Owner-reported complaints naming the visibility system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2000 Saturn LS submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 14 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
4 CYLINDER SHOT, ENGINE SHOT.THIS 2000 LS2 V-6 HAD THE WHOLE 100,000 MILE MAINTENANCE DONE, TIMING CHAIN BLA BLA BLA.ELECTRIC WINDOWS,4 WAYS HAZARDS, TURN SIGNALS,ENGINE,A/C-HEATER,BLOWER MOTOR,HANDLES BROKE-INTERIOR ONLY,CAR RAN GOOD WHEN IT RAN BUT WHEN IT STOPPED IT ALWAYS COSTS MONEY. *TR
THE HEATER/DEFROST BLOWER MOTOR ON MY 2000 SATURN LS NEEDS TO BE REPLACED FOR THE SECOND TIME. THE FIRST REPLACEMENT WAS DECEMBER 2004. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE I LIVE IN WISCONSIN AND I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DEFROST MY WINDSHIELD FOR VISIBILITY ONCE WINTER IS HERE UNLESS I REPLACE THE BLOWER MOTOR AGAIN. *TR
I HAVE HAD ONGOING PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE SINCE I PURCHASED IT IN 2003. I PURCHASE THIS CAR IN AUGUST 2003. IN OCTOBER 2003, THE CAR WOULD NOT START. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE WRONG TYPE BOLT WAS IN THE BATTERY CAUSING THE CAR NOT TO START. I PURCHASED THE BOLT AT THE DEALERSHIP HAD IT INSTALLED. IN OCTOBER 2004, THE CAR STARTED SHIFTING HARD. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT IT NEEDED SOME TYPE OF VALVE AND THAT WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM. AGAIN, THE DEALERSHIP INSTALLED THIS VALVE AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE. NOVEMBER 2005, THE BLOWER FOR THE HEATING AND DEFOGGER ONLY WORKS WHEN THE CAR HAS SAT OUT IN THE SUN FOR A WHILE. IT DOES NOT WORK IN THE MORNING WHEN THE CAR IS INITIALLY STARTED IN THE MORNINGS. THREE DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS 2005, WITH ONLY APPROXIMATELY 68,000 MILES ON THIS CAR, THE TIMING BELT BROKE. IT DID NOT DAMAGE THE MOTOR AND I HAD IT REPAIRED AT A COST OF AROUND $900.00. THIS TIME I DID NOT HAVE THE DEALERSHIP DO THE REPAIRS BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY INCONVENIENT AND EXPENSIVE FOR ME TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED THE DEALERSHIP FROM WHERE IT BROKE DOWN. WHILE LOOKING THROUGH MY OWNERS MANUAL, I NOTICED THAT IT STATED THAT MY TIMING BELT SHOULD LAST AT LEAST TO 100,000 MILES (MY THIRTEEN YEAR OLD NISSAN'S TIMING BELT LASTED UNTIL 120,000 MILES). WHEN I ADDRESSED THIS WITH YOUR CUSTOMER CARE LINE, I WAS TOLD THAT THE 100,000 MILES WAS JUST A SUGGESTION AND THAT THE BELT COULD ACTUALLY GO AT ANY TIME. I GUESS MAYBE THE WORD SUGGESTION/SUGGESTED SHOULD HAVE BEEN PUT IN THE OWNERS MANUAL BECAUSE THAT IS NOT HOW I UNDERSTOOD IT WHEN I READ IT AS PRINTED. JANUARY 2006, THE CAR STARTS HARD SHIFTING AGAIN AND AGAIN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS TIME THE TRANSMISSION CAN'T SEEM TO FIGURE OUT THE SPEED OF THE CAR AND IT WOULD COST AN ADDITIONAL $80.00 FOR THEM TO TRACK IT DOWN. *NM
DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SATURN LS1. THE CONTACT STATES THAT THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE DO NOT WORK. THE WINDOWS, THE HORN, AND BRAKES LIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING. THE BRAKE LIGHT PROBLEM HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR YEARS, BUT THE WINDOW, HORN, SPEAKER, DRIVER SIDE TURN SIGNAL, AND THE DASH LIGHTS STARTED TO MALFUNCTION AT ONE TIME. THE CONSUMER INDICATES WHEN SHE ROLLED THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW DOWN AND BACK UP THAT WAS WHEN EVERY THING QUIT WORKING. THE SERVICE DEALER STATED THAT EACH COMPONENT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER.*AK
DT: THE POWER WINDOW SWITCHES ON THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER FRONT DOORS FAILED. THE CONSUMER HAD THEM BOTH REPLACED. THE PASSENGER SIDE OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY 3 WEEKS AGO, AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE HAPPENED ON JUNE 12,2005. *AK THE MASTER SWITCH WAS REPLACED ON BOTH FRONT AND PASSENGER SIDE WINDOWS. *SC *JB
SATURN LW2 4DR WAGON 2000, WINDSHIELD WIPER MULTI FUNCTION SWITCH BROKE. *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE UPPER EDGE OF THE FRONT DOOR IS A HAZARD. THE EDGE OF THE DOOR IS 56 INCHES FROM THE GROUND AND IS SHARP. *JB
CURRENTLY THE BLOWER MOTOR FOR THE HEATER/DEFROSTER IS NOT WORKING. I HAVE HAD MANY MANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR, INPARTICULAR WITH THE BRAKES AND STEERING. THE RACK AND PINION WAS REPAIRED TWICE. I HAVE HAD BRAKES REPLACED TWICE, AND RECENTLY THE BRAKE DRUMS, ROTATORS AND PADS. I HAVE HAD THE POWER STEERING PUMP REPAIRED AND FROM TIME TO TIME NEED TO HAVE THE STEERING WHEEL LUBRICATED WHEN IT STARTS TO MAKE NOISE AGAIN. I AM WONDERING IF I AM THE ONLY ONE WITH THESE PROBLEMS OR ARE OTHERS WITH THIS SAME CAR HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE WHEN I AM DRIVING THIS CAR. I HAVE BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER MANY TIMES TO HAVE THINGS CHECKED WITH WHEELS AND STEERING. *AK
HAVE OWNED THE CAR, 2000 LS1, SINCE IT HAD ABOUT 8K MILES. HAVE HAD TO BUY 3 SETS OF TIRES SO FAR DUE TO IRREGULAR WEAR. BEEN TO SATURN DEALERSHIP AND OTHER GARAGES SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT THIS BEFORE FINALLY LEARNING FROM SATURN THIS PAST SUMMER THAT THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS ON THIS MAKE AND MODEL ARE DEFECTIVE AND THAT SATURN HAD PUT TOGETHER A SHIM KIT TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THIS SOLUTION WOULD COST OVER $500, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU COUNT THE FOUR WHEEL ALIGNMENT THAT WOULD ALSO BE NECESSARY. ALSO HAVING BRAKE LIGHT PROBLEMS. BRAKE LIGHTS DON'T WORK WHEN PARKING LIGHTS ARE TURNED ON. HAVE REPLACED BULBS SEVERAL TIMES, PARTICULARLY THE DRIVER SIDE BRAKE LIGHT. MECHANIC CLEANED AND ADJUSTED THE SOCKET'S CONTACT POINTS, BUT 3 WEEKS LATER THE DRIVER SIDE BRAKE LIGHT WAS NOT WORKING AGAIN. WIPERS DON'T GET WINDSHIELD CLEAN, EVEN WHEN BRAND NEW. AUTO UNLOCK STOPPED WORKING. *JB
THE REAR DEFROSTER IN MY CAR TURNS OFF AUTOMATICALLY AFTER ABOUT 10 - 15 MINUTES. I HAVE FOUND THIS DESIGN TO PRESENT A DANGEROUS SITUATION TO ME WHEN I OPERATE MY VEHICLE DURING A SNOW STORM. DURING A SNOW STORM, THE REAR WINDOW IN MY CAR FOGS UP UNLESS I CONTINUOUSLY RUN THE DEFROSTER! (I BELIEVE THIS PROBLEM WILL OCCUR IN MANY CAR MODELS.) MY DEFROSTER TURNS OFF WITHOUT WARNING. I DON'T REALIZE I HAVE A PROBLEM UNTIL THE WINDOW FOGS UP MAKING MY VISIBILITY VERY POOR. I THEN HAVE TO TRY TO GROPE FOR THE DEFROSTER SWITCH TO TURN THE DEFROSTER BACK ON. WHEN I AM FORCED TO REACH FOR THE DEFROSTER BUTTON WHEN DRIVING ON AN ICY ROAD, I AM PUTTING MYSELF IN DANGER, ESPECIALLY IF THE SUN HAS SET. DURING A SNOW STORM IT IS IMPORTANT TO BE FOCUSSING ON THE ROAD, NOT GROPING FOR A SWITCH EVERY 10-15 MINUTES. THIS DEFROSTER DESIGN HAS TWO DISADVANTAGES FROM A SAFETY STANDPOINT. FIRST, MY REAR WINDOW REPEATEDLY FOGS UP UNEXPECTEDLY AT VERY CRITICAL TIMES. SECOND, I AM FORCED TO DIVERT MY ATTENTION FROM THE ROAD DURING THE WORST TYPE OF DRIVING CONDITIONS IN ORDER TO TURN ON THE REAR DEFROSTER.*AK
THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS REPLACED DUE TO NOISE. AND REAR MIRROR VIEW MIRROR WAS REPLACED.*AK *JB
CONSUMER STATES A/C EXPERIENCED A FUNNY SMELL, DEALER FOUND COROBEAL INFESTATION IN EVAP VENTS, A/C MADE LOUD NOISE WHEN STARTING VEHICLE, THERE IS A RUMBLING SOUND WHEN RECYCLE BUTTON IS ON AND THE FAN IS OFF, FAULTY VENTILATION IS CAUSING AIR TO COME FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. *SLC
FRONT BRAKE ROTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT 37,929 MILES BECAUSE THE INSIDE EDGES WERE WORN BELOW SPECIFICATION AND THE BRAKE SHOES WOULD NOT SEAT PROPERLY ON THE ROTOR. THE EDGES COULD NOT BE TURNED OR RESURFACED. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF METAL GRINDING INTO THE ROTOR. ALSO, ALL FOUR TIRES WERE REPLACED FOR UNEVEN WEAR. THE REAR BRAKE RETAINER SPRING BROKE. THE REAR PASSENGER WINDOW IS INOPERABLE. THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE CONSOLE. CONSUMER ALSO CLAIMS THERE IS PLAY IN THE STEERING. THE POWER STEERING WAS REPLACED IN SEPTEMBER OF 2001. THERE IS STILL VIBRATION AND PLAY BEING FELT IN THE STEERING. THERE WAS A BENT HUB WHICH WAS CAUSING THE VIBRATION. *JG
THE WINDSHIELD WIPER ARM AND BLADES WERE DEFECTIVE. *YH
THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ON MY SATURN LS1 DO NOT WORK PROPERLY. I BROUGHT THE PROBLEM TO THE ATTENTION OF THE DEALER ONE WEEK AFTER PURCHASE, AND THEY SWAPPED THE DRIVER'S SIDE WIPER WITH ONE FROM ANOTHER NEW SATURN LS, BUT OFFERED NO OTHER SOLUTION. THE BLADES ON BOTH SIDES SCAPE THE WINDSHIELD, LIKE FINGERNAILS SCRAPPING OVER A COUNTERTOP. THE PROBLEM IS WORSE AT HIGHER SPEEDS, AND THE WIPERS DO NOT CLEAR THE WINDSHIELD EFFECTIVELY. DURING SNOWFALL, THE BLADES ARE VIRTUALLY USELESS. I BELIEVE THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW; OR THE WINDSHIELD IS WARPED. THE LACK OF VISIBILITY DURING RAIN AND SNOW IS A SAFETY PROBLEM FOR THIS VEHICLE.*AK
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .