Engine problems of the 2002 Saturn LS - part 1

During normal driving on I-35 in dallas, vehicle died, driver was able to coast to side of road. After towing vehicle, it was determined that timing chain had snapped. After determining engine was interference model & viewing NHTSA campaign id number: 07v519000 I called Saturn to determine if the 2002 was covered under this. Saturn replied it was not. Not repaired yet but awaiting further inspection to determine if entire engine must be replaced of if damaged head can be rebuilt. Lower end will also have to be inspected and possibly repaired if head is rebuilt.

While driving 60mph in my 2002 Saturn l200 lost all power on the I-5 freeway. I was somehow able to coast to the shoulder. I then had my car towed to a local shop. They said that the engine had a timing chain failure, and they may also need to replace the cylinder head and pistons. This is very unsafe. Lucky it happened to me and not my younger sister who is inexperienced with situations as above. There was a recall for the 2001 Saturn l200 with the same 2. 2l engine for timing chain problems. I don't know why they didn't include the 2002-2003 years as they all use the same defective parts from the factory. Please issue a recall. We do not need anymore close calls as this one. I have serviced the engine oil every 3,000 miles since new. I even have receipts for proof.

Driving along highway 610 in montgomery county, va at approximately 45 mph before a large, sweeping turn, my 2002 Saturn l200 lost power. Power steering and power brakes were lost and the car headed towards a guardrail. I was able to pull the parking brake and skid to a stop just outside of the ditch. The timing chain broke, at 83,000 miles, catastrophically. A recall on the same engine and timing chain configuration was issued on 2001 Saturn l200s, but for no apparent reason not on the 2002 Saturn. Complete loss of power unexpectedly with routine oil changes and maintenance is very dangerous and caused me to loose control of the vehicle.

As I drove, up hill, while using the speed control feature, the engine began to rev high rpms. It then jerked and began to overheat. I was able to slowly drive it to a safe location and then have it towed to a repair facility. At the repair facility I was told it was a timing chain issue. I began researching the issue and found a recall had been issued for that issue for the 2001 Saturn l200. Nhtsa campaign id number : 07v519000 gm recall number:06074 I then read that the north carolina consumer council petitioned (NHTSA action number : dp08002) to have the recall expanded to include all 1999 to 2003 Saturn vehicles that used the same timing chain.

The timing chain on my 2002 l200 with 75,000 miles snapped while driving lost control, but was able to guide the vehicle to the shoulder of the road with out being hit thankfully. There was a recall for the 2001 model but the 2002 was never issued.

2002 Saturn lw200 2. 2l engine. I was pulling out of a parking lot when the engine stopped and would not restart. Had the vehicle towed to my mechanic who informed me that the timing chain had broken and ruined the engine. I have read that the 2001 model has a recall for the exact same problem.

I have a 2002 l200 Saturn it has the same engine as the 2001 that has a recall on the timing chain. I have had the same problem occur. Saturn is not acknowledging the problem that obviously is still there. There needs to be a investigation on this problem. A quick search pulls up a lot of people that have had the same problem. The timing chain broke while starting the car in my driveway. It is currently at the shop to look at the extent of the problem.

Today, while traveling 70 mph (on cruise control) on a busy interstate, my 2002 Saturn l200 (with 75,000 miles) started losing all power, making it difficult to control the car. Luckily I was able to get over to the median and waited for a tow truck. The dashboard lights showing oil and battery were lit up before turning the car off. Not knowing what was wrong, I tried starting the car twice, both times resulting in the car not turning over. After running diagnostic tests on the car, aaa found out the timing chain snapped. At this point, no repairs have been made, as I am waiting on quotes from various mechanics.

Timing chain of Saturn l200 failed a second time within 35,000 miles of first repair leaving the car stranded on the roadside again. The car has been well maintained, but the timing chain in this model seems to be poorly designed leading to failure.

Have ticking coming from timing chain area on engine. Luckily I have caught it before the chain breaks causing the engine to seize and need replacing. Called gm and they said my vehicle is not part of the recall list. My timing chain design is exactly the same as the recalled vehicles. A petition was opened from north carolina but closed due to "further investigation of this matter would not be an efficient allocation of agency resources. . Read more...

The contact owns a 2002 Saturn l200. After coming to a complete stop the contact attempted to accelerate and noticed that the vehicle suddenly shut off. A local mechanic informed the contact that the timing chain was broken and needed to be replaced. There were no prior warnings and the current and failure mileages were 87000.

The timing chain on my 2002 Saturn l200 stretched and destroyed the motor. The car has only 67,000 miles on it. The car would simply not start in my driveway, had it towed, to a mechanic in my town, iowa city, IA. I contacted Saturn-- they didn't offer to repair-- but suggested that I have the car towed the 40 miles to a former dealer to have it 'diagnosed' I decided this was not much of an offer! the mechanic here in my town has located a user motor with 47,000 miles and has quoted $2,500 to fix it. However, now I am concerned that the motor he has ordered will also have this timing chain defect. To replace the timing chain on the new motor will be an additional $500. Total> $3,000. Given that the car has to be safe for me and more importantly my children, I have no choice but to proactively fix the replacement motor. What a mess!.

Saturn l200 timing chain broke while driving on highway - no indication that there was any type of problem with engine.

I have a Saturn l200 with the 2. 2l engine and 64,100 mile on it. While driving home from work on July 9 2009, my timing chain broke. I had just cleared an intersection and the car fortunately had enough momentum for me to pull off the road. The was no prior warning before the chain broke. The engine required extensive repairs. The valves were bent and the cylinder head was wrecked. All told with parts and labor, the bill came to $2,142. 33.

I was driving about 60 mph on the highway and felt a jerk. The engine died and I had to quickly move over to the side of the highway. Turns out the timing chain broke. The auto repair shop said that the engine valves were bent. Total repair cost would be around $3,500.

Re. 2002 Saturn l200 model w/2. 2 4cyl. Engine. . . Vehicle suddenly stopped and would not restart. . . . I had to have the vehicle towed in to a local garage where the problem was diagnosed as a broken timing chain. . . . . I have 69,000 miles on the vehicle and have maintained the correct maintenance procedures. . . . . Saturn has been issued a TSB in 2003 regarding a replacement oil nozzle to facilitate the oiling of the timing chain. . . . I plan on contacting my local Saturn dealer regarding this manner and plan on going higher up with the complaint if necessary. . . . I am not a happy camper over this and hold Saturn entirely responsible for this problem. Sincerely, bonnie l. Krueger.

My wife's car quit running suddenly. We had it towed to the dealer who reported that the timing chain had broken and repairs would cost $3200, indicating additional damage besides the broken chain. There was no accident, nor were there any injuries. We purchased the car new from the dealer and have had all recommended maintenance performed by the dealer. The car has ~97000 miles on the original engine.

My 2002 Saturn l200, purchased from Saturn of schaumburg in December of 2005, no longer runs because of a 'serious design flaw in the timing chain mechanism'. The vehicle has only about 48,000 miles on it and the timing chain broke while I was driving. This caused the valves in the engine to bend. I was told by Saturn of schaumburg that this problem did not effect my make or year, only 2001 vehicles. I was further told that this problem 'hardly ever happened with the l-series' however, upon further investigation I discovered that the timing chain assembly used in the recalled vehicles was also used in model year 1999 through 2003 Saturn l-series vehicles with 2. 2 liter engines, which would include my vehicle. I got this information from consumer affairs. I also found that Saturn has repaired 2,932 vehicles under warranty because of timing chain failures and there are another 890 consumer complaints regarding this problem. When I called with this new information I was told that I had to tow my disabled vehicle to Saturn for their diagnosis at additional cost to myself before they could tell me if any of the cost of repair (estimated at $2,272. 00 by an independent mechanic) would be covered by Saturn. I also spoke to tim in Saturn's customer service center, who said he would try to get the diagnosis charged waived, but probably wouldn't be able to. He also informed me that since I purchased the vehicle used, if Saturn did decide to cover something it was highly unlikely that they would cover 100%.

Timing chain failure on my vehicle caused the car to stop suddenly while driving around 65mph on a highway. The Saturn technician said my chain 'snapped in two' and caused damage to the head. After brief research I found that this is a common issue with the ecotec engine in the Saturn l-series from 2000-2003. Saturn was very unwilling to help or accept any sort of responsibility.

Our 2002 l200 Saturn had the timing chain fail at aprox 79,000 miles. Cost to repair this was $2973. 15 that is including the cost of towing o the dealer. The timing chain should not of failed at 79,000 miles. They need to include 2002 l200's in the recall that they already have on the 2001 l series cars for the timing chain on those. There is obviously a problem with the 2002's as I have read many others with this year having the same problem.

On August 8, 2007 I was driving on the highway with my son in the back seat traveling 65 miles per hour when the power to my car cut off and my wheellocked in position. Lucky for my I happened to be in the lane closet to the side of the road and was able to safetly exit the road. I then brought my car to my trusted mechanic to find out that my timing chain snapped and I did extenstive damage to my car that I only bought 1year prior in June of 2006 from a Saturn dealership. I had to pay $2400 to get my car repaired and had no vehicle to use for 2 weeks. I am a single mother who thought she bought a reliable car. I couldn't afford to pay the damages to my car and had to borrow money. My nexy step is to contact Saturn to complain.

The contact owns a 2002 Saturn l200. While driving 35 mph, the vehicle stopped without warning. There was light rain at the time of the incident. The failure and current mileage was 36,361. Updated 02-01-08. The timing chain failed. Updated.

The timing chain broke on the 2002 Saturn l200 while driving , not at start up while parked . We were driving at 30 mph on a secondary road when it happened so we avoided a collision or other physical mishap. As we have learned has been the case with dozens of other Saturn, the chain breakage caused significant damage to the upper engine components, e. G. , valves. Thus, the repair cost was far greater than it should have been, had the engine been designed well. One need not be an automotive engineer to conclude that Saturn has produced several models with a major design flaw in the engine, and that this flaw was potentially dangerous. Those unfortunate enough to own such a model, and to those driving on our nation's highways and byways.

Timing chain broke on my 2002 Saturn l200 at 75000 miles.

On February 24, 2007 at about 3:30 pm, we were heading east on highway 509 in tacoma, washington when the car just lost power & died. We were coming around a corner and made it to a narrow shoulder & was able to pull off to the side of the freeway so that cars could barely go around. We had several near misses while waiting for the tow truck since the shoulder was not very wide & we were stranded on the other side of a mild corner. The car would not restart and we waited for a tow truck. When we finely got the vehicle home, I called severely local mechanics to see if they would know what the problem was. Most told me that it was probably the timing chain & instructed me on how to check. Once the cover was off, it was clearly visible that the timing chain was gone. I was then told that my whole engine was now probably gone. This was an extremely unsafe situation for us to be in due to something that should have lasted more than 57,000 miles, the timing chain.

Saturn l200 2. 2 ecotec - timing chain failed while at highway speed on route 2 in Lincoln MA. Drifted to stop on side of road. The engine was ruined and required replacement.

2002 Saturn l200 with 111,000 miles. I had a total loss of power while driving down a state road. Mechanic said it was the timing chain. Possibly damage the engine as well .

I was pulling out of a driveway and my Saturn l200 engine just died. Upon inspection at Saturn of dayton north, I was told that the timing chain had failed. I have changed the engine with used and still have little power. I am waiting for test results. The repair shop said that the oil was dirty, but the timing chain should not break after only 61,000 miles. I always believed that Saturn was a different kind of auto company. Needless to say I am very disappointed with Saturn's response that I must not have changed the oil! I will never buy or recommend a Saturn to anyone, at this point in my experience.

Failed timing chain in my 2002 Saturn l100. I only had 69,000 miles on this car. It took my mechanic hours to find the problem why the car wouldn't start. The timing chain looked ok. Turned out it was stretched and wasn't catching. To find the problem this had to be done by turning the motor by hand. He suggested I have it towed to our local Saturn dealer(of clarence) which I did. He also said there was a service bulletin out on this exact problem. Also my mechanic said Saturn has redesigned the timing chain because of past problems with it. It now is a whole kit. The hole that the oil goes through was too small and they designed it with a larger hole. This repair cost me $913. 00!! I am very upset and have filed a complaint with Saturn. They said they will "review my complaint. ".

Saturn l200 stopped running while it was being drive. No warning, just total engine stoppage. Still had electrical power. Initially I was told it was the starter, and after buying and replacing the starter, I am now being told it was/is the timing chain. Apparently Saturn knows that it has weak timing chains yet does nothing to rectify the problem of weak timing chains.

Timing chain broke at 74,000 miles on my 2002 l series Saturn, seems to be a problem that Saturn does not want to fix.

While driving at 50 mph, my 2002 Saturn l100 locked up and quit working. After getting it towed to the Saturn dealership, I was informed that the timing chain had broken and the head would need to be replaced, resulting in a cost of approximately $2,150, plus $190 in towing charges. Although this car is 4 years old and out of warranty, I feel this is still a new enough car that a costly repair as this should not happen. After doing some research I found that there is a pattern of timing chains breaking on the l series cars.

Nhtsa #: 10002122 service bulletin #: 030601017 there were no events leading up to the failure. I was driving on a major road at about 45-55 mph when there was a sudden loss of power. I was able to pull somewhat to the side of the road but I hate to think what could have happened had I been on a major highway traveling at high speeds with many other vehicles. There were no warning signs. I had to have my car towed to a mechanics garage. I was then told that the timing chain on my engine, which is supposed to last the lifetime of the engine (not 67000 miles!), had snapped and that in turn destroyed the upper half of the engine requiring it to be replaced. After two unsuccessful attempts of resolving the issue through Saturn and needing my car to travel to work, I ended up paying for the engine myself to the toll of $2400. At that time I was not aware of these investigations and the current engine in still using the old timing chain/oilier.

Timing chain prematurely failed and ruined my engine. I am just thankful that I was not traveling at a high rate of speed. I am incensed at the suggestion of the Saturn dealership that it may have been an incorrect oil change by a non-dealership garage. In checking on the internet, I have discovered this to be a frequent problem with l200 Saturns. Why has the NHTSA not taken action to require Saturn to recall and fix this problem? how many deaths will it take to warrant a recall?.

: the contact stated without warning, the vehicle would not start. There had been no prior problems and the vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop. The repair shop determined the timing chain broke and the engine needed to be replaced. Updated 04/06/06.