Engine Belts And Pulleys problems of the 2001 Saturn LS - part 1

The timing chain is loose and slapping the engine. There had been noise intermittently coming from the engine for the last few months. Upon repair, the mechanic replaced the alternator and tension rod pulley system. That made the problem worse and then they found that it was not the cause of the noise. The timing chain behind the motor is loose and slapping the engine creating the noise. The mechanic found the recall on the timing chain when trying to order it. Local gm dealer says my car is not covered under the recall. It is a 2001 Saturn l series.

Heard this strange noise coming from my engine. . . Not sure what it was. Drove a little ore about a mile ad the noise got louder decided to pull over, shut off my car. Tried to turn it back over to see if the noise continued and it would not turn over. Had my car towed to mechanic and was told it was the timing chain (belt). $1000. 00 bill. I find out there was a recall on certain VIN's and hundreds more after that complained and nothing is done. That's crap! I am the second owner. . . The car has only 100,000 on a car that is 11 years old. I have my oil changed every 3000 miles and serviced all the time. I believe this car has a faulty timing chain and I have to pay for it when it is clearly the manufacturers fault. Does someone have to have a fire or die to be covered. . . It seems that is what your looking for! could someone please advise!.

Was driving down the highway when turning right at a stop sign my car just stopped pulled over to the side. Had it towed and was told the timing belt went out and it caused it to break the vals in the car as well have had this car for 10 years so its been a good one for the most part.

I was driving down a local street in my hometown. I was doing the speed limit and just cruising when all of a sudden I lost all power in my car. I didn't actually notice until I went to push the gas pedal and received no response from my engine. I was able to keep control of the car and get to the side of the road. After looking under the hood and not being able to identify the problem I called my insurance company and they dispatched a tow truck. After getting the car home I called a local mechanic friend of mine hoping he could give me a diagnosis after taking the engine cover off we were able to visibly see that the chain on the left side of my engine was broken. After seeing that he pretty much said I'm looking at a broken timing belt and possibly valve and piston damage. In the end it was obvious that my engine was not fixable.

The contact owns a 2001 Saturn l200. The contact was driving approximately 40 mph when the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where the failure was located at the engine timing belt. The mechanic advised that the timing belt was fractured and caused the engine motor to fail. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and the current mileage was 200,000. Updated 06/05/lj updated 6/06/2012.

Gm recall #06074 towed to dealer pine belt chevy lakewood n. J. Dealer refuses to make the repairs says theirs a VIN# brake where this # does not cover recall repair from gm I just think they do not want to repair the vehicle .

I purchased a 2001 Saturn l200 in November 2010 in Jan 2011 the timing belt broke I had it repaired at the car lot where I bought the car while getting the repairs the mechanic found problems with the valves they sent them to a head shop to be shaved when I got the car back it was running real ruff & loud so I took it back after the repairs from the noise the car didn't have the pulling power as before after a week went by the car wouldn't start I took car back to mechanic and he said it needed a power pack he replaced it then a month or two past when I noticed a oil leak where I park I checked the oil there was no oil in the car it had all leaked out I put 3 quarts of oil in the car in 2 to 3 days I was putting more oil in the car so about every 4 days I was adding oil I took car to 3 mechanics they all told me something different after getting a 4th opinion I had a mechanic to repair the rear main seal,after about a week I notice more oil leaking in the same spots I haven't been able to take car back because the car had a gear cord to break I had it repaired temporary now it is not changing gears at all unless I go under the hood to change it its been one problem after another since I drove this car off the lot I was told by an attorney they couldn't help me because I bought the car as is no warranty and it didn't fall under the lemon law.

The contact owns a 2001 Saturn l200. The timing chain broke immediately after the vehicle was started. A mechanic inspected the vehicle and stated that the timing belt needed to be replaced. Nhtsa recall 07v519000, engine and engine cooling was related to the failure per gm recall#06074. After calling the manufacturer, he was told that his VIN was not included in the recall. The failure and current mileages were 87,000.

My 2001 Saturn l-200 had the timing chain break (with only 52,000 miles on it). While driving home from work, car was acting erratic. Made me nervous so I got out of heavy traffic and onto a side street. Car quit in the center of an intersection while making a left-hand turn. Fortunately, this happened in a residential neighborhood and the other cars were able to slow down and get around me with no problem. As so many others have stated, Saturn says my car was not one of the ones included in their premature timing belt failure recall; they'd be happy to fix it, but at my expense. I know Saturn is on its way out, but hopefully other Saturn owners can be made aware of this so they can have their timing chains checked out before their car conks out and someone gets hurt.

The contact owns a 2001 Saturn l200. While driving in reverse at an unknown speed, the vehicle stalled and would not restart. There were no warning lights illuminated prior to the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that the engine did not have any compression. The engine would have to be replaced at the cost of $7,200. The vehicle was towed to a local repair shop and the mechanic stated that the timing chain failed, which caused the engine to fail. He was informed that the vehicle was not included in the recall for the timing chain and was advised to return the vehicle to the dealer for further assistance. The manufacturer stated that no compensation would be provided because the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure mileage was 120,000.

The contact owns a 2001 Saturn l series. While driving approximately 5 mph, the vehicle experienced excessive hesitation. The contact immediately turned off the ignition. The engine failed to restart after several attempts and the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for inspection. The mechanic stated that the timing belt failed and recommenced that the engine be replaced. The VIN was excluded from NHTSA campaign id number 07v519000 (engine and engine cooling), although the failures were identical. Currently, the engine is being replaced. The failure and current mileages were 66,103.

My car has service light on. My lights flicker. Saturn has a recall on timing belt and Saturn company says my car is not in a recall.

The contact owns a 2001 Saturn l200. While driving 25 mph, the timing belt detached from the vehicle. The vehicle has not been repaired and was not included in the recall. The NHTSA campaign id number was unknown. The vehicle has not yet been repaired. The current and failure mileages were 117,000.

The contact owns a 2001 Saturn l series. While driving less than 50 mph, the rpms decreased and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle could not be restarted and was towed to an independent mechanic. It was discovered that the timing belt failed. The mechanic stated that the motor could have possibly been damaged from the timing belt failure. The failure and current mileages were less than 120,000.

The contact owns a 2001 Saturn l200. The contact stated that the vehicle would not start. A local mechanic inspected the vehicle and stated that the timing belt was loose. The dealer has not diagnosed the failure. The current and failure mileages were 105,000.

2001 Ls Saturn - timing belt broke while on the expressway - engine stopped and would not restart. Even though Saturn has recalled some of the l series for this problem - they say this vehicle is not included!.

The contact owns a 2001 Saturn l200. The contact received a safety recall notice for the engine timing chain. Since that time, she has attempted to have the recall repair performed. She scheduled an appointment with the dealer and drove 65 miles both ways, but the dealer did not have the part. She was informed that someone would call her back, but no one has responded yet. She called in February of 2008 and the part was still unavailable. There had been no failure to date. The purchase date and recall number were unknown. The current mileage was 95,653.

Engine stalled while driving 70mph on interstate. Due to timing chain now dealer said that it will cost me for there problem, but not my family's life. My wife is with child.

2001 Saturn l200 requesting reimbursement for recall repair. Consumer states that the timing belt was replaced after the vehicle completely stopped while driving. She would like reimbursement for expenses. Attachments are not there.

I own a 2001 Saturn l200, 2. 2l, 4 cyl, double overhead cam sedan, VIN [xxx]. 106k miles. I maintain it regularly. I was driving to work yesterday 9/5/07 and the engine stalled abruptly making a noticable "clunk" noise. I was almost up to 55mph when the incident happened. I coasted to a stop and tried to restart but it wouldnt fire, it would turn over however. That gave me the awful feeling that the timing belt or chain probably broke. I towed the car home and tore it down and confirmed that the timing chain had broken. Also the left adjustable chain guide was also broken. Now I am worried that the valves or pistons may be damaged. After searching the internet for this problem, it appears I am definitely not alone. Gm must be held accountable for their crap designs. I'm sick of thier quality issues. After I fix this thing I will buy a Honda! information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Sudden failure of timing belt in our 2001 Saturn l300 (56,000 miles, regular dealer service), causing complete loss of power and control while driving. My wife was able to pull off road with no power steering. Engine completely ruined. Dealer wants $4,000 to repair. Saturn says replace belt at 100,000 miles. Internet research shows a large number of these complaints. Dangerous loss of power.

I was driving down a major interstate at 70 mph when all of a sudden my car cut off. I had my two year old son with me. It left us stranded 5 hours away from home. We were stuck on the side of the road, and a gas station for a total of 7 hours while I waited for my dad to come get us. My son has severe asthma and the temperature that day was near 100 degrees. After being on the side of the road for an hour his whole body turned red. I had to walk 2 miles on the side of this major interstate to get us to the closest gas station where we sat and waited for help to arrive. The timing chain broke and tore up the heads on the motor. I had to have a complete top end overhaul on the motor. This cost me 1500 which was at a discounted rate because my dad knew the mechanic. Several of the past were on back order so it has now been two weeks since it has been at the mechanic and we are still waiting on bolts so he can put it back together. My two year old son and I finally arrived back home at 6:00 am the next morning, my car broke down at 1.

2001 Saturn l200 timing belt failure.

My pregnant wife was driving the car and it died as she was making a u-turn in the middle of the street. The car was towed to elk grove Saturn and they stated the timing belt had broken and we needed a new engine. The car only has 51,283 miles on it. I found that there is investigation open into this issue. (dp05-008). It is a safety issue as she was on the road when it broke. I hate to think what would have happened if she was on the freeway with the kids in the car.

2001 Saturn wagon. Driving at 30k mph when timing chain failed. Lost all power including power steering and breaks. Was able to coast the car to a stop. Currently being looked at by local service station. Car has 88k miles.

While traveling at approximately 60 mph on an 8 lane highway (interstate 75 and without any warning signs the 2001 Saturn l200 lost power. It coasted across 2 lanes of moving traffic and 2 lanes across the fontage road in order to park the car and called for help. The car was towed to a mechanic that inspected the car and said the timing chain needed to be replaced. Saturn informed me that the timing chain did not have an expected life, and would not fail if the car was properly maintained , if the oil was changed properly, which has always been done) I have since learned that the timing chain was defective in Saturn l series cars for model years 2000-2003. Saturn has done nothing to help me, and disclaims any responsibility for the defective timing chain.

The contact owns a 2001 Saturn l series. While driving approximately 65 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The failure severely increased the risk of a crash. The vehicle was towed to a dealer and a technician stated that the timing chain link failed. The manufacturer stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign id number 07v519000 (engine and engine cooling). The VIN range was between 1y504884 and iy559453. The contact notified the manufacturer again and was informed that they would cover the expense of the parts; however, he would be responsible for the more than $800 in labor costs. The contact is in the process of having the vehicle repaired. The failure and current mileages were 109,788.

I was driving home from work in my 2001 Saturn l200. I had stopped at a red light and when the light turned green I began to gradually accelerate. When the car reached about 20 mph, the engine shut down and the car rolled to a stop. After having it towed to a service station, the mechanic concluded that my timing chain had broken. He could not understand how this had happened because the car only had 57,000 miles and the chain looked in good condition. The chain breaking also caused damage to the cylinder heads. The total was nearly $2,800. 00 of damage. In January of 2008, Saturn launched a recall of 21,000 of there 2001 l200's. The reason for the recall was "links in the engine timing chain can separate". I notified them of my occurrence 6 months prior and submitted my information. Within 2 weeks they notified me that my vehicle did not match the VIN range of there recall. I still have the original timing chain.

I was driving my 2001 Saturn l200 sedan Monday April 23, 2007 when I was entering the highway(accelerating and merging) when I had no warning, my car just stalled on me. Fortunately, I was able to quickly exit the highway to my right. My engine would turn over but not start. It is at a non-dealership repair center because 1. Where I was when it happened and 2. Who my insurance company would authorize the tow truck to go to. I have been reading a lot of surveys on the internet where people have had the same thing happen to their Saturns around the same year and with similar components. The repair center has confirmed that my timing belt has gone out and I have 6 bent valves which they have sent in to be machined and fixed. I am aware of the NHTSA investigation into this timing belt failure(dp05-008). It doesn't look like this is an isolated incident.

We had the timing chain break on the 2001 Saturn l200 while the vehicle was in operation in richmond on April 17, 2007. Breaking in this fashion it fatally damaged the engine. I learned after the fact that Saturn had changed the design of the lubricating nozzle for the timing chain during the 2001 model year, but they never fixed the existing models, including ours, even though we purchased it after the design change had been implemented. Saturn themselves has warranted that the timing chain was scheduled to be replaced at the 90,000 mile service - ours broke at 84,700. Saturn has refused to take responsibility for the problem.

2001 Saturn l200. Daughter was driving 45 miles per hour and the car cut off. There was no steering or brakes. She luckily was on a straight a way and coasted to a stop. The timing chain broke and took the top half of the engine with it. Not the belt the chain broke. It came to a total of $2500. 00 to repair. I went online and typed in 2001 Saturn l200 timing chain and came up with a list of over 9 pages of complaints for this exact problem. The mileage on the cars ranged from 20,000 (new) to 100,000 miles. I believe this needs to be investigated and recalled. Not to mention my daughter could have been killed. I am very disgusted in how we were treated as well by Saturn.

Timing chain failure while driving 60 mph.

The contact owns a 2001 Saturn l series. While driving 25 mph, the contact heard a clicking noise coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that the timing chain failed. The vehicle was repaired at the cost of $950. The contact called the manufacturer and was informed that a technical service bulletin was open for the failure that he was experiencing; however, he would have to pay for the repair. The contact called the manufacturer back when a recall was issued for the timing chain failure and was informed that no compensation would be provided because his VIN was excluded from the recall. The NHTSA campaign id number was unknown. The failure mileage was 60,000 and current mileage was 80,000.

2001 Saturn l200 with 2. 2 4 cy. Engine. Timing belt broke , engine had 70,000 miles. $3000 worth of damage. Saturn had know this was problem and hid facts to owners.

- the contact stated that while driving the 2001 Saturn l200 at 25 mph the vehicle stalled and lost power. There were no warning lights before or after the vehicle lost power. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. After attempting to restart a few times the contact had the vehicle towed. The mechanic informed the contact that the timing chain sheared, there was no compression in two cylinders, and there was high compression on the other two cylinders. The vehicle currently had 77,000 miles.