2002 SATURN LS Complaints

DT: THE CONTACT PURCHASED A USED VEHICLE TWO YEARS AGO, AND THE SECOND DAY AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE THERE WAS A ROARING NOISE FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER SAID THIS WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE FRONT TIRES ,AND THE DEALER REPLACED BOTH TIRES. ABOUT TWO WEEKS LATER THE NOISE RETURNED. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES FOR NUMEROUS REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WOULD JERK TO THE RIGHT WHICH CAUSED THE CONTACT TO HIT A CURB. THERE WERE NO INJURIES BUT A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE REPAIRS TO THE WHEEL BEARINGS AND JOINTS WHICH HAVE NOT CORRECTED THIS PROBLEM. ALSO THE MOTOR MOUNTS AND AXLES HAVE BEEN REPLACED IN HOPES OF CORRECTING THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALER HAS NEVER BEEN ABLE TO ACCURATELY REPAIR THE VEHICLE. CURRENTLY THERE IS A NEED FOR NEW ROTORS AND MORE TIRES. THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO HAVE A ROARING SOUND LIKE A LOCOMOTIVE AS NOTED BY THE CONTACT. *AK UPDATE 1/11/2006 - *NM

DT: CONTACT WAS IN A MOTOR HOME AND IT WAS TOWING SATURN VEHICLE. THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT, CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT QUARTER PANEL, FENDER, WHEEL WELL, AND PUSHED OUT THE BUMPER. ALSO CAUSED TIE ROD DAMAGE. IN ADDITION,THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE HUB AND HUB CAP. WOULD NEED A NEW WHEEL ALIGNMENT. CALLED AAA, AND THEY PUT ON A SPARE TIRE. DROVE TO A WALMART IN FLORIDA WHERE THE TIRE WAS ORIGINALLY PURCHASED, AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT DID NOT WHY THIS HAPPENED. THEY REPLACED THE TIRE, TOOK PICTURES, AND SENT TIRE OFF TO GOODYEAR. WALMART REPLACED TIRE BUT GOODYEAR REFUSED TO PAY FOR OTHER DAMAGES. GOODYEAR CONTACTED CONSUMER, AND SAID LACK OF AIR IN THE TIRE WAS THE CAUSE OF TIRE BLOWOUT. THEY WOULD NOT PAY FOR DAMAGES. GOODYEAR, DOUGLAS TOURING, SIZE P195/65R15 . *AK *JB

MY SATURN LW300 HAS APPROXIMATELY 42,000 MILES. THE TIRES WERE REPLACED DUE TO CUPPING ON 11/20/03 OR 21,875 MILES. A SERVICE BULLETIN WAS PUT OUT FOR THE SHIM KIT. ON 12/31/04 OR 37,199 I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER AND QUESTIONED THE WEAR AND TEAR OF MY SECOND SET OF TIRES. I HAD ONLY HAD THIS SET OF TIRES ON FOR 15,000 MILES. THEY OFFERED TO REPLACE THE TIRES AT DEALER PRICE. I REFUSED THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE FACT THAT THE TIRES ON MY "TIRE EATING VEHICLE" ONLY SEEM TO LAST FOR A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. I AM NOW NEEDING TO REPLACE THE TIRES AGAIN AND THIS WILL BE THE THIRD SET IN 42,000 MILES. THAT'S ONLY AN AVERAGE OF 14,000 MILES. MY TIRES ARE NOW DOWN TO THE "UNSAFE" AREA OF THE TIRES AND I MUST REPLACE THEM FOR THE THIRD TIME. AFTER CONTACTING THE SATURN CORPORATION THEY SAID THAT THEY HAVE RECEIVED NEW ALIGNMENT SPECIFICATION AND WOULD ONLY PAY FOR ONE SET OF TIRES. IF THE SHIM KIT WAS INSTALLED PROPERLY I WOULD NOT HAVE TO BE REPLACING THE TIRES FOR THE THIRD TIME. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L200 THAT HAD COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE. WHILE TRAVELING 60 MPH , AND WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THERE WERE NO BRAKES. THE CONTACT HAD TO PUMP THE BRAKES ABOUT 4 TIMES BEFORE HAD ANY BRAKING CAPABILITY. THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE 40 MILES EXPERIENCED NO PROBLEMS SINCE THIS INCIDENT. THE SERVICE DEALER COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THE SERVICE DEALER EXAMINED THE BRAKE PADS/ROTORS/ CALIPERS, BUT THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS. NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE ONLY CLUE THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES WAS APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS AGO,THERE WAS A HIGH PITCH RINGING IN THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS AND THE NOISE WOULD STOP WHEN THE CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES. THE CONTACT EXAMINED THE REAR WHEELS, BUT DID NOT FIND ANYTHING AND THE NOISE STOPPED FOR A FEW DAYS. THE NOISE STARTED AGAIN RIGHT BEFORE THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE HAD BRAKE FAILURE. *AK THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND INSPECTED. THEY CLAIMED THAT EVERYTHING LOOKED NORMAL AND THAT THERE WAS NO LOSS OF FLUID. *NM

2002 SATURN L200 WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT THE LIGHTS FLICKER AS WELL AS THE VEHICLE ENGINE STALLED OUT ON EXPRESSWAY AND THE AIR CONDITIONER BECAME INOPERATIVE. *MR SATURN SUGGESTED THAT THE FLICKERING WAS NORMAL. IN VERY HOT/HUMID WEATHER, THE ENGINE WOULD RUN HOT AD THE AIR CONDITIONER WOULD STOP RUNNING. ON TWO OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE REFUSED TO START. THE SERVICE DEALER SUGGESTED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS PLUGGED AND THE OXYGEN SENSOR WAS REPLACED DUE TO THE STALLING. ALL FOUR TIRES WERE REPLACED BECAUSE OF AN ALIGNMENT, TOE AND CAMBER PROBLEM. *SC

WE PURCHASED A 2002 L-300 SATURN NEW IN FEBRUARY 2002. THE LEFT BRAKE LIGHT STOPPED WORKING RECENTLY, AND THE DEALERSHIP IN FORT COLLINS, CO REPLACED THE BRAKE LIGHT ASSEMBLY UNDER WARRANTY, AND INFORMED US THAT THERE WAS AN UPCOMING RECALL ON THIS ASSEMBLY. *JB

I PURCHASED MY '02 SATURN L300 FROM A HIGHLY RECOMMENDED LOCAL USED CAR DEALERSHIP HERE IN FLORIDA MID MAY '05. IT WAS CLOSE TO CLOSING TIME WHEN THE FINAL PAPERS WERE DRAWN SO THE SALESMAN AND I WALKED AROUND THE CAR AND I NOTICED THEN THAT THE LEFT REAR BRAKE LAMP WAS OUT. HE TOLD ME THAT THE PARTS DEPT WAS CLOSED SO TO COME BACK THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY. I CAME BACK THAT MONDAY AND THEY FIXED IT NO PROBLEM. WELL A MONTH OR SO LATER, ON MY WAY TO WORK, I WAS PULLED OVER BY A STATE TROOPER AND WAS TOLD MY LEFT REAR BRAKE LIGHT WAS OUT. I INFORMED HER THAT I HAD JUST FIXED IT AT THE DEALERSHIP SO SHE GAVE ME A WARNING AND TOLD ME TO FIX IT AGAIN. I SET UP AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALERSHIP THAT DAY. WHILE LEAVING WORK, I GLANCED INTO THE WINDOWS REFLECTION AS I WAS BACKING UP AND SAW THAT THE LIGHT WAS WORKING. I HAVE BEEN PULLED OVER THREE TIMES AND ALL TIMES WAS GIVING WARNINGS. IS THE NEXT COP GOING TO BE SO NICE? IT WORKS WHEN IT WANTS TO. I AM ALWAYS QUESTIONING WHETHER OR NOT ITS WORKING. THIS IS A $38 PART. HOW MANY MUST I PURCHASE? I DID NOT KNOW THERE WAS ANY KIND OF RECALL. THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT NOTIFY ME OF ANY AT TIME OF SALE. IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO NOW? ALSO, A FRIEND WHO OWNED A SMALLER VERSION OF THE L-SERIES SAID HE HAD TO REPLACE HIS TIRES CONSTANTLY. ALSO SAYING HE DEALT WITH CONTINUOUS OBNOXIOUS ROAD NOISE. IS THAT A DISCREPANCY? I HAVE HAD MY CURRENT TIRES BALANCED AND ROTATED TWICE SINCE MAY. IS THIS A PROBLEM? THE FRONT TWO DO NOT MATCH THE REAR TWO. THEY WERE THAT WAY AT TIME OF VEHICLE PURCHASE. VEHICLE HAS 36,000 MILES. I TRIED TO MATCH THEM BUT IT'S JUST TO EXPENSIVE. THE CHEAPEST TIRE I COULD FIND IN SIZE P215-55-R16 IS $98...????? *NM

DT: CONTACT STATED THE POSITIVE BATTERY TERMINAL SEPARATED FROM THE BATTERY. HE DID NOT THINK A LOT ABOUT IT; BUT A FRIEND OF HIS HAD A GM TRUCK THAT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE BATTERY POST SEPARATING FROM THE BATTERY. THIS HAPPENED ON 7-26-05. HE REPLACED THE BATTERY. IT WAS THE ORIGINAL BATTERY THAT CAME WITH THE CAR WHEN HE PURCHASED THE CAR NEW. *AK

SECURITY SYSTEM IS FAILING. WHILE DRIVING, SECURITY LIGHT WILL FLASH ON AND OFF. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, LOSE HEADLIGHTS, DASH LIGHTS. ALSO CAUSES FUEL GAUGE AND TEMPERATURE GAUGE TO FAIL. HAD AUTO PART STORE ACCESS ON BOARD COMPUTER. NO ERRORS FOUND. PROBLEM HAPPENED AGAIN. WAS UNABLE TO CAR INTO GEAR. HAD TO LET CAR SIT FOR AWHILE. TRIED TO DISABLE ALARM SYSTEM PER HANDBOOK. NO SUCCESS. ANOTHER RESULT OF THIS IS MY ODOMETER RESET TO 000000 MILES AND NOW LOSES MILES WHEN IT DOES WORK.

DT: WHEN BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED, PEDAL FADED"AND WENT TO THE FLOOR. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS PUMPED PRESSURE CAME BACK . HOWEVER, FADING WAS STILL NOTICEABLE. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AND ENGINE WAS TURNED ON AND OFF THIS PROBLEM DID NOT EXIST. THIS DID NOT APPEAR TO HAPPEN AT LOW SPEEDS. THE CAR HAS BEEN TAKEN TO DEALER ON 2 DIFFERENT OCASSIONS , AND TODAY WILL BE THE THIRD TIME. DEALER HAS NOTED IN THE PAST THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEM. THERE WAS NO WARNING WHEN THIS OCCURRED, NO CODES IN COMPUTER, NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED, AND NO EVIDENCE. THE BRAKES SIMPLY DID NOT EXIST AT TIMES. *OSUMER INSISTED NOTE WERE MADE OF A SIMILAR COMPLAINT THAT HE WISHED TO HAVE NOTED IN HIS COMPLAINT AS WELL. THE EXISTING ODI#10095767.*AK