2001 SATURN LS Complaints

THE TIMING CHAIN ON MY SATURN L200 FAILED WHEN I WAS TRAVELING SOUTH ON HIGHWAY 169 IN GOLDEN VALLEY MINNESOTA. AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE I WAS TRAVELING AT 65 MPH AND THE VEHICLE BECAME WAS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. THANKFULLY IT WAS 3 AM IN THE MORNING AND THERE WERE NO OTHER VEHICLES ON THE ROAD SO I WAS ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY NEGOTIATE OFF THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT INCIDENT. UPON INVESTIGATING THE FAILURE I FOUND OUT THAT THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN LOGGED IN DEFECT INVESTIGATION PE06006. IN ADDITION I FOUND THAT 29 OTHER PEOPLE POSTED TIMING CHAIN FAILURES ON THIS MESSAGE BOARD HTTP://WWW.CARSURVEY.ORG/VIEWCOMMENTS_REVIEW_56674.HTML. *NM

1. DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED ON INTERSTATE. 2. THE ENGINE TIMING CHAIN BROKE WHICH CAUSED THE ENGINE TO IMMEDIATELY STOP, ALL POWER WAS LOST BUT FORTUNATELY TRAFFIC WAS LIGHT AND I WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. 3. THE BROKEN TIMING CHAIN CAUSED ENGINE VALVES TO BE DAMAGED. THE TIMING CHAIN, HEAD AND VALVES HAD TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $1969.00. *NM

I OWN A 2001 SATURN L200 4 CYLINDER SEDAN. IT HAS JUST OVER 70K MILES ON IT. ALL MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN DONE ON OR BEFORE SCHEDULE. ALMOST 2 YEARS AGO THE COMPUTER HAD TO BE REPLACED. AFTER THAT INCIDENT, THE LIGHTS STARTED DOING WEIRD THINGS. SO I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THAT ISSUE WAS RESOLVED (A RECALL). I HAVE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKES 3 TIMES. ON 3/30/06 I WAS IN RUSH HOUR ON A BUSY HIGHWAY PASSING A CAR IN THE LEFT LANE. MY CAR JUST DIED (NO LIGHTS CAME ON INDICATING THE ENGINE STOPPED, JUST NO POWER). THANK GOD I GOT TO THE RIGHT LAND. I SAT THERE FOR AN HOUR AND FINALLY GOT THE CAR TOWED. THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE. I HAVE SPEND $200 JUST TO FIND THAT OUT. I AM NOT SURE WHAT OTHER DAMAGE HAS RESULTED. SATURN IS ACTING IGNORANT ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. THEY SAY THEY CANNOT TELL ME ANYTHING UNLESS I HAVE IT AT A SATURN DEALERSHIP. (ANOTHER TOW CHARGE AND DIAGNOSTICS CHARGE). I SAW THAT THERE IS AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS MATTER AND WANTED TO FILE A FORMAL COMPLAINT. I STRONGLY BELIEVE, AFTER THE RESEARCH I HAVE DONE, THAT SATURN SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND FIX THIS PROBLEM. *JB

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SHORTS OUT DURING NORMAL OPERATION, CAUSING TURN SIGNALS NOT TO WORK. OTHER SYMPTOM IS THAT RADIO HAS INTERFERENCE WHEN TURN SIGNAL USED. AFTER FIVE DAYS OF NON-USE, CAR WOULD NOT START AT ALL AND TECHNICIAN WHO PROVIDED JUMP START SAID IT APPEARS TO BE AN ELECTRICAL SHORT SINCE ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY WERE BOTH WORKING. THIS CAR HAS ALREADY RECEIVED THE RECALL WORK FROM OCTOBER 2005 BUT THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED 3 TIMES SINCE THAT WORK WAS DONE. *NM

THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED ON MY 2001 SATURN L-200 AT HIGHWAY SPEED. THE ENGINE ABRUPTLY DIED. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO COAST SAFELY TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. A VALVE BENT AND THE HEAD CRACKED. *NM

MY 2001 SATURN L200 WITH 69K MILES ON IT HAD THE TIMING CHAIN BREAK - IT RIPPED THROUGH THE ENGINE, SHEARING OFF THE GEARS AND BUSTING THE VALVES. I NOW HAVE NO WAY TO GET TO WORK, NO MONEY TO FIX THE CAR, AND HAVE DISCOVERED ONLINE THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE OF SATURN AND SATURN REFUSES TO ISSUE A RECALL OR PAY TO FIX THE PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP! *NM

ON MARCH 17, 2006, MY WIFE AND I RETURNED HOME FROM SUPPER AROUND 8:45 PM. AT APPROXIMATELY 9:00 PM, I HEARD A CRASH OUTSIDE. I SOON DISCOVERED THAT OUR SATURN HAD ROLLED OUT OF THE GARAGE AND INTO OUR NEIGHBORS YARD ACROSS THE ROAD. UPON INSPECTION INSIDE THE CAR, I DISCOVERED THE CAR WAS NOT IN PARK, YET THE IGNITION SYSTEM HAD ALLOWED ME TO REMOVE THE KEY. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY FAILURE. NO CAR SHOULD ALLOW A KEY TO BE REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION WITHOUT THE CAR BEING IN PARK. AS YET, THE FAILURE HASN'T BEEN CORRECTED SINCE THE CAR IS STILL AT THE BODY SHOP.*JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, THE ENGINE WOULD NOT CRANK. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER DETERMINED THE TIMING CHAIN INSIDE THE ENGINE BROKE AND RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE ENGINE.

NO EVENTS LEADING UP TO THIS FAILURE. I OWN A 2001 SATURN L200 SEDAN. UP UNTIL NOW THIS HAS BEEN A GOOD VEHICLE. THE CAR JUST TURNED OVER 70K MILES AND THE TIMING CHAIN JUST BROKE. THIS LEAVES ME WITH A CAR THAT I AM MAKING A PAYMENT ON, YET UNABLE TO DRIVE. IT IS NOT IN MY FAMILY BUDGET TO HAVE THIS REPAIRED BY A PROFESSIONAL, THAT MEANS I WILL HAVE TO DO THE WORK MYSELF UNLESS SATURN DECIDES TO HELP ME. I HAVE BEEN DOING A LOT OF RESEARCH INTO THIS ISSUE AND SEE THAT THERE HAS BEEN A SERVICE BULLETIN ISSUED FOR THIS PROBLEM, BUT NO RECALL YET. *JB

2001 SATURN LS 4-DOOR - TIMING CHAIN WENT BAD AFTER BARELY 100,000 MILES. REPAIR TO FIX WILL COST ABOUT $2,000. WE RELIED ON SATURN'S CLAIMS THAT TIMING CHAINS ARE BETTER THAN TIMING BELTS BECAUSE CHAINS NEVER HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THAT BEING SAID, WE NOW HAVE A BUSTED TIMING CHAIN WITH EXHAUST VALVE PROBLEMS ON A 2001 SATURN LS 4-DOOR SEDAN. *NM