2000 SATURN SL Complaints

THE GEAR SHIFT CAN BE OPERATED WITHOUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND NOT RUNNING. *TR

MY 2000 SATURN SL2 IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO START. WHEN THE KEY IS INSERTED INTO THE IGNITION IT REFUSES TO TURN TO THE "START" POSITION WITHOUT EXTENSIVE JIGGLING OF THE KEY. THIS PROBLEM SURFACED FOUR YEARS AGO AND WAS "FIXED" BY THE DEALERSHIP. THE PROBLEM HAS SINCE RETURNED AND IS WORSE THAN EVER. THIS SEEMS TO POINT TO A DESIGN DEFECT IN THE IGNITION SWITCH THAT COULD RESULT IN A DRIVER AND PASSENGERS BEING STRANDED WITHOUT ASSISTANCE IN INCONVENIENT OR DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. GOOGLING "SATURN IGNITION KEY PROBLEMS" WILL REVEAL THAT THERE IS QUITE A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM WITH SATURN IN THIS TYPE OF DEFECT. SINCE THE PROBLEM DIDN'T GO AWAY COMPLETELY I WILL ASSUME THAT SATURN IS REPLACING THE DEFECTIVE IGNITION SWITCH WITH THE SAME DEFECTIVELY DESIGNED SWITCH. SATURN NEEDS TO DESIGN AN IGNITION SWITCH THAT WILL NOT FAIL AND USE THE NEW UNIT AS A REPLACEMENT. *TR

TIMING CHAIN ON MY 2000 SATURN L BROKE. I ONLY HAVE 83,000 MILES ON IT. I HAVE READ A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ONLINE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM OCCURRING CONSISTENTLY WITH GM CARS, ESPECIALLY SATURNS. *TR

SIDEWALL EXPLODED WHILE ENTERING A DRIVEWAY. BOUGHT THE SAME TIRE AS A REPLACEMENT AND IT DEVELOPED A GIANT SIDEWALL BUBBLE IN A FEW THOUSAND MILES THAT JUST RUPTURED...THE TWO TIRES BOTH WENT BAD IN ONLY 11333 MILES...ABOUT 5666 MILES EACH!! *TR

MY SATURN SL2000 IS 8 YEARS OLD. RECENT REPAIRS ARE FUEL CAP REPLACED DUE TO BROKEN CAP SEAL. REAR BUSHINGS, GASKET REPLACEMANT GASKET TOP REPLACEMENT AND NOW AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR WONT WORK. ALL PROBLEMS DISCOVERED SINCE MAY 2008. REPAIRS PERFORMED ON ALL EXCEPT AIR CONDITION WHICH WAS DISCOVERED TODAY 6-25-08. 1000 DOLLARS APPROX. ALL 3MONTH MAINTENANCE PERFORMED ON SCHEDULE SINCE PURCHASE OF CAR DEC, 1999. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SATURN SL2. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD BANG. THE VEHICLE SHOOK AND SMOKE APPEARED UNDER THE HOOD. THERE WAS A LOT OF FLUID ON THE GROUND, AND THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. HE FOUND A HOLE IN THE TRANSMISSION AND CALLED THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER; HOWEVER, THEY WERE UNABLE TO ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 117,000. UPDATED 07/29/08 *BF UPDATED 08/01/08

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SATURN SL1. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE IGNITION WOULD MALFUNCTION. THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN OR RELEASE OUT OF THE IGNITION. OCCASIONALLY, THE VEHICLE WOULD STAY ON WITH THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 98,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000.

DRIVING MY 2000 SATURN SL2 70 MPH CHECK ENGINE LIGHT SUDDENLY COMES ON, ENGINE STOPS RUNNING PULL OVER, LUCKILY CLEAR CONDITIONS, SAFELY. TOWED CAR TO DEALER. DEALER SAYS TIMING CHAIN OR BELT MAY HAVE BROKEN. DEALER CALLS BACK, SAYS I NEED A $7000.00 REPLACEMENT ENGINE. THIS CAR HAS COST ME OVER 5000.00 IN REPAIRS. SATURN HAS NOT OFFERED ANY SORT OF EXPLANATION. JUST A BROKEN TIMING CHAIN. THERE ARE MANY MANY COMPLAINTS I HAVE READ ONLINE. I AM FURIOUS. *TR

I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM A PRIVATE DEALER WITH AN AS-IS NO WARRANTY BACK IN AUGUST 2007. THE VEHICLE HAD A LITTLE OVER 88,000 MILES ON IT. HAD THE VEHICLE INSPECTED BY A MECHANIC AND ALL MAJOR ITEMS APPEARED TO BE IN GOOD WORKING ORDER. APPROXIMATELY 1 MONTH LATER, THE CAR CAME DUE FOR AN OIL CHANGE. I HAD THE OIL CHANGED AT APPROXIMATELY 90,000 MILES. AT APPROXIMATELY 94,000 MILES, WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE ON NOVEMBER 21, 2007, THE ENGINE WENT BANG. THE CAR JERKED VIOLENTLY AND THE OIL LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS CAME ON. I WAS GOING AT APPROXIMATELY 75-80 MPH AND THERE WAS NO KNOCKING HEARD PRIOR TO ENGINE FAILURE. I PULLED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE AND NOTICED SMOKE BILLOWING OUT OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. IMMEDIATELY CALLED 9-1-1 TO REPORT MY VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND SAID THE ENGINE HAD NOT BEEN ON FIRE, BUT THAT THE ENGINE THREW A ROD THROUGH THE BLOCK. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ASKED ABOUT KNOCKING PRIOR AND I TOLD THEM THERE WAS NONE. IN FACT, A MECHANIC HAD JUST LOOKED AT IT THE DAY BEFORE. I RECALL THAT THE CHANGE OIL SOON LIGHT HAD BEEN COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY BUT NEVER STEADY. THE OIL LIGHT ALSO KEPT FLICKERING BUT WAS NEVER STEADY. THE RPM'S INCREASED FROM 2500 TO 3000 AND RETURNED TO 2500. NO PREVIOUS HISTORY OF PROBLEMS REPORTED BY DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO NORTHLAND COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE IN EAST GRAND FORKS. THE AUTOMOTIVE MECHANICS LOOKED AT THE ENGINE AND SAID IT IS TOTALED. CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF LOCATING A NEW OR USED ENGINE TO REPLACE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SATURN SL2. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO SHIFT GEARS AT 10 MPH, THE GEARS BECAME STUCK AND COULD NOT SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL. THE FAILURE NEARLY CAUSED A CRASH. THE DEALER STATED THAT A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS NEEDED; HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 00V310000 (POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START SWITCH). THE CONTACT FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 56,000. UPDATED 12/07/07