While traveling at a steady speed of 65 MPH on the interstate highway at night, my 2002 saturn lw200 station wagon suddenly lost power and coasted to a stop on the highway. The engine could not be restarted. I was stranded on the shoulder until I was towed to a garage. The failure was diagnosed by the garage and by a saturn dealer as a broken timing chain resulting in loss of compression due to bent or broken valves. The car is not drivable and apparently requires an new engine or overhaul. To date, the failure has not been corrected. The saturn customer assistance center stated that saturn is under no obligation to correct the damage resulting from the failed timing chain. Saturn also claimed that my vehicle did not fall into the VIN range associated with the timing chain failures addressed in their redesign of the timing chain. Currently, the engine has not been repaired and is available for examination.
2002 Saturn LS engine complaints
Page 9 of 9: complaints 221 to 242 of 242, newest first, as owners wrote them.
On 3/9/06 my saturn l200 2002 would not start, I spoke to various people at saturn and received 4 different problems, (transmission, timing chain broke,need a new engine and now the timing chain is stretched) I have not received any service what so ever, they are now saying it is lack of maintenance, when I asked for a explanation the regional area manager hung the phone up on me!!! He said he had no idea there was a problem with the oiler valve which now I know there is. I have been promise call backs and have not received one. I also explained to him that I have purchased 4 vehicles and had recalls, maint., etc. Done which he did not care, his response was what do you want me tell you!!!thank you for your time.
Dt*: the contact stated without warning the vehicle stalled and was towed to the dealer where it was determined to have a broken timing belt. The dealer replaced the timing belt and the problem was corrected.
Dt*: the contact stated without warning, the vehicle would not start. There had been no prior problems and the vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop. The repair shop determined the timing chain broke and the engine needed to be replaced. Updated 04/06/06.
I was driving my 2002 saturn l200 home from boston on 3-12-06 approx. 6:00 pm when the engine stopped. I had the vehicle towed home and contacted saturn. After they examined the vehicle, they came up with the diagnosis of a failed timing chain and engine failure. I asked the technician if this was a common problem and I was told that it wasn't. I googled common problems for the saturn l200 and broken timing chains are very common with many saturns. Gmac even went as far as to issue tech. Bulletins about timing chain issues. Gmac knows about the high failure rate of these timing chains and has not taken appropriate measures to rectify the situation and are trying to pass the cost of repairing this defect on to their consumers.
On the 22nd of february of 2006, my 2002 saturn l-200 engine suddenly and without warning, died. The car, luckily, was going approximately 25 MPH. It was towed to a reputable repair shop and diagnosed with timing chain failure with possible repair costs starting at $ 2,800.00. My warranty had expired so I had the car towed to a saturn dealer to see if anything could be done to help save money. The saturn dealer recommended a full engine replacement for $2,130.00. I contacted corporate saturn to see if more could be done to help with costs at which time I quoted to them the information I had found online about the federal safety agency investigation going on regarding the l-series and the timing chain failure. The representative stated that she had never heard of the investigation. They decline to assist me at that time. The car is now getting a new used engine the 580,000 miles on it with a 12 month/12,000 mile warranty.
Dt: the contact stated when stopping at a red light, the vehicle e died. The vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop. The repair shop indicated the timing chain broke and damaged the pistons and valves on the engine. The repair shop recommended replacing the timing chain and the engine.
2002 saturn l200 stopped working while driving 55 MPH. *ts the consumer had the vehicle to towed a service station. The next the day, the consumer was informed that the timing chain had broke. The consumer was told that the problem stemmed from a broken tensioner, which in turn caused the timing chain to fail.
2002 l200 saturn: timing chain failure, saturn bulletin n o. 03-06-01-017, recognizes problem but attributes failure to improper maintenance by owner. My maintenance was as per mfr. Reccomendations and performed by the dealer. Failure occurred at 58,000 mi. Vehicle lost brakes, power steering and stranded in hwy traffic. Investigating timing chain failures on web, discovered there's many such failures and complaints.
Dt: the contact purchased a used vehicle two years ago, and the second day after purchasing the vehicle there was a roaring noise from the front of the vehicle. The dealer said this was a problem with the front tires ,and the dealer replaced both tires. About two weeks later the noise returned. The vehicle has been to the dealer numerous times for numerous repairs. The vehicle would jerk to the right which caused the contact to hit a curb. There were no injuries but a police report was taken. There have been multiple repairs to the wheel bearings and joints which have not corrected this problem. Also the motor mounts and axles have been replaced in hopes of correcting this problem. The dealer has never been able to accurately repair the vehicle. Currently there is a need for new rotors and more tires. The vehicle continues to have a roaring sound like a locomotive as noted by the contact. *ak update 1/11/2006 -
2002 saturn l200 when driving at night the lights flicker as well as the vehicle engine stalled out on expressway and the air conditioner became inoperative. *mr saturn suggested that the flickering was normal. In very hot/humid weather, the engine would run hot ad the air conditioner would stop running. On two occasions the vehicle refused to start. The service dealer suggested that the catalytic converter was plugged and the oxygen sensor was replaced due to the stalling. All four tires were replaced because of an alignment, toe and camber problem.
While driving home from work my vehicle died completely, upon having the problem diagnosed I was told the timing chain had broke causing damage to the valves. My vehicle is out of warranty, but only has 51,500 miles, a timing "chain" should not fail at 51,500 miles. Saturn has so far refused to help in anyway to cover the costs, but they will replace the engine with a used one for around 4000 dollars
Driving down a 4-lane highway at 60 MPH the engine just quit running. There were no unusual sounds or warning lights. Luckily, we were able to coast over to the berm of the road out of the path of traffic without being hit. The car was towed to the dealership. Within approximately 1-2 hours of receiving the car, the dealership informed me that the timing chain had broke and damaged some valves in the process. The car has 53,000 and is out of warranty and the total cost for repairs was $2,300.00. I informed saturn that I have followed basic maintenance activities and the car is primarily driven to and from home and the office. In addition, I informed them that there are other documented cases of the timing chain failure on the internet ranging from 30,000-65,000 miles. Saturn said there is not a problem with the timing chain in these vehicles and "things just break". They did, however, within 24 hrs. Of receiving my car at the dealership offer to reimburse me 50% of the repair cost. However, when a vehicle suddenly loses power on a highway it becomes a rolling death trap and the problem with the timing chains needs to be rectified before the problems results in a fatality.
This car has been nothing but trouble. I have had to have the drive shaft replaced, the motor mounts replaced, the tail light assembly replaced, the steering assembly replaced and I too have a problem with the dash lights dimming. The technicians at the local saturn dealership are nothing but rude. They dont fix the problems you bring the car in for and you end up having to take it back the next day or even sometimes that same evening for a repair that wasnt done properly. I thought this was going to be a good car but it has been constant trouble and is constantly in the repair shop.
While driving 35 MPH vehicle stalled. Consumer tried to restart the vehicle, but was unable to do so. Vehicle was towed
Problems with vehicle's steering and air bag equipment.*mr the consumer ignition control module failed prior to recall notice. The consumer was told that there were not parts available to fix the problem. The check engine light also illuminated.
While driving at any speed vehicle stalled. Consumer restarted vehicle, and it was taken to the dealer for inspection. However, mechanic could not duplicate the problem.
While driving the vehicle at any speed consumer smelled strong chemical fumes. Dealer has inspected the vehicle, and could not duplicated or correct the problem.
The headlights and dashboard lights flickered intermittently while driving at night. Dealer kept the vehicle for two weeks, however the problem continued. *ak there was a squeaking noise only when the steering wheel was turned to the left. The suspension link was replaced. The service engine soon light illuminated on the vehicle and the ignition control module was replaced. The driver side window skipped when being rolled down. The right rear brake light bulb had burned out, the windshield wipers went across the window half way before it squirted any spray and then scratched the windshield.
Consumer states that while driving at any speed and with no warning vehicle will shut off, causing consumer to pull over, and it will be hard to get the vehicle back started.dealer notified.
An ses system failed that controls exhaust fumes and mixture of fuel. This failure caused vehicle to stall with no warning. Vehicle has been in repair shop three times for this problem. Please describe details.
When driving or at a complete stop vehicle will start to rev even when foot is on the brake.*ak
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