One problem related to steering noise has been reported for the 2000 Saturn LS. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
Driving down the road the vehicle started making noise and steering was uncontrollable. I trailered the vehicle back home. Closer inspection revealed the front subframe/engine cradle was completely rusted through in multiple spots, very dangerous!!! I contacted the dealer to get a new subframe and I was advised the subframe is no longer available and to try finding one in a salvage yard. I contacted a salvage yard and they said they had a few and it would be no problem to pull one. I got the call today saying they were sorry but all of the front subframes on the Saturn l series they have are rusted through and are not usable. I contacted other yards with the same response. I ended up having to find a salvage yard down south that had a usable subframe. I went online to find numerous forum posts discussing this topic and I'm finding it is very common on this vehicle. Why was there never a recall for this with such a widespread safety hazard? from what I can tell it happens on all model years of the l series. The irony is the rest of the car is very clean, no rust on the rest of the undercarriage. There is no clear explanation why the subframe would have corrosion perforation at such low mileage with no other rust/corrosion on the rest of the vehicle. At a higher rate of speed this could have had a bad outcome. Thank you.