The contact owns a 2003 Saturn L200. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 45 MPH, an abnormal whirling sound was coming from the vehicle and the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact's wife was unable to restart the vehicle and with the assistance of a police officer, she coasted the vehicle off to the shoulder of the roadway. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with a defective timing chain which resulted in engine failure. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
NHTSA complaint #11483230 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN L200. WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND AN ABNORMAL NOISE WAS HEARD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 148,000.
NHTSA complaint #10959564 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I WAS STOPPING TO TURN RIGHT AT A RED LIGHT AND MY CARS BREAKS STOPPED WORKING. MY CAR RAN THROUGH THE INTERSECTION, STARTED VIOLENTLY SHAKING AND THEN STOPPED. THE CAR WAS STILL ON BUT IT WOULD NOT DRIVE. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND TRIED TO START IT UP 6 TIMES AND IT WOULDN'T WORK. THEN FINALLY IT STARTED AND I DROVE HOME. I WENT TO START MY CAR LATER THAT DAY AND NOW IT REFUSES TO START. THE BATTERY LIGHT COMES ON, THE CAR SHAKES, THERE'S A VERY LOUD TAPPING/RATTLING SOUND, THE ABS LIGHT FLASHES, THE 'SERVICE ENGINE SOON' LIGHT IS ON. IN THE VEHICLE INFORMATION SECTION OF THIS FORM, IT ASKING ME TO ENTER THE VEHICLES MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR. IT'S A SATURN L200 2002 BUT IT'S NOT GIVING ME AN OPTION FOR THE 2002. ONLY THE 2003.
NHTSA complaint #10809713 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN L200. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER FAILED TO BLOW COOL AIR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED A CONDENSER AND A CLUTCH WAS NEEDED IN ORDER TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE MECHANIC ALSO STATED THAT IF THE VEHICLE WAS NOT PROPERLY REPAIRED THE BELT WOULD SEIZE CAUSING AN ENGINE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 156,000.
NHTSA complaint #10620855 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
PARKED CAR AND NEXT MORNING WENT TO START AND CAR WOULD NOT START. IT WOULD ONLY TURN N NOT START. WENT TO WHERE BOUGHT IT N THEY DIAGNOSIS TIMING CHAIN WAS BROKE.
NHTSA complaint #10578469 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
THE CAR STARTED MAKING A FUNNY NOISE AS I WAS DRIVING HOME. THANKFULLY I MADE IT HOME BUT AFTER I SHUT THE CAR OFF IT WOULD NOT START AGAIN. ALSO MY REAR WHEELS WEAR ON THE INSIDE DUE TO THE POSITION OF THEM I AM GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE SHIMS PUT IN TO KEEP THE REAR WHEELS FROM ANGLING IN.
NHTSA complaint #10564901 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AS I WAS TURNING INTO THE GAS STATION THE TIMING CHAIN AND BOTH TENSIONERS BUSTED THE PISTON SMASHED ALL OF THE VALVES THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART AND THE VEHICLE WAS ALMOST SIDESWIPED.
NHTSA complaint #10523346 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I AM MORTIFIED BY ALL OF THE COMPLAINTS OF ENGINE FAILURE OF THE L200 SERIES DUE TO THE TIMING CHAIN AND AM EVEN MORE DEVASTATED THAT THERE IS NO RECALL INFORMATION ON IT. MY CAR HAD 78K MILES ON IT AND DID NOT START TODAY. IT WAS TOWED TO A SHOP AND THEY CALLED ME TO INFORM ME THAT IT WAS MY ENGINE DUE TO THE TIMING CHAIN. THE REPAIR SHOP ALSO SAID THAT IT WAS THE 4TH SATURN WITH THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM THAT THEY HAD SEEN THIS MONTH. I AM A COLLEGE STUDENT WITHOUT A CAR THAT IS STILL MAKING CAR PAYMENTS LIVING ON MY OWN. SATURN BETTER BE HAPPY THAT IT NO LONGER EXISTS, BUT GM BETTER HAVE SOME ANSWERS FOR ME. THERE ARE RECALLS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM FOR 2001 MODELS, THERE ARE EVEN MORE REPORTED ISSUES WITH LATER MODELS. HOW HAS GM GOTTEN AWAY WITH THIS?
NHTSA complaint #10488643 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN L200. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BODY CONTROL MODULE SHUT OFF WHICH CAUSED THE GAUGES TO MALFUNCTIONED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE TO STALL AND FAILED TO RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSE THAT THE BODY CONTROL MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 70,000.
NHTSA complaint #10479762 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I WAS DRIVING MY 2003 SATURN AND WHEN I STOP IT MADE A NOISE IN THE ENGINE. WHEN I WENT TO START IT,IT TURNED OVER REAL FAST AND WOULD NOT START. IT HAS SPARK AND FUEL BUT NO NOT THINK IT HAS COMPRESSOR. WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THIS CAR IS UNDER A RECALL FOR THE TIMING CHAIN. IT HAS 107,000 MILES ON IT. IT SEEM LIKE IT WOULD BE VERY COSTLY TO FIX.
NHTSA complaint #10453015 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
PREMATURE FAILURE OF TIMING CHAIN ON 2003 SATURN L200 AT 69,400 MILES. THIS CAR HAS THE SAME TIMING CHAIN COMPONENTS AS INVOLVED IN THE 2000 MODEL YEAR RECALL. THE PARTS WERE NOT REVISED UNTIL AFTER THIS CAR WAS BUILT. THE CAR WAS MAINTAINED WITH RECOMMENDED OIL CHANGE INTERVALS, BUT THE CHAIN STILL FAILED PREMATURELY.
NHTSA complaint #10308410 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN L200. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO START THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND A TECHNICIAN CONCLUDED THAT THE TIMING BELT AND ENGINE VALVES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ENGINE FAILURE WHILE DRIVING INCREASED THE RISK FOR A VEHICLE CRASH. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 63000.
NHTSA complaint #10283650 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
BODY-CONTROL MODULE FAILURE: WITHIN 3 MONTHS OF EACH OTHER, THE BODY-CONTROL MODULE (BCM) AND ENGINE COOLANT THERMOSTAT HAD TO BE REPLACED. SATURN DEALER, ON 3/28/2009 TOLD ME THAT THE BCM, IF NOT REPLACED, COULD LEAD TO SERIOUS FAILURES, SUCH AS FAILURE TO START, OVERHEATING AND OTHER PROBLEMS. OVER PRIOR SEVERAL WEEKS, THERE WERE INTERMITTENT READINGS ON DASHBOARD, INCLUDING CHECK ENGINE, SERVICE ENGINE, AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT AND ABS WARNING LIGHT. APPARENTLY NOTHING WRONG WITH THE ENGINE, AIRBAG OR BRAKES THEMSELVES, BUT THE BCM WAS GOING BAD, CAUSING THE READINGS ON DASHBOARD. BCM REPLACEMENT APPROX. $450 AND ENGINE COOLANT THERMOSTAT REPLACEMENT COST APPROX $300.
NHTSA complaint #10263332 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
THE TIMING CHAIN ON MY 2003 SATURN L200 WITH 108,000 MILES IS ABOUT TO FAIL AND APPARENTLY THERE IS A KNOWN (NHTSA INVESTIGATED EVEN) PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES. $1300 I DON'T HAVE TO FIX IT. THIS IS ALONG WITH A SERIES OF AIR CONDITIONER PROBLEMS (IMPROPER TUBE MOUNTING SUCH THAT IT WORE THROUGH) COSTING OVER $1000 DOLLARS SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE.
NHTSA complaint #10240092 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I WAS DRIVING MY SATURN L200 ON A COUNTRY ROAD AT ABOUT 35 MPH. THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STOPPED RUNNING, AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THE CAR BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER AND STOP WITHOUT THE POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. I CAME CLOSE TO RUNNING INTO A DITCH AS A RESULT OF THE DIFFICULTY IN CONTROLLING THE CAR.
NHTSA complaint #10237437 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN L200. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND THE CONTACT COULD NOT GET IT TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC AND THEY STATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED FOR THE SECOND TIME IN SEVEN MONTHS. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 93,800 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 81,000.
NHTSA complaint #10235731 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN L200. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SHUT OFF AND WAS UNABLE TO BE RESTARTED. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE VEHICLE HESITATED WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND THEY STATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 84,000.
NHTSA complaint #10235124 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.