Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||||
| 3117 | 3117A | 10010098 | Rear toe cam adjustment nut for service applications. *sc | 11/04/2004 | |
| 3135 | 01/01/2004 | 10010045 | Pop noise from engine area during heavy throttle input. *tc | 11/03/2004 | |
| 3116 | 01/01/2004 | 10009971 | Ses illuminated engine miss/misfire feel or rough idle. *sc | 11/02/2004 | |
| 040604008 | 10/01/2004 | 040604008A | 10006167 | Service engine soon (ses) lamp illuminated with dtc p0135 ho2s heater circuit performance bank 1 sensor 1 and/or dtc p0155 ho2s heater performance bank 2 sensor 1. *mr this bulletin replaces previous 04-06-04-008. *eh | 04/23/2004 |
| 030602002 | 03/01/2003 | 10001193 | Insufficient heat, service engine soon (malfunction indicator lamp) telltale on, diagnostic trouble code p0128 set. *tt | 04/22/2003 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||||
| 02T37 | 05/01/2002 | 633449 | Subject regarding service information on new oil cooler cover sealant. *jg | 09/23/2002 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - FAN | |||||
| 040137006 | 05/01/2004 | 10007551 | Heater-ventilation-air conditioning (hvac) hiss-type noise. *mr | 07/01/2004 | |
| 02T78 | 11/01/2002 | 10000377 | Excessive noise from (one speed) engine cooling fan at idle. *tt | 02/25/2003 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - HOSE | |||||
| 02T64 | 09/01/2002 | 10000139 | Service information regarding elimination of auxiliary water pump and instructions to install 2nd design heater outlet hoses in place of the 1st design water pump and heater outlet hoses. *tt | 02/13/2003 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||||
| PIP-4495C | 03/01/2011 | 10038510 | Gm: there may be noise coming from the cylinder head, because of low oil pressure which is caused by debris. *rm | 06/16/2011 | |
| PIP-4495C | 03/01/2011 | 10038510 | Ready | 06/16/2011 | |
| 3859 | 3859A | 10020923 | Low oil pressure - inspect oil filter for damage. *kb updated 10/18/07. *nj | 01/30/2007 | |
| 3433 | 3433D | 10017032 | Service engine soon (ses) light and severe engine misfire on cylinders 1 and 4 or cylinders 2 and 3. *tt updated 08-15-07. *kb | 10/20/2005 | |
| 040604074 | 10/01/2004 | 10010509 | Service engine soon (ses) and/or reduced power lamp illuminated, limited throttle response following cold engine start up, diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0638. *tt | 11/30/2004 | |
| 040603007 | 10/01/2004 | 10010449 | Crank no start, hard start, stalling, or front lamps intermittently inoperative setting any of the following diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) - p0629, b2752, b3722, n3717, b2717, b2600, b2722. *tt | 11/23/2004 | |
| 040605009 | 07/01/2004 | 10009360 | Service information regarding a pop/clunk noise from the rear of the vehicle on initial cold start and/or during the warm-up drive cycle. *tt | 09/27/2004 | |
| 040604033 | 09/01/2004 | 040604033A | 10007087 | Check engine light on with p0440 or p0442 stored. *tt this bulletin replaces previous bulletin dated 05/01/2004. *tt | 05/25/2004 |
| 040601011 | 05/01/2004 | 10006979 | Service manual update for engine block clearance, cylinder head clearance and fastener torque specifications. *tt | 05/20/2004 | |
| 040601009 | 04/01/2004 | 10006739 | Oil leak from front cover seal during extremely cold weather. *tt | 05/11/2004 | |
| 040601010 | 04/01/2004 | 10006740 | Blue smoke at engine start-up. *tt | 05/11/2004 | |
| 040601004 | 09/01/2004 | 040601004A | 10006088 | Service information regarding engine support during removal of right front engine mount assembly. *tt | 04/16/2004 |
| 040601001 | 01/01/2004 | 10005199 | Oil leaks from engine after sub-freezing temperatures. *tt | 02/12/2004 | |
| 03065 | 12/01/2003 | 10005158 | On-board diagnostic (obd) system software upgrade. *tt | 02/09/2004 | |
| 030090003 | 09/01/2003 | 10003976 | Oil filter cap assembly and oil filter element design change. *tt | 11/10/2003 | |
| 030604043 | 09/01/2003 | 10003592 | Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) service engine soon telltale lamp on, reduced power lamp may illuminate with diagnostic trouble codes p0121, p0221, and/or p2135. *tt | 10/24/2003 | |
| 030601021 | 07/01/2003 | 10003411 | Crank no start after backfire or rough run/high idle after engine start. *tt | 10/20/2003 | |
| 030601017 | 06/01/2003 | 10002122 | Timing chain design change and revised service procedures. *tt | 08/13/2003 | |
| 030601014 | 05/01/2003 | 10001667 | Service manual update regarding the use of saturn special tool j-42065 crank hub holding tool. *tt | 06/18/2003 | |
| 030601015 | 05/01/2003 | 10001668 | Service manual update for removal of the sealer used on oil pump gasket during oil pump installation. *tt | 06/18/2003 | |
| 020601016A | 03/01/2003 | 020601016 | 10001540 | (mil) service engine soon telltale illuminated with diagnostic trouble codes (dtc) p0171 and/or p0174. *tt | 06/06/2003 |
| 030604023 | 03/01/2003 | 10001202 | Intermittent whistle/chirp noise from engine compartment. *tt | 04/22/2003 | |
| 030601007 | 03/01/2003 | 10001187 | Buzzing, grinding, or growling noise or vibration from rear of vehicle when fuel pump is running. *tt | 04/22/2003 | |
| 030604016 | 03/01/2003 | 10001199 | Service information regarding the engine control module (ecm) connector and terminal locations on saturn v6 engines. *tt | 04/22/2003 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||||
| 02T64 | 09/01/2002 | 635741 | Service information regarding elimination of auxiliary water pump and instructions to install 2nd design heater outlet hoses in place of the 1st design water pump and heater outlet hoses. *tt | 10/30/2002 | |
| 02T31A | 05/01/2002 | 02T31 | 633426 | Subject regarding engine flare during 2-3 upshift during pre- delivery inspection (pdi) road test (install new transmission control module calibration). *jg | 09/23/2002 |
| 02T24 | 05/01/2002 | 633404 | Subject regarding on board diagnostic (obd) system improvements-scan tool inspection/maintenance (i/m) readiness status for heated oxygen sensor (ho2s/o2s) will not indicate ready. *jg | 09/23/2002 | |
| 02T02 | 01/01/2002 | 631978 | Information on service manual update for powertrain and engine service manuals regarding evaporative emission flowcharts and evap pressure/purge diagnostic chart test procdure, also includes 2000-2002 l series. *slc | 06/27/2002 | |
| 02T31 | 05/01/2002 | 631322 | Information on engine flare during 2-3 upshift.*jb | 05/22/2002 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL | |||||
| 050604059 | 09/01/2005 | 10017570 | Fuel nozzle shuts off intermittently or prematurely during fuel fill and/or ses lamp on with dtc p0446 evap vent system performance set. *tt | 11/10/2005 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | ||||||
| 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 | |||
| 05/06/2010 | 108500 | ||
| I'm the original owner of a 2002 saturn vue awd with the gm vti transmission and engine. two days ago i experienced my transmission/engine failing for the fifth or sixth time since 2006. the very first time i took my vue to the dealership in austin, tx where i had to argue with first my service rep. followed by his manager that the problem was with the transmission. since the faulty gm design was still relatively new, they originally blamed me for poor driving, resulting a bad bcm which they made me pay in spite of my argument the faulty gm design was the origin of the problem. first time it cost me $1500 to repair my car that had less than 60,000 miles on it. this however was quite an ordeal since my vehicle actually lost power on three or four different occasions. i would immediately go to the dealership for assistance with what i knew was the transmission. after bugging them almost everyday with the same problem they finally admitted gms transmission problems and replaced my transmission on the third visit. the second transmission lasted approximately a year. in 2007 i had relocated within the state and was experiencing similar problems and reluctantly called my local saturn dealership. here we go again another $500 for odds and ends and this time it was supposedly the ecm and of course it did not fix the problem! the transmission was finally replaced on my third trip! however they did not pay for my loaner car though i requested one. brings us to 2009, when the above mentioned dealer had gone out of business and i of course had transmission problems! luckily i found a dealership near and had my car towed to them. they confirmed by that afternoon that the transmission was bad! they replaced the transmission, and closed for business within three days. no loaner car again. here i sit again with the transmission dangerously going out, and dreading the thought of the saturn dealership fiascoes. at what point will gm take these dangerous 2002-2005 cars off the road? | |||
| 03/03/2002 | 68000 | 1 | |
| Timing chain broke on my 2002 saturn vue leaving my daughter & me stranded. it only had 68k miles. saturn dealerships only suggestion: new engine @ $3400 installation @ $1600. i chose an independent mechanic, who was unaware of the zero tolerance engine. what is that?! i am hearing about class action lawsuits, thousands of dollars in repairs nationwide due to this same malfunction. they have known of this dangerous malfunction for years & fail to do a recall. isn't it time they be made accountable. there are many many similar stories to mine. please research!! *tr | |||
| 03/12/2009 | 140129 | 1 | |
| I had just left a stop light on a busy street in chicago driving about 15 miles an hour and the engine just died. i tried to restart the car and it would not start. i called a tow truck to have it taken back to my repair shop. the next day i was told that the timing chain had broken and crushed the casing and valves and that i would need a new engine at a cost of $3,200.00. i spoke with the saturn dealership in tinley park, il and they agreed to put a new engine in for $2,200.00. i spoke with the saturn main office of consumer complaints and they stated that no recalls were made on the 2002 saturn vue's and would not help with the cost of the replacement engine. *tr | |||
| 05/01/2008 | 55000 | 1 | |
| Approximately 6-9 months ago my 2002 saturn vue, 4 cyl, with approx 55,000 miles stopped working. saturn of bowie, now closed, told me that the timing chain broke and engine was now no good. they said the only way to fix vehicle was to replace engine at my expense. approximately $6,500. i complained and after my discussions with a saturn hq person, they replaced the engine and charged me approximately $5,500. i have exact figures in my files. i asked if there was any history of this problem and saturn responded that it wasn't known problem. this morning after doing some research, on the internet, relating to another problem with my saturn vue regarding the fuel gauge, i learned that saturn was aware of the timing chain problem and should have sent me a recall notice. they charged me alot of money to fix something that was their responsibility because of poor engineering. *tr | |||
| 08/29/2008 | 102639 | 1 | |
| I was driving my 2002 saturn vue (4 cyl, 2.2 l engine, manual transmission) on the freeway. the engine stalled and then lost power. i fortunately was able to coast down the freeway exit, and i (with the assistance of a few kind hearted motorists) had to push my car out of the exit lane and on coming traffic. my car was towed through aaa to a service garage. the mechanic informed me that the timing chain broke, and in turn damaged the pistons, thus requiring me to replace the engine in my vehicle. replacing the engine is estimated to cost between $1,800 and $2,800 depending upon the availability of the engine in my area. it is my understanding through reading today that there may have been a recall on this very issue with the saturn 2.2 l engines, but i was never contacted by general motors concerning this issue with the 2.2 l engine. i am fortunate that i was able to exit the freeway safely, that other motorists were able to hold off traffic and assist me pushing the car to safety, and that my child, other family members, and i were not in an accident or injured due to this failure at high speed. *tr | |||
| 08/03/2008 | 59323 | 1 | |
| 2002 saturn vue; l61 2.2 liter 4 cyl engine; mileage 59,323. august 3, 2008. preparing to enter interstate vehicle stopped running. had it towed to omaha saturn for repair. service department stated that timing chain had broken, and fallen down into oil pan. along with this valves were damaged (bent) due to minimum clearances in cylinder head design. repair involved new cylinder head and timing chain ($2650.94) plus the $100.00 towing charge. car has been well maintained and has not been driven hard. *tr | |||
| 08/03/2008 | 101414 | 1 | |
| Re: to whom it may concern; i am writing this letter to state how bad a 2002 saturn vue is on safety. i just came in from trying to tow my scooter mobility trailer up the hill in front of my house. the | |||
| 04/25/2008 | 92000 | 1 | |
| Over the past year, i have had several instances where the check engine light comes on and the car just shuts down and won't start up. i have also had the low coolant light come on and was leaking anti-freeze, which i kept on filling up. once it was towed to the dealer and when they went to look at it the next morning, it started right up and they could not figure out what was wrong. another time i left it and when i came back, it started right up. in both of those instances, i was driving less than 40 mph and was able to get to the side of the road safely. the 3rd time that the car died, i was traveling 65 mph on an interstate when the car suddenly died, without any warning. i had just enough time to pull over to the side of the road and avert an accident. i bought a new car, because i was afraid to drive this one and it has been sitting in my driveway for 8 weeks. i recently had the vue towed to a different dealership. they said that i need a new timing belt and water pump. they also say that i need to have an i-bolt pulley, belt tensioner, alternator, and serpentine belt replaced. other repairs that are needed are a front sway bar links and the bearing on the drive shaft. this car has only 92,000 miles. *tr | |||
| 04/06/2008 | 125000 | 1 | 05/03/2002 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 saturn vue. while driving approximately 40 mph, the check engine light and the low power light illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle shut off completely and would not restart after several attempts. the vehicle was diagnosed as having timing chain failure. the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 07v519000 (engine and engine cooling). the current and failure mileages were 125,000. updated 6/9/08 *cn updated 06/09/08 | |||
| 04/06/2008 | 125000 | 1 | 05/15/2002 |
| I began to hear a little bit more engine noise than normal, like a tapping noise. i had the oil changed as i did regularly and within manufacturers recommendation. local mechanic said it was the timing chain and to continue with frequent oil changes. car died while traveling at 40 mph locally on the weekend, but could have happened while traveling 65mph on my way to work if it was a weekday. luckily, i was able to pull immediately into a side street and have the car towed to local goodyear service center. i've seen internet postings citing the same problems on saturn models with the same engine. there may even be a recall for the l-class saturn cars with the same engine and not the vue? *tr | |||
| 04/03/2008 | 65000 | 1 | 07/28/2003 |
| The car shut off while driving. there was no warning prior to car turning off: no interior warning lights came on prior to car stopping and no noises were heard prior to the incident. i was unable to start the car back up and move off of the road. this car has all of it's routine maintenance up to date. dealership system diagnostics shows that it is a problem with the crank shaft position sensor. *tr | |||
| 01/18/2008 | 117000 | 1 | 09/14/2005 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 saturn vue. while driving approximately 60 mph, the contact noticed that the engine and reduced power lights illuminated on the instrument control panel. the vehicle completely lost power. the contact had to shift into neutral in order to pull off the road. the vehicle was towed to a local dealer and they stated that the timing chain failed. she has pictures of the failed component. the contact filed a formal complaint with the manufacturer. the failure and current mileages were 117,000. updated 02/15/08. *lj | |||
| 07/27/2007 | 880165 | 1 | 02/22/2002 |
| Tl*the contact owns 2002 saturn vue. while driving 70 mph, he heard a noise in the engine. the check engine and reduce power light were also illuminated. the vehicle drifted into the slow lane allowing him to stop. the vehicle would not restart. the vehicle was towed and the mechanic stated that faulty wiring caused the failure. the mechanic repaired the wiring; however, the timing chain fell off. vehicle maintenance has been up to date since he purchased the vehicle. the timing chain should not have failed due to the mileage. the current and failure mileages were 88,165. | |||
| 06/04/2007 | 55026 | 1 | 03/15/2002 |
| The timing chain on my 2002 saturn vue, that has only 55,000 miles on it, broke, causing the engine to be destroyed. (engine destroyed was verified by the dealership i took it to, they said it was something they had never seen happen, yet i see many complaints about their l series here. my car has the same engine as it was the first year the vue was made and the engine was the same as the l series that year). *tr | |||
| 12/10/2006 | 54430 | 2 | 06/03/2002 |
| This is the second instance in 54,438 miles of: timing chain 'slipped' due to lack of lubrication. in both instances, the engine stalled while driving (at low speed), then restarted with reduced power/performance along with the service engine warning light. this time, the engine was badly damaged and must be replaced. saturn blames me for not keeping up with the every 3000 mile oil change requirement. (and is satisfied to look no further for any other causes.) i have seen the investigative report (pe06-006), on this site, of an investigation into frequent timing chain failures in l-series models (having the same engine as this vehicle). the report references lack of oil flow to the timing chain when operating at low rpm. (this is the type of driving i do.) the report also references gm tsb 03-06-01-017 stating all timing chain service kits now available will include an oiler nozzle, a new design that will increase oil flow to the timing chain under low rpm operating conditions. the dealer does not acknowledge existence of the improved design for the vue engine. the first failure instance was covered under warranty at 24,663 miles. the current instance occurred at 54,438 mi. , and is now out of warranty. saturn is offering to take 50% cost of an engine replacement. *jb | |||
| 09/26/2006 | 65000 | 1 | 06/13/2002 |
| 2002 saturn vue (65,000 miles) making noise. would not start, towed to mechanic. timing chain failure causing engine damage. estimated cost is $3000; loss of vehicle for at least a week while being repaired. currently at the mechanics awaiting repair. *jb | |||
| 08/25/2006 | 65400 | 4 | 01/02/2006 |
| While driving on the highway, our 2002 vue made a grinding noise and then began to lose power. as we were pulling off to the side, the vehicle stalled and then would not re-start. the saturn dealership towed the vue to their lot and informed us , that the timing chain had skipped and blew the motor. the timing chain was supposed to be no maintenance and didn't even need to be checked until 100,000 miles. my vue had 65,000 miles. after 3 weeks we were told that they would rebuild the engine at a cost of $3500- $3800 and saturn would pay half of that cost. several weeks prior, the vehicle was stalling while driving and would not restart until it cooled off. we took it to the dealership and they replaced a sensor for the cam shaft. the switch for the back wiper has been replaced and we were told by saturn tech's that the motor for the back wiper also needs to be replaced, again at our cost. *jb | |||
| 12/01/2002 | 24 | 09/01/2002 | |
| Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle has timing chain failure which causes vehicle to stall. the check engine light illuminated and the dealer cannot find the cause of the illumination. the transmission also has problems as well as the brakes. | |||
| 09/17/2004 | 19000 | 3 | 04/01/2002 |
| While driving 30 mph vehicle lost power and stalled. consumer pulled over, and had the vehicle towed. the dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak *tc | |||
| 07/15/2003 | 16000 | ||
| This vehicle has had this trouble since its puchase. after the first break down, saturn returned it to us stating that it was a loose battery terminal. the second time saturn stated that they replaced two of the three on board computers, they also stated that a full diagnostic and repair record would be fowarded to us. that never came. yesteday 7/6/03 the engine shut off in traffic. i could not get it started and had to have it towed. i will not put my family back in this car again, i don't trust saturn, the company or the vehicle with my families lives. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - HOSE | |||
| 01/02/2004 | 2 | 06/08/2002 | |
| I own a 2002 saturn vue and before i had it 1 month a sqeal was heard. the dealer replaced both fuel pumps. a few months ago the service engine light came on and it was a fule evap issue. it came on again 2 weeks ago and this time the fuel evap canister was replaced. i am concerned with safety of this vehicle because of the fuel issues. also in mid december the clutch return spring snapped in half. the air conditioning lines leaked into the vehicle. i believe this car is a lemon!*ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 08/02/2008 | 110000 | 1 | |
| My vehicle lost power and would not exceed 10 miles an hour. *tr | |||
| 07/18/2007 | 75000 | 1 | |
| Timing chain failure causing engine damage. *tr | |||
| 04/25/2008 | 92000 | 1 | |
| Over the past year, i have had several instances where the check engine light comes on and the car just shuts down and won't start up. i have also had the low coolant light come on and was leaking anti-freeze, which i kept on filling up. once it was towed to the dealer and when they went to look at it the next morning, it started right up and they could not figure out what was wrong. another time i left it and when i came back, it started right up. in both of those instances, i was driving less than 40 mph and was able to get to the side of the road safely. the 3rd time that the car died, i was traveling 65 mph on an interstate when the car suddenly died, without any warning. i had just enough time to pull over to the side of the road and avert an accident. i bought a new car, because i was afraid to drive this one and it has been sitting in my driveway for 8 weeks. i recently had the vue towed to a different dealership. they said that i need a new timing belt and water pump. they also say that i need to have an i-bolt pulley, belt tensioner, alternator, and serpentine belt replaced. other repairs that are needed are a front sway bar links and the bearing on the drive shaft. this car has only 92,000 miles. *tr | |||
| 01/18/2008 | 117000 | 1 | 09/12/2005 |
| While driving my 2002 saturn vue 2.2l 4cyl last night at approx. 55-60mph, my reduced power light came on, along with the service engine soon. i had no forewarning noises or indication my car was going into failure. i immediately put my car into neutral, shut the ignition down, and pulled off the road as safely as i could, still at approx. 50 mph speed as i had my 3 children in the car with me. after the car was shut down for 5 mins and speaking to my gm dealership, they advised me to try to turn the car over in case it was just a glitch in the computer system, to no avail. it wouldn't turn over. after being towed to my gm dealership, i was told my vehicle had a zero tolerance engine, and that my timing chain had broke. i was told my engine was most likely blown, and that i needed to have my engine replaced. the minimal cost of this timing chain error is $3,000 even with a used engine going into my car. i see many complaints about saturn's 2.2l engine in the approx. 2001-2002 range, and i believe my vehicle is part of this. i am contacting saturn on monday the 21st to see if i can get some sort of help in replacing my engine, as this is apparently an obvious problem with their engines. *tr | |||
| 05/14/2007 | 74000 | 1 | |
| 2002 saturn vue 4 cylinder engine. catastrophic engine failure at 74,000 miles. timing chain broke without warning, shutting down vehicle while driving. caused damage to eight of the sixteen valves. have to replace chain, have cylinder heads machined and other work done (still in progress). parts are only available from saturn.*ak | |||
| 05/22/2002 | 12800 | 5 | 08/08/2002 |
| When coming to a stop the vehicle chuggs (surges) and acts like it is going to stall. this problem has been looked at by the dealer and they basically say all systems operating as intended. this situation is very similar to complaint number 567762. *nlm | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 08/29/2006 | 68000 | 1 | 11/23/2004 |
| While driving my 2002 saturn vue to work, the reduced power and service engine lights came on simultaneously, and i had no power. i pulled over to the side of the road where a state trooper sat behind me with his lights on so that i would not be rear-ended. my car was towed to a local repair station where it could not be fixed, so it was towed to the saturn dealer. it was reported to me that the timing chain broke and since the engine was a zero tolerance engine, the entire engine has to be replaced at a cost of over $2000. i have an extended warranty, but do not have copies of the receipts for oil changes so they will not honor the warranty (for which i paid $1700). heritage (the company which i bought the warranty from when i bought the car at saturn) says that if i pay $435 to have the engine torn down, they will send an auditor to determine if they will pay for the repairs or not. my concern is that the engine that they will put in has 28,000 miles on it and the timing chain may break on this engine as well. *nm | |||
| 05/02/2002 | 4 | 04/07/2002 | |
| On several occasions while driving, the reduced power light comes on and vehicle automatically shuts down, after several attempts vehicle may restart, dealer stated that a sensor was not letting the pedal know that there was gasoline, dealer replaced this part, however this did not remedy problem. *tt*yh | |||
| 05/02/2002 | 4 | 04/07/2002 | |
| On several occasions while driving, the reduced power light came on and vehicle would automatically shut down, after several attempts vehicle may restart, dealer stated that a sensor was not letting the pedal know that there was gasoline, dealer replaced this part, however this did not remedy problem. *tt*yd | |||
| 05/02/2002 | 4 | 04/07/2002 | |
| On several occasions while driving, the reduced power light came on and vehicle would automatically shut down, after several attempts vehicle may restart, dealer stated that a sensor was not letting the pedal know that there was gasoline, dealer replaced this part, however this did not remedy problem. *tt | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | |||
| 11/06/2007 | 106789 | 1 | 05/18/2002 |
| The only event which led to the failure was accelerating to then merge into oncoming traffic. the timing chain failed/broke during acceleration while merging with oncoming traffic. power was then lost,the vehicle died while going downhill. this caused loss of full brakes and steering while the vehicle rolled to a stop. the chain then damaged multiple valves leading to a potential minimum $2000 repair. *tr | |||
| 02/18/2007 | 68000 | 1 | |
| Driving at @ 35 miles per hour in our 2002 saturn vue when it stopped. just stopped. waited 2 hours in frigid conditions for a tow. found out the following day that the timing chain had snapped. this in turn damaged two of the engine valves causing 1400 dollars in damage. vehicle has only 65,000 miles. *nm | |||
| 12/18/2006 | 54430 | 2 | 06/03/2002 |
| Incident = second instance in 54,438 miles of: timing chain 'slipped' due to lack of lubrication. this is on my 2002 saturn vue, 4 cyl. engine - front wheel drive. saturn blames me for not keeping up with the every 3000 mile oil change requirement. (and is satisfied to look no further for other causes.) i have seen a report, on this site, of an investigation into frequent timing chain failures in l-series models (having the same engine). the report references lack of oil flow to the timing chain when operating at low rpm. (this is the type of driving i do.) the report also references all timing chain service kits now available will include an oiler nozzel, a new design that will increase oil flow to the timing chain under low rpm operating conditions. the first instance was covered under warrantee at 24,663 miles. the current instance occurred at 54,438 mi. , and is now out of warrantee. damage resulting = engine damage for the second instance is beyond repair, and i am told the engine must be replaced. even though the vehicle is out of warantee, saturn offers to pay 50% of the cost of a rebuilt engine replacement. but, i cannot afford even 50% at this time. i have openned a case with saturn to get more support. the case is currently awaiting action by the district manager who is on vacation until the firtst of the year. *nm | |||