2001 SATURN LS Complaints

TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY IS POORLY DESIGNED. TAIL LIGHT FAILS SO THAT BRAKE LIGHTS, INCLUDING THE CENTER MOUNTED BRAKE LIGHT, ARE "ON" SHOWING THE CAR BRAKES APPLIED ANYTIME THE CAR LIGHTS ARE ON. CRUISE CONTROL FAILS TO ENGAGE, OR IF ENGAGED AT THE TIME OF FAILURE FORCES CAR TO ACCELERATE. IF I RESET THE PLUG IN BRAKE BULB THE FAILURE GOES AWAY FOR APPROXIMATELY 1 WEEK WHEN THE FAILURE REASSERTS ITSELF.*AK

BROUGHT CAR IN FOR SATURN "SAFETY CAMPAIGN" AND FOR SCHEDULED OIL CHANGE AND WAS TOLD THAT ONE OF MY TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLIES WAS BURNT OUT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK COSTLY REPAIR RESULTED FROM SUBSTANDARD PARTS, AS SEEMS MANY OTHER PEOPLE WITH THIS MODEL OF VEHICLE, WHO POST ON AN INTERNET MESSAGE BOARD ARE SUFFERING FROM THE SAME ISSUE. PART REPLACED, OLD PART NOT AVAILABLE.

BRAKE LIGHTS FAIL WHEN ALL OTHER LIGHTS ARE ON (HEADLIGHTS, TAILLIGHTS). WHEN LIGHTS ARE OFF - BRAKE LIGHT WILL WORK. TAIL LIGHTS KEEP SHORTING OUT DUE TO DESIGN FLAW OF LIGHT HOUSING UNIT. PULL BULB OUT, APPLY BULB GREASE, PULL SPRINGS UP, AND REINSERT. WORKS FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS. *AK

REAR TIRES FAILED WELL WITHIN THEIR EXPECTED MILEAGE AND HAD TO BE REPLACED, ALONG WITH A REAR-END ALIGNMENT. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ISSUE FOR ALL 2001 SATURN L300 OWNERS. MAKE: SATURN MODEL: L-SERIES YEAR: 2001 SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER: 00T72A NHTSA ITEM NUMBER: 633545 SUMMARY DESCRIPTION: SUBJECT REGARDING SERVICE MANUAL UPDATE FOR CHASSIS SERVICE MANUALS REGARDING ALIGNMENT SPECIFICATIONS AND SERVICE PROCEDURE FOR INSTALLATION OF SPACERS BETWEEN REAR SUSPENSION SUPPORT AND VEHICLE BODY WHEN PERFORMING WHEEL ALIGNMENT. *AK

I OWN TWO 2001 SATURNS, AN L300 AND A LW300, BOTH PURCHASED AT SATURN OF SILVER SPRING. BOTH OF THESE CARS HAVE EATEN REAR TIRES ON A REGULAR BASIS. THE DEALER MAINTAINED THAT I DIDN'T ROTATE TIRES ENOUGH. I PREVIOUSLY NEVER HAD A FWD CAR THAT ATE REAR TIRES. FORTUNATELY I REGULARLY PREMATURELY REPLACED TIRES BEFORE CUPPING LED TO BLOWOUTS. I BELIEVE THAT THE FIX OUTLINED IN SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER: 00T72A NHTSA ITEM NUMBER: 633545 SHOULD RESULT IN A MANUFACTURER RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED IN AN ACCIDENT AS A RESULT OF THIS OBVIOUS DEFECT.*AK

A SHORT CIRCUIT OF SOME SORT IN THE THE HEADLIGHT/TURN SIGNAL SWITCH CAUSED A SMALL ELECTRICAL FIRE. WHILE DRIVING, THE DASHBOARD INDICATORS SHOWED THAT THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS AND HIGH BEAMS WERE TURNING ON AND OFF ON THEIR OWN. WHEN THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF, THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS REMAINED ON. AFTER A FEW MOMENTS, I BEGAN TO SMELL THE ODOR OF SOMETHING BURNING AND SMOKE BEGAN TO COME OUT OF THE STEERING COLUMN. THE SMOKE SUBSIDED ONLY AFTER I PULLED THE FUSES ON THE TWO HEADLAMPS. THE FUSES DID NOT BREAK THE CIRCUIT ON THEIR OWN -- THE HEADLIGHTS DID NOT GO OUT UNTIL I PULLED THE FUSES. I THEN CALLED THE SATURN ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE HOTLINE AND ASKED THEM HOW TO COMPLETELY TURN OFF THE ELECTRICAL POWER TO THE ENTIRE CAR (TO PREVENT ANYTHING ELSE FROM CATCHING FIRE) BUT THEY WERE OF LITTLE HELP. I WAS LOOKING FOR A MASTER CIRCUIT BREAKER BUT THEY COULD NOT TELL ME WHETHER OR NOT THE VEHICLE HAS ONE. THEY SUGGESTED DISCONNECTING THE BATTERY AT THE TERMINALS, BUT I WAS WARY OF DOING THIS FOR FEAR THAT THE AIRBAG MIGHT DEPLOY.

UNDER COLD WEATHER CONDITIONS THE VEHICLE'S DOOR LOCKS MAY OR MAY NOT LOCK. *MR TECHNICIAN WAS ABLE TO REPAIR THE LEFT REAR DOOR LOCK; HOWEVER, DOOR LOCK IS NOT RESPONDING PROMPTLY TO THE SIGNAL FROM THE REMOTE. THE IT WAS FOUND OUT BY THE TECHNICIAN THAT LEFT REAR DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR WAS BINDING. THE TECHNICIAN THEN REPLACED THE DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR. *LA

AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE ENGINE BLEW OUT. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

DEALER HAS REPLACED, FOUR TIMES THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL BEARING, CONSUMER WILL PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *NM

THE BRAKE LIGHTS WENT OUT WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS WERE TURNED ON. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED IT WAS DUE TO A FAULTY CIRCUIT BOARD IN THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE FAULTY PART WITH AN UPDATED TAILGATE ASSEMBLY. *JB