2002 SATURN LS Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L200. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO SHIFT GEARS, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESPOND TO ACCELERATION ATTEMPTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC WHO INSPECTED THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L100. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS ENGINE POWER BEGAN TO REDUCE INDEPENDENTLY. THE CONTACT MERGED TO THE SHOULDER, SHUT OFF AND THEN RESTARTED THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT THEN SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACT AND ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE BRAKES, FUEL FILTER AND FUEL LINE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 168,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 168,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L200. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING FUEL FUMES WERE EMITTED INTO THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT LOOKED ONLINE AND NOTICE MANY COMPLAINTS REGARDING A FUEL PUMP GAS LEAK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE TEST RESULTS DID SHOW A DEFECTIVE FUEL PUMP THAT WAS CAUSING A LEAK. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP. THE CONTACT DID NOT CALL THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 153,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN XL. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE INCREASED ACCELERATION UNEXPECTEDLY. THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS ENGAGED AND THERE WAS A REDUCTION IN SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES FOR THE FAILURE. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE DEFECT EVERY TIME. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ACCELERATION PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100. UPDATED 03/05/2013 *LJ

FUEL PUMP LEAKING FUEL FROM CRACKED RETURN FITTING ON MODULE. GM HAS ALREADY RECALLED A FEW MODELS FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT ONLY IN WARMER CLIMATES. WE HAD TEMPS IN EXCESS OF 100 IN ILLINOIS THIS YEAR; HOWEVER MY CAR AND STATE WERE NOT ON THE RECALL LIST. I BELIEVE THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXPANDED DUE TO THE POTENTIAL FOR A FIRE FROM GAS LEAKING ONTO THE EXHAUST. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L SERIES SEDAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DECELERATE. THE CONTACT HEARD A SNAP SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE BUT IT WOULD NOT. THE VEHICLE WAS PUSHED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSE THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD FRACTURED. THERE WAS A RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 07V519000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) THAT MAY BE RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THE RECALL DID NOT INCLUDED THE 2002 VEHICLES ONLY THE 2001. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L100. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EMITTED A STRONG FUEL ODOR AND LEAKED FUEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND STATED THE FUEL PUMP WAS CRACKED DUE TO DEFECTIVE PLASTIC CAUSING FUEL TO LEAK. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 138,000.

TIMING CHAIN FAILED. LOOKS TO BE IN ACCEPTABLE CONDITION, BUT HAS BROKEN LINK. CLEARLY EITHER POOR DESIGN OR BUILD QUALITY WITH THE TIMING CHAIN. THIS ISSUE PLAGUED MANY SATURN'S BUT WAS ONLY ADDRESSED IN FEW OF THEM. BUYER BEWARE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L200. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 190,000.

THIS IS THE SAME ENGINE FOR WHICH THERE HAS BEEN THREE SEPARATE INVESTIGATIONS BY NHTSA CAUSED BY LACK OF OILING TO THE TIMING CHAIN. THE BROKEN TIMING CHAIN CAUSED DAMAGE TO 4 VALVES AND SEVERAL ROLLERS AND OTHER PARTS IN THE ENGINE. THE CAR IMMEDIATELY STOPPED RUNNING AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THE REPAIR SHOP SHOWED ME THE SMALL OILING ORIFICE FOR THE TIMING CHAIN, AND SHOWED ME THE UPGRADE KIT THAT GM ISSUED WITH A MUCH LARGER OPENING FOR OILING THE CHAIN - ALSO, THE CHAIN AND OTHER PART ARE STRONGER THAN THE ORIGINAL PARTS. GM ISSUED A RECALL FOR SOME OF THESE ENGINES, BUT NOT FOR MY VEHICLE DESPITE THE FACT THE ENGINE IN MY CAR HAD THE SAME DEFECT. MY BROTHER'S SATURN ALSO HAD THE SAME TIMING CHAIN PROBLEMS, BUT SINCE HE WAS TRAVELING AT HIGHWAYS SPEEDS, HIS ENGINE WAS BEYOND REPAIR. GM USES VARIATIONS OF THE SAME ENGINE IN MANY OF THEIR VEHICLES, SO IT IS PROBABLE THAT THERE ARE MANY MORE DEFECTS THAT HAVE GONE UNREPORTED IN OTHER GM VEHICLES. THESE REPAIRS ARE EXPENSIVE - MORE THAN $3,000. GM NEEDS TO ANSWER WHY SOME DEFECTIVE ENGINES WERE RECALLED, AND OTHERS WERE NOT, AND GM SHOULD REIMBURSE OWNERS WHOSE CARS HAVE BEEN DAMAGED BY THIS DEFECT. GM SAID ONLY SOME ENGINES WERE AFFECTED, BUT THE ENGINE IN MY SATURN WAS CLEARLY, AND UNMISTAKABLY DEFECTIVE - I SAW IT, AND THE REPAIR SHOP CLEARLY SAW THE DEFECT. *TR