2003 Saturn L200

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN L200. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE KEY FAILED TO TURN IN THE IGNITION WITHOUT WARNING. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WENT TO DIAGNOSE THE VEHICLE AND REPLACED THE IGNITION CONTROL SWITCH. IN ADDITION, A STRONG ODOR OF FUEL EMITTED INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN L200. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH UP AN INCLINE WHEN THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE ENGINE FAILED TO RESTART AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE FUEL PUMP AND FUEL FILTER WERE REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 81,230. UPDATED 02/09/11*LJ UPDATED 09/19/11

ON 9/01/2007 MY SATURN L200 SEDAN SUDDENLY STARTED MAKING A LOUD NOISE EMANATING FROM THE EXHAUST AND WITHIN TWO MINUTES THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RUN ANY FURTHER. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FLASHED REPEATEDLY AND A SMELL FROM THE EXHAUST WAS NOTED AND SUBSEQUENT TRIES TO RESTART THE VEHICLE DRAINED THE BATTERY COMPLETELY. PRIOR TO THIS THE FAN HAD CYCLED ON INDICATING A HEAT PROBLEM. ALL ISSUES PERTAINING TO THE PROBLEM MATCH EXACTLY WHAT NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 03V231000 HAD LISTED. SATURN ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE PROVIDED A TOW AT MY EXPENSE AND THE DRIVER REFUSED DELIVERY TO THE SATURN OF WEST LIBERTY AVENUE DEALER BUT INSTEAD TOWED THE VEHICLE TO MY HOME AND HE WAS RATHER DISINTERESTED IN DROPPING THE VEHICLE OFF AT THE DEALER AS I HAD INSTRUCTED HIM. A CALL TO SATURN CORPORATION YIELDED A CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE TELLING ME THAT NO SUCH CAMPAIGN ID OR RECALL EXISTED FOR MY VEHICLE ALTHOUGH MY VIN IS IN THE RANGE OF AFFECTED VEHICLES. A CALL TO THE SATURN DEALERSHIPS SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE JUSTIN YIELDED THE SAME COMMENT. A RETURN CALL TO SATURN CORPORATION YIELDED YET ANOTHER PERSON STATING THE SAME. THE FIRST REP FROM SATURN CONFERENCING CALLED JUSTIN AT THE DEALERSHIP AND THE STORY THEN CHANGED FROM NO RECALL TO A RECALL BEING FOUND AND PERFORMED BY A PLEASANT HILLS SATURN DEALER. THE RECALL IN QUESTION WAS NEVER PERFORMED SINCE NO VISIBLE STICKER WITH THE RECALL INFORMATION WAS AFFIXED BY ANY SATURN MECHANIC IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WHICH CONFIRMS THE VEHICLE NEVER HAD SUCH SERVICE PERFORMED. I AM NOW STUCK WITH A VEHICLE IN MY DRIVEWAY WHICH NEVER HAD THE RECALL PERFORMED AND TO WHICH COULD HAVE HAD A FIRE CAUSED BUT I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO NOT HAVE HAD THAT ISSUE. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALER STATED I NEEDED TO PAY FOR ANOTHER TOW AND THAT I WOULD BE BILLED FOR THE WORK. *TR THE CONSUMER PROVIDED DOCUMENTATION THE VEHICLE FAILED THE EMISSIONS TEST. THE DEALER STATED FOUND NO FUEL PRESSURE AND REPLACED FUEL PUMP. UPDATED 09/19/07 *TR

TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN L SERIES. WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH THE ELECTRICAL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ,AND THE FRONT END BEGAN TO SHAKE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ALSO ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE PULLED OVER AND TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF, AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AFTER WAITING ABOUT TEN MINUTES. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED, WHITE SMOKE STARTED EXITING THE EXHAUST PIPE AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THIS OCCURRED ON FIVE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. THE DEALER HAD REPLACED THE PUMP AND/OR GAS COOLANT, INSULATOR ASSEMBLY FRONT SUSPENSION SUPPORT, OXYGEN SENSOR AND EXHAUST SYSTEM. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 48,000. *AK

2003 SATURN L200 WITH 48,000 MILES DIED WHILE DRIVING. WE HAD TO QUICKLY SWERVE TO OPPOSITE SIDE OF ROAD WHERE THERE WAS A SHOULDER IN ORDER TO GET OUT OF THE TRAFFIC LANE(NO SHOULDER ON THE LANE WE WERE IN). CAR WAS TOWED, AND WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A BROKEN TIMING CHAIN, PROBABLE ENGINE DAMAGE, AND POSSIBLE FUEL PUMP FAILURE. SINCE I JUST PUT A NEW ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY IN THE VEHICLE THREE WEEKS PRIOR, I CONTACTED MANUFACTURER AND TALKED WITH DEALER ABOUT WORKING WITH ME TO FIX THIS CAR. THEY WOULD NOT EVEN DISCUSS NEXT STEP UNTIL I AUTHORIZED (PAID FOR) A $750 TEAR DOWN OF THE MOTOR TO "FULLY DIAGNOSE" THE PROBLEM. I REFUSED TO TO AUTHORIZE, BECAUSE ALL OF THE BURDEN AT THAT POINT WOULD BE ON ME, WHATEVER HAPPENED. SITUATION WAS NEVER RESOLVED; I TRADED THE CAR (AT A DRASTIC REDUCTION OF VALUE DUE TO ITS NON-WORKING CONDITION). *NM

ON JANUARY 30, 2006, MY 2003 L200 WOULD NOT START. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO SATURN OF THE VALLEY WHERE I HAD PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW IN OCTOBER, 2002. THEY DETERMINED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS A FAILED FUEL PUMP THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AT THE TIME, THE VEHICLES MILEAGE WAS 58,270. THE TOTAL COST OF REPLACEMENT CAME TO $553.79 INCLUDING PARTS, LABOR AND APPLICABLE TAX. SUBSEQUENTLY, ON SEPTEMBER 25, 2006, I TOOK MY 2002 L200 TO SATURN OF THE VALLEY WHERE I HAD PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW IN OCTOBER, 2001, DUE TO A POSSIBLE FUEL PUMP LINE LEAK THAT HAD BEEN DISCOVERED ON THE PRIOR SATURDAY, 9/23/06, BY THE FIRESTONE FACILITY WHERE I HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE FOR SERVICING BECAUSE I COULD SMELL GAS COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. SATURN OF THE VALLEY DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL PUMP LINES WERE LEAKING AND THAT THE FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AT THE TIME, THE VEHICLES MILEAGE WAS 75,202. SATURN OF THE VALLEY AGREED TO COVER THE COST OF THE PART BUT I PAID THE LABOR. SUBSEQUENT TO THIS, I WROTE TO SATURN CUSTOMER SERVICE AND REQUESTED THAT THEY COVER THE COST OF THE PART WITH REGARD TO THE 1/30/06 2003 L200 FUEL PUMP FAILURE. I EXPLAINED THAT THE FUEL PUMP FAILURE WAS DUE TO A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT, AS THE SAME PART FAILED ON BOTH OF MY VEHICLES OF THE SAME MODEL, ONE PRODUCTION YEAR APART, PURCHASED NEW AT THE SAME FACILITY, AT RELATIVELY LOW MILEAGE. SATURN CORP. DENIES THAT THERE'S A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT ON THIS PART. HOWEVER, SATURN HAS DISCONTINUED PRODUCTION OF THE L SERIES MODEL VEHICLES. THIS IS HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS AND WARRANTS AN INVESTIGATION TO DETERMINE IF A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT IS AT FAULT. *JB

IN THE YEAR 2003 AFTER HAVING MY L200 FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS 1000 MILES MY FUEL PUMP WENT IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY BUT I TOOK IT TO SATURN OF CLEARANCE THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG SO I WAS ALMOST HOME AND BLACK SMOKE WAS FLOWING OUT OF MY TAIL PIPE AND WHEN I STOPPED TO GET SOME GAS AFTER I GOT GAS I WENT TO START MY CAR AND IT WOULDN'T START THEN IT WOULD AND IT WOULD STALL SO I TOOK IT BACK UP THERE THE SECOND TIME AND THEY SAID OH ITS YOUR FUEL PUMP WELL WHY DIDN'T THEY LISTEN THE FIRST TIME . *NM