FaultScore

2001 Saturn LS acceleration problems

12 of the 708 complaints about the 2001 Saturn LS are about the throttle and cruise control — 2% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 80,000 miles.

B

12

Complaints

0

Crashes

1

Fires

0

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Vehicle Speed Control 11 91.7%
Cruise Control 1 8.3%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

Kansas City, MO

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN L-SERIES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY INCREASED ACCELERATION. THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED FORCEFULLY IN COMBINATION TO SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON A SEPARATE OCCASION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSES. THE CONTACT WAS UNCERTAIN OF THE FAULTY PART. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND VIN WERE UNAVAILABLE.

NHTSA complaint #10574395 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Muskegon, MI Fire

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR, I HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, A FIRE IN THE RESONATOR AND 4 OR 5 TIMES WHERE THE CAR JUST STOPS RUNNING AND I'M NOT ABLE TO GET IT TO START AGAIN FOR A WHILE. THE CAR HAS ACCELERATED WHEN MY FOOT WAS NOT EVEN ON THE PEDDLE MAKING ME GO 65 IN 30 WITH NO CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE. I HAVE ALSO HAD TIMES WHERE THE GAS PEDDLE WAS STUCK AND I WAS UNABLE TO SLOW DOWN EVEN WHEN SLAMMING ON THE BRAKES. AT STOP LIGHTS THE WHEELS KEEP SPINNING WHEN MY FOOT IS ON THE BRAKE AND THE CAR MOVES INTO THE INTERSECTION.

NHTSA complaint #10572538 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 123,000 miles Minneapolis, MN

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN L200. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE BY SHIFTING TO NEUTRAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE THE FIRST TIME. THE FAILURE OCCURRED A SECOND TIME AND THE DEALER STATED THAT A FAULTY IDLE AIR CONTROL MODULE WAS THE CAUSE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 123,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 124,000. UPDATED 03/31/11*LJ UPDATED 04/29/11

NHTSA complaint #10378058 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 80,000 miles Elkhart, IN

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN L200. WHILE TRAVELING AT SPEEDS OF 50 MPH, SHE DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL IN AN ATTEMPT TO STOP AT AN APPROACHING STOP LIGHT. THE VEHICLE THEN ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED TO SPEEDS OF 70 MPH WITHOUT DRIVER INTENT. SHE WAS ABLE TO PLACE THE GEAR SHIFT SELECTOR IN THE NEUTRAL POSITION AND SAFELY MANEUVER THE VEHICLE TO A NEARBY GAS STATION. SHE THEN SHUT THE ENGINE OFF AND WITHIN MOMENTS OF RESTARTING, THE VEHICLE PROCEEDED TO EXHIBIT THE EXACT SAME FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HER DEALER WHERE IT WAS EVALUATED; HOWEVER THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED AND THE VEHICLE WAS RELEASED TO THE OWNER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000 AND THE CURRENT WAS 109,000.

NHTSA complaint #10318064 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 130,000 miles Rockford, MN

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN L200. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL. THE CONTACT SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND DROVE INTO A SHOPPING CENTER PARKING LOT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE IGNITION MODULE, BUT THEY WERE UNSURE IF IT WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IF THE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATES, THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. A REPORT WAS FILED WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V231000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: IGNITION MODULE) ON SEPTEMBER 30, 2003. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 130,000.

NHTSA complaint #10254003 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Foxboro, MA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. *JB THE CONSUMER STATED THE THE VEHICLE GRADUALLY ACCELERATES AFTER 15-20 SECONDS. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING 60 MPH IT STARTED TO ACCELERATE FOR 10-15 MILES BEFORE IT DISENGAGED. CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT ON DURING THE TIME OF FAILURE.

NHTSA complaint #10108737 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Pittsboro, NC

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

WHEN CRUISE CONTROL IS ENABLED, VEHICLE WILL SOMETIMES ACCELERATE QUICKLY WITHOUT WARNING. CRUISE CONTROL WILL NOT DISENGAGE. WHEN ARRIVED AT DEALER, ENGINE WAS RACING. DEALERSHIP COULD NOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM YET CITE THE CRUISE CONTROL MODULE AS ONE POSSIBLE SOURCE.

NHTSA complaint #10106564 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Pittsboro, NC

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL

CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT DISENGAGE WHEN PRESSING THE SWITCH OR BRAKING. VEHICLE SPEED APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH.

NHTSA complaint #10104183 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 50,470 miles Belleville, WI

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

THE VEHICLE BEGAN ACCELERATING WITHOUT TOUCHING THE PEDAL WHILE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ON. PRESSING THE BRAKE AND TURNING OFF CRUISE CONTROL DID NOT STOP THE ACCELERATION. I HAD TO TURN THE CAR OFF. THE PEDAL FELT AS IF IT WERE PRESSED DOWN. UPON RE-START, THE ENGINE REVVED AS IF THE ACCELERATOR WAS PUSHED AND IT WAS NOT. SECOND RE-START AFTER ABOUT 3 MINUTES LEFT THE CAR RUNNING NORMAL.

NHTSA complaint #10054834 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 40,000 miles Opelika, AL

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

WHILE DRIVING AT 45/50 MPH THREE FUNCTIONS FAILED TO OPERATE SIMULTANEOUSLY; ACCELERATOR/BRAKES AND STEERING WHEEL. ALSO WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT HEADLIGHTS QUIT WORKING WITHOUT WARNING.

NHTSA complaint #10040706 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Saint Marks, FL

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE OPERATES ROUGHLY AND ERATICALLY, LOSING POWER. CHECK ENGINE AND GAS GAGE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH, BLINKING ON AND OFF. THE SPEEDOMETER AND THE RPM WILL FALL TO ZERO AND COME BACK UP TO WHERE IT SHOULD BE WHILE DRIVING. CONSUMER STATES THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON THE 4 CYNLINDER WITH THE SAME PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #10026691 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Pittsboro, NC

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

WHILE ACCELERATING TRANSMISSION IS HARSH OR FAILS TO SHIFT IMMEDIATELY, RESULTING IN CAR SURGING FORWARD. DEALER HAS REPLACED SEALS AND PROBLEM DIMINISHED SOME. PROBLEM THEN CAME BACK TO PRE-REPAIR STATE- TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP. PROBLEM CANNOT BE IDENTIFIED.

NHTSA complaint #753328 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 2001 Saturn LS problems

← Full 2001 Saturn LS report