2001 SATURN LS Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN L100. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE JERKED AND THEN STALLED. THE VEHICLE DID NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACTS HOUSE WHERE AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN, HEAD AND VALVE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 143,183. *TR

ENGINE STARTED WITH RATTLING SOUND, ENGINE WAS SHUT OFF. ATTEMPTED TO RESTART ENGINE, WOULD CRANK BUT NOT FIRE. *TR

I STARTED TO NOTICE THE SMELL OF GAS COMING FROM MY CAR, BUT I COULD NOT IDENTIFY WHERE THE LEAK WAS. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC AND HE IDENTIFIED THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY, PRESSURE LINE, RETURN LINE, AND SENDING UNIT ALL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MECHANIC SAID THAT THE FUEL PUMP WAS DIFFICULT TO GET TO AND THE ENTIRE GAS TANK NEEDED TO BE REMOVED. PARTS ALONE COST $793.53 WHILE THE LABOR WAS $382.00 FOR A TOTAL AFTER TAX AND SHOP SUPPLIES OF $1257.28. IT WAS PRETTY SHOCKING TO ME HOW THIS CAR NEEDED TO HAVE A FUEL PUMP REPLACED AT SUCH A LOW MILEAGE BUT I DID NOT WANT TO RISK A CAR FIRE OR EXPLOSION. THERE IS ANOTHER COMPLAINT ON THIS WEBSITE THAT ALSO MENTIONS THE SAME ISSUE. *TR

I GET VERY POOR MILEAGE ON MY TIRES AND I INEVITABLE GET CUPPING IN MY REAR TIRES. THIS CAUSES A SOUND IN MY CAR THAT SOUNDS LIKE THE TIRE IS FLAT WHEN I AM DRIVING WHEN IN FACT IT IS DUE TO CUPPING. I READ ON ALLDATADIY THAT A SPACER NEEDS TO BE PLACED BETWEEN THE REAR SUSPENSION SUPPORT AND THE VEHICLE BODY DURING ALIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. TIRES ARE EXPENSIVE AND IT CAUSES ME TO NOT WANT TO DRIVE MY CAR TOO FAR. *TR

MY LEFT REAR BRAKE LIGHT BULB HAD BURNED OUT AND CAUSED THE TAIL-LIGHT ASSEMBLY AROUND THE BULB OPENING TO MELT AND PREVENT THE BULB FROM BEING PULLED OUT. I CHECKED THE RIGHT SIDE AND THE ASSEMBLY WAS NOT MELTED BUT THERE WAS BLACK BURN MARKS ON THE WIRE HARNESS THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT BULB PLUGS INTO. FIVE OF THE SIX CENTER-HIGH MOUNTED BRAKE LIGHTS HAD ALSO BURNED OUT BUT NO MELTING OR CHARRED MARKS WERE NOTED. I ALSO HAVE A CRACK IN THE CENTER PART OF THE VANITY TRUNK ASSEMBLY THAT ALLOWS WATER TO ENTER, HOWEVER, THERE ARE NO LIGHTS IN THE ASSEMBLY SO IT IS NOT A BIG CONCERN FOR ME. *TR

I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE DOWN THE FREEWAY AT 65 MPH WHEN THE BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON AND SHUT OFF. WITHIN THE NEXT MINUTE THE COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON AND SHUT OFF AND THEN THE CAR SEIZED RIGHT THERE ON THE FREEWAY. THE CAR WOULD NOT START SO WE HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED. ONCE THE SHOP LOOKED AT IT THEY DIAGNOSED THAT THE TENSIONER HAD BROKE AND THE SERPENTINE BELT HAD MELTED. WE ARE NOW LOOKING AT HAVING TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ENGINE. *TR

2ND OWNER OF VEHICLE, TAIL LAMPS HAD OVER HEATING ISSUE, NHTSA ISSUED RECALL ON 2 JUNE 2005, SATURN REFUSES TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE, SAYING AUTO IS TO OLD. DATE FOR FIXING ISSUE IS 10 YEARS FROM DATE BULLETIN WAS ISSUED. WAS TOLD BY A SATURN "CUSTOMER CARE REP." THAT ADAPTERS WERE INSTALLED IN FEB 2009. AUTO WASN'T REGISTERED IN 2009, AND NO ADAPTERS HAVE EVER BEEN INSTALLED. I AM A DISABLED VIETNAM VETERAN LIVING ON A VERY MEAGER MONTHLY INCOME AND CAN'T AFFORD TO REPLACE THESE LAMPS. I AM DRIVING THIS AUTO WITH NO BRAKE LIGHTS, ASIDE FROM ANTI-COLLISION LAMP AT TOP OF REAR WINDSHIELD. I HOPE THIS LETTER HAS MORE IMPACT THAN I'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE, AS OF TODAY. ANY HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. *TR

UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE THE ENGINE STOPPED AND WAS UNABLE TO BE RESTARTED DUE TO BROKEN TIMING CHAIN WHICH BENT THE VALVES IN THE ENGINE. *TR

VEHICLE WAS COVERED BY SATURN RECALL 07V519000, ENTIRE VALVE ASSEMBLY AND TIMING CHAIN REPLACED BY GM SHOP AT APPROXIMATELY 45,000 MILES AFTER TIMING CHAIN FAILURE WITH BENT VALVES, FAILURE ALSO WAS AT EXPRESSWAY SPEED OF 55 MPH. SAME TYPE OF FAILURE AGAIN OCCURRED ON HIGHWAY AT SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHO STATED PROBLEM WAS VALVE FAILURE. TOTAL VEHICLE MILEAGE IS APPROXIMATELY 95,000 MILES. *TR

I BRAKE HARD TO AVOID AN ANIMAL IN THE ROAD. WHEN I STEPPED ON THE GAS THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. WHEN I PUT IT IN PARK, THE CAR WOULD ROLL. UPON INSPECTION, THE FRAME HAD BUCKLED, CAUSING THE CV JOINT TO FALL OUT. I DID NOT HIT ANYTHING OR GO OFF THE ROAD. ALL I DID WAS HIT THE BRAKES AND THE FRAMED COLLAPSED IN THE AREA OF RIGHT FRONT A-ARM. *TR