2000 SATURN LS Suspension Problems

THE WHOLE SUBFRAME ON MY 2000 SATURN LS IS ROTTED SO BAD THAT I CAN'T EVEN DRIVE THE VEHICLE. IT STARTED WITH MY CAR NOT STARTING AND PUTTING IT UP ON A LIFT TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. THAT NOT STARTING PROBLEM IS A BAD RESONATOR, BUT IN THE PROCESS THE SUBFRAME WAS FOUND TO BE SERIOUSLY ROTTED AWAY. *TR

TOOK CAR TO HAVE STRUTS REPLACED AND WAS TOLD THE SUB FRAME HAD RUSTED AWAY TO MAKE THE CAR UNSAFE TO DRIVE,ALWAYS CHECKED THE BODY AND FRAME YEARLY FOR RUST ON CHASSIS AND UNI BODY SO THERE WOULD NOT BE ANY POTENTIAL PROBLEM S. I LIVE IN THE NORTHEAST PART OF THE USA.. THE PROBLEM WITH THE SUB FRAME IS IT RUSTS FROM THE INSIDE OUT SO IT MAKES INSPECTION EXTREMELY HARD TO SEE. *TR

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...

SUBFRAME ON SATURN TOTALLY RUSTED AWAY ONLY THING HOLDING PASSENGER WHEEL ON WAS STRUT BRACKET. *TR

THIS HAPPENED VERY SUDDENLY. I APPLIED THE BRAKE TO ENTER THE RAMP TO THE HIGHWAY AND THE CAR PULLED TO THE LEFT AND MADE A NOISE. I THOUGHT IT MAY BE A BEARING OR BRAKE PROBLEM BUT I HAD NOT HAD ANY ISSUES BEFORE THAT SO I WENT ON SINCE IT SEAMED TO BE DRIVING OK. WHILE I WAS ON THE INTERSTATE I WENT TO GO INTO THE LEFT LANE AND REALIZED THERE WAS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING. I SLOWED DOWN AND GOT OFF THE HIGHWAY TO THE SHOP. I WAS TOLD THERE THE K FRAME HAD LESS THAN 1/2" BEFORE BREAKING COMPLETELY AND COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT SINCE IT HAS TO DO WITH STEERING. I HAVE REGULAR MAINT ON THE CAR AND THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THIS MIGHT HAPPEN. THE UNDERSIDE IS IN VERY GOOD SHAPE. I HAD THE FRAME REPLACED. I FEEL IT...

THE FRONT SUBFRAME RUSTED THROUGH. MECHANIC STATED WAS NOT NORMAL WEAR. *TR

VEHICLE PULLED WHEN BRAKING. SYMPTOMS STARTED ON A MONDAY AS A LIGHT PULL. MORE NOTICEABLE ABOVE 50 MPH, AND NOT NOTICEABLE BELOW 35. BY THURSDAY MORNING, PULL WAS SEVERE ABOVE 50MPH. STAYED TILL AFTER 6:00 AT NIGHT TO AVOID TRAFFIC. RIDE HOME WAS "ENTERTAINING" AS STEERING WHEEL DID NOT ALWAYS GO BACK TO "CENTER" WHEN GOING STRAIGHT. I THOUGHT I NEEDED A STEERING RACK UNTIL I INSPECTED THE VEHICLE ON SATURDAY. MY INSPECTION SHOWED THAT FRONT SUBFRAME (A.K.A. ENGINE CRADLE) FAILED WHERE THE "PASSENGER SIDE LOWER CONTROL ARM REAR BUSHING WAS ATTACHED". A SIZABLE PIECE OF FRAME RIPPED OUT, WITH BUSHING STILL ATTACHED TO LOWER CONTROL ARM. RUSTED PERFORATIONS IN SUBFRAME VISIBLE APPROXIMATELY 6" BEHIND WHERE FRAME FAILED. TWO SETS OF RIMS (SUMMER AND WINTER) WITH NO "DINGS" TESTIFIES THAT VEHICLE NEVER EVEN HIT A CURB IN 170,000 MILES. 4 CYLINDER, SO NO EXHAUST NEARBY TO "WEAKEN STEEL". BAD CHOICE...

THE REAR END WAS WEARING OUT WHICH MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE CONSUMER TO DRIVE OVER 20 MPH. ALSO, THE CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD THUMPING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT THE PROBLEM HAD NOT BEEN RESOLVED. *AK FOUR TIRES WERE REPLACED. THE TECH FOUND THAT THE TIRES HAD UNEVEN WEAR. THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD VIBRATE, THE REAR CARGO COVER WAS CRACKED AT THE CLIP, THERE WAS A THUMPING SOUND THAT HAD COME FROM THE TIRES AT ANY SPEED, THERE WAS ALSO CUPPING ON THE TIRES THAT CAUSED THE EXCESSIVE ROAD NOISE. *SCC *JB

2000 L2W MODEL. CONSUMER STATES HEARS A ROARING NOISE WHILE DRIVING MORE SO AT AROUND 30 - 35 MPH. ALSO THERE IS FRONT END VIBRATION. DEALER FOUND TIRES WERE CHOPPED. DEALER REPLACED LOWER CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS AND PERFORMED COMPLETE FOUR WHEEL ALIGNMENT. *TT

FRONT BRAKE ROTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT 37,929 MILES BECAUSE THE INSIDE EDGES WERE WORN BELOW SPECIFICATION AND THE BRAKE SHOES WOULD NOT SEAT PROPERLY ON THE ROTOR. THE EDGES COULD NOT BE TURNED OR RESURFACED. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF METAL GRINDING INTO THE ROTOR. ALSO, ALL FOUR TIRES WERE REPLACED FOR UNEVEN WEAR. THE REAR BRAKE RETAINER SPRING BROKE. THE REAR PASSENGER WINDOW IS INOPERABLE. THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE CONSOLE. CONSUMER ALSO CLAIMS THERE IS PLAY IN THE STEERING. THE POWER STEERING WAS REPLACED IN SEPTEMBER OF 2001. THERE IS STILL VIBRATION AND PLAY BEING FELT IN THE STEERING. THERE WAS A BENT HUB WHICH WAS CAUSING THE VIBRATION. *JG

WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED THE REAR END OF VEHICLE SHAKES AND THERE IS NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR. THE TIRES ARE WEARING UNEVENLY. THE DEALER HAS REPLACED TIRES TWICE, ALIGNMENTS HAVE BEEN DONE. DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. NLM

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH OR MORE VEHICLE WOULD VIBRATE. VEHICLE TAKEN TO DEALER, CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THE REAR CONTROL ARM BUSHING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING HIGHWAY SPEEDS, VEHICLE VIBRATES, DEALER INSPECTED AND FOUND ALL FOUR TIRES WERE OUT OF BALANCE, TWICE AT 17748 AND 24575 MILES. AT 40 MPH VEHICLE POPS AND JERKS INTO GEAR, WHOOSHING AND GRINDING NOISE WHEN BRAKING, HEARING A CLICKING NOISE WHEN ACCELERATING AND DEALER FOUND POWER STEERING PUMP BAD, AUTO LOCK NOT WORKING PROPERLY. *YD

WHILE ACCELERATING A CLICKING NOISE WOULD APPEAR FROM THE RIGHT FRONT OF VEHICLE. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT POWER STEERING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK THERE IS A RATTLE NOISE IN DASH BOARD. FOAM TAPE BETWEEN CLUTSTER AND BEZEL INSTALLED. THERE IS A CLICKING AND/OR SCREECHING NOISE WHILE TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT AND THERE IS VIBRATION COMING UP THROUGH THE STEERING WHEEL. DEALER REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES ALONG WITH REAR CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS. *TT

VIBRATION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS 60-70 MPH MOSTLY TRANSMITTED THROUGH STEERING WHEEL