2002 SATURN LS Complaints

THIS IS THE SECOND SATURN WHERE WE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. WE BOUGHT A NEW SATURN IN 2001, AND HAD IT TOWED BACK TO THE DEALER WITHIN A WEEK BECAUSE THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND THE FUEL GAUGE DID NOT WORK. THE SATURN DEALER REPLACED THE CAR (FREE OF CHARGE), AND AT 61,507 MILES, WE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THE FUEL GAUGE AND SENDING UNITS THAT COST MORE THAN $700 TO REPAIR PLUS THE COST OF TOWING THE CAR. *TR

DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND TURNED A CORNER ONTO A CITY STREET IN MORTON,IL. SHE SAID AS SHE STARTED TO SPEED UP TO THE NORMAL DRIVING SPEED ( 30 MPH.) THAT THE CAR DIED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. SHE TOLD ME IT WAS LIKE SOMEONE HAD TURNED OFF THE KEY. I HAD IT TOWED TO A LOCAL GARAGE IN MORTON,IL. AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT IT HAD BROKEN A TIMING CHAIN WITH PROBABLE ENGINE DAMAGE. ON FURTHER INVESTIGATION ,MAINLY ON THE INTERNET , I HAVE FOUND THAT THIS ENGINE (2.2 LITER 4 CYLINDER TWIN CAM) IS PRONE TO THIS TYPE OF FAILURE. *TR

OUR 2002 SATURN L200 SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THE REPAIR FACILITY IT WAS TOWED TO SAID THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE AND WHEN A WET COMPRESSION TEST WAS DONE ON THE ENGINE, WE WERE TOLD THE ENGINE WAS DAMAGED. THE COST TO REPAIR WAS TOO MUCH COMPARED TO THE VALUE OF CAR. THE COST TO REPLACE THE TIMING CHAIN AND ENGINE WAS $4500. ONLY OWNED CAR FOR 5 MONTHS. CAR ONLY HAD 70000 MILES. GM INDICATED THIS MODEL YEAR WITH THE 2.2L ENGINE HAD A DEFECTIVE TIMING CHAIN DESIGN. GM'S SAFETY RECALL 07V-519 ONLY INCLUDED THE CARS MANUFACTURED 11/2000 - 2/2001, NEGLECTING THE REMAINING OF THE 2002 SATURN L SERIES CARS WITH THE 2.2 L ENGINE THAT HAD THE DEFECTIVE TIMING CHAIN BUT WERE NOT MANUFACTURED DURING THESE SELECTED 4 MONTHS. GM DID NOT INTRODUCE A NEW TIMING CHAIN DESIGN UNTIL MAY 2002, SO OWNERS WITH THIS MY CAR MANUFACTURED FROM 3/2001 UNTIL THE REDESIGN IN 5/2002 WERE LEFT TO PAY FOR THEIR OWN REPAIRS IF THEIR TIMING CHAINS BROKE. THE 2002 SATURN L200 WE PURCHASED WAS MANUFACTURED IN 9/2001 SO DOES NOT FALL INTO THE CARS COVERED BY THE RECALL SO AT THIS POINT, MY REPAIRS ARE NOT COVERED BY GM. I HAVE CALLED SATURN TWICE ONLY TO TALK WITH UNPLEASANT CUSTOMER SERVICE REPS WHO WERE NO HELP. ALL THEY TOLD ME IS THAT THE VIN OF MY CAR WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE 4 MONTH RECALL AND THEY CAN'T HELP ME. WHEN I ASKED TO SPEAK TO A SUPERVISOR, I WAS TOLD THEY WOULD GIVE ME THE SAME ANSWER. *TR

BATTERY DIED IN 2008. IT WAS REPLACED AND THE ODOMETER RESET BACK TO ZERO. THE SECURITY ALARM/ POWER DOORS DO NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY ( UNABLE TO LOCK WITH REMOTE CONTROL). SECURITY LIGHT STAYS ON WHILE DRIVING. CD PLAYER STOPPED WORKING AND FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT SHOW THE ACCURATE AMOUNT OF GAS. I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE LIGHT COMES ON. NOW IN JULY 2012, THE AC WAS FIXED DUE TO A HOLE IN THE LINE AND THE CAR IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF IN TRAFFIC. THE AC NO LONGER WORKS AND IS GIVING A CODE P0102 (MAF- MASS AIR FLOW -REFERRING TO LOW VOLTAGE). THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT IS ON ALONG WITH THE AIRBAG, GAS GAUGE AND TEMPERATURE NEEDLES NOT MOVING AT ALL. IN ADDITION, THE TRACTION CONTROL IS NOT WORKING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN LS300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVING ROUGHLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTO MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DIFFERENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE BATTERY WAS NOT SECURED TIGHTLY. IN ADDITION, THE INTERIOR LIGHTS ILLUMINATED OFF AND ON SPORADICALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FAILURE WAS ELECTRICAL AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE MANUFACTURE WAS NOTIFIED WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

THE FRONT RIGHT TURN SIGNAL SOCKET FUSED AND CEASED TO WORK. (POSSIBLY AN ARC FROM NEARBY LIGHTNING). I HAVE SEARCHED AND HAD REPAIR SHOPS SEARCH - ONLY TO FIND THAT CONTRARY TO THE PROMISE GENERAL MOTORS MADE TO CONGRESS IN THE BAILOUT AND THE AGREEMENT TO CLOSE SATURN -- THEY HAVE CEASED PROVIDING A SAFETY FEATURE FOR THE CAR -- MUCH LESS A VITAL PART AT EXORBITANT RATES. *TT

I WAS AT THE STOP SIGN PULLED OUT STARTED TO ACCELERATE AT ABOUT 10 MILES PER HOUR THE CAR JUST DIED COULD NOT RESTART IT.HAD IT CHECKED BY MECHANIC THEY SAID THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKE. *JS

WE WERE DRIVING THE CAR WHEN IT CUT OFF UNEXPECTEDLY WITH NO WARNING, WHILE WE WERE GOING 70 IN A PACK OF TRAFFIC. LUCKILY, WE MANAGED TO GET TO THE SHOULDER WITHOUT A WRECK. IT WOULD NOT RESTART. WE HAD IT TOWED TO THE MECHANIC WHO SAID THE TIMING BELT BROKE WHICH IN TURN CAUSE THE ENGINE TO BE DAMAGED. WE HAD TO REPLACE THE ENGINE AS A RESULT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L-SERIES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 07V519000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) FOR THE 2001 MODEL YEAR VEHICLE AND THE SIMILAR FAILURE. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE 2002 MODEL YEAR WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL CAMPAIGN DESPITE IF THE FAILURE WAS THE SAME OR NOT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 118,000

VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. MECHANIC DIAGNOSED A FAULTY CRANK SENSOR. COST TO REPLACE $160.50. *TT