2000 SATURN LS Complaints

THE 2000 SATURN L-SERIES HAS AN EXISTING RECALL FOR HAZARD WARNING SWITCH ASSEMBLY REPLACEMENT (SATURN REFERS TO IT AS #00-C-03, JAN. 4, 2005); HOWEVER, MY VEHICLE IS OUTSIDE THE VIN SERIES FOR THAT RECALL. NEVERTHELESS, MY VEHICLE EXHIBITED THE SYMPTOMS DESCRIBED IN THAT RECALL (TURN SIGNAL INTERMITTENTLY INOPERATIVE; HAZARD WARNING SWITCH SOMETIMES MADE A LOUD "BUZZING" SOUND, ESPECIALLY IN VERY COLD WEATHER); I CONTACTED SATURN; HOWEVER, SINCE VEHICLE WAS OUTSIDE RECALL VIN RANGE, THEY WOULD NOT ADDRESS THE PROBLEM AS A RECALL ISSUE (I WOULD HAVE HAD TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN AND PAY FOR THE SERVICE MYSELF). INSTEAD, I ACQUIRED AND INSTALLED THE REPLACEMENT HAZARD WARNING SWITCH FROM A SATURN DEALER AND INSTALLED IT ACCORDING TO THE RECALL NOTICE INSTRUCTIONS. SINCE THAT TIME, THE PROBLEM HAS NOT RECURRED. *TR

MY MECHANIC GAVE ME INFORMATION ABOUT A RECALL THAT IS BEING DONE ON 2000 AND UP SATURNS ON THE TIMING CHAIN, HOWEVER SATURN HAS YET TO ACCEPT THAT AS A RECALL. I SPOKE WITH SOMEONE FROM NHTSA AND THEY DIRECTED ME TO SATURN WHO AGAIN DIRECTED ME BACK HERE TO FILE A COMPLAINT. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THIS IS GOING TO BE RECALLED. *TR

MY SON WAS DRIVING MY 2000 SATURN LS2 AT 30 MPH, WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY DIED AND WOULD NOT START. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, THE WAS NO COMPRESSION WHEN TURNING OVER THE VEHICLE. MY MECHANIC HAS TOLD ME THAT THE TENSIONER ARM HOLDING THE TIMING BELT SHATTERED. THE TIMING BELT ON THIS VEHICLE HAD BEEN REPLACED BY THE DEALERSHIP 18 MONTHS PRIOR. LUCKILY, MY SON WAS ON A LIGHTLY TRAVELED RESIDENTIAL STREET AT THE TIME OF THE MALFUNCTION AND WAS NOT INJURED NOR WERE HIS PASSENGERS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SATURN L-SERIES WAGON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN SLIPPED ON THE VEHICLE. THE RECALL FOR THE 2001 SATURN L-SERIES DESCRIBED THE IDENTICAL FAILURE SHE WAS EXPERIENCING. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE REPAIR WOULD COST $900; HOWEVER, SATURN OFFERED TO TAKE $100 OFF THE COST BECAUSE THE FAILURES WERE RECOGNIZED IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR OF THE SATURN L-SERIES. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 90,000. UPDATED 11/26/08. *LJ UPDATED 12/01/08. *JB

REPEATED FAILURE OF THE STARTING OF MY CAR, 2000 SATURN LS2. PASSLOCK SECURITY SYSTEM IS THE PROBLEM. FOR NO REASON AT ALL, THE SECURITY FEATURE TRIGGERS AND DE-ACTIVATES THE FUEL PUMP FOR 10 MINUTES. HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, MULTIPLE TIMES A MONTH. MY CAR HAS BEEN "DEAD" IN THE DRIVEWAY NOW FOR TWO DAYS AS THE SECURITY FEATURE WILL NOT DE-ACTIVATE. ONLY WAY TO FIX IS FOR A DEALERSHIP TO REPAIR, BUT NOT A GUARANTEED FIX. COST ANYWHERE FROM $300 TO $500 TO FIX. NUMEROUS BLOG SITES CONTAIN SAME COMPLAINT FROM LOTS OF GM OWNERS. IF ANYONE IS PUT INTO AN EMERGENCY SITUATION AND THE PASSLOCK SECURITY FEATURE FAILS, THAT PERSON IS STUCK FOR 10 MINUTES OR MORE. THERE IS NO FIX TO BE FOUND. GM NEEDS TO RECALL AND FIX THE PROBLEM! VISIT THIS FORUM SITE FOR NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME THING I'M MENTIONING ABOVE: HTTP://WWW.TOPIX.COM/FORUM/AUTOS/CHEVROLET-IMPALA/T30R7CEJ84KTJEL1M. *TR

THE HEATER/DEFROST BLOWER MOTOR ON MY 2000 SATURN LS NEEDS TO BE REPLACED FOR THE SECOND TIME. THE FIRST REPLACEMENT WAS DECEMBER 2004. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE I LIVE IN WISCONSIN AND I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DEFROST MY WINDSHIELD FOR VISIBILITY ONCE WINTER IS HERE UNLESS I REPLACE THE BLOWER MOTOR AGAIN. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY 2000 SATURN LS AT 45 MPH WHEN IT JUST SHUT OFF, LOST ALL POWER, AND THANKFULLY HAD A PLACE TO DRIFT OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. HOWEVER, I WAS WITHOUT A PHONE, AND HAD TO WALK 5 MILES IN THE SUN TO CALL FOR HELP. I HAD THE CAR TOWED ($100) AND WAS TOLD THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKEN AND I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. I CALLED FOR A SECOND OPINION AND COULD NOT INCUR THE COST TO TOW IT AGAIN, BUT WAS TOLD THAT THE MECHANIC WAS MORE THAN REPUTABLE. AFTER ALMOST 3 WEEKS WITHOUT A VEHICLE, AS A SINGLE MOTHER WITH A NEW JOB, THIS WREAKED HAVOC IN OUR LIVES AND A $2500 EXPENSE FOR A NEW ENGINE. I'M NOW DRIVING A SATURN WITH A CHEVY CAVALIER ENGINE THAT IS WARRANTED FOR ONLY 90 DAYS. I KEPT THE TIMING CHAIN AND TOOK PHOTOS OF THE ENGINE. I'M JOINING THE MILLIONS OF OTHER PEOPLE IN A CLASS ACTION SUIT, BECAUSE SATURN KNEW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, CONTINUES TO KNOW ABOUT IT, HAS DONE NOTHING TO RECALL, EVEN HAS ITS SERVICE PEOPLE CLAIM IGNORANCE OR TRY TO BLAME THE CONSUMER. I AM THE ONLY OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE, AND IT HAS HAD ALL OF THE REQUIRED SERVICING EVERY 3,000 MILES AS DIRECTED BY THE MANUAL, WHICH I ALSO HAVE. THERE IS NOTHING IN THE MANUAL TO SERVICE THE ENGINE/TIMING CHAIN, AND EVERY 3,000 MILE SERVICE I GOT WAS DONE AT A SATURN DEALERSHIP UNTIL THE LAST FOUR. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY WHEN MY CAR MADE A STUTTERING NOISE. I PULLED OVER - LUCKILY NEAR A SERVICE STATION AND THEY DISCOVERED THE TIMING CHAIN HAD SNAPPED. *TR

MY 2000 SATURN LS1 COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING, AND NEVER STARTED AGAIN. IT WILL COST $2500 FOR A USED MOTOR AND INSTALLATION, PLUS $175 FOR THE TOW AND THE DIAGNOSTICS; AND NOW I'M ENDURING SIGNIFICANT TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGES WITHOUT A VEHICLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS 2000 SATURN LW2. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL WOULD ILLUMINATE IMMEDIATELY AFTER SEVERELY REDUCING SPEED AND POWER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE AS A FAILED MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR. THE CONTACT RESEARCHED THE RECALLS AND DISCOVERED THAT HE WAS EXPERIENCING THE SAME FAILURES NOTED IN RECALL # 03V231000. THE DEALER INFORMED HIM THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AND THAT ALL REPAIRS WOULD BE AT HIS OWN EXPENSE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 76,000.