Timing chain broke on my 2002 saturn l200 at 75000 miles.
2002 Saturn LS engine complaints
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My wife's 2002 l100 saturn sedan, began to idle rough, so I changed the spark plugs figuring it was a bad plug (I always kept up with maintenance on the vehicle, I am a qualified aircraft mechanic for the military, so I am mechanically inclined). The vehicle ran fine for a couple of days, then became extremely worse. The vehicle had a rough idle, low power and would stall. We had the vehicle towed to the lexington, ky. Dealership. Later the service rep. Called and said I have some bad news, the catalytic converter was bad and the ignition module, you have gone 3,000 miles over the warranty. I asked how does a catalytic converter go bad in less than 5 yrs. And under 100,000 mi.? The rep. Said I don't know but it is going to cost $3,000 to replace everything. I told him wait a minute, you all already changed the ignition modulator on the recall before. I contacted an out in town mechanic, who provided me with recall info about the bad ignition modulator, that when it fails it could/would damage the catalytic converter. I called the dealer back with this information and documentation provided to me from the mechanic I saw. Rep. Said we have changed three modulators before you came in with this problem, they seem to keep failing and you should call saturn's customer service line. I did and informed them what the mechanic told me and what the dealer informed me of. Saturn said they would contact me back after contacting their engineers. Saturn called back and said they would fix the repairs if I paid the deductible as if the vehicle was still under warranty. I paid $100 and asked what about this constant problem with the ignition module, they said when it acts up again call us back. So, saturn is avoiding the problem at hand which I was shocked because I was told they always back their products and appreciate their customers. I plan not to purchase a saturn in the future and have been advising others not to either.
1) on the evening of friday, march 2, 2007 my 2002 saturn l-100 sedan stalled while I was driving home from work. I was driving at about 40 MPH when it suddenly "died". I had the car towed to the auto mechanic shop near my house. 2) the next day they called to advise that the timing chain had broken. The car has less than 49,000 miles on it. They recommended replacing the engine, about $6,000 worth of work. I contacted saturn and they advised I should have the vehicle towed to one of their facilities, which I did that evening. The saturn service center confirmed that the timing chain had broken but suggested replacing the head with a rebuilt part from gm, approximately $3,200 worth of work. At this point saturn is requesting maintenance records for oil changes.
On february 24, 2007 at about 3:30 pm, we were heading east on highway 509 in tacoma, washington when the car just lost power & died. We were coming around a corner and made it to a narrow shoulder & was able to pull off to the side of the freeway so that cars could barely go around. We had several near misses while waiting for the tow truck since the shoulder was not very wide & we were stranded on the other side of a mild corner. The car would not restart and we waited for a tow truck. When we finely got the vehicle home, I called severely local mechanics to see if they would know what the problem was. Most told me that it was probably the timing chain & instructed me on how to check. Once the cover was off, it was clearly visible that the timing chain was gone. I was then told that my whole engine was now probably gone. This was an extremely unsafe situation for us to be in due to something that should have lasted more than 57,000 miles, the timing chain.
Tl*- the contact owns a 2002 saturn l200. The timing chain broke while driving at 20 MPH and ruined other parts of the vehicle that required the engine to be disassembled. The vehicle was currently inoperable. The current and failure mileage were 65,000. Saturn agreed to do a 50/50 split for the repairs and she did not agree that she should be responsible for any of the repairs. The maintenance performed on the vehicle prior to the failure included an oil change, replacing the pcv valve, and 4 new tires. There were several related complaints on the website. *ak updated 03/19/07.
Timing chain failure on 2002 saturn l-series vehicle.
I was pulling out of a driveway and my saturn l200 engine just died. Upon inspection at saturn of dayton north, I was told that the timing chain had failed. I have changed the engine with used and still have little power. I am waiting for test results. The repair shop said that the oil was dirty, but the timing chain should not break after only 61,000 miles. I always believed that saturn was a different kind of auto company. Needless to say I am very disappointed with saturn's response that I must not have changed the oil! I will never buy or recommend a saturn to anyone, at this point in my experience.
My l200 saturn had a timing chain failure at 85,000 miles. This is clearly due to a defect because saturn has a technical service bulletin indicating a larger oil nozzle is included in the timing chain replacement kit due to insufficient lubrication at low engine RPM. It is fortunate that this did not occur at highway speeds because with the standard transmission fatalities could have easily resulted. This car was meticulously maintained with oil and filter changes every 3-5k miles. Saturn has the car now and has reported in addition to the failed timing chain it also has a bent valve and possible piston damage. This effectively means this timing chain failure destroyed the engine. There is now no confusion in my mind why the japanese auto industry is eating detroit's lunch.
Engine timing chain failure; 2002 saturn automobile, 74,000 miles.
While driving on the highway northbound from calgary, alberta, canada we pulled our 2002 saturn l200 into the passing lane to overtake a slower moving vehicle. While we were making the pass the vehicle suddenly lost complete power and the engine shut down. Fortunately there was no oncoming traffic and we were able to drift to the shoulder of the highway. There was the potential for a serious problem had there been heavy traffic involved. We had the vehicle towed to the nearest service center. They found that the timing chain had broken which immbolized the vehicle. There was no previous warning of any timing chain issues. No sounds, nothing. We have serviced our vehicle at the saturn dealership for every service interval since buying this vehicle new. We have researched this issue and found it to be quite common in the vehicle we own. Our vehicle is still inoperable as of this writing.
This is related to ea06009 on saturday, december 9, while driving on a 50 MPH highway we lost power to our saturn lw200 2002 wagon. While we were able to pull the car over to the shoulder, we came within seconds of being hit by another car. The cause of the power loss was a broken timing chain. We have about 50,000 miles on the car, and have changed oil every 3-4000 miles. Saturn does not acknowledge that there is a defect. As a result, we have to pay the full cost (>$2000) to get the engine fixed. Please note, the chain broke on the highway, and not at start-up as gm stated in a letter to you on this matter. My wife and I came close to dying. An engine that has a timing chain that beaks on a highway with just 50,000 miles on the engine is a safety issue. Please act before someone dies due to this defect.
Failed timing chain in my 2002 saturn l100. I only had 69,000 miles on this car. It took my mechanic hours to find the problem why the car wouldn't start. The timing chain looked ok. Turned out it was stretched and wasn't catching. To find the problem this had to be done by turning the motor by hand. He suggested I have it towed to our local saturn dealer(of clarence) which I did. He also said there was a service bulletin out on this exact problem. Also my mechanic said saturn has redesigned the timing chain because of past problems with it. It now is a whole kit. The hole that the oil goes through was too small and they designed it with a larger hole. This repair cost me $913.00!! I am very upset and have filed a complaint with saturn. They said they will "review my complaint."
My timing chain is going out on my 2002 saturn l100. I don't know the cost to fix yet as I have only taken it to a gas station and not a repair facility.
Was on my way to work when the car started to make a noise and then just died. Had it towed to my local mechanic who diagnosed it as a broken timing chain. He had heard that this was a common problem with the l-series. Then I had it towed to our local saturn dealership to have the work done; timing chain & guides, head, valves, pistons were only scored -- total bill of $3,700!! Car is a 2002 with only 58,000 miles on it and this should not have happened. Dealership tried to say it was possibly due to "poor maintenance," but if they had looked at their records, they would have seen I had the car serviced only by them on a regular on-time basis! In fact it had been in for a service (oil change) only the week before. Let's face it: the timing chain was defective.
The federal safety agency #: 10002122 service bulletin #: 030601017 there were no events leading up to the failure. I was driving on a major road at about 45-55 MPH when there was a sudden loss of power. I was able to pull somewhat to the side of the road but I hate to think what could have happened had I been on a major highway traveling at high speeds with many other vehicles. There were no warning signs. I had to have my car towed to a mechanics garage. I was then told that the timing chain on my engine, which is supposed to last the lifetime of the engine (not 67000 miles!), had snapped and that in turn destroyed the upper half of the engine requiring it to be replaced. After two unsuccessful attempts of resolving the issue through saturn and needing my car to travel to work, I ended up paying for the engine myself to the toll of $2400. At that time I was not aware of these investigations and the current engine in still using the old timing chain/oilier.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 75 MPH on the highway, the vehicle stalled without warning. It was maneuvered off the road and towed to the dealer who determined the timing chain fractured causing damage to the engine, and requiring replacement. Updated 2/9/2007 - the consumer contacted the manufacturer and was informed that the engine was defective. The manufacturer offer to replace the engine but the consumer had to pay the labor to have it installed.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the engine power surged a couple of times, then all power failed and the vehicle drifted to a stop. When towed to an independent mechanic. The contact was told to take the vehicle to an authorized service dealer. On inspection it was found that the timing chain had fractured. Updated 11/3/2006 -
Saturn l200 stopped running while it was being drive. No warning, just total engine stoppage. Still had electrical power. Initially I was told it was the starter, and after buying and replacing the starter, I am now being told it was/is the timing chain. Apparently saturn knows that it has weak timing chains yet does nothing to rectify the problem of weak timing chains.
Timing chain broke at 74,000 miles on my 2002 l series saturn, seems to be a problem that saturn does not want to fix.
I was responding to an emergency call with my local fire dept when my 2002 saturn l series motor quit running on the main highway. It turned out that I am one of many that had the timing belt break without any warning signs. No rough idle or hesitations, piff it was dead. The motor has only 75000 miles. I can not afford to have saturn fix it nor want to give them the funds so I am having another mechanic fix it with still some high expenditures. Luckily I was not like some who had to replace valves and such. The chain fell to the lower area. The whole assembly needed to be replaced. Looks as if engineering or quality materials are an issue, not oil changes as it appears saturn is using as an excuse to avoid the issue.
Driving at 30 miles per hour my 2002 saturn l200 lost all power. I was in traffic and fortunately had enough strength to turn the steering wheel,which had no power, to where I could safely pull off the road. I had 3 children in the car at the time. Had the car towed to a saturn dealership and found it was the timing chain that broke causing valve damage. The cost to repair is $3019.I would like to add my complaint to the many on file and hope saturn will recall as this could have been a dangerous situation. Saturn has offered me 2 years of free oil changes if I repair it,hardley seems to warrant what could cause death.
While driving at 50 MPH, my 2002 saturn l100 locked up and quit working. After getting it towed to the saturn dealership, I was informed that the timing chain had broken and the head would need to be replaced, resulting in a cost of approximately $2,150, plus $190 in towing charges. Although this car is 4 years old and out of warranty, I feel this is still a new enough car that a costly repair as this should not happen. After doing some research I found that there is a pattern of timing chains breaking on the l series cars.
On dec. 23 or 24th, 2005, I stopped by the saturn of gresham dealership because my car was making a very odd noise. The service manager and technician listened to the car and looked at the engine. They told me that it sounded like a an exhaust problem but the car would be safe to drive until I could make an appointment after christmas. I made the appt. For the wed. Following christmas, I believe. On christmas, while driving up a hill, my car began jerking and lost power. I was not disabled but my car could barely make it up the hill. I was able to get off of the freeway and get help from family. I had the car taken to saturn of beaverton. They were able to look at the car on dec. 26 or 27th and determined that the catalytic converter had malfunctioned. The dealership did make the necessary repairs under the warranty.
On 7/1/6 while driving down the freeway at 65 MPH my saturn suddenly quit running. My car had been running normally and without any warning my car lost all power. It was 104`& 20 miles from civilization. I walked 1 mile and there was a camper also disabled on the side of the road. The people contacted a tow company in the nearest city. My car was towed 120 miles. On 7/3, the dealership notified me that my timing chain had broken with severe engine damage($4000.00). The sm stated that he did not recommend using any used parts to fix the engine. He acted concerned as to why the timing chain would have broken in my car. He mentioned that the l series cars have had some problems. My car is currently in the dealership being worked on. On 7/5, I spoke to the area manager for the saturn corporation. She said she knew nothing about the federal safety agency and denied any knowledge of failures with other saturns. She stated that the problem was due to "a poor maintenance record". I informed her that she was sadly mistaken as the saturn dealership my car is at was not the only dealership or automotive business that I have had work done on my car. I informed her that on 12/ 25/05, my car lost power going up a hill and I had work done on the car at a different dealership. At that time, I had to have the emission converter replaced because it had failed. Also, I have routine oil changes done every 3000 or so miles. Her response was "I am sorry if the information from the dealership was incorrect but we still can do nothing else." I told her that I was appalled to learn that saturn had been aware of this issue for some time; that saturn had neglected to inform their customer base regarding the potential dangers of this engine problem. I explained to her the seriousness of placing customers in such danger. I told her this could have all been avoided had saturn notified its customers of the upgrade available to correct the defect. Of course, she denied any problems with saturn cars.
The timing chain on my car broke, resulting in engine damage which -- the dealer tells me -- will require a total engine replacement. I was driving at approximately 40 MPH on the highway, going through construction. Suddenly, there was no power and the car slowed down. I could not get power, so I had to pull off the road and get the car towed.
This is in regards to my 2002 l200 saturn 4-door sedan, VIN no- [xxx] engine: 2.2 l dohc 16 valve l4 engine ll0 1.9ll4 (this is on one of the saturn service papers about the engine) my complaint is very long and exceeds the 2,000 character mark, I will be mailing you all of the necessary documentation. I was told that a claim number was needed in order to do this. I have contacted the ohio attorney general as well. The timing chain failed in my saturn. *jb the vehicle lost all power while accelerating from a stop. The dealer indicated that a new timing chain and balance chain would probably fix the problem, therefore the consumer agreed to the repair. Replacing the chains didnt to correct the problem and the consumer was told that a new engine was needed. The manufacturer refused to provide any assistance because the consumer hadn't purchased an extended warranty on the vehicle. *nm information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
Timing chain prematurely failed and ruined my engine. I am just thankful that I was not traveling at a high rate of speed. I am incensed at the suggestion of the saturn dealership that it may have been an incorrect oil change by a non-dealership garage. In checking on the internet, I have discovered this to be a frequent problem with l200 saturns. Why has the federal safety agency not taken action to require saturn to recall and fix this problem? How many deaths will it take to warrant a recall?
I see that the federal safety agency already has an open complaint regarding the timing chain on various saturns 2.2. There is a technical service bulletin on the timing chain oiler. I have a 2002 saturn l200, 42,000 miles, which the timing chain just went out on. I was turning at a light and almost got hit since the car lost power. Please let me know what you can do to help with this problem. Saturn is unwilling to help me. Thanks in advance.
Timing chain on my saturn l200 broke with no warning. The car has only 38,000 miles on it and has been regularly serviced. I was very lucky it broke while starting up the car, instead of driving, because the repairs would have been extensive. My local saturn dealership only charged me labor, they covered parts.
I had just left my house for work and the car just died - luckily I wasn't on the highway. I had the car towed to my mechanic and he said the timing chain had broken. He said I should contact saturn because the timing chain should not have broken. My car has only 49,000 miles on it. I called saturn and they told me to have it evaluated by the service manager at the saturn dealership. He said it would cost $950.00 to repair and didn't know if there was any other damage. Saturn customer relations said they would arrange to pay for half of the cost and supply me with a rental car. I had not had the car serviced by saturn since june 2004 and had not purchased an extended warranty. On further examination the valves were bend on the engine due to the timing chain failure. Saturn said they would cover half of that cost also. The total repair is $900. I still don't have my car back.
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