2002 SATURN LS Engine And Engine Coolingenginegasolinebelts And Associated Pulleys Problems

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L2 WAGON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED INSIDE THE MOTOR. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L200. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A TURN AND THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE HAD TO PUSHED OFF OF THE ROAD AND TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WERE NO OPEN RECALLS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 67,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L200. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED AND CAUSED THE ENGINE TO BLOW OUT. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING THE FAILURE, BUT NOTHING HAS BEEN RESOLVED. SHE FEELS THAT THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE BECAUSE THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE 2001 L200 REGARDING THE TIMING CHAIN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 80,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L100. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT THE TIMING BELT FAILED. THE MECHANIC ALSO STATED THAT IT SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED AT ONLY SIX YEARS OLD AND WITH LESS THEN 75,000 MILES. THE DEALER ADVISED HER TO BRING IN THE VEHICLE FOR A DIAGNOSIS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V519000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), ALTHOUGH THE FAILURES WERE IDENTICAL. CURRENTLY, THE VEHICLE IS STILL AT THE DEALER BEING INSPECTED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 79,003.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L200. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND THE BATTERY WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A LOCAL SERVICE SHOP AND THEY STATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED, WHICH CAUSED THE VALVE IN THE ENGINE TO FAIL ALSO. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE REPAIR WOULD COST $2,300. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 60,000.

ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 12 AS I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY IN UPSTATE NY, MY 2002 SATURN L200 SUDDENLY BEGAN DECELERATING AND AS MUCH AS I PUSHED ON THE ACCELERATOR, THE CAR CONTINUED TO STOP. I MANAGED TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER, WHICH WAS VERY SCARY BECAUSE THE TRAFFIC WAS HEAVY AND MOST CARS WERE SPEEDING AROUND ME. THE CAR DIED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A SATURN DEALER WHO, WITHOUT EVEN EXAMINING THE CAR SAID IT SOUNDED LIKE THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKEN. THIS DIAGNOSIS PROVED TO BE TRUE AND I WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH I LEARNED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM OF THE L200 SERIES. I ALSO BECAME ANGERED BECAUSE I HAD BROUGHT MY CAR TO SATURN AT LEAST THREE TIMES COMPLAINING OF THE WARNING SIGNS--THE CAR HAD DONE THIS SAME THING SEVERAL TIMES...

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE ENGINE QUIT. I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO A SAFE LOCATION AND THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. THEY STATED THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE. THE TOTAL COST OF THE REPAIR WOULD BE $2156. SATURN TOLD ME THERE WAS NO RECALLS AND THE REPAIR WOULD COST UP TO $7500. *AK

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L SERIES SEDAN. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH THE ENGINE SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE AND THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE 70,000. *AK

23 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER, HER COUSIN, AND 3 YEAR OLD NIECE WERE DRIVING ON I-70 NEAR CHICAGO WHEN THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND DIED. HAD TO BE PUSHED OFF INTERSTATE TO SIDE OF ROAD BY 2 YOUNG WOMEN WITH 3 YEARS IN CAR. TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKEN WITHOUT WARNING ON A CAR WITH 54,000 MILES ,LEAVING THE CAR NON FUNCTIONAL IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF THE EXPRESSWAY, 300 MILES FROM HOME, AND LEAVING DAUGHTER, COUSIN AND NIECE STRANDED IN A STRANGE CITY WITH NO TRANSPORTATION. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT SATURN DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS PROBLEM EXISTS, OR THAT A CAR THAT SUDDENLY LOSES ALL POWER WHILE DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC IS NOT A SAFETY CONCERN THAT WOULD WARRANT A RECALL. *AK

NORMAL DRIVING 50-60 MILES PER HOUR, ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING WHATSOEVER BEFORE THE EVENT OCCURRED. TIMING CHAIN BROKE AT 51000 MILES, LOST COMPRESSION IN 3 OF 4 CYLINDERS, LOST ALL POWER TO THE VEHICLE, WAS ABLE TO STOP AND GET OUT OF TRAFFIC WITHOUT GETTING INTO AN ACCIDENT. SATURN REFUSED TO REPAIR FOR FREE, CHARGED ME 2000 DOLLARS (DEDUCTIBLE ON THEIR WORST WARRANTY THEY SOLD AT THE TIME). OLD PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE, FAILURE WAS CONFIRMED BY TWO OTHER MECHANICS BEFORE AS A LAST RESORT TAKEN TO A SATURN DEALER TO BE FIXED. SERVICE MANAGER ALSO REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THE TSB THAT HAD BEEN RELEASED CONCERNING THE OIL NOZZLE ON MY SATURN. *JB

TIMING CHAIN FAILURE ON 2002 SATURN L-SERIES VEHICLE. *NM

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...

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. *NM

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. *NM

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 - *NM

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. *NM

I SEE THAT THE NHTSA 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. *NM

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. *NM

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....

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 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. *AK

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. *NM