2001 SATURN LS Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN L SERIES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 127,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN LS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE IT WAS STATED THE TIMING TENSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE 95,402. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR (2001 SATURN L200) GOING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH WHEN THE ENGINE OF MY CAR STALLED AND COULD NOT BE RESTARTED. AFTER HAVING THE CAR TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED CAUSING CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE TO MY ENGINE. *TR

VEHICLE 2001 SATURN L200 , WAS BEING DRIVEN AT APPROX 10MPH THRU RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD APPROX 100 YARDS FROM RESIDENCE, APPROACHING STOP SIGN. GM WAS CONTACTED ABOUT RECALL WAS TOLD VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF RECALL, BY 5 UNITS. VEHICLE SAT FOR 6 MONTHS. I EXAMINED ENGINE FOUND TIMING CHAIN TO BE BROKEN. 4 BENT VALVES, CYL 2 BOTH INTAKE & CYL 4 BOTH EXHAUST VALVES. CYL 2 & 4 PISTONS HAD HEAVY IMPACT MARKS, CYL 1 PISTON HAD LIGHT IMPACT MARKS, FROM THE VALVES HITTING THEM. PARTS REPLACED UPDATED TIMING CHAIN KIT, BALANCE SHAFT CHAIN, TENSIONER & GEARS WATER PUMP & THERMOSTAT CYLINDER HEAD GASKET UPPER KIT CYLINDER HEAD BOLT SET TIMING COVER GASKET KIT DRIVE BELT TENSIONER & DRIVE BELT SPARK PLUGS 4 COST TO REPAIR APROX: $2700 PARTS & LABOR EXAMINATION OF THE PARTS REMOVED SHOW'S THE OILER FOR THE TIMING CHAIN TO BE OF SIGNIFICANTLY SMALLER SIZE THAN THE UPDATED CHAIN OILER IN THE NEW UPDATED TIMING CHAIN KIT. CHAIN WAS EXCESSIVELY WORN AND BROKE AT A LINK, CHAIN TENSIONER WAS IN PIECES. THEIR IS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT THE ENGINE IN THIS VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE RECALL. *TR

THE SECURITY SYSTEM IN MY 2001 SATURN L100 IS DEFECTIVE, AS MANY OTHER VEHICLES OF THIS MODEL AND YEAR ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. AFTER CONSULTING WITH "CUSTOMER SERVICE REP" (HA!HA!) TOLD TO TAKE THE CAR TO DEALERSHIP & TECHNICIANS WILL RESET THE SECURITY SYSTEM. THIS IS A CRAFTSMANSHIP ISSUE CAUSED BY DEFECTIVE ITEM. GENERAL MOTORS HAS LOST A LONGTIME "BE AMERICAN~ BUY AMERICAN" CAR BUYER. THIS IS THEFT PLAIN AND SIMPLE! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN L200 (N/A). THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT UNKNOWN SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE ASCENDING AN INCLINE. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC AND FOUND THAT THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER HAD SEPARATED FROM THE CAM SHAFT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 51,000. UPDATED 06/18/13*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THERE IS A RECALL BUT, IS BEING DENIED A REPAIR UNDER THE RECALL. UPDATED 06/20/2013 *JS

A STRANGE NOISE SOUNDED WHEN I CRANKED THE CAR TO RETURN HOME FROM THE LAKE WALES MEDICAL CENTER (LOCATED ABOUT 15 MILES FROM MY HOME) AFTER THE CAR IDLED FOR A FEW MINUTES I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT HOME. WHEN I DROVE IT TO THE REPAIR SHOP THE NOISE GOT MUCH LOUDER. THE REPAIRMAN DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS NOISE FROM TING AREA DUE TO TENSIONER PULLEY BEARINGS; TIMING HAD JUMPED CAUSING INTERNAL VALVE DAMAGE. HEAD WORK REQUIRED: REMOVED AND REPLACED ALL 12 INTAKE VALVES, CK'D AND RESURFACED BOTH HEADS, INSTALLED TIMING BELT KIT, HEADSET WITH BOLTS, CAMSHAFT SEALS, ETC. *TR

THE TIMING CHAIN IS LOOSE AND SLAPPING THE ENGINE. THERE HAD BEEN NOISE INTERMITTENTLY COMING FROM THE ENGINE FOR THE LAST FEW MONTHS. UPON REPAIR, THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR AND TENSION ROD PULLEY SYSTEM. THAT MADE THE PROBLEM WORSE AND THEN THEY FOUND THAT IT WAS NOT THE CAUSE OF THE NOISE. THE TIMING CHAIN BEHIND THE MOTOR IS LOOSE AND SLAPPING THE ENGINE CREATING THE NOISE. THE MECHANIC FOUND THE RECALL ON THE TIMING CHAIN WHEN TRYING TO ORDER IT. LOCAL GM DEALER SAYS MY CAR IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL. IT IS A 2001 SATURN L SERIES. *TR

THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. UPON BEING INSPECTED BY AN IN DEPENDENT GARAGE, IT WAS DETERMINED TO BE A TIMING CHAIN FAILURE. SHOULD THIS BE COVERED UNDER 07V-519? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN L200. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 80,000. *TR