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2001 Saturn LW200

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 6 of 8 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Exterior Lighting. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

0 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports

Engine complaints

7 reports
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100,000 miles · Jul 20, 2017
EngineSteeringSuspensionInjury

WHILE DRIVING MY CAR WITH 2 SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN IN IT MY STEERING WHEEL WENT CRAZY. IT WENT FROM BEING CENTER TO VERTICAL. I DROVE AS CLOSE TO HOME AS I COULD GET AND THEN MY CAR CAME TO A GRINDING HAULT. I THOUGHT I UAD A FLAT TIRE BUT THATS NOT WHAT IT WAS. AFTER TOWING IT HOME WE LOOKED UNDER IT AND THE ENGINE CRADLE HAD …

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WHILE DRIVING MY CAR WITH 2 SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN IN IT MY STEERING WHEEL WENT CRAZY. IT WENT FROM BEING CENTER TO VERTICAL. I DROVE AS CLOSE TO HOME AS I COULD GET AND THEN MY CAR CAME TO A GRINDING HAULT. I THOUGHT I UAD A FLAT TIRE BUT THATS NOT WHAT IT WAS. AFTER TOWING IT HOME WE LOOKED UNDER IT AND THE ENGINE CRADLE HAD BROKE!! WHEN THIS HAPPENED IT BROKE THE CONTROL ARM ON MY CAR CAUSING MY TIRE TO ROTATE INWARD AND BACK INTO THE FENDER WELL. WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIX IT AND WE HAVE NO OTHER CAR. THE ONLY WAY THE CHILDREN WERE HURT WAS PSYCHOLOGICAL, SINCETHEY ARE AUTISTIC. NOONE WAS INJURED BUT IF THE CRADLE BROKE CAUSING THE CONTROL ARM TO BREAK WHILE DRIVING I VERY WELL COULD HAVE LOST CONTROL. WE WERE STRANDED IN THE DARK, WITH 2 SPECIAL NEEDS KIDS AND NOWAY HOME. IF WE WERE ON THE HIGHWAY IT COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL!!

NHTSA ODI #11006653

124,000 miles · Dec 29, 2015
Engine

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN LW200. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST ACCELERATOR FUNCTION AND STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE OWNERS RESIDENCE. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VE…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN LW200. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST ACCELERATOR FUNCTION AND STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE OWNERS RESIDENCE. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 124,000.

NHTSA ODI #10816763

116,000 miles · Jul 26, 2014
Engine

WHEN DRIVING MY VEHICLE DOWN THE ROAD WITH MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR , IT DIED. THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL ON THE TIMING CHAIN FOR THE SATURN L SERIES FOR THE YEAR OF MY VEHICLE. YET, MINE IS 2 MONTHS SHY OF THE RECALL DATE. MY MECHANIC SAYS THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM FOR THESE VEHICLES OF THIS YEAR. TELL ME WHY THE ENTIRE PRODUCTI…

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WHEN DRIVING MY VEHICLE DOWN THE ROAD WITH MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR , IT DIED. THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL ON THE TIMING CHAIN FOR THE SATURN L SERIES FOR THE YEAR OF MY VEHICLE. YET, MINE IS 2 MONTHS SHY OF THE RECALL DATE. MY MECHANIC SAYS THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM FOR THESE VEHICLES OF THIS YEAR. TELL ME WHY THE ENTIRE PRODUCTION TIME OF THIS VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED? SEEING HOW THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE OUT THERE HAVING THIS ISSUE. I WAS VERY LUCKY THAT THERE WAS NOT AN ACCIDENT INVOLVED IN THIS SITUATION, BUT I AM SURE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN. I AM ASKING THAT MY ENGINE BE REPLACED BY GM. I AM ASKING THAT THE THE RECALL BE EXTENDED FOR THE UNFORTUNATE PEOPLE WHO NOW HAVE VEHICLES THAT CANNOT BE DRIVEN DUE TO A FAULTY MANUFACTURING ISSUE. THE NHTSA NEEDS TO EXTEND THE RECALL! *TR

NHTSA ODI #10616592

117,000 miles · Jun 4, 2014
Engine

AFTER STARTING CAR AND ROLLING BACK TO LEAVE PARKING SPACE AT 5MPH THERE WAS A MUFFLED POP AND THE CAR STOPPED MOVING.I TRIED TO CRANK ENGINE AGAIN AND IT WOULD NOT START. I HAD TO PUSH IT INTO A NEARBY PARKING SPOT. LOCAL REPAIR PERSON DIAGNOSED THE CAR NEEDS A NEW TIMING CHAIN. SAID SAME YEAR AND MODEL WAS INVOLVED IN GM SAFET…

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AFTER STARTING CAR AND ROLLING BACK TO LEAVE PARKING SPACE AT 5MPH THERE WAS A MUFFLED POP AND THE CAR STOPPED MOVING.I TRIED TO CRANK ENGINE AGAIN AND IT WOULD NOT START. I HAD TO PUSH IT INTO A NEARBY PARKING SPOT. LOCAL REPAIR PERSON DIAGNOSED THE CAR NEEDS A NEW TIMING CHAIN. SAID SAME YEAR AND MODEL WAS INVOLVED IN GM SAFETY RECALL 06074 ISSUED DECEMBER 2007 ACCORDING TO HIS DATABASE. GM SAYS MY CAR ISN'T INVOLVED IN THAT RECALL. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN BREWING FOR YEARS AS THE CHAIN SEEMS NOT TO BE GETTING PROPER OILING AND WOULD RATTLE MAKING A DREADFUL NOISE WHICH WOULD SUBSIDE AFTER A FEW MILES NORMALLY. IT HAS OCCURRED PERIODICALLY SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR USED WITH 32K MILES. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10596097

Mileage unknown · Mar 13, 2014
Electrical SystemEngine

2001 SATURN L200. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO IGNITION CONTROL MODULE FAILURE RECALL NOTICE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED IN DECEMBER 2013, THE VEHICLE STARTED RUNNING REALLY BAD, RUNNING ROUGH AND WOULD SHUT OFF. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO HIS MECHANIC, WHERE HE DISCOVERED A RECALL. THE CONSUMER STATED HE WAS NEVER INFOR…

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2001 SATURN L200. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO IGNITION CONTROL MODULE FAILURE RECALL NOTICE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED IN DECEMBER 2013, THE VEHICLE STARTED RUNNING REALLY BAD, RUNNING ROUGH AND WOULD SHUT OFF. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO HIS MECHANIC, WHERE HE DISCOVERED A RECALL. THE CONSUMER STATED HE WAS NEVER INFORMED ABOUT THE RECALL. THE MECHANIC FIXED THE VEHICLE. HOWEVER, IT CONTINUED TO RUN ROUGH. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED HIS MECHANIC, AND HE INFORMED THE CONSUMER, THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW ENGINE.

NHTSA ODI #10568462

34,000 miles · Oct 9, 2013
Engine

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN LW200. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE WARNING INDICATOR. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART AND WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE TIMING CHAIN WAS FRACTURED AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN LW200. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE WARNING INDICATOR. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART AND WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE TIMING CHAIN WAS FRACTURED AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO OTHER COMPONENTS IN THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS SCHEDULED FOR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,000.

NHTSA ODI #10547397

157,082 miles · Feb 23, 2013
Engine

DRIVING IN PARKING LOT AND CAR SUDDENLY STALLS. WOULDN'T RESTART AND FOUND OUT LATER THAT TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKEN. ENGINE NOW ALSO HAS INTERNAL DAMAGE AS A RESULT. IT IS A 2.2L ENGINE BUT APPARENTLY NOT ON THE RECALL LIST EVEN THOUGHT THE CHAIN AND OILING NOZZLE ARE THE SAME AS THE OTHER 2001 RECALLED ENGINES. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10499794

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.