2000 SATURN LS Complaints

RIGHT REAR PARKING BRAKE CABLE RUSTED THROUGH AND SNAPPED. RESULT: NO PARKING BRAKE (NO HAND BRAKE). LOCAL MECHANICS ADVISED US THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL. IT CANNOT BE FIXED. SATURN IS NO LONGER IN BUSINESS. GM NO LONGER SELLS THIS CABLE. NONE OF THE AFTERMARKET COMPANIES MAKE A CABLE THAT FITS THIS MAKE/MODEL/YEAR. *TR

VEHICLE PULLED WHEN BRAKING. SYMPTOMS STARTED ON A MONDAY AS A LIGHT PULL. MORE NOTICEABLE ABOVE 50 MPH, AND NOT NOTICEABLE BELOW 35. BY THURSDAY MORNING, PULL WAS SEVERE ABOVE 50MPH. STAYED TILL AFTER 6:00 AT NIGHT TO AVOID TRAFFIC. RIDE HOME WAS "ENTERTAINING" AS STEERING WHEEL DID NOT ALWAYS GO BACK TO "CENTER" WHEN GOING STRAIGHT. I THOUGHT I NEEDED A STEERING RACK UNTIL I INSPECTED THE VEHICLE ON SATURDAY. MY INSPECTION SHOWED THAT FRONT SUBFRAME (A.K.A. ENGINE CRADLE) FAILED WHERE THE "PASSENGER SIDE LOWER CONTROL ARM REAR BUSHING WAS ATTACHED". A SIZABLE PIECE OF FRAME RIPPED OUT, WITH BUSHING STILL ATTACHED TO LOWER CONTROL ARM. RUSTED PERFORATIONS IN SUBFRAME VISIBLE APPROXIMATELY 6" BEHIND WHERE FRAME FAILED. TWO SETS OF RIMS (SUMMER AND WINTER) WITH NO "DINGS" TESTIFIES THAT VEHICLE NEVER EVEN HIT A CURB IN 170,000 MILES. 4 CYLINDER, SO NO EXHAUST NEARBY TO "WEAKEN STEEL". BAD CHOICE OF CORROSION PROTECTION IN A CRITICAL PART OF THE FRAME, AND/OR UNDERSIZING OF STEEL THICKNESS TO ACCOMMODATE FOR CORROSION IS MY ESTIMATE OF "FAILURE MODE". CONTACTED DEALER AND NO REPLACEMENT PARTS AVAILABLE. WELL MAINTAINED VEHICLE, VERY DISAPPOINTED IT FAILED THIS WAY. LAST VEHICLE I JUNKED WAS A 17 YEAR OLD 1973 OLDS. EVERYTHING BUT THE SUBFRAME INDICATED I'D GET ANOTHER 5 YEARS OUT OF THIS VEHICLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2000 SATURN L-SERIES SEDAN. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DECELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE TIMING CHAIN FRACTURED CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE HEAD OF THE ENGINE. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE TIMING CHAIN HAD TO BE REPLACED AND DEPENDING ON THE SEVERITY OF THE DAMAGE THE HEAD ON THE ENGINE ALSO HAD TO BE REBUILT OR REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 07V519000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) MAY BE RELATED TO THE FAILURE BUT IT DO NOT INCLUDE 2000 MODELS. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000 UPDATED 04/19/12*LJ UPADTED 04/27/12

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SATURN LS1. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND FAILED TO RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO ADVISED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SATURN LS1. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING UPHILL WHEN THE VEHICLE BECAME RESISTANT TO ACCELERATION ATTEMPTS. AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES, THE VEHICLE STALLED COMPLETELY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THAT THE TIMING CHAIN WAS FRACTURED AND WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SATURN L. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PATH LOCK ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM FAILED AND PREVENTED THE VEHICLE FROM BEING STARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER AND THEY ADVISED HIM THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO CONTACTED AND ADVISED HIM THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 108,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TIMING CHAIN BROKE ON 2000 SATURN LS2 3.0L V6 ENGINE WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD CAUSING ENGINE FAILURE. THE 2.2L ENGINE HAS BEEN RECALLED AND THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE 3.0L ENGINE HAVING THE SAME FAILURES. THIS ENGINE SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ALSO. *TR

2000 SATURN L SERIES TIMING CHAIN FAILURE. METICULOUS MAINTENANCE AND SENSIBLE DRIVING STILL HAVE LEFT ME WITH A BROKEN TIMING CHAIN, BENT VALVES(INTERFERENCE MOTOR, I'M TOLD) AND BASICALLY A BUSTED MOTOR. BIG PROBLEM NOT COVERED BY A RECALL FOR THE 11/00 TO 01 L SERIES. BUNCH OF BULL RECALL ISN'T FOR MY CAR WHEN IT'S THE EXACT SAME DESIGN SEPARATED BY ONLY MONTHS IN PRODUCTION ! NORMAL DRIVING DOWN ROAD AND AWFUL RATTLE SOUND AND MOTOR WAS STALLED AND SO WAS I . *TR

MY TIMING CHAIN SEPARATED AND CAUSED MAJOR DAMAGE TO MY ENGINE. I HAVE A SATURN 2000 LS 2.2L ENGINE. I NEVER HAD A PROBLEM, NEVER KNEW THE CHAIN WAS A PROBLEM. I WENT TO START MY CAR, IT WOULD NOT START. IT WAS TOWED TO GOODYEAR, THEY SAID I HAVE NO COMPRESSION, THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE. MY ONLY SOLUTION IS TO PUT A NEW ENGINE INTO MY CAR. I HAVE ALWAYS CHANGED THE OIL AT 3,000 MILES AND MECHANICALLY TOOK CARE OF MY CAR. I AM LOOKING TO REPLACE THE MOTOR WITH MONEY I DO NOT HAVE. A TIMING CHAIN SHOULD NOT FAIL IN THESE CONDITIONS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SATURN ION LEVEL 2. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START WHENEVER THE TEMPERATURE WAS UNDER FORTY DEGREES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE TO BE THE IGNITION SWITCH WHICH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.