4.1% of complaints about the 2001 Saturn LS came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2001 vehicle — around the middle of the 216 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 6.7 yr in service. The most-reported system is engine cooling (303 complaints), typically at 7.0 yr or about 84,700 miles.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 2.2L 4-CYLINDER ENGINE, LINKS IN THE ENGINE'S TIMING CHAIN CAN SEPARATE.
IF A TIMING CHAIN LINK SEPARATES WHILE THE ENGINE IS RUNNING, THE ENGINE WILL STALL AND WILL NOT RESTART INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
ON CERTAIN SEDANS AND WAGONS, THE PLASTIC HOUSING IN THE REAR TAIL LAMP ASSEMBLY CAN BECOME DISTORTED IF THE BRAKE LAMPS REMAIN ON FOR AN EXTENDED TIME.
THIS CAN CAUSE (1) AN INTERMITTENTLY INOPERATIVE BRAKE/TAIL LAMP BULB OR (2) A SHORT CIRCUIT THAT OPENS A FUSE CAUSING INOPERATIVE BRAKE LAMPS (INCLUDING THE CENTER HIGH-MOUNTED STOP LAMP) OR TAIL LAMPS. A FOLLOWING DRIVER MAY NOT KNOW WHEN THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN APPLIED, AND A REAR-END CRASH COULD OCCUR WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2.2L L4 (L61) ENGINES, A FAILURE OF THE IGNITION CONTROL MODULE MAY CAUSE DETERIORATION IN IDLE QUALITY, REDUCTION IN OVERALL ENGINE POWER, AND THE VEHICLE MAY BE HARD TO START. CONTINUED OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE AFTER SUCH AN IGNITION MODULE FAILURE WILL RESULT IN THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT FLASHING, AND MAY LEAD TO SECONDARY FAILURES OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, OXYGEN SENSOR, AND EXHAUST RESONATOR.
FAILURE OF THE RESONATOR WILL CAUSE INCREASED EXHAUST NOISE. PROLONGED OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE FOLLOWING A RESONATOR FAILURE MAY LEAD TO A FIRE.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER, SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES AND MINI VANS, SOME OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE A PASSENGER AIR BAG THAT WAS MANUFACTURED WITHOUT A CHECK VALVE PIN. AN AIR BAG WITHOUT THE CHECK VALVE PIN COULD PRODUCE INCREASED PRESSURE AT THE ONSET OF THE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT AND REDUCED PRESSURE AFTERWARD.
THIS COULD INCREASE THE SEVERITY OF INJURY TO A PERSON WHO WAS NOT PROPERLY RESTRAINED AND WHO WAS CLOSE TO THE PASSENGER AIR BAG AT THE TIME OF DEPLOYMENT. IT COULD ALSO REDUCE THE AB8ILITY OF THE AIR BAG TO PROTECT A RESTRAINED FRONT SEAT PASSENGER.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER, SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES AND MINIVANS. THE PASSENGER AIR BAG INFLATOR MODULES WERE BUILT WITHOUT THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF GENERANT, WHICH PRODUCES THE GAS THAT FILLS THE AIR BAG. SOME WERE BUILT WITH A DOUBLE LOAD OF GENERANT AND SOME WERE BUILT WITHOUT GENERANT.
IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH THAT WOULD TRIGGER A PASSENGER AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT, A DOUBLE LOAD OF GENERANT CAN CAUSE THE INFLATOR MODULE TO EXPLODE. IF THE AIR BAG MODULE EXPLODES, METAL AND PLASTIC DEBRIS COULD CAUSE SEVERE INJURY TO VEHICLE OCCUPANT. A MODULE WITH NO GENERANT WOULD NOT INFLATE THE AIR BAG, AND THE OCCUPANTS COULD RECEIVE MORE SEVERE INJURIES.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLES. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES WERE ASSEMBLED WITH THE TRANSAXLE SHIFT CABLE CLIP MISSING OR IMPROPERLY SEATED. WITHOUT THE CLIP, THE CABLE CAN SLIP OUT OF ITS BRACKET AND THE TRANSAXLE LEVER WOULD NOT MOVE ALONG WITH THE SHIFT LEVER. THE DRIVER MAY PUT THE SHIFT LEVER IN PARK, BUT THE TRANSAXLE MAY BE IN REVERSE OR NEUTRAL.
UNEXPECTED MOVEMENT OF THE VEHICLE COULD CAUSE A CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A SIDE IMPACT AIR BAG SYSTEM. THE AIR BAG SYSTEM HAS A LOWER SIDE IMPACT SAFING SENSOR THRESHOLD THAN SPECIFIED. BECAUSE OF THIS REDUCED THRESHOLD, THERE COULD BE AN INADVERTENT DEPLOYMENT OF THE SIDE HEAD CURTAIN AIR BAG WITH SEVERE SLAMMING OF THE DOOR.
THIS COULD CAUSE INJURY TO AN OCCUPANT.
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH WHEN SHE SLAMMED ON BRAKES, AND FRONT OF VEHICLE IMPACTED A TREE. WHEN THIS HAPPENED, FRONTAL, DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. RATE OF INCLINE AND LOCATION OF SENSORS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN FAILURE OF AIR BAG TO DEPLOY. *AK
LEAVING WORK I WAS GOING DOWN THE ALLEY WHEN I HIT A DIP AT THE END OF THE ALLEY CAUSING BOTH MY DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY. THERE WAS NO FRONT END COLLISION JUST A DIP IN THE ROAD. I SUSTAINED A BURN TO MY RIGHT HAND AND BURNS AND BRUISING TO MY LEFT FOREARM. MY OPINION IS THAT THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH IMPACT OF ANY KIND TO DEPLOY MY AIRBAG. I HAVE FILED A CLAIM WITH MY INSURANCE COMPANY.
DT: 2001 SATURN L300 SERIES. THE CONSUMER'S WIFE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION WHILE TRAVELING 25-28 MPH, AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. HE HAS CONTACTED SATURN AND THEY WERE SENDING A BOOKLET ON THE AIR BAG SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. THE FRONT END WAS BENT. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. THE CONSUMER'S WIFE SUSTAINED CHEST, ABDOMEN, AND KNEE INJURIES, AND WAS TAKEN BY AMBULANCE TO A HOSPITAL.*AK
AFTER BEING DRIVENVEHICLE STOPPED, AND FLAMES WERE COMING FROM ENGINE. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. DEALER'S TECHNICIAN DID NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE.*AK