2000 SATURN SL Complaints

VEHICLE COOLANT LIGHT LOW INDICATOR CAME ON. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MECHANIC TO SERVICE. UPON INSPECTION OIL WAS FOUND IN THE COOLANT RESERVOIR. FURTHER INSPECTION REVEALED A CRACKED CYLINDER HEAD. CAR HAD UNDER 100000 MILES, AND HAD BEEN MAINTAINED. SATURN ISSUED COMPANY BULLETIN 99P01. HOWEVER, THEY DID NOT FEEL ANY RESPONSIBILITY TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM FOR A MINIMAL CHARGE DUE TO THIS DEFECT. WERE ONLY WILLING TO OFFER 25% OF THE APPROXIMATE $2200 REPAIR CHARGE. *AK

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SATURN SL. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE ENGINE FAILED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT IT CONTAINED NO OIL EVEN THOUGH IT WAS SERVICED THREE WEEKS PRIOR. THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THAT A NEW ENGINE WOULD COST $3,400 AND A USED ENGINE WITHOUT WARRANTY WOULD COST $2,400. THE CONTACT STATED THAT NO SIGNS OF LEAKING, DRAINING, OR OIL BURNING WERE PRESENT, YET THE OIL IS EVAPORATING. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 53,000. UPDATED 01-11-08. *KB UPDATED 12/12/07

MY CAR WHEN PUT INTO REVERSE, MAKES A LOUD BANG NOISE AND SLAMS HARD INTO GEAR. I AM TOLD I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. MANY COMPLAINTS ON THE SAME EXACT SITUATION ALL OVER THE INTERNET. *JB

TL* - THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE IGNITION LOCKED, AND THE DRIVER WASUNABLE TO START THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVES HASDTO JIGGLE AND SHAKE THE IGNITION AREA FOR THE KEY TO TURN AND THE CAR TO START. THE CONTACT STATED ONCE THE CAR STARTED THE KEY COULD BE TAKEN OUT AND IT WOULD CONTINUE TO RUN. THIS HAPPENED IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THE IGNITION SWITCH MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

I WAS TRAVELING ON THE FREEWAY AT 75 MPH (SPEED LIMIT.) THE TRUCK IN FRONT OF ME HIT THE BRAKES. I APPLIED MY BRAKES AS I SHOULD HAVE HAD ENOUGH DISTANCE TO SLOW DOWN ENOUGH. MY BRAKES LOCKED-UP AND I SLID INTO THE PICK-UP TRUCK IN FRONT OF ME AT ABOUT 65 MPH. THE SEAT BELTS WORKED, BUT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. MY CAR WAS TOTALED. I WAS INJURED AND TAKEN BY AMBULANCE TO THE HOSPITAL. *NM

I PURCHASED A 2000 SATURN SL2 WHICH WAS USED, THEREFORE, I HAD A SHOP THOROUGHLY CHECK THAT ALL MAJOR COMPONENTS WERE IN WORKING ORDER...I WAS TOLD THAT ALL WERE IN GREAT SHAPE..IE., THE ENGINE, STARTER, AND ANY VITAL PARTS. THE CAR RAN GREAT...WELL, FOR 5-6 MOS. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING,WHEN THE CAR JUST SHUT OFF...THE CAR WOULD NOT START AGAIN...NO WARNING, NO LIGHTS, NOTHING! THE CAR IS NOW IN THE SHOP TO FIND THE PROBLEM. THE LIGHTS AND RADIO WORKED BUT I JUST HEARD CLICKING WHEN TURNING THE IGNITION. WITH ONLY 80,000 MILES ON THE CAR, THE MECHANIC SAYS THAT THE ENGINE IS SHOT, THERE'S NOTHING HE CAN DO OTHER THAN PUT A BRAND NEW ENGINE IN IT...WITH A SMALL FEE OF 4000.00. BOTH OF US DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE CAR WAS IN GREAT SHAPE AND WITHIN 6 MONTHS AND BARELY 3,000 MILES THE ENGINE WENT FROM GREAT TO GONE! I HAVE READ SEVERAL DOCUMENTS FROM THIS SITE AND THERE ARE MANY PERSONS WITH 2000 SATURNS THAT ARE SAYING THAT THEY TOO HAVE A CAR THAT STOPPED SUDDENLY AND THE STORIES SOUND VERY SIMILAR TO MINE...I'VE SEEN MANY OF HAVE SIMILAR VIN #S...I IDENTIFIED WITH THE DOCS REGARDING THE 2000-2003 SATURN L-SERIES ISSUES, ALTHOUGH, MINE IS OF THE S-SERIES (I GUESS, BECAUSE IT IS AN SL-2). THE LETTER DISCUSSING THIS ISSUE REFERRED TO (EA06-009), THE DEFECT PETITION (DP05-008) OR THE ODI INVESTIGATION PE06-006 THAT WAS OPENED ON 1/24/06. I AM NOT SURE THAT THOSE DOCUMENT INCLUDE MY VEHICLE BEING THAT I THOUGHT MY ENGINE WAS OF THE SIZE 1.9L, I-4, MP, DOHC. IF YOU HAVE THE TIME TO VIEW THE DOCS MENTIONED, THEY ARE BASICALLY DESCRIBING THE SAME PROB. THAT I HAVE. WILL YOU PLEASE FIND OUT IF I AM INCORRECT WITH THE INFO. THAT I'VE VIEWED AND IF THERE HAS BEEN AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE PROBLEMS THAT I'VE HAD FOR OVER 1 YR. OF COURSE, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, ADVICE, OR KNOW WHAT I SHOULD DO OR WITH WHOM I SHOULD SPEAK...PLEASE LET ME KNOW. I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE ANY HELP THAT YOU COULD PROVIDE ME WITH.*JB

1. I PURCHASED MY 2000 SATURN SL1 FROM A USED CAR DEALER ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO. AFTER I STARTED THE CAR AND SHIFTED INTO REVERSE. FOR A FEW SECONDS NOTHING HAPPENED AND I THOUGHT I WAS EITHER AGAINST A BUMP IN THE PAVEMENT OR IT WAS STILL IN NEUTRAL. I GAVE IT MORE GAS. SUDDENLY, THE CAR SLAMMED INTO REVERSE AND I NEARLY LOST CONTROL AND BACKED INTO A CAR. I CHECKED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID LEVEL TO SEE IF MORE WAS NEEDED. IT WAS FULL. A COUPLE DAYS LATE, IT DID IT AGAIN. NOW IT DOES IT ABOUT EVERY THIRD REVERSE SHIFT. ALSO THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON. SO, I CHECKED THE COMPUTER CODES AND THEY INDICATED A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. I GOT ON THE INTERNET TO SEE WHAT HAD TO BE DONE TO FIX IT. IT TURNS OUT MANY SATURN OWNERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR TRANSMISSIONS. THERE IS EVEN A SERVICE BULLETIN, NHTSA ITEM NUMBER: 612478 THIS IS VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR TO THE TRANSMISSION TO FIX A VALVE PROBLEM. MANY SATURN OWNERS CAN'T AFFORD SUCH A REPAIR. SO, THEY DRIVE THE CAR AT THE RISK OF BACKING INTO SOMETHING OR SOMEONE. SATURN OBVIOUSLY KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG A LONG TIME AGO AND DIDN'T RECALL THE VEHICLES. *NM

WHEN CHECKING THE COLOR OF MY OIL, THE DIP STICK WAS FOUND 3 TIMES BONE DRY. NO OIL LIGHT INDICATOR WOULD COME ON AND FINALLY ONE TIME IT WAS TOO LATE. ON CHRISTMAS EVE MY ENGINE BLEW DUE TO HEAT AND LACK OF OIL. I WOULD LOSE 5 QUARTS BEFORE MY 3000 MILE OIL CHANGE. I HAD TO BUY A USED ENGINE AND HAVE IT INSTALLED BY A FAMILY FRIEND DUE TO LACK OF MONEY TO FIX THIS UNEXPECTED PROBLEM ON MY 5 YEAR OLD CAR THAT I AM STILL MAKING PAYEMNTS ON. *NM

I WAS STOPPED BY A FELLOW DRIVER A COUPLE DAYS AGO WHEN HE INFORMED ME THAT I HAD NO BRAKE LIGHTS. I PULLED OVER AND INSPECTED MY LIGHTS AND REALIZED THAT WHEN MY HEADLIGHTS ARE ON MY BRAKE LIGHTS GO OUT. I HAVE HEARD THAT SEVERAL OF THE 2000 SL1'S HAVE THIS PROBLEM. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF ANYTHING IS BEING DONE TO FIX IT.*JB

I AM THE THIRD COMPLAINT WITH THE SAME PROBLEM: INTERMITTENTLY, WHEN PLACED IN PARK OR NEUTRAL OR WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE WILL RPM 3,500-4,000. I HAVE TAKEN TO DEALER AND PRIVATE MECHANICS AND NO ANSWER HAS BEEN GIVEN. NOTHING SHOWS ON DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTER. WHEN ENGINE REVS, I WILL PLACE IN PARK, TURN CAR OFF, AND START AGAIN. SOMETIMES THIS DOES THE TRICK. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AS VEHICLE WILL TRY TO DRIVE WHEN WAITING AT A STOP LIGHT AND FOOT IS ON THE BRAKE. PLEASE HELP. *NM