2002 SATURN SL Engine And Engine Cooling Problems

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN SL. WHENEVER THE CONTACT STARTS THE VEHICLE, THE IGNITION CONTROL MODULE FAILS AND THE IGNITION WILL NOT START. SHE HAD NEW KEYS MADE, BUT THIS DID NOT CORRECT THE ISSUE. DURING THE FAILURE, THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR REMAINS ILLUMINATED AND WILL NOT DIM. THE FAILURE HAS BEEN OCCURRING FOR OVER A YEAR. THE CONTACT MUST WIGGLE THE KEYS FOR AT LEAST FIFTEEN TO THIRTY MINUTES BEFORE THE VEHICLE WILL START. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000. UPDATED 3/19/09 *CN THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE ENGINE IDLES VERY HIGH. OVER 4000 RPM/ UPDATED 03/25/09.*JB

Mileage: 120,000

2002 SATURN SL2 TIMING CHAIN BROKE AND DAMAGED ENGINE VALVES. *TR

Mileage: 87,000

WHILE THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANT, I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WITH A COMPLAINT THAT THE ENGINE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE WELL AND DESCRIBED IT AS "SLUGGISH". AFTER CHECKING IT, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT IT WAS NOT THE ENGINE. WHEN I KEPT NOTICING THAT THE OIL IN THE CAR WAS EXTREMELY LOW BETWEEN OIL CHANGES, BUT IT WAS NOT LEAKING OUT OF THE CAR NOR WAS THE CAR BURNING OIL FROM THE EXHAUST, I CONTACTED THE DEALER VIA TELEPHONE AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAD JUST FIXED A CAR WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REBUILT TO THE TUNE OF $1400. AT THIS POINT, THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. I WAS ADVISED THAT THE OIL WAS LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE ITSELF. *TR

AT AROUND 60K THE SATURN SL1 2002 SHOWED A TROUBLE CODE WITH THE INTAKE GASKET LEAKING FUEL MILEAGE SUFFERED. THIS CAR CAN NOT PASS SMOG AND NOW THE CAR IS CONSUMING 1 QT OF OIL IN 300 MILES, AS WELL AS GETTING TERRIBLE GAS MILEAGE. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE AS I WOULD THINK THAT SINCE THE NET IS LITTERED WITH THIS PROBLEM ON THE SL1 1.9 IT SHOULD BE COVERED BY SATURN. IF THERE IS NOT A COMMON FAILURE WITH THE INTAKE GASKET WHY HAS SATURN MADE A UPGRADED GASKET?? RECALL THIS POS! *TR

Mileage: 60,000

MY SON HAD AN ACCIDENT INVOLVING 3 OTHER VEHICLES. THE MOTOR OF THE 2002 SATURN SL1 IN WHICH HE WAS DRIVING STALLED AS HE EXITED THE HIGHWAY ONTO A SERVICE ROAD. ONCE THE ENGINE STALLED,HE DID NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO STEER OR STOP THE VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, HE STRUCK 2 VEHICLES THAT WERE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT CAUSING A CHAIN REACTION. THE SECOND VEHICLE THAT HE STRUCK HIT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF IT. THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED IN THE VEHICLE MY SON DROVE. THE RIGHT SIDE OF VEHICLE 1 SUSTAINED DAMAGE. THE REAR AND FRONT BUMPERS WERE DAMAGED ON VEHICLE 2. THE REAR OF VEHICLE 3 IS DAMAGED. THE SATURN IN WHICH MY SON WAS DRIVING HAD FRONT BUMPER DAMAGE, HOOD CRUMPLED, AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT, LEFT REAR VIEW MIRROR SEPARATED FROM THE CAR, LEFT HEAD LIGHT AND BRACKETS DESTROYED, AND DAMAGE ALONG THE LEFT FRONT QUARTER PANEL. *JB MY SON RECEIVED A SUPERFICIAL CUT IN WHICH THE EMERGENCY PARAMEDICS BANDAGED WHILE ON SITE. THE SATURN WAS TOWED TO SATURN OF ARLINGTON FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTS. THE TECHNICIAN EXPLAINED THAT THE COMPUTER CONTAINS VEHICLE SYSTEMS INFORMATION THAT OCCURED IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THE COLLISION, HOWEVER HE DID NOT HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO EXTRACT THE INFORMATION.

Mileage: 95,000

HEAD GASKET FAILURE IN A RELATIVELY YOUNG VEHICLE WITH 52,000 MILES. NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND COST $600.00 TO FIX. *NM

Mileage: 52,068

INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. *JB

Mileage: 59,736

2002 SATURN SL2 STALLED THEN VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. *MR THE VEHICLE BEGUN TO SMOKE THEN IGNITED. *SC

UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE IT OVERHEATED. ONCE TURNING IT OFF, AND UPON TRYING TO START IT AGAIN, IDLE DROPPED TO ZERO, AND VEHICLE STALLED INTERMITTENTLY. ALSO, DASH LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER MORE THAN FOUR TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM. DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS A BAD SENSOR. HOWEVER, PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK

VEHICLE REPEATEDLY LOSES POWER AND SHUTS OFF AT HIGHWAY SPEED. DRIVER IS NOT ABLE TO RESTART VEHICLE FOR A FEW MINUTES. *AK

WHILE PULLING INTO GARAGE CONSUMER REMOVED FOOT FROM GAS PEDAL AND VEHICLE DRIFTED ON A SLIGHT INCLINE. CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES TO STOP VEHICLE FROM ROLLING BACKWARDS. CONSUMER DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT ENGINE DID NOT HAVE TORQUE POWER IN ORDER TO PULL THE VEHICLE, AND VEHICLE WAS WORKING PROPERLY AS DESIGNED. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING VEHICLE SHUTDOWN. *AK

2002 SATURN SL HAS 3 LEAKING SEALS. VERY DANGEROUS FOR A FIRE. REAR SEAL, OIL PAN GASKET AND CRANK CASE GASKET ALL LEAKING. DANGEROUS FOR SINGLE WOMEN ON THE ROAD. *JB

THE CAR IDLES ROUGH, HAS LOUSY GAS MILEAGE, AND NO POWER. I WAS TOLD ON THE 5TH TIME TO THE SATURN REPAIR SHOP, THAT THE SL1S HAVE AN ENGINEERING DEFECT AND SATURN DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO FIX IT. DT

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS VEHICLE STALLS WITHOUT ANY INDICATION. DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM, BUT REPLACED BATTERY .PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

AFTER A LONG DISTANCE DRIVE AND STOPPING AT LOCAL STORE FOR A MOMENT VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE WHILE CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING AT ABOUT 45MPH. THEN, WHEN PULLING INTO A PARKING LOT VEHICLE STARTED SMOKING, RELEASING VERY THICK VAPOR. ALSO, SMOKE WAS COMING FROM EXHAUST, AND VAPORS WAS FROM INSIDE OF VEHICLE. CONTACTED DEALER, AND THE DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING. *AK

AFTER A LONG DISTANCE DRIVE AND STOPPING AT LOCAL STORE FOR A MOMENT VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE WHILE CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING AT ABOUT 45MPH. THEN, WHEN PULLING INTO A PARKING LOT VEHICLE STARTED SMOKING, RELEASING VERY THICK VAPOR. ALSO, SMOKE WAS COMING FROM EXHAUST, AND VAPORS WAS FROM INSIDE OF VEHICLE. CONTACTED DEALER, AND THE DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING. *AK