NHTSA Complaint #10132544 — 2001 SATURN LS

EIGHT MONTHS AFTER I BOUGHT A 2001 SATURN L300 I STARTED HAVING TIRE PROBLEMS. IT STARTED OUT WITH THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE RUBBING WHEN I TURNED THE WHEEL WHILE BACKING UP. I ONLY HAD 6400 MILES ON THE TIRES. LOUD NOISES WERE COMING FROM THE TIRES AT 12964 MILEAGE. MY SATURN SERVICE DEPT. RESET THE FEA TO NEW SPECS AND INSTALLED A CAMBER CASTER KIT AND 4 NEW TIRES. THIS WAS THE 2ND SET OF TIRES FOR MY 2001 SATURN L300. AT 17224 MILEAGE THE RUBBING ON THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE WAS BACK. THIS TIME THE SERVICE DEPT. RE-SECURED THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL HOUSE. THEN ON NOV 24, 2003 (25277 MILEAGE) THE LOUD NOISE WAS BACK. AT THIS TIME THE TECH FOUND THE TIRES STARTING TO SLIGHTLY CUP. HE RE-INSPECTED AND FOUND ALL 4 TIRES OUT OF SPECS AND IT WAS NECESSARY TO REALIGN ALL. I TOOK THE CAR (27115 MILEAGE) BACK IN ON JAN 16, 2004 AND THE TIRES WERE MAKING LOUD NOISES. THIS TIME THE TECH CONFIRMED THAT THE TIRES WERE CUPPING AND OUT OF ROUND. THEY REPLACED ALL 4 TIRES AND RESET TO NEW FACTORY SPECS. ALSO, DID A WHEEL ALIGNMENT. THIS WAS THE 3ND SET OF TIRES. ON DEC 20, 2004 I HAD A RATTLE ON THE RIGHT FRONT. AT THIS TIME THEY REPLACED THE RIGHT FRONT LINK BAR(38871 MILEAGE). MARCH 29, 2005 THE CAR WAS BACK IN THE SERVICE DEPT. WITH LOUD TIRE NOISE(42667 MILEAGE). THE TIRES HAD HIGH AND LOW SPOTS. I WAS TOLD I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE TIRES AGAIN. I TOOK THE CAR BACK IN FOR NEW TIRES ON JUNE 22, 2005. AT THIS TIME AFTER CALLING SATURN CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THE DEALER MANAGER, I AGREED TO BUY 2 TIRES AND SATURN BUY 2 TIRES. SATURN PAID TO REALIGN THE TIRES. AT THIS TIME I WAS TOLD BY A TECH THAT SATURN HAD A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM WITH THE 2001 L300 SERIES. IT HAD TO DO WITH THE TIRES CUPPING AND MAKING LOUD NOISES. HE SAID THAT AS LONG AS THE CAR DROVE AND TURNED WITH NO PROBLEMS THAT SATURN DID NOT CONSIDER THE CUPPING, LOUD NOISES AND REPLACING TIRES EARLY A PROBLEM. HE SAID IF I COULD TAKE THE CAR TO A NASCAR GARAGE, IT COULD BE FIXED AND SATURN COULD FIND OUT HOW TO FIX THE L300 SERIES. *NM