Saturn Lw300 2001
Model Lw300 made in 2001 by Saturn got 28 consumer complains there are 3 investigations as well as 5 service bulletins. Consumer complaints with reference, among others things, to air bags, electrical system and engine and engine cooling. Technical service bulletines regarding engine and engine cooling. The car had one investigation (engine and engine cooling). The car has one 3.0 engine.
Model 2001
| Engine [L] | Cylinders | Transmission | Drive | Estimate MPG (city/highway/combined) | Unadjusted MPG (city/highway/combined) | Fuel | Fuel cost | Class | Release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0 | 6 | Lockup/automatic, 4 gears | F | 20/26/22 | 22,2000/33,6000/26,2002 | Regular | 921 | MIDSIZE STATION WAGONS |
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 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||||
| 3933 | 09/29/2006 | 10020485 | Timing belt replacement. *kb | 10/26/2006 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||||
| 01T01A | 02/01/2002 | 01T01 | 629386 | Some customers may comment about a vibration or boom noise inside the vehicle while at idle and the air conditioner is on. *jg | 04/02/2002 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||||
| 01T01A | 02/01/2002 | 01T01 | 628623 | Some customers may complain about a vibration or boom noise inside the vehicle while at idle and the air conditioner is on. (also vehicle ls300 2002 and lw300 2002) *jg | 03/18/2002 |
| 01T01 | 01/01/2001 | 616672 | Some ls 300 and lw 300 model vehibles may exhibit a vibration or boom noise inside the vehicle while at idle and the a/c is on. the vibration or boom may also be more noticeable while vehicle is in gear. *tt | 03/08/2001 | |
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. | ||||||
| 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. | ||||||
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | |||
| 02/06/2007 | 1 | 05/11/2001 | |
| My saturn lw300 had many problems while i owned it. on tuesday i had a significant accident which resulted in the total loss of my car. the impact was significant enough to total the car but the air bags did not inflate. the insurance adjuster told me the light went on but they malfunctioned. luckily i was not injured nor was my three year old son. *nm | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||
| 02/15/2008 | 78714 | 1 | 12/31/2007 |
| 2001 saturn l300 won't start, after several repairs including replacing the fuel pump, it still won't start. after being diagnosed, can't still find the problem. *tr | |||
| 04/02/2006 | 3 | ||
| Electrical system shorts out during normal operation, causing turn signals not to work. other symptom is that radio has interference when turn signal used. after five days of non-use, car would not start at all and technician who provided jump start said it appears to be an electrical short since alternator and battery were both working. this car has already received the recall work from october 2005 but this problem has occurred 3 times since that work was done. *nm | |||
| 11/20/2005 | 74300 | 1 | 10/31/2000 |
| Saturn lw300 crankshaft position sensor failure (3/05) - replaced body control module failure (11/05) - replaced mass air flow sensor failure (11/05) - replaced oil cooler leak (11/05) - resealed battery failure (just over 1 year old, 11/05) - replaced under warranty. *jb | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING | |||
| 05/09/2004 | 52000 | 1 | 01/20/2001 |
| A short circuit of some sort in the the headlight/turn signal switch caused a small electrical fire. while driving, the dashboard indicators showed that the daytime running lights and high beams were turning on and off on their own. when the car was turned off, the daytime running lights remained on. after a few moments, i began to smell the odor of something burning and smoke began to come out of the steering column. the smoke subsided only after i pulled the fuses on the two headlamps. the fuses did not break the circuit on their own -- the headlights did not go out until i pulled the fuses. i then called the saturn roadside assistance hotline and asked them how to completely turn off the electrical power to the entire car (to prevent anything else from catching fire) but they were of little help. i was looking for a master circuit breaker but they could not tell me whether or not the vehicle has one. they suggested disconnecting the battery at the terminals, but i was wary of doing this for fear that the airbag might deploy. | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | |||
| 11/01/2004 | 35000 | 15 | 10/26/2000 |
| The headlights, dashboard instrumentation, and dome light of this autobile are constantly dimming and brightening (flickering). this is making night time driving extremely dangerous. saturn has issued technical information bulletin 04-08-42-001 in february 2004 stating that this is a normal operating characteristic. i believe it is a present danger and could also be a sign of a complete failure of the electrical system. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 12/20/2008 | 69000 | 1 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2001 saturn lw300. intermittently, while driving various speeds, the vehicle stalled when attempting to decelerate. typically, fifteen minutes after the failure, the vehicle was able to be restarted. there were no warning indicators illuminated prior to the failure. the contact is in the process of taking the vehicle to the dealer to determine the cause of the failure. the failure and current mileages were 69,000. updated 3/3/09 *cn the crankshaft position sensor was the cause of the failure. updated 03/04/09. *jb | |||
| 11/20/2005 | 74300 | 1 | 10/31/2000 |
| Saturn lw300 crankshaft position sensor failure (3/05) - replaced body control module failure (11/05) - replaced mass air flow sensor failure (11/05) - replaced oil cooler leak (11/05) - resealed battery failure (just over 1 year old, 11/05) - replaced under warranty. *jb | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 01/17/2008 | 96000 | 1 | 05/19/2001 |
| I own a 2001 saturn lw300 wagon with 96,000 miles. my daughter and i were driving home from school when the car suddenly lost power. the check engine light appeared, and the car would not crank. i was fortunate to be able to coast the last one-half mile to our sub-division. the car was towed to a saturn dealer who told me that it had jumped the timing, and the engine would need to be replaced. he said that there were no new engines available, and that used a used engine would cost around $4000.00, which is the wholesale value for the car. i have declined repairs, and am looking to sell or donate the car to charity for salvage parts. *tr | |||
| 06/24/2006 | 52500 | 1 | 05/14/2001 |
| After driving five minutes, i was accelerating my 2001 saturn lw300 up a gentle slope to enter a highway on-ramp when the engine unexpectedly and for no apparent reason stalled. engine could not be restarted. problem has not yet been diagnosed by saturn of austin. *nm | |||
| 10/31/2003 | 1 | ||
| Each time dealer assured consumer that the engine problem was fixed, but vehicle was still leaking oil. *ak | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - BRAKE LIGHTS | |||
| 11/30/2003 | 58500 | 8 | |
| Consumer stated that the brake lights had been replaced six to eight times. they will work for about two months and then they completely stop working. consumer had to have them replaced. however, she took the vehicle to saturn. they will not work with consumer to find out what caused the problem. they just continued to replace the brake light assembly. *ak | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS | |||
| 12/28/2004 | 30000 | 1 | |
| While driving at any speed headlights were dim. this made it hard for the consumer to see clearly during nighttime. dealership was notified, but did not see a problem. *ak | |||
| 11/01/2004 | 35000 | 15 | 10/26/2000 |
| The headlights, dashboard instrumentation, and dome light of this autobile are constantly dimming and brightening (flickering). this is making night time driving extremely dangerous. saturn has issued technical information bulletin 04-08-42-001 in february 2004 stating that this is a normal operating characteristic. i believe it is a present danger and could also be a sign of a complete failure of the electrical system. | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS - SWITCH | |||
| 05/09/2004 | 52000 | 1 | 01/20/2001 |
| A short circuit of some sort in the the headlight/turn signal switch caused a small electrical fire. while driving, the dashboard indicators showed that the daytime running lights and high beams were turning on and off on their own. when the car was turned off, the daytime running lights remained on. after a few moments, i began to smell the odor of something burning and smoke began to come out of the steering column. the smoke subsided only after i pulled the fuses on the two headlamps. the fuses did not break the circuit on their own -- the headlights did not go out until i pulled the fuses. i then called the saturn roadside assistance hotline and asked them how to completely turn off the electrical power to the entire car (to prevent anything else from catching fire) but they were of little help. i was looking for a master circuit breaker but they could not tell me whether or not the vehicle has one. they suggested disconnecting the battery at the terminals, but i was wary of doing this for fear that the airbag might deploy. | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TAIL LIGHTS | |||
| 06/25/2004 | 20000 | 20 | 12/08/2000 |
| Tail light assembly is poorly designed. tail light fails so that brake lights, including the center mounted brake light, are on showing the car brakes applied anytime the car lights are on. cruise control fails to engage, or if engaged at the time of failure forces car to accelerate. if i reset the plug in brake bulb the failure goes away for approximately 1 week when the failure reasserts itself.*ak | |||
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | |||
| 10/15/2010 | 110000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2001 saturn lw300. while parked and the ignition was turned off the vehicle was filled with a gasoline smell. the vehicle was filled with a gasoline smell when the ignition was off or on and it would occur continually. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the fuel pump was repaired due to a leak. the approximate failure mileage was 110,000. ds | |||
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - DELIVERY - FUEL PUMP | |||
| 02/15/2008 | 78714 | 1 | 12/31/2007 |
| 2001 saturn l300 won't start, after several repairs including replacing the fuel pump, it still won't start. after being diagnosed, can't still find the problem. *tr | |||
| INTERIOR LIGHTING | |||
| 11/01/2004 | 35000 | 15 | 10/26/2000 |
| The headlights, dashboard instrumentation, and dome light of this autobile are constantly dimming and brightening (flickering). this is making night time driving extremely dangerous. saturn has issued technical information bulletin 04-08-42-001 in february 2004 stating that this is a normal operating characteristic. i believe it is a present danger and could also be a sign of a complete failure of the electrical system. | |||
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | |||
| 03/31/2004 | 25500 | 1 | 07/12/2001 |
| Under cold weather conditions the vehicle's door locks may or may not lock. *mr technician was able to repair the left rear door lock; however, door lock is not responding promptly to the signal from the remote. the it was found out by the technician that left rear door lock actuator was binding. the technician then replaced the door lock actuator. *la | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||
| 08/17/2009 | 54101 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2001 saturn lw300 series. the trans axle shift cable cable slipped out of its bracket and the trans axle lever would not function properly. when the vehicle was in park the trans axle caused it to remain in neutral mode which made it impossible to drive the vehicle. the contact attempted to place her feet on the brake pedal and turn the vehicle off; however, it continued to indicate that it was in neutral instead of park. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the dealer informed the contact that her vin was not a part of recall #00v344000, power train: automatic transmission: gear position indication (prndl) and that the repair cost was $560. a complaint was also filed with the manufacturer. the failure mileage was 54,101. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY - AXLE SHAFT | |||
| 09/12/2004 | 30297 | 2 | 10/11/2000 |
| This concers the saturn 2001 lw300. when there is a electrical power failure, such as a dead battery, the car cannot be taken out of park. if this had taken place on a railroad track there would have been an accident. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE - CONSTANT VELOCITY JOINT | |||
| 11/02/2004 | 17774 | 2 | |
| Failure of the steering immediate shaft. when the steering wheel is turned there is a clicking noise. the shaft was replaced because the u-joint was bound up, stuck or not functioning properly.*ak | |||
| STEERING - GEAR BOX - SHAFT SECTOR | |||
| 11/02/2004 | 17774 | 2 | |
| Failure of the steering immediate shaft. when the steering wheel is turned there is a clicking noise. the shaft was replaced because the u-joint was bound up, stuck or not functioning properly.*ak | |||
| SUSPENSION | |||
| 12/01/2002 | 2 | 06/01/2002 | |
| Abnormally quick wearing out of tires. the service manager said something about the vehicle being set up for european roads and for $800 they could install a kit to make it align correctly for american roads.*ak i said because of a manufacturing defect i should have to pay for a kit to resolve the problem. he said that was basically it. the outside the service garage he flagged me down and told me to complain to saturn and if there were enough complaints it may be recalled. | |||
Car dealers selling
| State | City | Zip | Name | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CA | EL CAJON | SATURN OF EL CAJON | (619)4447200 | |
| CA | LIVERMORE | 94551 | KEN'S TIRE SERVICE | 925-443-8473 |
| FL | SUNRISE | SATURN OF WEST BROWARD | ||
| GA | DULUTH | 30096 | SATURN OF GWINNETT | 770-497-8770 |
| GA | NORCROSS | 30071 | CARMAX | 800-822-7629 |
| MD | GAITHERSBURG | SATURN OF GAITHERSBURG | ||
| MN | ROCHESTER | 55901 | SATURN OF ROCHESTER | 507-529-5200 |
| NC | GREENSBORO | 27407 | SATURN OF GREENSBORO | 336-299-1500 |
| TX | AUSTIN | 78759 | SATURN OF AUSTIN | 512-583-3323 |
| TX | HOUSTON | SATURN GULF FREEWAY |