Nothing, thank god had happened yet, but it will in a matter of time, how much time I have no idea. The problem is the motor cradle or frame is rusting out, the front where the motor sets had wholes rusted in it, the whole thing is rusting away.
2000 Saturn LS body problems
28 complaints (7% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 117,000. 1 crash reported.
- owner complaints
- 28
- of this car's complaints
- 7%
- typical mileage
- 117,000
- crashes
- 1
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Body: door9
- Body8
- Frame and members: underbody shields5
- Frame and members3
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Saturn LS body problems in other years
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
What 2000 Saturn LS owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 saturn ls. While driving approximately 25 MPH, the contact noticed an abnormal noise from both the front passenger and driver sides of the vehicle. In addition, the contact stated that the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that there was corrosion around all of the wheel wells and the subframe needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 150,000.
I was driving a 98 toyota tacoma on a 45 MPH highway when a pedestrian in the road caused all lanes of traffic to suddenly stop. I was unable to stop in time and went into the median to avoid an accident. I was unable to keep my vehicle in the median and struck the 2000 saturn coupe drivers side fender to drivers side fender. Upon impact the body of the saturn burst into 12 to 14 inch shards of whatever the body is made of, (perhaps fiberglass or something similar). One such shard shattered the drivers window and impaled me through my left shoulder and lodged itself protruding slightly from my back. The emergency responders were unable to stop the bleeding so I was airlifted to ormc for emergency surgery, and am lucky to have survived. The surgeon stated that another inch would have meant me bleeding out in the road. That vehicle should not have shot deadly projectiles upon impact.
When I went to get new tires for this car I was told there was a problem with my frame and should go right to a dealership. I contacted saturn and they authorized it for me to go to my nearest dealership, at the dealers convenience and my expense for a review of the problem. I made the appointment but in the mean time the front wheels stated to shake and shimmy. I was losing control of the car, so I pulled into the nearest repair shop and was given the advice to leave this car parked. Do not drive it at all. Contacting saturn at this point they refused to even look into this problem. Never have I heard of a frame supporting the engine, and front wheels ever rusting through on a car before. They said it was my choice to have it fixed, therefore they had no obligation to look into this any longer. I believe I had no choice other than to get it fixed right there and then. Not only because it had to be done but for the safety of my family.
Driving down the road the vehicle started making noise and steering was uncontrollable. I trailered the vehicle back home. Closer inspection revealed the front subframe/engine cradle was completely rusted through in multiple spots, very dangerous!!! I contacted the dealer to get a new subframe and I was advised the subframe is no longer available and to try finding one in a salvage yard. I contacted a salvage yard and they said they had a few and it would be no problem to pull one. I got the call today saying they were sorry but all of the front subframes on the saturn l series they have are rusted through and are not usable. I contacted other yards with the same response. I ended up having to find a salvage yard down south that had a usable subframe. I went online to find numerous forum posts discussing this topic and I'm finding it is very common on this vehicle. Why was there never a recall for this with such a widespread safety hazard? From what I can tell it happens on all model years of the l series. The irony is the rest of the car is very clean, no rust on the rest of the undercarriage. There is no clear explanation why the subframe would have corrosion perforation at such low mileage with no other rust/corrosion on the rest of the vehicle. At a higher rate of speed this could have had a bad outcome. Thank you.
My saturn has a massively rusted subframe.
Subframe on saturn totally rusted away only thing holding passenger wheel on was strut bracket.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 saturn lseries. The contact stated that while traveling 45 MPH, the vehicle began independently steering to the left. The vehicle was taken to a local repair shop where it was confirmed that the failure was caused by corrosion of the sub frame. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 165,000. Updated 10/25/12 *cn updated 11/08/12 ..updated 11/14/12 *bf updated 11/15/2012
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 saturn ls1. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for an unrelated problem and the technician noticed that the frame was completely corroded. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the vehicle lunged forward independently. The failure occurred four times. The manufacturer was notified of the defect. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 saturn lw1. The contact stated that the vehicle was being inspected when the contact was advised that rear frame was severely corroded. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection or repairs. The failure and the current mileage was 105,063.
Questions about the 2000 Saturn LS body
Does the 2000 Saturn LS have body problems?
Owners have filed 28 complaints about the body of the 2000 Saturn LS, 7% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2000 Saturn LS body problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 117,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2000 Saturn LS body?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Saturn LS have the most body problems?
The Saturn LS model years with the most body complaints are 2000 (28 complaints) and 2002 (10 complaints).
Other 2000 Saturn LS problems
Engine 150Electrical 63Lights 63Steering 35Suspension 28Brakes 25Transmission 25Tires 20Visibility 14Acceleration 10Fuel system 10Airbags 8Seats 7Seat belts 5Locks 3Wheels 3
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2000 Saturn LS?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history