2000 SATURN LS Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SATURN LS1. WHILE PARKED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD DUE TO ICY CONDITIONS, A SEMI-TRUCK LOST CONTROL WHILE DRIVING UP AN INCLINE. THE SEMI-TRUCK WAS HEADED DIRECTLY TOWARDS THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE, SO HE JUMPED OUT OF THE PASSENGER SIDE AND FELL INTO A DITCH. THE SEMI-TRUCK STRUCK THE FRONT CORNER PANEL OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE AND PLACED A FEW DENTS IN THE DOOR. WHEN THE CONTACT JUMPED OUT OF THE VEHICLE, ALL OF THE DOORS AUTOMATICALLY LOCKED AND PREVENTED HIM FROM RE-ENTERING. HE SUSTAINED HIP AND MINOR SPINE INJURIES, FOR WHICH HE IS CURRENTLY BEING TREATED. THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE INCIDENT, THE AIR BAGS IN THE VEHICLE NEVER DEPLOYED. HE BELIEVES THAT HAD HE REMAINED IN THE VEHICLE WITH THE AIR BAG FAILURE, HE COULD HAVE SUFFERED MAJOR INJURIES. HE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE ABOUT THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 150,000.

I HAVE A 2000 SATURN L SERIES SEDAN. THE TIMING CHAIN IS MAKING A HORRIBLE RACKET AND OUR MECHANIC INFORMED US THAT IT MUST BE REPLACED AT A COST OF ABOUT $1,200. IF WE DON'T REPLACE IT, THE CHAIN COULD BREAK, CAUSE FURTHER DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE AND COULD LEAVE US STRANDED OR EVEN ON THE HIGHWAY WITH NO WAY TO GET OUT OF HEAVY TRAFFIC. I'VE NOTICED THAT THE NHTSA ADMINISTRATION HAS A RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER OF 07V519000 (AND ACTION NUMBER - EA06009) UNDER WHICH SATURN WAS REQUIRED TO ISSUE A RECALL FOR 2001 MODEL YEAR L SERIES SEDANS WITH THIS VERY SAME ISSUE. I DON'T SEE WHY MY CAR SHOULD NOT BE INCLUDED AS WELL SINCE IT IS THE EXACT SAME ISSUE AND COULD CAUSE THE EXACT SAME DANGEROUS SITUATION. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE APPEARS TO BE THAT THE RECALL IS LIMITED TO MODEL YEAR 2001 AND MY CAR IS A 2000. THE TWO CARS PROBABLY EVEN USE THE SAME TIMING CHAIN. I'M ASKING THAT THE RECALL BE EXTENDED TO COVER MY CAR, WHICH SEEMS ONLY FAIR AS IT IS THE SAME ISSUE ON A VERY, VERY SIMILAR CAR. *TR

SATURN 2000 LS TIMING CHAIN I PURCHASED IT NEW IN 2000. I GOT STUCK YESTERDAY AND AAA HAD TO TOW IT. MECHANIC SAYS IT'S TIMING CHAIN. THIS WILL BE THE 3RD TIMING CHAIN SINCE I BOUGHT IT. LAST ONE WAS REPLACED AT 52,000 MILES IN MARCH 2006. NOW I HAVE 66,000 MILES AND IT HAS HAPPENED AGAIN. I WAS TOLD LAST TIME, A TIMING CHAIN SHOULD LAST A MINIMUM OF 100,000 MILES. IT COST ME ALMOST 3,000. LAST TIME. MY DEALERSHIP, SATURN OF STAMFORD IS NOW CLOSED. I WILL HAVE IT TOWED TO SATURN OF FAIRFIELD. THIS TYPE OF THING SHOULD NOT HAPPEN AFTER ONLY 66,000 MILES. I'VE KEPT UP WITH MAINTENANCE AND MY OIL AND FILTER WAS CHANGED JUST ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF AGO. I FEEL SATURN SHOULD COVER THIS REPAIR, AND PROVIDE ME WITH A RENTAL. *TR

THERE WAS NO WARNING., NO NOISE, NO WARNING LIGHTS. THE CAR DID NOT START IN THE MORNING SATURN SAID THE CHAIN BELT BROKE AND DAMAGED ENGINE. I HAVE READ MANY COMPLAINTS CONCERNING THE TIMING BELT AND IT'S POOR DESIGN. GM HAS DENIED ANY COMPLAINTS AND STATED THAT ODI PUBLISHES BOGUS REPORTS. *TR

I WENT TO START MY 2000 SATURN AND IT DID NOT START. THERE WAS NO PROBLEM OR WARNING THE DAY BEFORE, SATURN OF RAMSEY SAID THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE AND CAUSED OTHER ENGINE PROBLEMS AND QUOTED A PRICE OF ALMOST 3,000. AFTER READING INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET INCLUDING INFORMATION FROM YOU, I CALLED GM. THEY SAID ALL THE INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET WAS "BOGUS" AND NOT TRUE. THEY SAID THEY WOULD OFFER NO HELP. I ALWAYS DID REGULAR OIL CHANGES. I NEED HELP PLEASE..THANK YOU. *TR

TIMING CHAIN ON MY 2000 SATURN LS1 BROKE WHILE TRAVELING AT 50 MPH. CAR GLIDED TO A CONTROLLED STOP. ESTIMATED REPAIR COST $2800 DUE TO BENT VALVES AS A RESULT OF THE TIMING CHAIN. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT NCCC HAS PREVIOUSLY REQUESTED NHTSA TO EXPAND RECALL TO INCLUDE EARLIER MODEL YEARS ON THIS KNOWN SATURN DEFECT. IS THERE A STATUS UPDATE? *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WITH MY 5 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER DURING THE MORNING COMMUTE, TRANSITIONING FROM ONE HWY 24 TO I-80 IN THE EMERYVILLLE / BERKELEY AREA IN CALIFORNIA, OUR SATURN 2000 LW WAGON SUDDENLY LOST POWER. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER BUT COULD NOT RESTART THE CAR. I WAS TOWED TO MY MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A BROKEN TIMING CHAIN AND TOLD ME THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. I UNDERSTAND THIS IS A FREQUENT PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE AND THAT OTHER YEARS OF THIS MODEL HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR THIS REASON. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SATURN L SERIES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AND WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN LED TO ENGINE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT THE COST OF $2,300. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 89,000.

I WAS PICKING MY KIDS UP FROM THE BABYSITTERS WHEN I HEARD A TICKING NOISE. LET ME REMIND YOU THAT I HADN'T ANY ENGINE PROBLEMS BEFORE THIS DAY. ANYWAY, I HEARD THE TICKING NOISE AS I WAS PULLING UP TO THE SITTERS HOUSE AND CUT MY CAR OFF. RESTARTED THE CAR AND THE NOISE WAS LOUDER. TOOK MY CAR TO THE SHOP AND THEY TOLD ME THAT MY TIMING CHAIN WAS BROKEN AND THAT MY ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS WAS NOT COVERED UNDER SATURN BECAUSE MY CAR ONLY HAS 70K MILES. IT'S A 2000 SATURN LS2 AND IT WAS RUNNING FINE UP UNTIL THIS DATE. THERE WAS NO SIGN OF THIS PROBLEM BEFORE IT HAPPENED AND I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY $3600 OUT MY POCKET BUT SATURN WILL TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS MAJOR PROBLEM. CAN YOU HELP ME OUT? WHAT IF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED WHILE I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY WITH MY KIDS AND AN ACCIDENT HAPPENED? *TR

WHILE CAR WAS STILL UNDER GM WARRANTY, VEHICLE IGNITION SWITCH WOULD GET STUCK SUCH THAT THE CAR WOULD NOT START. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES INTERMITTENTLY BUT EACH TIME WOULD EVENTUALLY FREE UP. TOOK CAR TO DEALER WHERE PURCHASED AND PROBLEM WAS NOT DUPLICATED AT THAT TIME. I BELIEVE I ALSO TOOK TO SATURN DEALER BUT THEY ALSO COULD NOT REPLICATE. THIS CONTINUED TO HAPPENED PERIODICALLY AND CAR EVENTUALLY PASSED OUT OF WARRANTY. RECENTLY, THE PROBLEM HAPPENED AGAIN BUT IT WILL NOT START AT ALL. HAD TO TOW IT TO THE CLOSEST SHOP AND REPAIR THE CYLINDER. CALLED SATURN AND THEY ARE UNWILLING TO ASSIST WITH THE REPAIR AT THIS TIME. THEY WILL NOT CONSIDER ANY ASSISTANCE UNLESS I TOW THE CAR TO THE DEALER (AROUND $100) AND PAY THERE DIAGNOSTIC FEES BUT, AGAIN, OFFER NO PROMISE THAT THEY WILL HELP IN ANY WAY EVEN IF THEY CONFIRM THE PROBLEM. *TR