2003 Saturn L200

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN L200. THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS FLASHING AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. WHEN THE VEHICLE STARTED, IT WAS IDLING VERY ROUGH. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IGNITION CONTROL MODULE FAILED AND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE RECALL WAS PERFORMED IN APRIL OF 2004; HOWEVER, THEY DO NOT HAVE A RECORD OF THE REPAIR BEING PERFORMED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 102,000. UPDATED 03/04/08. *LJ UPDATED

MY BUMPER COVER FELL OFF ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO, I WENT INTO A DRUGSTORE, CAME OUT AND THE BUMPER COVER WAS LYING ON THE PARKING LOT. NO COLLISION WAS INVOLVED. I HAD THE BUMPER FIXED AT SATURN OF SOUTHWEST FRWY IN HOUSTON. I PICKED IT UP FROM THEM ON 12/20 AT 6 PM. THE BUMPER COVER FELL OFF AGAIN ON 12/22 AT 6 AM. SATURN HAS EXPLAINED THE BLACK STRIP UNDER THE BUMPER, SOMETHING LIKE RUBBER AND IT HANGS ABOUT 4 INCHES OFF THE GROUND, WHICH DID SHOW RUB JUST LIKE WHAT AN ERASER LOOKS LIKE AFTER YOU HAVE USED IT ONCE INDICATES IT TOUCHED AGAINST SOMETHING. THE SERVICE MANAGER SUGGESTED POSSIBLY A DRIVE WAY. AND SATURN STANDS BEHIND THAT DECISION THAT THEY ARE ALRIGHT WITH A CAR WHOSE BUMPER FALLS OFF WHEN IT TOUCHES SOMETHING, A DRIVEWAY, A CURB, THINGS CARS NORMALLY COME INTO CONTACT WITH EVERYDAY WITHOUT HARM. THE RUB ON THAT PART SHOWS THAT THERE WAS NO PULLING OR GRABBING OF THAT PART OR THERE WOULD BE A HOLE OR A RIP OR ACTUAL DAMAGE OTHER THAN THE RUB FROM TOUCHING SOMETHING HARD. IT COST A LITTLE UNDER 1000.00 TO FIX AND TOOK SEVEN DAYS, PLUS I HAD TO PAY FOR THE COST OF REPLACING THE LICENSE PLATE. THREE DAYS AFTER HAVING IT FIXED, THE BUMPER COVER FELL OFF AGAIN. THEY WON'T FIX IT FREE OR AT A DISCOUNT. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS TO HAVE YOUR BUMPER JUST FALL OFF AND IT COULD EASILY CAUSE DEATHS. SATURN DOESN'T SEEM TO CARE. THESE CARS SHOULD BE RECALLED. IT IS IRRESPONSIBLE AND SHOULD BE CRIMINAL THAT SATURN AND GM?S REFUSAL TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR SUCH A SERIOUS MATTER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN L200. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BUMPER DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER REPAIRED THE BUMPER; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED TWO DAYS LATER. THE DEALER STATED THAT SOMETHING RUBBED AGAINST THE BUMPER AND CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE PURCHASE DATE AND POWERTRAIN WERE UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,500 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 77,695.

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, WHEN HIT THE SPEED OF ABOUT 40-45 MPH THE WHOLE FRONT END WOULD START SHAKING AND RATTLING. BROUGHT TO DEALER, NEEDLESS TO SAY AFTER THREE VISITS THEY SUPPOSEDLY "FIXED" THE PROBLEM BY REPLACING ONE SIDE OF THE AXLE SHAFT BUT THEY WERE WRONG THEY PROBLEM WAS STILL THERE! SO AFTER 8 WEEK OF WAITING FOR THE DEALER TO GO 1 BLOCK DOWN THE STREET TO GET THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AXLE SHAFT THE CAR WAS THEN FIXED. *TR

ON 9/24/97 I DROVE MY CAR TO WORK AS USUAL AND SHUT IT OFF AND LOCKED THE DOORS WITH THE REMOTE CONTROL. UPON LEAVING WORKING AND OPENING THE CAR I HAD DIFFICULTY OPENING THE LOCKS AND USED THE KEY FOR ENTRY. I TRIED TURNING ON THE IGNITION AND IT WOULD START AND IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF. I TRIED THIS TWICE AND NOTICED THAT THE ANTI-THEFT ICON (CAR WITH A LOCK THROUGH IT) WAS IGNITED. I LOOKED IN MY OWNER'S MANUAL AND DETERMINED THAT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT HAD TO BE RESET BY THE DEALER. I THEN NOTICED A BUZZING FROM MY PASSENGER FRONT DOOR LOCK. I DISCONNECTED THE FUSE AND THE BUZZING STOPPED. WHEN I FINALLY HAD A KNOWLEDGEABLE TOW PERSON GET THE CAR MANUALLY IN NEUTRAL SINCE THE GEARS WERE LOCKED, IT WAS TOWED TO SATURN OF CLARENCE WHO ADVISED THAT THE BODY CONTROL MODULE WAS BAD AND IT SHORTED OUT ALL OF MY DOOR LOCKS. THE CAR HAS 27,000 AND IS 4 YEARS OLD. IT COST $610 FOR THE BCM AND $1,000 FOR THE DOOR LOCKS WHICH I HAVE NOT YET REPLACED. SHAMEFUL THAT SUCH A BIG PROBLEM SHOULD HAPPEN TO A NEWER CAR! *JB

DRIVING FREEWAY SPEED. HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT, OVERHEAD INTERIOR LIGHT CAME ON. FINALLY GOT CAR PULLED OVER, NO DASHLIGHTS. CAR QUIT. REFUSED TO RESTART. CAR DID NOT WANT TO COME OUT OF DRIVE. KEY GOT STUCK IN IGNITION. FINALLY GOT IT IN PARK AND KEY OUT. THIS WAS AT MIDNIGHT ON INTERSTATE. HAD TO GET FAMILY MEMBER TO COME GET ME. RETURNED LATER TO FIND CAR HAD BEEN STOLEN. I HAVE NO WAY TO KNOW IF THE ALARM HAD ACTUALLY SET OR NOT. *TR

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