES WHEN THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS WERE ON. THEN THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS WOULD STAY ON SOMETIMES FOR A FEW MINUTES AFTER THE MOTOR WAS STOPPED. THE LIGHTS ALWAYS WENT OUT, AND WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE OK TO WAIT UNTIL OUR NEXT MAINTENANCE VISIT TO THE DEALER TO ASK ABOUT THE PROBLEM. LAST WEEK THE LIGHTS WOULDN'T GO OFF, SO WE MADE AN APPOINTMENT. WE ALSO DISCOVERED THAT IF WE PUSHED THE LIGHT STICK (THE LONG SWITCH THAT PROJECTS OUT FROM THE STEERING COLUMN) SLIGHTLY TOWARD THE DASHBOARD, THE LIGHTS WOULD GO OUT. WE THOUGHT USING THIS DISCOVERY AND PROPPING THE LIGHT SWITCH TOWARD THE DASHBOARD WOULD HOLD US UNTIL OUR APPOINTMENT. HOWEVER, THE DAY BEFORE THE APPOINTMENT, THE LIGHTS BECAME MORE STUBBORN AND THE STEERING COLUMN BECAME FIERY HOT NEXT TO THE SWITCH. THERE WAS ALSO THE ODOR OF SOMETHING BURNING. I PARKED THE CAR AND STAYED HOME. THE NEXT DAY AT THE APPOINTMENT, MY HUSBAND WAS TOLD THAT THE SERVICE PEOPLE SEE A SHORTING OUT OF THE LIGHT STICK ALL THE TIME WITH SATURNS. AS A MATTER OF FACT, THERE WAS ANOTHER CAR IN THE SHOP AT THAT MOMENT HAVING THE SAME REPAIR WORK DONE. I AM NOT AN EXPERT AND DON'T KNOW IF THIS PROBLEM IS DANGEROUS. ANY TIME THERE IS A SHORT IN A CAR, I JUST ASSUME THERE IS AN ASSOCIATED FIRE DANGER. HOWEVER, I DO KNOW THAT IF THIS PROBLEM IS AS COMMON AS THE DEALERS SERVICE PERSONNEL SAY, THEN THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO BE NOTIFIED. I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE THE PROBLEM WHEN IT BEGAN, AND NOW BELIEVE THAT WE AVOIDED A FIRE FROM THE SHORT CIRCUIT. *JB

ON DEC. 23 OR 24TH, 2005, I STOPPED BY THE SATURN OF GRESHAM DEALERSHIP BECAUSE MY CAR WAS MAKING A VERY ODD NOISE. THE SERVICE MANAGER AND TECHNICIAN LISTENED TO THE CAR AND LOOKED AT THE ENGINE. THEY TOLD ME THAT IT SOUNDED LIKE A AN EXHAUST PROBLEM BUT THE CAR WOULD BE SAFE TO DRIVE UNTIL I COULD MAKE AN APPOINTMENT AFTER CHRISTMAS. I MADE THE APPT. FOR THE WED. FOLLOWING CHRISTMAS, I BELIEVE. ON CHRISTMAS, WHILE DRIVING UP A HILL, MY CAR BEGAN JERKING AND LOST POWER. I WAS NOT DISABLED BUT MY CAR COULD BARELY MAKE IT UP THE HILL. I WAS ABLE TO GET OFF OF THE FREEWAY AND GET HELP FROM FAMILY. I HAD THE CAR TAKEN TO SATURN OF BEAVERTON. THEY WERE ABLE TO LOOK AT THE CAR ON DEC. 26 OR 27TH AND DETERMINED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER HAD MALFUNCTIONED. THE DEALERSHIP DID MAKE THE NECESSARY REPAIRS UNDER THE WARRANTY. *NM

ON 7/1/6 WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY AT 65 MPH MY SATURN SUDDENLY QUIT RUNNING. MY CAR HAD BEEN RUNNING NORMALLY AND WITHOUT ANY WARNING MY CAR LOST ALL POWER. IT WAS 104`& 20 MILES FROM CIVILIZATION. I WALKED 1 MILE AND THERE WAS A CAMPER ALSO DISABLED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE PEOPLE CONTACTED A TOW COMPANY IN THE NEAREST CITY. MY CAR WAS TOWED 120 MILES. ON 7/3, THE DEALERSHIP NOTIFIED ME THAT MY TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKEN WITH SEVERE ENGINE DAMAGE($4000.00). THE SM STATED THAT HE DID NOT RECOMMEND USING ANY USED PARTS TO FIX THE ENGINE. HE ACTED CONCERNED AS TO WHY THE TIMING CHAIN WOULD HAVE BROKEN IN MY CAR. HE MENTIONED THAT THE L SERIES CARS HAVE HAD SOME PROBLEMS. MY CAR IS CURRENTLY IN THE DEALERSHIP BEING WORKED ON. ON 7/5, I SPOKE TO THE AREA MANAGER FOR THE SATURN CORPORATION. SHE SAID SHE KNEW NOTHING ABOUT NHTSA AND DENIED ANY KNOWLEDGE OF FAILURES WITH OTHER SATURNS. SHE STATED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO "A POOR MAINTENANCE RECORD". I INFORMED HER THAT SHE WAS SADLY MISTAKEN AS THE SATURN DEALERSHIP MY CAR IS AT WAS NOT THE ONLY DEALERSHIP OR AUTOMOTIVE BUSINESS THAT I HAVE HAD WORK DONE ON MY CAR. I INFORMED HER THAT ON 12/ 25/05, MY CAR LOST POWER GOING UP A HILL AND I HAD WORK DONE ON THE CAR AT A DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP. AT THAT TIME, I HAD TO HAVE THE EMISSION CONVERTER REPLACED BECAUSE IT HAD FAILED. ALSO, I HAVE ROUTINE OIL CHANGES DONE EVERY 3000 OR SO MILES. HER RESPONSE WAS "I AM SORRY IF THE INFORMATION FROM THE DEALERSHIP WAS INCORRECT BUT WE STILL CAN DO NOTHING ELSE." I TOLD HER THAT I WAS APPALLED TO LEARN THAT SATURN HAD BEEN AWARE OF THIS ISSUE FOR SOME TIME; THAT SATURN HAD NEGLECTED TO INFORM THEIR CUSTOMER BASE REGARDING THE POTENTIAL DANGERS OF THIS ENGINE PROBLEM. I EXPLAINED TO HER THE SERIOUSNESS OF PLACING CUSTOMERS IN SUCH DANGER. I TOLD HER THIS COULD HAVE ALL BEEN AVOIDED HAD SATURN NOTIFIED ITS CUSTOMERS OF THE UPGRADE AVAILABLE TO CORRECT THE DEFECT. OF COURSE, SHE DENIED ANY PROBLEMS WITH SATURN CARS. *JB

SEVERAL TIMES WHEN TRANSITIONING FROM DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS TO NORMAL HEADLIGHTS USING THE AUTO HEADLIGHT FUNCTION. THE LIGHTS COME ON HIGH BEAM AND WILL NOT DIM. THE ONLY ACTION THAT WILL CLEAR THE PROBLEM IS TURN OFF THE IGNITION AND WAIT A FEW SECONDS. THE DIMMER SWITCH THEN ACTS NORMALLY. *NM