2001 SATURN LS Complaints

HEARD THIS STRANGE NOISE COMING FROM MY ENGINE...NOT SURE WHAT IT WAS. DROVE A LITTLE ORE ABOUT A MILE AD THE NOISE GOT LOUDER DECIDED TO PULL OVER, SHUT OFF MY CAR. TRIED TO TURN IT BACK OVER TO SEE IF THE NOISE CONTINUED AND IT WOULD NOT TURN OVER. HAD MY CAR TOWED TO MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD IT WAS THE TIMING CHAIN (BELT). $1000.00 BILL. I FIND OUT THERE WAS A RECALL ON CERTAIN VIN'S AND HUNDREDS MORE AFTER THAT COMPLAINED AND NOTHING IS DONE. THAT'S CRAP! I AM THE SECOND OWNER...THE CAR HAS ONLY 100,000 ON A CAR THAT IS 11 YEARS OLD. I HAVE MY OIL CHANGED EVERY 3000 MILES AND SERVICED ALL THE TIME. I BELIEVE THIS CAR HAS A FAULTY TIMING CHAIN AND I HAVE TO PAY FOR IT WHEN IT IS CLEARLY THE MANUFACTURERS FAULT. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO HAVE A FIRE OR DIE TO BE COVERED...IT SEEMS THAT IS WHAT YOUR LOOKING FOR! COULD SOMEONE PLEASE ADVISE! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2001 SATURN L200. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THAT VEHICLE STALLED WHENEVER BRAKING TO A STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE EXACT FAILURE WAS NOT FOUND HOWEVER THE TRANSMISSION FILTER AND FLUID WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE CEASED FOR THREE WEEKS BUT LATER RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 07V519000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THEY DID NOT PROVIDE ANY FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE CONTACT SECURED AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALER FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 151,362. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,762.

THE SECURITY LIGHT BLINKS CONSTANTLY ALL NIGHT LONG RUNNING DOWN MY BATTERY IN TURN THE CAR WONT START , I HAVE HAD THE BCM REPLACED WHICH THE DEALER SAID WAS BAD , HAVE HAD BATTERY REPLACED AND STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM ONE TECH. SAYS THE LIGHT IS SUPPOSE TO BLINK ALL NIGHT ANOTHER ELECTRICAL TECH SAYS IT NOT THE MANUAL SAY IT WILL BLINK TWICE TO LET YOU KNOW IT IS ARMED. IT HAS COST ME A THOUSAND DOLLARS ALREADY AND THE CAR IS STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

I WAS GOING TO MY PART TIME JOB ON SUNDAY AND MY CAR "SHUT OFF" ON THE FREEWAY. I WAS NEARLY REAR ENDED BY A SEMI AND SIDSWIPED BY ANOTHER CAR TRYING TO GET TO THE SHOULDER MY HAZARDS WHERE ON. I HAD IT TOWED TO A MECHANIC AND THEY INFORMED ME IT WAS THE TIMING CHAIN AND THE UPPER END OF THE ENGINE WOULD NEED TO BE REBUILT/REPLACED. THEY TOLD ME IT WOULD BE CHEAPER TO REPLACE THE ENGINE AND THOSE YEAR SATURNS HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE TIMING CHAINS. I HAVE SINCE LOST MY JOB AND QUICKLY APROACHING EVICTION THE ONLY REASON IAM NOT HOMELESS IS BECAUSE MY PRIMARY JOB IS 6.8 MILES AWAY BIKING DISTANCE .I STILL OWE MONEY ON THE CAR SO IAM NOW PAYING $5,000 FOR A CAR THAT NEEDS $2,000 REPAIR I CANNOT AFFORD. I HAVE OWNED 2 SATURNS IN THE PAST AND THEY WHERE AWESOME. *TR

LOW BANG NOISE IN PASSENGER SIDE FRONT END. WORSE TURNING RIGHT OR LEFT. SOUNDED LIKE MAJOR BREAK, BUT NOTHING COULD BE SEEN VISUALLY. HAD CAR TOWED TO MECHANIC. HAD TO REPLACE UPPER STRUT MOUNTS ON BOTH FRONT AND RIGHT STRUTS. PASSENGER SIDE UPPER STRUT MOUNT WAS BROKEN COMPLETELY, AND DRIVER SIDE UPPER STRUT MOUNT WAS CRACKED. UPPER STRUT MOUNTS BOTH MADE OF A PLASTIC BASED MATERIAL. SERVICE MANAGER STATED THE SHOCK COULD HAVE BROKEN THROUGH, AND HIT HOOD OF CAR IF WE HAD NOT SERVICED IT IMMEDIATELY. REPLACEMENT PART MADE OF SAME MATERIAL. HAD TO HAVE AN ALIGNMENT DONE. VERY EXPENSIVE TO FIX, AND I AM NOW CONCERNED THE CAR COULD BE DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN L SERIES. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE WITH AN EXCESSIVE VIBRATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND N AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO BOTH ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE TIMING CHAIN WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 07V519000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) BUT WAS ADVISED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 37,800.

DRIVING VEHICLE ON RESIDENTIAL STREET. CAR ENGINE STALLED OUT AND WOULD NO LONGER RUN OR START. TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THE ENGINE WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE. THIS CAR WAS VERY GENTLY DRIVEN AND WELL-MAINTAINED. THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. *TR

WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WHEN TURNING RIGHT AT A STOP SIGN MY CAR JUST STOPPED PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE. HAD IT TOWED AND WAS TOLD THE TIMING BELT WENT OUT AND IT CAUSED IT TO BREAK THE VALS IN THE CAR AS WELL HAVE HAD THIS CAR FOR 10 YEARS SO ITS BEEN A GOOD ONE FOR THE MOST PART. *TR

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN. SAFELY STEERED CAR TO SHOULDER OF 2 LANE HIGHWAY. TRIED TO RESTART CAR. IT WOULD NOT RESTART. HAD CAR TOWED TO A SATURN CERTIFIED MECHANIC. MECHANIC FOUND THE TIMING CHAIN HAD FAILED. MECHANIC IS NOT SURE WHAT FAILED FIRST. (THE CHAIN, TENSIONER OR OILER?) MECHANIC DID STATE THE CHAIN GUIDES DID NOT SEEM EXCESSIVELY WORN FOR THE MILEAGE OF THE CAR. MECHANIC TOLD ME GM HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE TIMING CHAIN, GEAR AND OILER SETS IN THIS YEAR MAKE AND MODEL. DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND DECIDED TO REPORT THIS. WE PURCHASED THIS CAR NEW IN 2001. HAD IT SERVICED EVERY 3,000 MILES AT THE DEALER TILL WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. SERVICED IT MY SELF FROM THEN ON EVERY 3,000 MILES. FROM 36,000 TO 157,000 MILES WE ALWAYS USED FULL SYNTHETIC 5W30 ENGINE OIL. *TR

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A LOCAL STREET IN MY HOMETOWN. I WAS DOING THE SPEED LIMIT AND JUST CRUISING WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN I LOST ALL POWER IN MY CAR. I DIDN'T ACTUALLY NOTICE UNTIL I WENT TO PUSH THE GAS PEDAL AND RECEIVED NO RESPONSE FROM MY ENGINE. I WAS ABLE TO KEEP CONTROL OF THE CAR AND GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. AFTER LOOKING UNDER THE HOOD AND NOT BEING ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM I CALLED MY INSURANCE COMPANY AND THEY DISPATCHED A TOW TRUCK. AFTER GETTING THE CAR HOME I CALLED A LOCAL MECHANIC FRIEND OF MINE HOPING HE COULD GIVE ME A DIAGNOSIS AFTER TAKING THE ENGINE COVER OFF WE WERE ABLE TO VISIBLY SEE THAT THE CHAIN ON THE LEFT SIDE OF MY ENGINE WAS BROKEN. AFTER SEEING THAT HE PRETTY MUCH SAID I'M LOOKING AT A BROKEN TIMING BELT AND POSSIBLY VALVE AND PISTON DAMAGE. IN THE END IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT MY ENGINE WAS NOT FIXABLE. *JS *TR