Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||||
| 709 | 09/01/2005 | 10018126 | Oil life system reset procedures - cars. gm tech link. *tt | 12/15/2005 | |
| 3135 | 01/01/2004 | 10010045 | Pop noise from engine area during heavy throttle input. *tc | 11/03/2004 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | ||||||
| DP05008 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 12/20/2005 | 02/06/2006 | TIMING CHAIN FAILURE | ||
| Analysis undertaken in response to the petition identified 26 complaints alleging timing chain failures in my 2000-2003 saturn l-series vehicle equipped with the 2.2l l4 engine.most complaints of timing chain failure reportedly resulted in a sudden loss of engine power and stalling.odi also noted that certain my 2002-2003 saturn vue and my 2003 saturn ion model vehicles with the 2.2l engine vehiclescovered by a technical service bulletin (03-06-01-017) that addressed timing chain design and service procedure changes, exhibited no complaints of timing chain failure.odi will grant the petition and open a preliminary evaluation to assess the frequency, trend, scope and safety consequences associated with the alleged defect in the subject vehicles.refer to pe06-006. | ||||||
| PE06006 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 01/24/2006 | 06/06/2006 | TIMING CHAIN FAILURE | ||
| On december 12, 2005, odi received a defect petition (dp05-008) requesting the investigation of timing chain failures that could cause stalling in saturn vehicles equipped with the 2.2l (l61) engine. odi opened pe06-006 on january 24, 2006, with 24 vehicle owner complaints that alleged a broken timing chain caused the vehicle to stop operating.on april 12, 2006, odi received information from general motors (gm) concerning timing chain failures in approximately 412,000 model year (my) 2000 through 2003 saturn l-series and ion vehicles with 2.2l engines. gm's response included 1,020 owner complaints and field reports concerning timing chain failure, including 228 that alleged the failure caused the vehicle to stall while driving.gm also provided warranty claim data that showed 1,902 subject vehicles receiving timing chain repairs, including 261 which indicated that a stall while driving resulted from the failure.the gm complaints, field reports and warranty claims that did not contain sufficient information to determine that a stall while driving occurred were provided in the category other.gm stated that the majority of these incidents probably occurred while the vehicles were parked since the timing chain is more likely to break during high chain load situations, such as engine startup.gm's data showed elevated failure rates in approximately 20,500 my 2001 l-series vehicles produced during a four month period from november 2000 through february 2001.over one-third of gm's total complaints and field reports (34.3%) and warranty claims (38.2%) involved l-series vehicles built during the 4-month period, which are only about 5% of subject vehicle production.the timing chain failure rate in the vehicles built during this range is over 10 times greater than the remaining subject vehicle population. for the my 2001 l-series vehicles built during the 4-month period, the 36-month failure rate for repairs involving stall while driving is slightly under one percent.however, if the incidents coded as other are added, the 36-month failure rate rises to nearly five percent for those vehicles.odi and gm are continuing to assess the number of complaints and warranty claims coded by gm as other that involve incidents of stall while driving.gm's statistical modeling of the failure data initially concluded that the failure rates were declining with age and mileage for any set of warranty data analyzed (e.g., stall while driving, other or combined).however, subsequent analysis showed that the failure rates are increasing. based on the high complaint and warranty rates for timing chain failure in the 4-month production period for the my 2001 l-series vehicles, this investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis to further assess the frequency of stall incidents due to timing chain failures in those vehicles (ea06-009). | ||||||
| DP08002 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 06/18/2008 | 10/16/2008 | TIMING CHAIN FAILURE-STALL | ||
| On june 6, 2006, odi opened an investigation of timing chain failure resulting in engine stall while driving with no restart in approximately 20,514 model year (my) 2001 saturn l-series vehicles equipped with 2.2l engines (l61) built from november 2000 through february 2001 (ea06-009).the vehicles built during those months exhibited higher failure rates than similarly equipped vehicles built before and after.gm introduced a new timing chain design in production in may 2002.odi closed its investigation after gm initiated a safety recall on november 7, 2007 (recall 07v-519). on may 22, 2008, the north carolina consumers council (nccc) submitted a defect petition to odi requesting the expansion of recall 07v-519 to include all my 1999 through 2003 saturn l-series vehicles with 2.2l engines using the same timing chain design as the recalled population.the petition states that the nccc continues to receive complaints from consumers that have had a timing chain fail in vehicles built outside the production range covered by the recall.the petition also notes that odi has continued to receive complaints.since the closing of ea06-009 odi has received 80 new complaints from consumers who had a timing chain fail in a my 2000 through 2002 saturn l-series with the 2.2l engine that were not covered by recall 07v-519 and were built prior to the timing belt change in may 2002.the complaints describe the same failure mode as the recalled population where the timing chain can break suddenly and without warning, resulting in engine damage and loss of motive power.the defect petition has been granted. a preliminary evaluation (pe08-061) has been opened. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 02/17/2011 | |||
| When turning onto morganton road in fayetteville nc (high traffic area due to proximity of the mall) and attempting to accelerate, with traffic speed at approximately 25 mph, there was a pop followed by the car losing power. with no power it was extremely difficult to get the car off of the main road and into the bank parking lot. once the car was towed home a mechanic checked out the car and advised that the timing chain was the problem. the car is still sitting in the yard waiting to be repaired due to the cost. after researching i believe this to be the same problem as other saturn owners. the may 2002 l-series are equipped with the same faulty timing chain equipment as those vehicles included in the recall. | |||
| 04/11/2011 | 120000 | ||
| While driving 60mph in my 2002 saturn l200 lost all power on the i-5 freeway. i was somehow able to coast to the shoulder. i then had my car towed to a local shop. they said that the engine had a timing chain failure, and they may also need to replace the cyclinder head and pistons. this is very unsafe. lucky it happened to me and not my younger sister who is inexperienced with situations as above. there was a recall for the 2001 saturn l200 with the same 2.2l engine for timing chain problems. i dont know why they didnt include the 2002-2003 years as they all use the same defective parts from the factory. please issue a recall. we do not need anymore close calls as this one. i have serviced the engine oil every 3,000 miles since new. i even have receipts for proof. | |||
| 03/02/2011 | 142000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 saturn l200. while driving approximately 40 mph, the contact heard a clicking noise when the vehicle suddenly stalled without warning. the vehicle was towed to a local mechanic who informed the contact that the timing chain needed to be replaced and possibly the engine as well. the contact did not inform the dealer. the manufacturer advised the contact that her vehicle was not included in the previous recall. the vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. the current and failure mileage was 142,000. | |||
| 03/02/2011 | 142000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2002 saturn l200. while driving approximately 40 mph, the contact heard a clicking noise when the vehicle suddenly stalled without warning. the vehicle was towed to a private mechanic who informed the contact that the timing chain needed to be replaced and maybe the engine. the contact did not inform the dealer. the manufacturer advised the contact that her vehicle was not included in the previous recall. the vehicle had not been repaired due to cost. the current and failure mileages were 142,000. bw | |||
| 03/03/2011 | 56000 | ||
| Tl-the driver owns a 2002 saturn l200. the vehicle would not start. the vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop where the driver was told the timing chain broke and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 56,000. sm. | |||
| 01/24/2011 | 100000 | ||
| 2002 saturn died while driving and almost crashed. there is a recall for the 2001 gm 06074 that uses the same parts. | |||
| 03/18/2010 | 105000 | ||
| Timing chain failure resulting in loss of power. the car would not restart. fortunately the problem occurred at the end of a freeway entrance ramp where a wide shoulder was available to pull over and stop. | |||
| 10/06/2010 | 102000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2002 saturn l200. while driving approximately 30 mph there was a knocking sound coming from the engine. the contact pulled over to the side of the road and had the vehicle towed to the dealer. the technicians stated the engine needed to be replaced because the timing chain broke. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 102,000. ds | |||
| 12/02/2010 | 139000 | ||
| While driving vehicle stopped in traffic, had to be pushed home. had vehicle towed to former saturn of naperville dealership. was told timing chain was broke, cost to repair would be $4700.00 to $4900.00. had vehicle towed back to home garage. | |||
| 10/06/2010 | 102000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2002 saturn l200. while driving approximately 30 mph there was a knocking sound coming from the engine. the contact pulled over to the side of the road and had the vehicle towed to the dealer. the technicians stated the engine needed to be replaced because the timing chain broke. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 102,000. ds | |||
| 12/02/2010 | 139000 | ||
| While driving vehicle stopped in traffic, had to be pushed home. had vehicle towed to former saturn of naperville dealership. was told timing chain was broke, cost to repair would be $4700.00 to $4900.00. had vehicle towed back to home garage. | |||
| 09/09/2010 | 100000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2002 saturn l200 sedan. while driving approximately 30 mph the vehicle stalled. the contact stated the check engine light illuminated just before the failure occured. the contact attempted to restart the vehicle but it would not restart. the vehicle was towed to a local mechanic and the mechanic advised her that the timing chain needed replacing. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure and current mileage was 100,000. vwb | |||
| 03/07/2005 | 40000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 saturn l200. the contact attempted to start the vehicle and was unable to do so. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer who replaced the ignition cylinder according to recall 03v231000 (electrical system:ignition:module). the brake lights were inoperable and the timing chain failed without warning on a separate occasion. the dealer repaired the timing chain and the contact paid half of the repair cost. most recently, the powertrain control module and body control module suddenly failed. the vehicle had not been repaired. the vin was unavailable when the complaint was filed. the failure mileage was approximately 40,000. | |||
| 06/05/2006 | 82000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2002 saturn l200. the contact stated that while driving at speeds of 50 mph, the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who stated that the timing chain should have been replaced at 80,000 miles, which was the cause of the failure. the dealer replaced the original engine with a used one. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 82,000 and the current mileage was 134,000. | |||
| 03/18/2008 | 29000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2002 saturn l200. the contact was driving approximately 5mph and the vehicle completely stalled. the contact then got the vehicle towed to the dealer. dealer stated that it was the timing chain. the dealer repaired the vehicle at the contacts expense. the failure occured again less then 15,000 miles after getting the vehicle repaired. the contact went out to start the vehicle and it did not start. the vehicle was towed to local mechanic who stated it was the timing belt again. the vehicle was then towed to an authorized dealer. the vehicle is now at the dealership awaiting repairs.the approximate failure mileage was 29000 and the current mileage was 44000. the vin was unknown. | |||
| 12/20/2009 | 123000 | 1 | |
| While traveling on the road at approximately 50 mph my 2002 saturn l200 suddenly lost power and the steering wheel locked. fortunately traffic was light and the vehicle coasted into a parking lot. i have been advised by 2 different mechanics this is the result of a broken timing chain. the car was taken to a aaa repair shop and i am supposed to get a 3rd opinion diagnosis this week. *tr | |||
| 12/22/2009 | 88000 | 1 | |
| 2002 saturn l200 suddenly died while i was driving. it was dark out and a lot of traffic. didn't feel safe waiting in car for tow truck. had to stand on the side of the road in the dark in 10 degree weather. timing chain broke, damaged valves. getting a used engine = $2,000+. saturn said my vin # wasn't listed as being a part of the recall on the timing chains. doesn't make sense that some vin #s weren't included with the thousands that were recalled. *tr | |||
| 10/11/2009 | 100000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2002 saturn l200 sedan . while driving the vehicle stalled without any prior warnings. he was able to coast the vehicle to a nearby service shop. a technician discovered a fractured timing chain in the vehicle. he then added that there could be more damage to the vehicle and the pistons as a result of the failure. the manufacturer concluded that his vehicle identification number was excluded from recall # 07v519000 (engine and engine cooling), therefore he was ineligible for a free remedy. the current and failure mileages were under 100,000. | |||
| 08/24/2009 | 143000 | 1 | |
| I was driving along about 25 mph and my car just died steering and all would not work took it to garage timing chain broke which in turn bent all of the valves in this motor now car is shot it is a 2006 saturn l200 143000 miles on it i noticed that their was a recall on the 2001 but not the 2002 so i went online and searched the forums a found out that alot of 2002 saturns were prone to this problem. *tr | |||
| 06/17/2009 | 127321 | 1 | |
| I have a 2002 saturn l200. i was driving on a busy highway in the dallas area (i635). when suddenly my car stalled when i tried to accelerate and then idled to about 5 mph. i drove my vehicle to the access road where it died and the engine no longer turned. after diagnostic i am told that i was the timing chain. since i was driving on the highway my valves and engine heads cracked. now something that should have cost me $500 is now going to cost me $1500. i practically have to get a new engine. *tr | |||
| 06/08/2009 | 82000 | 1 | |
| I was driving on the highway at 55mph and my 2002 l200 saturn's engine stopped. no noises beforehand or warning lights. my mechanic told me the timing chain broke causing severe damage to the engine's cylinders. estimated cost is over $2,000. the car only has 82,000 miles on it. no crash or injuries occurred. *tr | |||
| 03/06/2009 | 78000 | 1 | |
| My husband was driving down the highway when the car shut down without warning. the vehicle would not start back up. he was able to get the car to the side of the road. he called a roadside service to give him a jump with no luck. the service tech informed him it was probably the timing chain. it was after hours so we had it towed to a garage. we were unable to find someone to look at the vehicle and could not afford to have it towed to the shop. i spoke with the dealership and they said if the vehicle stalled while driving most likely the cylinder head was damaged. we were finally able to get it towed to the dealership. they said the timing chain was out and the cylinder head needed replace along with some other repairs. the dealer informed us that our vehicle does not fall under the recall on previous models. the total cost would be $2527.84. we have not repaired this as of yet. i have researched all of the other complaints and all are similar and i believe this should be recalled. *tr | |||
| 08/18/2005 | 72863 | 1 | |
| On august 18, 2005 at 72,863 miles, i paid $2360.71 to have my timing chain replaced. not repaired but replaced due to its malfunction. the car had been serviced as dictated by saturn's maintenance schedule and via saturn of roswell prior to this issue. i have every receipt from each service appointment since i drove the car off the lot. i couldn't believe something this major went wrong with my vehicle at such an early point in time. the car simply quit running. the engine died and i could get no response from brake pressure or steering. luckily i was able to coast to the side of the road without causing harm or injury. i had the car towed back to saturn of roswell where they took 10 days to find the issue and when it was found they declined any warranty coverage or the opportunity to negotiate the price of the repair though i bought the car from them and had maintained the car with them. i was fortunate that my timing chain went out at 1:00 am on ga-400 with no traffic around me. at the average speed of 70 mph had this occurred at 1:00 pm or any other time with a greater level of traffic i or someone else would've been dead. my fear is that saturn is waiting for someone to die and only then will there be a mass recall for all vehicles not just a relatively isolated few. *tr | |||
| 04/24/2009 | 97000 | 1 | |
| I have a 2002 l200 saturn which has 97,000 miles. three days ago while i was driving the car on a city street the engine just shut off. luckily i was able to coast into an empty parking meter space. if this had happened a mere five minutes before, when i was on a traffic-packed interstate, i would have been in very serious trouble. my saturn was towed to the dealership and they explained that the timing chain had broke and damaged the engine cylinder heads. they stated it would cost me $2,800 to fix the damage. this makes me extremely upset as i bought this saturn brand new from a saturn dealership. i have taken very good care of this car and have performed all the saturn required maintenance in a timely fashion from the same saturn dealership. i feel that saturn should be held accountable for fixing this problem. i have performed some online research and there are many other individuals reporting timing chain or timing belt problems with their saturns. i know one recall (for the 2001 year i believe) is already in place. please start a recall for the other years as well. saturn needs to acknowledge that many individuals are being negatively impacted by these timing chain/belt problems. *tr | |||
| 04/16/2009 | 125000 | 1 | |
| Catastrophic timing chain failure. *tr | |||
| 04/17/2009 | 77000 | 1 | |
| Are you guys even hearing us??? what happened to me was just a few weeks ago. i was going to fix my problem and that was it.....but my problem ended up bigger that i thought and was costly!!!!! i read almost all of these complaints and they are saying one thing,,, timing chains are not supposed to break!!!!! ask a saturn mechanic when are you supposed to changed a timing chain? it's never!!!! ask,,please!!!! another thing is that the timing chain in the 2001 was recalled,, right??? listen closely,,,, that same chain was also used in the 2002!!!!!! but wasn't recalled???? why?? how many more stories do you need to know that we have a problem.... goto odi 10265182, 10255749, 1025270, 10234562, 10209272, 10186650 read them, there was a problem with the chain oiler.... it wouldn't let enough oil pass through to lubricate the timing chain... aka brass insert.... you wouldn't know because you took it to a saturn shop or your own. my uncle find mine, only because after reading all of the problems on the internet. i have 2002 l200 2.2 sedan and yes that brass insert in the chain oiler was in mine and i can prove it..... so i believe all you had the same thing........i do know we all had the same chain, which had a weak link in it...... it was recalled??? but not the 2002??? *tr | |||
| 04/07/2009 | 77000 | 1 | |
| Six days ago i was on my to work in my 2002 l-series200 2.2 liter that only has 77,000 miles on it when it just died on me. i was almost hit by another car cause i couldn't get out of traffic, so i had to pull into a ditch. that day my uncle helped me towed it back to his personal work shop cause he knows how to work on vehicles. he tried everything to find out what was wrong with without getting inside the engine, well it came to that. the timing chain is broke and he showed it to me and said he said it looks like this link was weak.. you can see how it was stretched, just that one.. and because of the chain breaking the chain oiler is broken also, the bolt holding it up was completely bent, so we think the chain hit it.. because of the warranty was already out we were going to fix it ourselves. i went to go get a timing chain and the chain oiler, but the clerk ask me if saturn had replaced your chain oiler? i told him no, and he asked me if my valves were bent because when the chain breaks that usually happens. so i asked my uncle and he went ahead to check and yes they were. so i went back to the car parts store and told them yes that the valves were bent.. i come to find out that there was a recall on the oiler because of a brass insert that in the oiler. but he said it was only for the 2001 not 2002. my uncle search around in the oil pan and he found pieces of the oiler along with a brass insert, so i think my car was also installed with part. so that's when i went home to get online to do research on this and found pictures of that recalled oiler, it look similar. and then i find out there are so many owners with this same year model that also had their timing chain broke.. i called saturn and they are not going to do nothing and plus i find out that there is an investigation on this matter. my car is still at my uncles shop and i kept all the broken pieces in hope saturn will help with this matter. *tr | |||
| 03/13/2009 | 79500 | 1 | |
| Please see #dp08002 this is the exact problem that my mechanic told me that i have. essentially, the timing chain components are poorly designed and create the need to replace the entire engineer when the timing belt components fail. *tr | |||
| 03/09/2009 | 78500 | 1 | |
| I had no pre-indication of this. 2002 saturn l200. purchased 6-2002. ~78,500 miles. date of incident: 3-9-09 @ 10:00am. my timing chain fell apart. it happened while i was driving. i was turning a corner and the stearing wheel locked. (the engine is quiet enough i couldn't hear it shut off). i managed to get to the side. saw the oil pressure light on & shut the car off. it then wouldn't start up & was towed home. my boyfriend is a mechanic & has been working on it. it was hard to find the problem, since the car was on at the time the valves stayed open, he thought it was the starter (-$200). the chain's pin fell out and has literally fallen apart. we have kept the chain thus far and will investigate if i am allowed any refund for the time, money and/or hassel of this. we are worried about pieces getting up into the engine and creating more problems with that, and looking into a new vehicle possibly. (having feedback on what to do now would be greatly appreciated. do we stop work and take it to a shop or continue to fix it? i need a car soon. are there other problems with this car? do you know of how i can get reimbursed? do you know what the chances are of pieces reaching the engine). *tr | |||
| 02/12/2009 | 93000 | 1 | |
| Timing chain broke at 93,000 miles. the engine suddenly lost power, luckily we were on a country road traveling about 30 miles per hour. will cost nearly $2000 to repair. *tr | |||
| 02/15/2006 | 59661 | 1 | |
| Car was purchased in november of 2004 used from saturn of fayetteville nc. in february of 2006 while entering highway my car suddenly shut down. i had vehicle towed to find that the timing chain was the problem. i had a used engine put in my vehicle which only lasted me just over a year and cost me over 1,800.00. in october of 2008 i went outside to start my vehicle to find it would not start, thinking that the battery was bad i replaced it, it was not the problem thinking it might be the spark plugs they were replaced as well. frustrated i had the vehicle towed to the place that replaced the first engine and again to my surprise guess what bad timing chain. i have had this vehicle for only 4 years still owing on this vehicle i am very frustrated. i have called saturn and i was informed that my vehicle was not under recall. i have been online to discover that i am not the only one with this horrible problem. *tr | |||
| 01/28/2009 | 97000 | 1 | |
| 1. events leading up to failure, none 2. the failure, timing chain link separates while car running, and will not restart. 3. have to replace timing chain. *tr | |||
| 01/04/2009 | 130000 | 1 | |
| My saturn l200 stopped in traffic. i had it towed to a mechanic and was told the timing chain was broken and saturn had added a part to the engine to get more oil or lubricant to this chain so it wouldn't brake. i have had my car at saturn dealerships and they have never mentioned this part that should be added. i called the local saturn dealership and was told they are replacing the engine in l100 models when the timing chain breaks, but not the l200's. the l100 and l200 have the same engine. *tr | |||
| 12/26/2008 | 100000 | 1 | |
| Timing chain failure. *tr | |||
| 12/23/2008 | 152000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 saturn l200. while driving 70 mph, he noticed a sudden jolt. he also experienced loss of acceleration and the steering column failure caused the steering wheel to lock. he was able to safely maneuver the vehicle to the emergency lane. there where no warning indicators prior to the failure. the vehicle was towed to the dealer, inspected and advised that the timing chain failed. the dealer stated that the repair cost would be $2,500.00. the repairs have not been performed. the contact will notify the manufacturer. the vin was unavailable. the failure and current mileages were 152,000. | |||
| 12/05/2008 | 80000 | 1 | |
| My car stalled on highway and would not start. had it towed to a local saturn dealer and they charged me $85 to diagnose the problem. it is a defected timing chain that destroyed my engine. the cost of repair will be over $3,000. my car is a 2002 series and does not fall under the recall for timing chain failure. we have contacted the main saturn headquarters in detroit to voice our complaint and waiting to see what can be done with this car defect. *tr | |||
| 10/07/2008 | 84000 | 1 | |
| Driving on the highway, the engine quit (stopped running and decelerated). i have had it checked and been told that the timing chain failed and the pressures inside the engine are bad. spoke with saturn and was told if i repaired it and there was a subsequent recall like the oct. 2008 complaint, i would be reimbursed. *tr | |||
| 11/18/2008 | 107000 | 1 | |
| I was driving on the highway at +/- 18:50, on november 18th 2008 with my 2002 saturn l200 when the engine suddenly stalled or cut out. i had to quickly try and switch lanes to get to the right-hand side of the highway while the car was losing speed. when the car stopped i tried to start it again but to no avail. i called my insurance company to have the vehicle towed to the nearest saturn dealership i.e. saturn of plano. the next morning i phoned the dealership to confirm that my car was there and that i would like them to investigate what is wrong. they phoned back explaining that my timing chain had broke and that it there is a very good chance that my valves where damaged and a 50/50 chance that my pistons were damaged as well. they can't tell exactly what might be damaged until they open the engine which is going to cost me $800 (on top of the investigation charges etc). they said i have 2 options: 1) let them open the engine and determine to see what is damaged of which the outcome might be: a. valves are damaged - replace engine head for at least $2491 b. pistons are damaged - replace engine with second hand for at least $3800 or 2) replace the engine from the beginning then i won't have to fork out the initial $800 and it would only cost me at least $3800 when i asked what i could have done to prevented this the answer was: nothing and that the chains normally last longer than 100,000 (i think my mileage on the car now stands at about 104,000). i serviced my car at least 3 times at that dealership in the past 12 months and have forked out about +/- $3000 already in the last 12 months - so spending another $3000 or more doesn't sound like a worthy investment. the thing that upsets me is the fact they don't mention that hundreds of other people have experienced similar issues and offer to fix it. their customer service said that i should first pay the $800 for investigation before they could comment on possible assistance etc. yet it is their fault. *tr | |||
| 08/25/2008 | 99011 | 1 | |
| Was driving at about 25-30 mph and the engine stalled and would not restart. created an immediate traffic hazard in rush hour traffic and could not move off curbed roadway. towed to repair where diagnosis is broken timing chain. after researching on the internet found recall on 2001 version of same vehicle. now i read there is an investigation and same concerns in 1999-2003 versions of this vehicle. i also read that saturn is claiming these would probably happen when the car is in park due to heavy load on chain at that time. mine failed at approximately 25-30 mph! i also read that in reopening this case the nhtsa is especially interested in the number of these failures in years other than 2001 in which the vehicle was on the road. mine fits this situation. my car is being repaired but i believe that saturn should pay the bill as my engine is the same one that is recalled just a year later. saturn didn't know about this problem in 2002 so why would they have made a change in the engine? saturn obviously knows this is the tip of the iceberg and is hoping to get by with a one-year recall when it should be more. i have maintained timely maintenance of my 2002 saturn with routine work (oil changes, etc). the vehicle has 99,000 miles on it. *tr | |||
| 08/20/2008 | 90000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 saturn l200. while driving approximately 65 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. the dealer stated that the engine's timing chain failed and needed to be replaced at the cost of $3,000. the manufacturer stated that because his model year was not affected by nhtsa campaign id number 07v519000 (engine and engine cooling), they would only assume partial financial responsibility. the contact is in the process of having the vehicle repaired. the failure and current mileages were 90,000. | |||
| 07/19/2008 | 86756 | 1 | |
| I was driving on the pennsylvania turnpike at 65 mph at night. when suddenly i heard a noise in the engine and the car immediately starting slowing down. i nearly was involved in accident with two tractor trailers trying to make to the side of the road. this is the first time i had a timing belt brake. i took the car to saturn, they replaced the head asm,core-head, gasket as, chain pgk, seal asm, bolt asm, gasket-en, bolt-6, and bolt hv. the total repair cost was $2,780.34. *tr | |||
| 07/10/2008 | 60000 | 1 | |
| 2002 saturn l 200 had complete engine failure while on route 197 and car stopped in middle of road and wouldn't restart. car has about 60k miles on it. fortunately my daughter was able to get the car off the road. problem was found to be timing chain failure with destruction of the engine. saturn reviewed our maintenance record, deemed it excellent and said it would cost me only $3500 to get a rebuilt engine put in. they refused to acknowledge any problem with timing chain. i am reluctantly going forward with repair because i can't afford a new car now, but i think this problem could lead to more serious consequences for other drivers and timing chain problem in all l200 should prompt recall. *tr | |||
| 06/19/2008 | 37157 | 1 | |
| I have a 2002 saturn l200 with 37157 - the timing chain snapped on a major highway at 60 mph. i called saturn who said this is not covered in any way. *tr | |||
| 12/29/2007 | 71000 | 1 | 10/24/2001 |
| I was driving to champaign traveling about 60 mph when the saturn l200 died. the steering wheel locked and i was lucky to make it to the side of the road. i had my kids with me and they were terrified! i had the car towed to saturn of champaign. they called and told me that the timing chain had broken. i was shocked because it totaled the engine. it was just after christmas and i had no money. saturn told me i needed a new engine $2700. i had to get a loan for the repairs which has caused more financial problems. i just found out that they new there was a problem with the part and said nothing! *tr | |||
| 09/07/2006 | 104600 | 1 | 12/29/2001 |
| Driving down the road, the engine stopped running.the vehicle was coasted to the side of the road. vehicle would not restart. investigation revealed that timing chain broke.*cn | |||
| 12/28/2007 | 79750 | 1 | 03/01/2005 |
| I had told my saturn dealership approximately 6 months ago about a rattling noise under the hood of my l-200 (2002). they told me it was probably just the normal noise that this car makes when it first starts. the noise continued, but only at start-up. i brought it in recently for a regular oil change and no problems were noted. the next day the timing chain broke. it seems that this is quite a common problem with these cars and it is frustrating and puzzling to me that the dealership did not investigate further when i first reported the problem. *tr | |||
| 12/01/2007 | 65000 | 1 | 06/26/2002 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 saturn l200. while driving 65 mph, the engine stalled and would not restart. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and they stated that the timing chain link separated. there is a recall for the engine and engine cooling (nhtsa campaign id # 07v519000) however, the dealer stated his vin was not included. the dealer stated that they would pay 50% of the repair cost. the contact felt that his vehicle should be included as part of the recall. the current and failure mileages were 65,000. | |||
| 12/09/2007 | 64000 | 1 | 08/25/2005 |
| 2002 saturn l-200. timing chain failure at highway speeds. 64,000 miles. dealer was trying to blame lack of maintenance until i proved regular oil changes. i understand this is a recurring problem with the saturn twin cam engine. why do the dealers try to blame the owners? my car is being repaired, but i feel they tried to avoid the coverage on the extended plan. *tr | |||
| 11/11/2007 | 39200 | 1 | 12/17/2001 |
| Time chain on an l200 saturn (my 2002) after only 39,000 miles of usage. i had just parked the vehicle, and when restarting, the chain broke. prior to this, i was hearing valve noise, but fortunately i pulled the automobile into a parking space. the breakage of the timing chain resulted in a complete destruction of the valves, chain, etc. and required full replacement and repair. this included the head, valves, chain, tensioner, sprockets, etc. saturn indicated that a newly designed chain tensioner would be replaced during this repair and should prevent future failures. this redesigned part was supposed to correct a deficiency in oil delivery to the chain. importantly, i had my vehicle serviced regularly by the saturn dealer with all recommended oil changes, etc. *tr | |||
| 06/30/2007 | 38800 | 1 | 09/12/2001 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 saturn l200. while proceeding through a green light at 5 mph, the vehicle shut off in the middle of the intersection. the failure occurred without warning. while the vehicle coasted, the contact was able to turn the steering wheel to the right and pull over. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed the cause of failure as the timing chain. the dealer found other related failures as well. the contact paid $3,000 for the repair. the powertrain was unknown. the current mileage is 38,850 and failure mileage was 38,800. | |||
| 06/09/2007 | 78000 | 1 | |
| My 18 year old daughter was driving our 2002 saturn l200 with 2.2 4 cylinder on saturday june 8, 2007 through an extremely busy intersection of interstate route 93 and montvale avenue in stoneham massachusetts when the engine suddenly and without warning shut down, leaving her stranded in the middle of the intersection fortunately following vehicles were abel to swerve around her. the car was towed to saturn of medford ,and i am awaiting final determination of problem ,but i suspect that the timing chain broke. i understand that there have been many other complaints regarding similar situations with saturns and i would like to be added to this list. if saturn has been aware of this probelm, it is irresponsible that we were not notified of such a problem. my daughter is very lucky! i had called the dealership last week to have a tapping noise checked out and they scheduled me for next tuesday and made no mention on the phone that this could be such a serious problem.*ak | |||
| 02/08/2007 | 65000 | 4 | 03/15/2006 |
| 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. *jb | |||
| 01/01/2007 | 74000 | 1 | 09/29/2001 |
| Engine timing chain failure; 2002 saturn automobile, 74,000 miles. *jb | |||
| 08/13/2006 | 1 | ||
| 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. *jb | |||
| 07/01/2006 | 7400 | 1 | 04/30/2002 |
| 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 nhtsa 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. *jb | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 07/15/2011 | 156000 | ||
| During normal driving on i-35 in dallas, vehicle died, driver was able to coast to side of road. after towing vehicle, it was determined that timing chain had snapped. after determining engine was interference model & viewing nhtsa campaign id number: 07v519000 i called saturn to determine if the 2002 was covered under this. saturn replied it was not. not repaired yet but awaiting further inspection to determine if entire engine must be replaced of if damaged head can be rebuilt. lower end will also have to be inspected and possibly repaired if head is rebuilt. | |||
| 06/25/2011 | 124000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2002 saturn l-200. the contact stated while driving 40 mph the vehicle stalled in the middle of the highway. there was no warning light illuminating before all power to the vehicle shuts off. the vehicle was pulled to the side of the road and would not restart; it had to be towed to her home. a mechanic looked at the vehicle and informed contact it was the timing chain which needs to be replaced. the manufacturer was contacted and stated there are no recalls for her vehicle failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 124,000...mw | |||
| 04/11/2011 | 120000 | ||
| While driving 60mph in my 2002 saturn l200 lost all power on the i-5 freeway. i was somehow able to coast to the shoulder. i then had my car towed to a local shop. they said that the engine had a timing chain failure, and they may also need to replace the cyclinder head and pistons. this is very unsafe. lucky it happened to me and not my younger sister who is inexperienced with situations as above. there was a recall for the 2001 saturn l200 with the same 2.2l engine for timing chain problems. i dont know why they didnt include the 2002-2003 years as they all use the same defective parts from the factory. please issue a recall. we do not need anymore close calls as this one. i have serviced the engine oil every 3,000 miles since new. i even have receipts for proof. | |||
| 02/07/2011 | 83000 | ||
| Driving along highway 610 in montgomery county, va at approximately 45 mph before a large, sweeping turn, my 2002 saturn l200 lost power. power steering and power brakes were lost and the car headed towards a guardrail. i was able to pull the parking brake and skid to a stop just outside of the ditch. the timing chain broke, at 83,000 miles, catastrophically. a recall on the same engine and timing chain configuration was issued on 2001 saturn l200s, but for no apparent reason not on the 2002 saturn. complete loss of power unexpectedly with routine oil changes and maintenance is very dangerous and caused me to loose control of the vehicle. | |||
| 01/01/2011 | 141000 | ||
| As i drove, up hill, while using the speed control feature, the engine began to rev high rpms. it then jerked and began to overheat. i was able to slowly drive it to a safe location and then have it towed to a repair facility. at the repair facility i was told it was a timing chain issue. i began researching the issue and found a recall had been issued for that issue for the 2001 saturn l200. nhtsa campaign id number : 07v519000 gm recall number:06074 i then read that the north carolina consumer council petitioned (nhtsa action number : dp08002) to have the recall expanded to include all 1999 to 2003 saturn vehicles that used the same timing chain. | |||
| 08/26/2010 | 74958 | ||
| The timing chain on my 2002 l200 with 75,000 miles snapped while driving lost control, but was able to guide the vehicle to the shoulder of the road with out being hit thankfully. there was a recall for the 2001 model but the 2002 was never issued. | |||
| 05/04/2010 | 154500 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 saturn l200. while driving at approximately 65 mph, the contact noticed clicking noises from the engine area and the vehicle suddenly stalled. he was able to pull to the side of the road. the vehicle was towed to a repair shop where he was informed that there was damage to the valve, piston and timing chain. the contact called the dealership and was told that there were no recalls for the vehicle. the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. the current and failure mileages were approximately 154,500. | |||
| 03/28/2010 | 113000 | ||
| I have a 2002 l200 saturn it has the same engine as the 2001 that has a recall on the timing chain. i have had the same problem occur. saturn is not acknowledging the problem that obviously is still there. there needs to be a investigation on this problem. a quick search pulls up a lot of people that have had the same problem. the timing chain broke while starting the car in my driveway. it is currently at the shop to look at the extent of the problem. | |||
| 01/22/2010 | 170000 | 1 | |
| 2002 saturn l200 stalled at 55mph and did not restart. saturn diagnosed broken timing chain which destroyed motor. *tr | |||
| 01/21/2010 | 102104 | 1 | |
| I went outside to get in my car this morning which started right away. after shifting into first i began to take off when the car stalled only getting about 2 feet forward. push car back toward the curb and attempted to jump the car with my sisters. then tried to charge the battery, after all of this failed, we called the local mechanic over and said the timing chain had snapped.. 3200 repair. i'm not ready to search for a new car but lately it's been one thing after another with this car i used to love. at this point no repairs have been made. this should be recalled!!!!!!!!! *tr | |||
| 01/21/2010 | 75000 | 1 | |
| Today, while traveling 70 mph (on cruise control) on a busy interstate, my 2002 saturn l200 (with 75,000 miles) started losing all power, making it difficult to control the car. luckily i was able to get over to the median and waited for a tow truck. the dashboard lights showing oil and battery were lit up before turning the car off. not knowing what was wrong, i tried starting the car twice, both times resulting in the car not turning over. after running diagnostic tests on the car, aaa found out the timing chain snapped. at this point, no repairs have been made, as i am waiting on quotes from various mechanics. *tr | |||
| 10/11/2009 | 67000 | ||
| The timing chain on my 2002 saturn l200 stretched and destroyed the motor. the car has only 67,000 miles on it. the car would simply not start in my driveway, had it towed, to a mechanic in my town, iowa city, ia. i contacted saturn-- they didn't offer to repair-- but suggested that i have the car towed the 40 miles to a former dealer to have it 'diagnosed' i decided this was not much of an offer! the mechanic here in my town has located a user motor with 47,000 miles and has quoted $2,500 to fix it. however, now i am concerned that the motor he has ordered will also have this timing chain defect. to replace the timing chain on the new motor will be an additional $500. total> $3,000. given that the car has to be safe for me and more importantly my children, i have no choice but to proactively fix the replacement motor. what a mess! *tr | |||
| 10/13/2009 | 87000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 saturn l200. after coming to a complete stop the contact attempted to accelerate and noticed that the vehicle suddenly shut off. a local mechanic informed the contact that the timing chain was broken and needed to be replaced. there were no prior warnings and the current and failure mileages were 87000. | |||
| 07/09/2009 | 64100 | 1 | |
| I have a saturn l200 with the 2.2l engine and 64,100 mile on it. while driving home from work on july 9 2009, my timing chain broke. i had just cleared an intersection and the car fortunately had enough momentum for me to pull off the road. the was no prior warning before the chain broke. the engine required extensive repairs. the valves were bent and the cylinder head was wrecked. all told with parts and labor, the bill came to $2,142.33. *tr | |||
| 09/09/2009 | 130000 | 1 | 11/12/2001 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 saturn l200. while driving approximately 20 mph on normal road conditions; the engine stalled without warning. the engine failed to restart after several attempts. roadside assistance towed the vehicle to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing. the technician stated that the failure was contributed to to a broken timing chain. the vehicle was repaired for the malfunction at an estimated cost of $3800.00. the contact had concerns of the safety risk involved. the failure mileage was 130,000. the current mileage was 131,000. updated 12/7/09 *cn updated 12/08/09.*jb | |||
| 05/20/2009 | 90000 | 1 | |
| I was driving about 60 mph on the highway and felt a jerk. the engine died and i had to quickly move over to the side of the highway. turns out the timing chain broke. the auto repair shop said that the engine valves were bent. total repair cost would be around $3,500. *tr | |||
| 04/26/2009 | 92000 | 1 | |
| My 2002 l200 has 92,000 miles. i was driving 70 mph on a crowded 5 lane interstate in the far left lane when my engine suddenly stopped. there were no strange noises or smells involved, nor was there any smoke. the rpm meter went down to zero. thankfully, the electrical system worked fine and so did the brakes. i put on my hazard blinker and was somehow able to coast my way over to the shoulder. it is a miracle that no one hit me. the mechanic informed me that the timing chain had broken and that it had possibly also damaged the valves, so i would have to replace the engine. the cost to repair would be about $3500. that is about the same as the value of the car, so i had a difficult time deciding whether to do the repair or sell the car as is. the junkyard offered me $150 + free tow. i kept hearing from different mechanics that it is very rare for a timing chain to break. i did some further research looking for a replacement engine and was told they couldn't even keep the engine for this model in stock because the timing chain break happens so often. then i found out that there was a recall on the 2001, but not 2002, even though the 2002 has the same design flaw. i could hardly believe it. at a minimum, i feel that saturn should have notified me that this was a concern for my model of car, even if they didn't do a recall. flying down the highway is the worst time to find out about such a defect. had i known, i would have been able to have been proactive. please extend the recall to avoid any future disasters. *tr | |||
| 01/05/2009 | 111000 | 1 | |
| Timing chain failed on 2002 l200 with 111k miles on it. car has been well maintained with no major defects or complaints. this was a very unsafe situation as the engine completely stalled and would not restart. i was able to maneuver into a parking lot safely without involving any other vehicles or pedestrians. the car is currently in the shop for repair and it has been determined that not only did the timing chain fail but the hydraulic tensioner has completely come loose and ended up in the oil pan. so far the repair, including the labor and chain kit, will run around $1500 if there is no other damage caused by the failure. i am having mechanic keep old parts since there is currently a preliminary evaluation underway. i want my parts available should they be needed. since there was a recall on the 2001 model with the same engine and timing chain component i feel there should have been one on all models with this same engine/chain combination! *tr | |||
| 12/21/2008 | 69000 | 1 | |
| Re. 2002 saturn l200 model w/2.2 4cyl. engine...vehicle suddenly stopped and would not restart....i had to have the vehicle towed in to a local garage where the problem was diagnosed as a broken timing chain.....i have 69,000 miles on the vehicle and have maintained the correct maintenance procedures.....saturn has been issued a tsb in 2003 regarding a replacement oil nozzle to facilitate the oiling of the timing chain....i plan on contacting my local saturn dealer regarding this manner and plan on going higher up with the complaint if necessary....i am not a happy camper over this and hold saturn entirely responsible for this problem. sincerely, bonnie l. krueger *tr | |||
| 11/26/2008 | 97000 | 1 | |
| My wife's car quit running suddenly. we had it towed to the dealer who reported that the timing chain had broken and repairs would cost $3200, indicating additional damage besides the broken chain. there was no accident, nor were there any injuries. we purchased the car new from the dealer and have had all recommended maintenance performed by the dealer. the car has ~97000 miles on the original engine. *tr | |||
| 08/25/2008 | 165000 | 1 | |
| Timing chain on 2002 l200 sedan with 2.2 l engine broke while traveling on interstate at 65 mph, causing vehicle to stall and refuse to start. this car had not had any problems prior to the unexpected break. luckily, it was very early in the morning (6:10 am) and traffic was minimal. i did manage to get the car to the edge of the road safely. if this had happened at a busier time, my life would have been in danger. in addition to the timing chain needing replacement, all valves and the head needed to be replaced. car has been in the shop for a week and cost is estimated to be at least $ 2,500.00. blue book price for this car is $ 4,165.00. *tr | |||
| 07/10/2008 | 48500 | 1 | |
| My 2002 saturn l200, purchased from saturn of schaumburg in december of 2005, no longer runs because of a 'serious design flaw in the timing chain mechanism'. the vehicle has only about 48,000 miles on it and the timing chain broke while i was driving. this caused the valves in the engine to bend. i was told by saturn of schaumburg that this problem did not effect my make or year, only 2001 vehicles. i was further told that this problem 'hardly ever happened with the l-series' however, upon further investigation i discovered that the timing chain assembly used in the recalled vehicles was also used in model year 1999 through 2003 saturn l-series vehicles with 2.2 liter engines, which would include my vehicle. i got this information from consumer affairs. i also found that saturn has repaired 2,932 vehicles under warranty because of timing chain failures and there are another 890 consumer complaints regarding this problem. when i called with this new information i was told that i had to tow my disabled vehicle to saturn for their diagnosis at additional cost to myself before they could tell me if any of the cost of repair (estimated at $2,272.00 by an independent mechanic) would be covered by saturn. i also spoke to tim in saturn's customer service center, who said he would try to get the diagnosis charged waived, but probably wouldn't be able to. he also informed me that since i purchased the vehicle used, if saturn did decide to cover something it was highly unlikely that they would cover 100%. *tr | |||
| 03/11/2008 | 126000 | 1 | |
| Timing chain failure on my vehicle caused the car to stop suddenly while driving around 65mph on a highway. the saturn technician said my chain 'snapped in two' and caused damage to the head. after brief research i found that this is a common issue with the ecotec engine in the saturn l-series from 2000-2003. saturn was very unwilling to help or accept any sort of responsibility. *tr | |||
| 12/18/2007 | 101845 | 1 | |
| My wife was driving our 2001 saturn l200 to work at highway speed when the engine stalled and would not restart. she was able to coast to the side of the road without causing a collision. diagnosis by a gm mechanic found that the timing chain had broken, causing 6 exhaust valves to bend. we are currently pursuing our options for repair. *tr | |||
| 01/14/2008 | 79000 | 1 | |
| Our 2002 l200 saturn had the timing chain fail at aprox 79,000 miles. cost to repair this was $2973.15 that is including the cost of towing o the dealer. the timing chain should not of failed at 79,000 miles. they need to include 2002 l200's in the recall that they already have on the 2001 l series cars for the timing chain on those. there is obviously a problem with the 2002's as i have read many others with this year having the same problem. *tr | |||
| 02/02/2007 | 1 | 09/11/2002 | |
| Saturn l200 2.2 ecotec - timing chain failed while at highway speed on route 2 in lincoln ma. drifted to stop on side of road. the engine was ruined and required replacement. *tr | |||
| 08/08/2007 | 50000 | 1 | 06/04/2006 |
| On august 8, 2007 i was driving on the highway with my son in the back seat traveling 65 miles per hour when the power to my car cut off and my wheellocked in position. lucky for my i happened to be in the lane closet to the side of the road and was able to safetly exit the road. i then brought my car to my trusted mechanic to find out that my timing chain snapped and i did extenstive damage to my car that i only bought 1year prior in june of 2006 from a saturn dealership. i had to pay $2400 to get my car repaired and had no vehicle to use for 2 weeks. i am a single mother who thought she bought a reliable car. i couldn't afford to pay the damages to my car and had to borrow money. my nexy step is to contact saturn to complain. *tr | |||
| 08/29/2007 | 100000 | 1 | 09/01/2003 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 saturn l200. while driving 10 mph, the vehicle shut off and there was a total loss of power. the contact crashed into a curb. the dealer stated that the timing chain failed. as of september 4, 2007, the dealer had not repaired the vehicle. the vin was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 100,000. | |||
| 03/10/2006 | 65000 | 2 | 10/11/2001 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 saturn l200. while driving 60 mph the engine stalled and would not restart. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and they stated that the timing belt broke and damaged the engine. the engine was replaced however approximately 10,000 miles later the timing belt broke and damaged the engine again. the failure mileage was 65,000 the current mileage was 74,000. | |||
| 08/01/2006 | 80000 | 1 | 12/16/2004 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 saturn l200. while driving 30 mph, the vehicle stalled and completely shut off. the vehicle failed to restart and was towed to a mechanic. the cause of failure was diagnosed as the timing chain. saturn has been notified and the vehicle will soon be towed to the saturn dealer. the current and failure mileages were 80,000. *updated 12/12/07 *bf updated 12/12/07 *tr | |||
| 06/01/2007 | 75000 | 1 | 09/01/2002 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 saturn l200. while driving 20 mph, the vehicle shut off without warning. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who stated that the timing chain had failed. the dealer replaced the timing chain and the valves. the current and failure mileages were 75,000. the valves were bent. updated 08/07/07. *jb | |||
| 06/17/2007 | 67000 | 1 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 saturn l200. while driving 65 mph, the vehicle suddenly lost power. there were no warning lights present. the contact was able to pull off the road. the vehicle failed to restart and was towed. the weather was clear and approximately 90 degrees. the purchase date was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 67,000. | |||
| 05/28/2007 | 54000 | 1 | 06/25/2006 |
| Premature timing chain failure on my 2002 saturn l200. i have a 2002 saturn l200 with 54000 miles on it and the timing chain went out this morning with no warning. i was driving to work this morning on the express way when, without any warning, the engine stalled. i thought i was going to get hit by the semi behind me. fortunately he was able to slow down and avoid me as i pulled off the road. i had a mechanic check the car out and he said it was the timing chain. i was informed that the engine might have to be replaced. after reading a number of other people with the same problem, i decided to file this complaint. when will something be done about this problem? saturn should be forced to recall these cars and fix the problem at there own expense. does someone have to die before something is done about this problem? *tr | |||
| 05/11/2007 | 36361 | 1 | 08/01/2006 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 saturn l200. while driving 35 mph, the vehicle stopped without warning. there was light rain at the time of the incident. the failure and current mileage was 36,361. updated 02-01-08. *kb the timing chain failed. updated | |||
| 03/25/2007 | 97000 | 1 | |
| The timing chain broke on the 2002 saturn l200 while driving , not at start up while parked . we were driving at 30 mph on a secondary road when it happened so we avoided a collision or other physical mishap. as we have learned has been the case with dozens of other saturn, the chain breakage caused significant damage to the upper engine components, e.g., valves. thus, the repair cost was far greater than it should have been, had the engine been designed well. one need not be an automotive engineer to conclude that saturn has produced several models with a major design flaw in the engine, and that this flaw was potentially dangerous. those unfortunate enough to own such a model, and to those driving on our nation's highways and byways.*ak | |||
| 03/09/2007 | 64000 | 1 | 03/15/2006 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 saturn l200. while driving 20 mph the contact felt a loss of power and the vehicle shut off. the vehicle became immobile ,and the contact was unable to drive it. the mechanic informed the contact that the timing chain broke. the timing chain assembly was replaced. however; the vehicle still would not operate properly. the mechanic also stated that the intake valves needed to be replaced. the vehicle was towed to a saturn dealer, and the intake valves were replaced. there have not been any occurrences since the replacement of the intake valves. the contact felt that saturn should have replaced components listed on service bulletin # 03-06-01-017. also, the contact filed case number sr1-23172743 with saturn. the current and failure mileage were 64000. *ak update *4/23/07 *tr | |||
| 01/16/2007 | 111200 | 1 | 10/01/2001 |
| 2002 saturn l200 with 111,000 miles. i had a total loss of power while driving down a state road. mechanic said it was the timing chain. possibly damage the engine as well . *ak | |||
| 03/08/2007 | 75000 | 1 | 03/01/2002 |
| Timing chain broke on my 2002 saturn l200 at 75000 miles. *jb | |||
| 02/24/2007 | 57000 | 1 | 05/12/2006 |
| 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. *jb | |||
| 01/09/2007 | 61800 | 1 | 11/06/2001 |
| 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. *nm | |||
| 05/23/2006 | 67370 | 1 | 10/14/2004 |
| Nhtsa #: 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. *jb | |||
| 09/21/2006 | 1 | 06/01/2002 | |
| 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. *nm | |||
| 05/17/2006 | 77000 | 1 | 03/10/2002 |
| 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 nhtsa not taken action to require saturn to recall and fix this problem? how many deaths will it take to warrant a recall? *nm | |||
| 09/07/2005 | 46000 | 1 | 10/16/2001 |
| This is in regards to my 2002 l200 saturn 4-door sedan, vin no- 1g8ju54f72y534891 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 | |||
| 03/09/2006 | 59414 | 1 | 05/23/2003 |
| 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. *nm | |||
| 03/16/2006 | 80677 | 1 | 04/17/2003 |
| 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. *jb | |||
| 03/12/2006 | 65000 | 1 | 10/08/2001 |
| 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.*jb | |||
| 03/09/2003 | 28000 | 20 | 03/08/2003 |
| 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 - *nm | |||
| 06/23/2004 | 19443 | 7 | |
| 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. *sc | |||
| 06/23/2005 | 51500 | 1 | 04/30/2002 |
| 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 | |||
| 06/18/2005 | 53000 | 1 | 10/06/2001 |
| 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. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 06/28/2007 | 75000 | 1 | 08/01/2002 |
| The 2002 saturn l200 just quit running yesterday while on the pennsylvania turnpike. when i had it towed to the dealership they told me that the timing chain had broke, and that it was likely that other severed, and costly engine damge occurred as a result. in searching the internet i have found many other owners of saturns with the similar experiences. as i was running at 65 mph on the turnpike, a sudden loss of engine power could have caused a major accident. *ak | |||
| 10/12/2006 | 57900 | 1 | 11/11/2001 |
| 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. *jb | |||
| 11/24/2005 | 28800 | 1 | |
| 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. *jb | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | |||
| 07/19/2009 | 67000 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 06/10/2009 | 80000 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 06/15/2008 | 60000 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 04/28/2007 | 54000 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 07/12/2005 | 51000 | 1 | 04/15/2002 |
| 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 | |||
| 12/30/2006 | 67428 | 1 | 09/14/2001 |
| 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. *jb | |||
| 10/06/2006 | 51406 | 1 | 03/29/2002 |
| 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 | |||
| 08/14/2006 | 78000 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 04/26/2006 | 42000 | 1 | 12/09/2004 |
| 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 | |||
| 03/15/2006 | 38182 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 03/17/2006 | 49002 | 1 | 11/15/2001 |
| 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. *jb | |||
| 03/11/2006 | 31000 | 1 | |
| 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. | |||
| 08/08/2005 | 58896 | 1 | 03/03/2003 |
| 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 | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||
| 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. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL | |||
| 04/07/2004 | 1 | ||
| 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. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - CATALYTIC CONVERTOR | |||
| 03/03/2005 | 56423 | 4 | 11/18/2004 |
| This vehicle has had 3 catalytic converters replaced. the first one when the car was made, second one was installed 09/17/2004, which was put on backwards by the dealership, which caused my exhaust manifold to crack in several places and the third catalytic converter was installed on 03/03/2005, six months after the second one. i have strong exhaust fumes inside my vehicle. i have asked the saturn dealership why so many converters are having to be replaced and they tell me it's either cheap gas or lack of tune-ups. they want $2,000.00 to replace the manifold and another converter. also, my head lights keep flickering. i am the second owner of this car, so when i started having problems with it, i had the dealership do a history summary on the vehicle and noticed the first owner had the same problems that never had been resolved. *tr | |||
| 10/14/2003 | 2 | 10/01/2001 | |
| Ignition control module and catalytic converter failure. car would not run. *tr | |||
| 09/30/2004 | 2 | ||
| Electronic ignition and catalytic converter went out. car would not operate. *tr | |||
| 12/25/2005 | 64000 | 1 | 04/30/2002 |
| 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. *nm | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | |||
| 03/03/2005 | 56423 | 4 | 11/18/2004 |
| This vehicle has had 3 catalytic converters replaced. the first one when the car was made, second one was installed 09/17/2004, which was put on backwards by the dealership, which caused my exhaust manifold to crack in several places and the third catalytic converter was installed on 03/03/2005, six months after the second one. i have strong exhaust fumes inside my vehicle. i have asked the saturn dealership why so many converters are having to be replaced and they tell me it's either cheap gas or lack of tune-ups. they want $2,000.00 to replace the manifold and another converter. also, my head lights keep flickering. i am the second owner of this car, so when i started having problems with it, i had the dealership do a history summary on the vehicle and noticed the first owner had the same problems that never had been resolved. *tr | |||
| 08/20/2007 | 56500 | 1 | 03/01/2003 |
| While driving, once car was warm, i started hearing a loud whistling noise from under the hood. mechanic ran an emissions test and determined that i needed to replace the intake manifold gasket. i decided to take the car to a saturn dealer, although i had no more warranty. i was informed that once they installed the gasket, the problem was worse and the car was now undriveable as the manifold itself was warped and needed to be replaced (including another gasket as the 1st was damaged by trying to install it on a warped manifold). the car has apx 58,000 miles. service manager said he had never seen one do this before and only explanation for it happening was extreme heat, yet this engine has never overheated; oil is changed as soon as light comes on. lucky i did not incur major damage to other parts or the engine (after reading this website i am waiting for the timing belt to go. why no recall on this??) *tr | |||