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 | |
| 00T18 | 03/01/2000 | 611152 | Subject on incorrect engine cooling fan operation on low speed and/or increased under hood noise at idle. *mjs | 05/31/2000 | |
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). | ||||||
| PE08061 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 10/16/2008 | 04/08/2009 | TIMING CHAIN BREAKS, ENGINE STALL | ||
| On may 22, 2008, theoffice of defects investigation (odi) was petitioned by the north carolina consumers council (nccc) to broaden the scope of safety recall 07v-519, which was conducted by general motors corporation (gm) for model year (my) 2001 saturn l-series vehicles equipped with the l61 2.2l engine and built during a 4-month period from november 2000 through february 2001 (dp08-002). on october 16, 2008, odi granted dp08-002 and opened pe08-061 to investigate timing chain failures resulting in engine stall while driving (swd) in the saturn l-series vehicles equipped with l61 engines and that used the same design timing chain and timing chain lubrication system as the recalled vehicles.a redesigned timing chain and lubrication system were implemented late in my 2002 production (may 1, 2002).hence, the subject vehicles for this investigation are all my 2000 through 2002 saturn l-series vehicles equipped with 2.2l l61 engines and built prior to may 2002 that were not included in recall 07v-519. in this investigation, odi analyzed updated complaint and warranty claims data for timing chain failures resulting in incidents of engine stall while driving, which comprise slightly over half of all timing chain failures occurring in the subject vehicle population.odi's analysis of complaint and warranty data shows that vehicles produced with the subject timing chain and lubrication system experienced elevated failure rates when compared with the my 2002 through 2003 vehicles using the revised components.however, the analysis also showed that the my 2001 saturn l-series vehicles recalled in 07v-518 experienced a significantly higher rate of timing chain failures than the subject vehicles.the complaint rate for timing chain failures resulting in swd was approximately 5 times higher for the recalled vehicles,19.2 incidents per thousand vehicles (iptv), than for the subject vehicles, 3.7 iptv.the warranty claims rate for chain failures resulting in swd was over 3 times higher for the recalled vehicles, 2.4 percent, than for the subject vehicles, 0.7 percent.the complaint and warranty rates for the subject vehicles were similar to rates recorded in other recently closed investigations for conditions that could result in swd with no engine re-start, ea07-015 and ea07-018.analysis of all complaints, field reports and warranty claims found no allegations of crashes or injuries associated with the alleged defect in the subject vehicles after approximately 7 to 9 years in service. odi's analysis of the stalling incidents that have resulted from timing chain failures in the subject vehicles found that they can occur at any speed and almost always result in a no restart condition.these are generally considered to be factors that increase the severity of stalling incidents.however, analysis of swd failure rates in the subject vehicles show that they have occurred at much lower rates than were observed in the recalled population.in addition, the swd complaint and warranty rates for the subject vehicles are similar to rates observed in prior investigations involving similar categories of engine stall consequences that were closed with no action.further investigation of this matter would not be an efficient allocation of agency resources.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will continue to monitor complaints and other information relating to the alleged defect in the subject vehicles and take further action if warranted. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 09/12/2009 | 125102 | 1 | |
| I used the vehicle to pick my son up from college for the weekend, when we returned home he went out to start the vehicle later that night it would not start at all. all electrical and power to the car worked, like the radio, lights, windows, etc., but the car would not start. i had the car towed to the repair shop and the repair company called me to inform me that the timing chain had went on the vehicle and it would cost me anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000 to be reapired. as i did more research about the vehicle i came across a few websites that had complaints about this same vehicle and the same problems. right now we are in the process of locating a repair shop that will do the work for less than the dollar amount quoted by the repair shop, because the vehicle was just purchase on feburary 13, 2009. on september 22, 2009 i contacted saturn about my concerns about the possible recall of vehicles from 1999 to 2003 l-series saturns, but i was informed that my vin number was not on their list for any recalls, so i questioned if they had so many complaints about the same issue with this year, make, and model why has nothing been done to fix the problem and i was told that there was nothing they could do, but have me tow my car to a saturn dealer about 25 miles from my home and pay for a diagnostic test to see what the problem is with the car and they might, might not be able to do anything for me! *tr | |||
| 10/31/2008 | 96275 | 1 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2000 saturn l-series wagon. the contact stated that the timing chain slipped on the vehicle. the recall for the 2001 saturn l-series described the identical failure she was experiencing. the dealer stated that the repair would cost $900; however, saturn offered to take $100 off the cost because the failures were recognized in the following year of the saturn l-series. the failure and current mileages were less than 90,000. updated 11/26/08. *lj updated 12/01/08. *jb | |||
| 06/20/2008 | 700000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns 2000 saturn lw2. while driving 35 mph, all of the warning lights on the instrument control panel would illuminate immediately after severely reducing speed and power. the technician diagnosed the failure as a failed mass air flow sensor. the contact researched the recalls and discovered that he was experiencing the same failures noted in recall # 03v231000. the dealer informed him that his vin was not included in the recall and that all repairs would be at his own expense. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was 70,000 and the current mileage was 76,000. | |||
| 04/24/2007 | 45000 | 1 | 06/29/2001 |
| Timing chain broke, timing chain cover and valve cover gasket also need to be replaced. car only has 45,000 miles on it. *tr | |||
| 04/15/2008 | 192000 | 1 | 02/23/2000 |
| My 2000 saturn lw1 has been diagnosed with needing a new timing chain. saturn service has indicated that the 2001 version of my car has been recalled for this problem, but not mine. *tr | |||
| 02/27/2008 | 73000 | 1 | |
| Timing chain failure on a 2000 lw1 station wagon. engine must now be replaced with an estimated replacement cost of $2500. *tr | |||
| 06/13/2004 | 54050 | 4 | 10/15/2002 |
| At 54,000 miles my water pump, timing belt, engine oil cooler, and power steering pump all failed at the same time. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 08/27/2009 | 107000 | 1 | |
| I was driving on the highway when i suddenly lost all power with no warning. i am told by the dealership that the timing chain was broken. i now need to replace the engine - at a cost close to what the car is worth. i see that the 2001 cars have this same problem and were subject to recall. why not the 2000? *tr | |||
| 10/14/2007 | 104000 | 1 | 02/15/2005 |
| At 104,000 miles, our saturn lw2 wagon's timing chain suffered complete failure while i was traveling with my wife and infant son. when the timing chain failed, it destroyed the valves on its engine, requiring the complete replacement of the engine. the replacement cost has been estimated at $6,000. *jb | |||
| 10/01/2006 | 77000 | 1 | |
| Saturn 2000 lw200. wife returned home from an errand and parked the car. next day she tried to go to work, car would not start. had it towed to a shop. they think the timing chain slipped (maybe). mechanic is not 100%. it broke something in the engine, piston, cam shaft not sure. engine has about 77k. unable to fix the car at this time as i do not have an estimated 3300.00 to repair using a used engine. *jb | |||
| 06/13/2005 | 73500 | 1 | 07/25/2002 |
| 2000 saturn lw-1 timing chain broke on the vehicle.***no answer required***. *mr when the timing chain broke, the valves and gaskets were damaged as well. the brake light was replaced on more than one occasion. the consumer was informed there was a recall regarding the brake lights. *jb | |||
| 03/15/2005 | 140889 | 1 | 11/13/1999 |
| On tuesday morning, i took my 2000 saturn lw2 to the dealership in conyers to have the oil changed. left the dealership, went home, and that afternoon went to my cpa's office in roswell. on the way back home, noticed the service light flashing. looked at other gauges to see what was wrong & watched my heat gauge go all the way over to the red, at which time both the low-coolant & hot lights came on. managed to get the car to the side of a very busy interstate. opened the hood & found what looked like sandy-colored mud all over the engine, especially on the driver's side. after sitting for two hours on the side of the road, finally got a tow truck to come bring the car home. tow truck driver said the mud looked like a mixture of engine oil & coolant. husband checked the oil level & discovered there was no oil in the engine. car is now sitting in our driveway and we haven't decided what to do yet as it will probably cost as much to repair it as the car is worth. have talked to service dept. at the dealership -- they won't send someone to look at the car (it's too far) and we won't have it towed to them at our expense (and they won't pay to have it towed either). *ak | |||
| 03/08/2003 | 12000 | 1 | 11/15/1999 |
| Over 3.5 years that i have owned my 2000 saturn lw2 wagon, there have been recurring problems with severe engine misfires and extremely rough shifting of automatic transmission, accompanied by service or service engine soon dashboard lights coming on. two different saturn dealers have repeatedly investigated and found computer diagnostic codes proving that something did happen, but repeatedly say that there is neither diagnosis of the root cause nor cure that can be applied, other than the band-aid of resetting the computer and telling me to go on my way, that will be fifty bucks please. in two cases this problem caused a complete breakdown requiring the car to be towed.*jb | |||
| 12/14/2002 | 44000 | 1 | 06/02/2000 |
| 1. car has 44,000 miles on it. coolant system is leaking. estimated $500 to fix it. car is 2.5 yrs old. 2. when windshield washer is used, it shorts out and wiper system stops working completely. dealer's service dept recommends $400 wiper motor replacement even though they can not replicate the issue. i went thru three fuses in one day. very dangerous situation as it is winter and i live in new england | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 01/30/2001 | 1 | 03/16/2000 | |
| 2000 l2w model. engine oil life indicator lamp on. engine air filter replaced. *tt | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | |||
| 02/27/2008 | 94000 | 1 | 12/28/2005 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2000 saturn lw1. the timing chain completely separated. as a result, the pistons jammed the valves and caused them to fail. the timing chain pulled the sprockets apart, which caused the heads and valves to fail. the dealer stated that they would not cover the repairs under recall and would charge $2,200 for a new head and timing chain. the current and failure mileages were 94,000. | |||
| 06/13/2004 | 54050 | 4 | 10/15/2002 |
| At 54,000 miles my water pump, timing belt, engine oil cooler, and power steering pump all failed at the same time. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - CRANKCASE (PCV) | |||
| 01/02/2004 | 117650 | 1 | 02/29/2000 |
| Car accelerated on its own climbed from 20 to 60 braking only slowed the car down but as soon as the foot was taken off the brake car returned to high speed. the only way the car would stop was to turn off the car. while in neutral or park rpms climbed to 4500. saturn had the car twice and blamed me for being late by 2000 miles with an oil change. the then rerouted a pvc hose to prevent moisture from entering throttle body. this seem to me to be a defect in the design and not something from wear and tear and saturn should cover this repair. *ak | |||