Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||||
| 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 | ||||||
| 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. | ||||||
| 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). | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 10/30/2008 | 74500 | ||
| Engine began having a slow knocking noise, prior to that i would hear a noise of the chain slapping, which i was explained to by saturn that this was normal in my vehicle. drove the vehicle home then while i was parking, heard a loud bang and when i got out - there was oil gushing from underneath. parked the car and have not repaired it since... was just doing research now to replace the engine and found that finally there was another round of recalls regarding the engine. i have asked my saturn dealer before about this (while they were still in business) and was told that only specific years were covered... | |||
| 08/24/2011 | 95000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2000 saturn ls1. while driving approximately 65 mph, the vehicle stalled and failed to restart. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who advised that the timing chain fractured. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer had not been notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 95,000. the vin was unavailable. kmj | |||
| 08/24/2011 | 95000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2000 saturn ls1. while driving approximately 65 mph, the engine loss complete power and failed to restart. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who stated the timing chain broke. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer had not been notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 95,000. the vin was unavailable. js | |||
| 11/23/2009 | 80000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2000 saturn ls1. while driving approximately 30 mph the engine stalled without warning. the driver was able to pull over to the side of the road. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer for inspection. the timing chain fractured. the technician recommended that the engine be replaced. the vehicle was in the process of being repaired. the failure and current mileages were 80,000. | |||
| 04/30/2009 | 184000 | 1 | |
| Timing chain on my 2000 saturn ls1 is failing which could result in engine being damaged and full power loss, which in turn could result in an accident. my saturn has the same exact timing chain as the 2001 saturn ls1 which was recalled after your agency deemed it susceptible to failure due to poor design. saturn refuses to fix this for me and instead wants to bill $400 just to look at it. repairing the failing chain, the dealer said, would cost $900. it's a known defect and needs to be covered by saturn, as per your agency's investigation last year.*tr | |||
| 03/24/2009 | 66000 | 1 | |
| Saturn 2000 ls timing chain i purchased it new in 2000. i got stuck yesterday and aaa had to tow it. mechanic says it's timing chain. this will be the 3rd timing chain since i bought it. last one was replaced at 52,000 miles in march 2006. now i have 66,000 miles and it has happened again. i was told last time, a timing chain should last a minimum of 100,000 miles. it cost me almost 3,000. last time. my dealership, saturn of stamford is now closed. i will have it towed to saturn of fairfield. this type of thing should not happen after only 66,000 miles. i've kept up with maintenance and my oil and filter was changed just about a month and a half ago. i feel saturn should cover this repair, and provide me with a rental. *tr | |||
| 07/10/2008 | 115000 | 1 | |
| Timing chain failure on 2000 saturn ls1 model. failure came unexpectedly. looking into it, i found dozens of other saturn owners who experienced the same problem. this simple failure has damaged my engine. i am facing a minimum of $2600 in repairs to replace the engine. this seems to be an persistent problem with this engine. mechanics i have consulted state that they have seen this happen many times before. *tr | |||
| 07/10/2008 | 115000 | 1 | |
| My 2000 saturn ls1 was running perfectly fine. i came back to my car after work and all of a sudden it wouldn't start at all. i had to have it towed to a saturn dealership, who then told me that it was a faulty timing chain. *tr | |||
| 07/07/2008 | 108000 | 1 | |
| 2000 saturn ls1 timing chain failed. *tr | |||
| 05/21/2008 | 58000 | 1 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2000 saturn ls1. while the contact's spouse was driving approximately 35 mph onto the highway, the vehicle shut completely off and could not be restarted. the vehicle had to be towed to the dealer and they stated that the timing chain snapped and bent the valves and the head. nhtsa campaign id number 07v579000 (power train:driveline:driveshaft) was referenced for the 2001 saturn. the current mileage was 58,000 and failure mileage was 60,000. updated 09/10/08 *bf updated 09/15/08 *jb | |||
| 06/12/2005 | 76760 | 1 | |
| Car stopped backing out of driveway at my home - would not restart - battery ok. towed to dealership in oak lawn il -- advised $2,500.00 repair to snapped timing chain and related engine damage. *tr | |||
| 10/14/2007 | 108700 | 1 | 03/01/2000 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2000 saturn ls1. while driving 35 mph, the vehicle accelerated and then decelerated. the contact immediately pulled the vehicle over to the shoulder and it would not restart. the vehicle was towed to the local mechanic and he stated that the timing chain failed. as a result, the entire engine was damaged. the current and failure mileages were 108,700. | |||
| 04/01/2005 | 1 | 01/01/2000 | |
| 2000 saturn l series timing chain failure while driving down the road. i was not injured but have concern that someone could be. this is a costly catastrophic and potentially dangerous failure that gm has seemed to know about for some time as evidence shows they released an upgrade timing chain kit. the cost from $2700 to over $4000 to repair. the repair cost could exceed the value of the car. *jb | |||
| 08/06/2007 | 1 | 07/06/2001 | |
| My 2000 saturn ls1 was working just fine until all of the sudden i lost all power to the car. the car died while i was driving at 45 mph in the middle of a busy road. i had both of my children in the car, one of who is 10 months old, and luckily i was not hit by another car. i had the car towed to the shop and they said my timing chain was broken and it caused two valves to become bent and the motor head needs to be replaced. *jb | |||
| 05/17/2007 | 51300 | 1 | 06/14/2006 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2000 saturn ls1. while driving approximately 30 mph, the vehicle stalled and failed to restart. the vehicle was taken to a dealer who stated that the timing chain was bad and needed to be replaced. the dealer is currently repairing the vehicle. the current and failure mileages were 51,300. | |||
| 06/01/2002 | 30000 | 2 | 09/01/2000 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2000 saturn ls1. while driving 5 mph, the vehicle shut off without warning. the dealer stated that the cause of failure was due to the timing chain and performed the repair. approximately five years later, the contact experienced the same failure while driving 70 mph. the dealer stated that the timing chain failed again. the current mileage is 82,000 and failure mileage was 30,000. | |||
| 03/01/2006 | 36303 | 1 | 02/02/2002 |
| I wish to report the same defect already identified by action number pe06006 (and subsequently ea06-009). the timing chain defect was discovered before complete failure due to very rough idling, and after getting a first opinion from my saturn dealership and a second opinion from a local garage, i paid $820 for a timing change. saturn refused to cover this obvious defect under warranty. *jb | |||
| 07/20/2006 | 65000 | 1 | 01/01/2000 |
| The timing belt on my 2000 saturn ls1 broke on july 20, 2006 with no warning. the car has approximately 65000 miles on it, so i believe there is absolutely no reason for the timing chain to break except that there is a manufacturing defect in the car. the saturn dealer told me that the entire engine would need to be replaced at a cost of $6000-$7000. i understand that timing chain failure is not uncommon in these cars and that the nhtsa is investigating - thank you. | |||
| 04/28/2005 | |||
| I own a 2000saturn ls1 while driving on the highway my car just died. after my mechanic looked at it i was told one of the links in the timing chain cracked and broke the timing chain ,which wrapped around the valves and destroyed the engine. after looking on different web sites it seems to have happened to quite a few people who have said they reported it to you for investigation. my car was making no noises and gave no indication there was a problem. i contacted saturn and because i took the car to my own mechanic and don't have all my records they say they can't help me also now they say it is because i am not the original owner. my car has about 42,000 miles and was bought pre-owned from a dealership. luckily there was no injury or damage. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 07/29/2008 | 93000 | 1 | |
| My 2000 saturn ls1 completely shut down while driving, and never started again. it will cost $2500 for a used motor and installation, plus $175 for the tow and the diagnostics; and now i'm enduring significant transportation challenges without a vehicle. *tr | |||
| 12/10/2006 | 122216 | 1 | 12/11/2003 |
| Tl* - the contact stated that on december 10, 2006 when he went to get his 2000 saturn ls 122216 inspected the vehicle failed the inspection due to the fuel system gasoline; storage tank assembly leak. the contact paid for the repairs. the contact stated that his car was experiencing the same problems as campaign number 99v197. the contact requests to get reimbursed for the repairs because of denied reimbursement from the manufacturer. *nm updated 2/22/2007 - coolant was also found to be leaking*nm | |||
| 04/01/2004 | 1 | 02/28/2004 | |
| We had recently bought a saturn from henderson saturn with the understanding that we were covered for 24,000 miles or 2 years of any mechanical defects. the car caught on fire yesterday and was towed to saturn. we were called this morning and told that we have to foot the bill to tear down the car because the head is cracked from the water pump going out. i explained to the dealership that the radiator light came on and i immediately pulled off and put water in it. they told me that it was my responsibility to call them when that light came on. i was never told this at the time of purchase. i explained to him that when the low fuel light comes on i never call them and i asked what the difference was. they told me i should have known. because i'm not a mechanic i only knew that when a radiator light comes on, it means the radiator needs water/coolant. the warranty covers the bad water pump but not the result of the cracked head it caused from being unfunctional. we are told this will cost us upwards of $500 out of our pocket. we just got the license plates on the car yesterday. this is so unjust of saturn to sell us a bill of goods that we have contracted to pay for and them not take responsibility for the work that needs to be done as a result of a bad water pump, they agree is still under warranty that they will replace, that slipped by their inspection of the vehicle when it was in their possession. we've already agreed to pay an ample amount above what the car sells for in order to finance this vehicle. why should we have to pay for their promise to take care of the maintenance for the next 2 years? *jb | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 01/04/2011 | |||
| 2000 saturn l series timing chain failure. meticulous maintenance and sensible driving still have left me with a broken timing chain, bent valves(interference motor, i'm told) and basically a busted motor. big problem not covered by a recall for the 11/00 to 01 l series. bunch of bull recall isn't for my car when it's the exact same design separated by only months in production ! normal driving down road and awful rattle sound and motor was stalled and so was i . | |||
| 04/15/2001 | 102999 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2000 saturn ls1. he stated the vehicle was consuming large quantities of engine oil. the dealer stated the rack and pinion assembly needed to be replaced. the vehicle was taken for a second opinion to a local mechanic where the power steering reservoir was replaced and the failure ceased. on a separate occasion, while driving at speeds of over 10 mph or attempting a left or right turn, the vehicle would lose power. also, while in the reverse mode, the vehicle would stall. the dealer could not duplicate the problem. the failure persisted. the vehicle was taken to the dealer over 4 additional times and the failure could not be duplicated. there were no recalls on the vehicle and no further repairs were made to the vehicle. the failure and current mileages were under 103,000. | |||
| 02/08/2009 | 85000 | 1 | |
| Timing chain on my 2000 saturn ls1 broke while traveling at 50 mph. car glided to a controlled stop. estimated repair cost $2800 due to bent valves as a result of the timing chain. it is my understanding that nccc has previously requested nhtsa to expand recall to include earlier model years on this known saturn defect. is there a status update? *tr | |||
| 07/23/2008 | 121000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2000 saturn ls1. while driving 20 mph, the engine made a loud noise, the check engine light illuminated, and the vehicle completely lost power. the vehicle cruised to a stop and triple a was called to tow it to the dealer. the contact was informed that the timing chain failed and would cost $2,700 to replace. the failure and current mileages were 121,000. | |||
| 07/08/2008 | 75000 | 1 | |
| 2000 ls1 with approx 75000 miles started making a putting/fluttering noise. took to dealer who stated timing chain cover had a hole from the timing chain due to the timing chain tensioner failing. replaced the timing chain, chain cover, and timing chain tensioner. work done according to statement... chain, camshaft timing - replace... chain pkg, gasket-en,seal asm, cover asm, oil change. looked up info on internet after friend stated unusual that timing chain would fail under 100,000 miles. *tr | |||
| 06/09/2008 | 52000 | 1 | |
| At around 52,000 miles i had to have my timing chain replaced. i was told that it was due to me not having oil in the engine, however the oil was changed at 3,000 mile intervals with an occasional 6,000 mile interval. changing oil this often i would not expect a problem and in addition my oil light never came on. however, ever since i had the timing chain replaced i am noticing that i am using around three quarts of oil per month. i have 73,000 miles on the car and feel that this is excessive. i have read where others have had similar problems with their timing chain and i wonder if this has caused the excessive burning of oil or vice versa. *tr | |||
| 04/24/2007 | 80000 | 1 | 04/15/2003 |
| Timing chain failure on 2000 saturn ls1 @ 80,000 miles. noticed nhtsa investigation is still active on this problem. i was able to get the car to service station without an accident, but am concerned this is a safety issue as car shuts down without warning. surprised to learn now that gm has a tsb out for this issue, knowing the timing chain does not get enough oil. this car is in being serviced now. *jb | |||
| 12/19/2006 | 120000 | 1 | 07/07/2005 |
| My daughter was driving our 2000 saturn ls1 in downtown louisville, ky on 12/19/06. the car died as she was driving. she was able to get over to the side of the road. she was carrying two small children in the car at the time. after analysis by a mechanic it was found the timing chain had broken and ruined the engine. estimated repair cost is $4000. i am turning the car in for salvage. *nm | |||
| 11/16/2006 | 1 | ||
| I was driving my 2000 saturn ls1 and the car lost all power, almost causing an accident. luckily, i was able to stop the car and avoid other traffic in motion when i lost all power brakes and power steering. the car was towed to a mechanic shop and they found the timing chain broke and the engine can not be repaired. the car only has 68,000 miles and could have caused a major accident with my children in the car. i am unable to afford the engine replacement and i still owe $1500.00 on the loan. | |||
| 12/16/2005 | 60000 | 1 | 10/13/2003 |
| The timing chain broke and ruined my engine while driving the car at only 60,000 miles. they are not due for a change before 100,000 miles. from doing a little research i found out that the problem is with the saturn ls series 4 cylinder engines due to a problem with engine design and an oilier problem. the problem is wide spread and a dangerous one. *jb | |||
| 04/05/2006 | 56000 | 1 | 06/15/2000 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while backing out of the driveway, the vehicle stalled without warning. the vehicle would not restart; it was towed to an independent repair shop. the timing chain was replaced. the manufacturer was altered. | |||
| 03/19/2006 | 68000 | 1 | 06/01/2002 |
| Good afternoon! my 2000 saturn ls1 started sputtering and finally broke down. all of the signs lead to the fuel filter. we changed the fuel filter and the car still would not run. i towed the car to a local mechanic and he diagnosed the car to have a bad timing chain. the mechanic was confused as to why i would have a bad timing chain with only 68,000 miles on it. after looking on the internet, i noticed that many other people with a saturn are having this same problem. please recall this vehicle. timing chains are very expensive and i think the cost should be billed to saturn. thank you!! sincerely, nicole archer. *jb | |||
| 06/20/2005 | 49050 | 1 | 09/22/2003 |
| 1. no warning of failure 2. timing chain 3. replace the chain | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 01/07/2008 | 91000 | 1 | 06/22/2004 |
| My 2000 saturn ls1's timing chain broke with no warning and as a result, valves in the engine were bent. my mechanic is in the process of placing a used motor in the car. i recently went online to see if other saturn owners were having similar problems. i was amazed to find that this is a continual problem with saturns from the 2000-2003 time frame and that in fact, a recall was instituted for some. although my car was not among those recalled, i am willing to bet that it should have been recalled and by entering my complaint, i'm hoping to save other saturn owners from the headaches that i have had. *tr | |||
| 07/19/2000 | 3 | 04/24/2000 | |
| Consumer states the oil light comes on too soon and found that the engine is using approximately 1/2 quart of oil in approximately 1500 miles, there was engine failure which caused jerking and misfiring, vehicle would not start, vehicle was smoking, dealer replaced motor mount. *slc | |||
| 01/21/2000 | 2 | 12/01/1999 | |
| No summary listed for abov evehicle. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | |||
| 03/15/2008 | 87000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2000 saturn ls1. while driving 60 mph, the engine shut off and the timing chain failed. there were no warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel prior to the failure, and no previous signs of a possible failure. the vehicle was towed. the vehicle was not repaired. in addition, no maintenance was performed on the vehicle prior to the failure. the failure and current mileages were 87,000. | |||
| 01/07/2008 | 91000 | 1 | 06/22/2004 |
| My 2000 saturn ls1's timing chain broke with no warning and as a result, valves in the engine were bent. my mechanic is in the process of placing a used motor in the car. i recently went online to see if other saturn owners were having similar problems. i was amazed to find that this is a continual problem with saturns from the 2000-2003 time frame and that in fact, a recall was instituted for some. although my car was not among those recalled, i am willing to bet that it should have been recalled and by entering my complaint, i'm hoping to save other saturn owners from the headaches that i have had. *tr | |||
| 10/06/2006 | 111000 | 1 | 06/16/2006 |
| Car was running normally car stopped running due to the timing chain breaking entire engine must be replaced. *nm | |||
| 08/23/2006 | 94763 | 1 | 08/25/2000 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving various speeds, there was a rattling noise coming from the engine compartment. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer who determined the timing chain was worn and needed replaced. the manufacturer was alerted. updated 11/21/2006- when the consumer started the vehicle a loud noise was heard coming from the engine compartment. while driving hth noise became louder. the consumer contacted eh manufacturer about the faulty timing chain but they offered no assistance. *nm | |||
| 08/04/2006 | 81000 | 1 | 09/01/2003 |
| The timing chain on my 2000 saturn ls1 (with 80,000 miles) failed while driving at full speed (55 mph) on the highway. the vehicle lost power and i had to pull off the highway. no warning or previous vehicle malfunction pointed to a need for maintenance. the time chain failure can cause severe engine damage and require complete engine replacement. my vehicle is currently being looked at to determine the full extent of the damage. at a minimum, the timing chain replacement will be $600. complete engine replacement could be in the range of $3-4,000. it appears that this is a common problem for several saturn models at relatively low mileage and may be due to poor design on the chain lubrication system. *nm | |||
| 01/07/2006 | 33000 | 1 | 06/08/2000 |
| Timing chain failure at 33,000 miles. *nm | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL | |||
| 12/01/2003 | 2 | 06/01/1999 | |
| 2000 saturn ls1: since i have purchased this car brand new and taken it for regular maintenance i have had the following problems: several voluntary recalls, then i have had 3 actuator motors in my doors go bad (all different doors); cradle bush bearings needing replacement; front suspension linkages needing replacement; the car battery exploded; emission system malfunction. everytime i gripe to saturn they are not willing to look into, i feel like there are numerous safety concerns that should be looked into in the 2000 ls series.*ak | |||