2002 SATURN LS Complaints

ELECTRONIC CONTROLE COMPUTER SHORTED OUT WORKING SORTLY AFTER WARENTY EXPIERD. ALARM DID NOT WORK, KEY FOB DID NOT WORK, TRANSMISION INTER LOCK WOULD NOT DISEGAGE, FULE GAGE DID NOT WORK, TEMP GAGE DID NOT WORK, RADIO DID NOT WORK, NO INSTRUMENT LIGHTS.

WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK MY VEHICLE DIED COMPLETELY, UPON HAVING THE PROBLEM DIAGNOSED I WAS TOLD THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKE CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE VALVES. MY VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY, BUT ONLY HAS 51,500 MILES, A TIMING "CHAIN" SHOULD NOT FAIL AT 51,500 MILES. SATURN HAS SO FAR REFUSED TO HELP IN ANYWAY TO COVER THE COSTS, BUT THEY WILL REPLACE THE ENGINE WITH A USED ONE FOR AROUND 4000 DOLLARS

DRIVING DOWN A 4-LANE HIGHWAY AT 60 MPH THE ENGINE JUST QUIT RUNNING. THERE WERE NO UNUSUAL SOUNDS OR WARNING LIGHTS. LUCKILY, WE WERE ABLE TO COAST OVER TO THE BERM OF THE ROAD OUT OF THE PATH OF TRAFFIC WITHOUT BEING HIT. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. WITHIN APPROXIMATELY 1-2 HOURS OF RECEIVING THE CAR, THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKE AND DAMAGED SOME VALVES IN THE PROCESS. THE CAR HAS 53,000 AND IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THE TOTAL COST FOR REPAIRS WAS $2,300.00. I INFORMED SATURN THAT I HAVE FOLLOWED BASIC MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES AND THE CAR IS PRIMARILY DRIVEN TO AND FROM HOME AND THE OFFICE. IN ADDITION, I INFORMED THEM THAT THERE ARE OTHER DOCUMENTED CASES OF THE TIMING CHAIN FAILURE ON THE INTERNET RANGING FROM 30,000-65,000 MILES. SATURN SAID THERE IS NOT A PROBLEM WITH THE TIMING CHAIN IN THESE VEHICLES AND "THINGS JUST BREAK". THEY DID, HOWEVER, WITHIN 24 HRS. OF RECEIVING MY CAR AT THE DEALERSHIP OFFER TO REIMBURSE ME 50% OF THE REPAIR COST. HOWEVER, WHEN A VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOSES POWER ON A HIGHWAY IT BECOMES A ROLLING DEATH TRAP AND THE PROBLEM WITH THE TIMING CHAINS NEEDS TO BE RECTIFIED BEFORE THE PROBLEMS RESULTS IN A FATALITY.

THIS CAR HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT TROUBLE. I HAVE HAD TO HAVE THE DRIVE SHAFT REPLACED, THE MOTOR MOUNTS REPLACED, THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY REPLACED, THE STEERING ASSEMBLY REPLACED AND I TOO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE DASH LIGHTS DIMMING. THE TECHNICIANS AT THE LOCAL SATURN DEALERSHIP ARE NOTHING BUT RUDE. THEY DONT FIX THE PROBLEMS YOU BRING THE CAR IN FOR AND YOU END UP HAVING TO TAKE IT BACK THE NEXT DAY OR EVEN SOMETIMES THAT SAME EVENING FOR A REPAIR THAT WASNT DONE PROPERLY. I THOUGHT THIS WAS GOING TO BE A GOOD CAR BUT IT HAS BEEN CONSTANT TROUBLE AND IS CONSTANTLY IN THE REPAIR SHOP.

THE TIRES ON MY 2002 L300 HAVE BEEN REPLACED NUMEROUS TIMES DUE TO CUPPING CAUSED BY AN ALIGNMENT PROBLEM. THE DEALER HAS INDICATED THAT THE ALIGNMENT PROBLEM OCCURRED IN THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS AND THEY CANNOT FIX IT UNLESS A RECALL IS ISSUED. THE CUPPING OF THE TIRES CREATES AN UNEVEN RIDE AND THE TIRES ARE VERY NOISY. WHEN THE TIRES ARE REPLACED, THE PROBLEM IS SOLVED FOR A FEW MONTHS UNTIL THE TIRES BEGIN CUPPING AND THE PROCESS STARTS OVER. NOW THAT I HAVE PASSED THE 36,000 MILE WARRANTY, THE TIRES WILL NO LONGER BE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT MY TIRES WILL NEED REPLACING ONCE AGAIN BEFORE THE END OF 2005 SO THAT MY CAR WILL PASS A REQUIRED SAFETY INSPECTION.

I HAD A BLOWOUT ON THE REAR, DRIVER-SIDE TIRE. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE TIRE SHOP TO GET A NEW ONE, THE TECHNICIAN HAD TO REPLACE BOTH REAR TIRES DUE TO WEAR ON THE INSIDE OF BOTH REAR TIRES. THEY ADVISED ME TO GET AN ALIGNMENT. THE ALIGNMENT SHOP FOUND OUT ABOUT A SERVIVE BULLETIN #00-T-72A ISSUED IN JULY 2002 REGARDING A PROBLEM WITH THE REAR SUSPENSION. BOTH THE REAR TIRES LEAN IN AT THE TOP. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE SATURN DEALER TO GET IT FIXED, BUT THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS NOT A RECALL AND IT WOULD NOT BE REPAIRED FREE OF CHARGE. I WANT TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A RECALL AND A SERVICE BULLETIN AND WHY A SERVICE BULLETIN IS NOT CONSIDERED A "DEFECT" IN THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES CAUSED, BUT IF THE TIRE HAD BLOWN OUT DURING MY OUT OF TOWN TRIP THE NIGHT BEFORE THERE COULD HAVE BEEN OR EVEN WORSE. THE INSIDE OF BOTH THE REAR TIRES WAS SO WORN THAT BOTH WERE SHOWING THE STEEL BELTS. THANK YOU, LOUISE A. LEADER

PROBLEMS WITH THE HORN EQUIPMENT ON THE SATURN.*MR THE CONSUMER WAS ONLY ABLE TO PRESS ONE OF THE TWO SMALL HORNS ON THE STEERING WHEEL. *JB *BF

MY WIFE'S 2002 SATURN L-100 SEDAN HAD A TAILL IGHT OUT (LEFT SIDE). REPLACING THE BULB DIDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM, MONEY LOST. WHEN THE DEALERSHIP WAS CONTACTED THEY CLAIMED THE WHOLE LIGHT HOUSING REQUIRED REPLACEMENT BECAUSE OF A KNOWN HARNESS DEFECT. THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRENTY, SO WE HAD TO PAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT (MORE MONEY LOST). BUT IT'S A SAFETY DEVICE... WHAT COULD WE DO?*AK

TIRES CONTINUE TO CUP. SATURN REPLACED TIRES SEVERAL TIMES AND PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. CAN ONLY GET APPROXIMATELY 12000 MILES ON SET OF TIRES.*AK

HEADLIGHT WOULD CONSTANTLY FLICKER WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. IT OBSTRUCTED CONSUMER'S VISION AND THAT OF OTHER MOTORISTS WHEN PASSING BY ON THE OPPOSITE ROAD. THEY WOULD BLINK THEIR HEADLIGHT BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT THE CONSUMER WAS DOING THE SAME THING. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE BECAUSE THAT WAS THE NORMAL CHARACTERISTIC OF THAT VEHICLE.*AK