Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2001 Saturn LS submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 35 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.
The 25 most recent of 35, in the owner's own words
DRIVING DOWN IN CONGESTED MORNING TRAFFIC ON HIGHWAY WHEN ENGINE SHUT OFF. WITH ENGINE OFF, BRAKES HARD TO PUSH AND STEERING VERY DIFFICULT. VEHICLE COASTED TO STOP. ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART. IT JUST TURNED OVER. SHOP SAID TIMING CHAIN SNAPPED AND ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED.
MY DAUGHTER [XXX] WAS THE PASSENGER AND [XXX] WAS DRIVER. THE KIDS WENT FOR DRIVE AND WERE FOUND THE NEXT EARLY MORNING AROUND 6AM. THE CAR WAS SO BURNED AND DESTROYED THE KIDS COULD NOT BE IDENTIFIED, AND ALL WHO WERE THERE QUESTIONED THE STRAIGHT TIRE TRACKS WITHOUT ANY CORRECTION OR OVER CORRECTION IN THE STEERING OF TIRE TRACKS, NO BRAKING IN THE COUNTY ROAD TRACKS, AND WITH FRACTURE AND DAMAGE OF THE SKULL AREA WE LATER WERE TOLD THAT THE AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED! THE TRACKS WERE APPROX 150 YRDS LONG AND WENT AT AN ANGLE OF PERFECTION GRADUALLY POINTING TOWARDS A RAVINE THAT WOULD END BOTH OF THE KIDS LIVES. WE SENT A FORENSIC SPECIALIST TO LOOK AT CAR 2 MONTHS LATER AND WAS TOLD TO SAVE OUR MONEY ON FULL REPORT BECAUSE THE SPECIALIST SAID THE CAR WAS SO DESTROYED HE COULDN'T MAKE HEADS OR TAILS AS TO A CASE AGAINST GM. WITH NEW EVIDENCE ON GM THERE IS NO DOUBT TO ANYONE AT CRASH SITE AS TO WHAT HAPPENED! THE IGNITION SWITCH TESTIMONIALS WE HAVE SEEN AND READ BY SURVIVORS SPELL OUT WHAT HAPPENED IN THE 01CAR SATURN THAT DAY THAT CLAIMED MY DAUGHTER [XXX] LIFE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
I AM THE SECOND OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS RECALL ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS VEHICLE, MOST OF THESE ISSUES ARE SAFETY RELATED. THIS AUTO IS MY SOLE MEANS OF TRANSPORT. I HAVE A 2 MONTH OLD GRANDSON WHO LIVES WITH ME, AND I HAVE NO CLUE IF ANY OF THESE RECALL ISSUES HAVE BEEN RECTIFIED, ASIDE FROM THE "BRAKE LAMPS ADAPTER" WHICH HAS NOT BEEN FIXED. I HAVE NO BRAKE LIGHTS EXCEPT FOR THE ROOFLINE ANTI-COLLISION LAMPS. REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO GET A HARD COPY OF RECALL ITEMS AS BEING FIXED, HAVE BEEN MET WITH NO RESPONSE. I SPOKE TO A GM REP, WHO TOLD ME THE ISSUES WERE OVER 10 YEARS AND TO FILE A SUIT IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT. I HAVE NO MONEY TO DO THE WORK ORDERED BY THE FED, VIA NHTSA. THE TAILLAMPS ARE DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR (AS THE INSERT WAS NOT INSTALLED IN THIS VEHICLE) THE AIRBAGS, HAVE EITHER TWO TIMES THE "GENERANT" OR NO GENERANT AT ALL. I REPLACED THE ORIGINAL IGNITION COIL, OUT OF POCKET $165.00. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW GM CAN BE ALLOWED TO SKIRT/IGNORE RECALL ISSUES, AND THIS ONGOING BS, IS TAKING AWAY TIME THAT COULD BE BETTER SPENT. GOD HELP SOMEONE AT GM, IF I AM INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND MY GRANDSON IS IN ANY WAY HURT, AS A RESULT OF GM'S "[XXX]" ATTITUDE. I AM A DISABLED VIETNAM VETERAN (USARMY 101ST ABN DVN) AND MY PATIENCE IS FAST WANING! I WRITE TO YOU IN HOPES OF GETTING THESE ISSUES RESOLVED, OR AM I WASTING MY TIME, AS I'M BEGINNING TO BELIEVE. A WRITTEN RESPONSE WOULD BE OF SOME COMFORT, AS I'LL KNOW THAT SOMEONE BOTHERED TO READ MY RUNNING DIATRIBE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR UPDATED 9/25/2014 *JS
2ND OWNER OF VEHICLE, TAIL LAMPS HAD OVER HEATING ISSUE, NHTSA ISSUED RECALL ON 2 JUNE 2005, SATURN REFUSES TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE, SAYING AUTO IS TO OLD. DATE FOR FIXING ISSUE IS 10 YEARS FROM DATE BULLETIN WAS ISSUED. WAS TOLD BY A SATURN "CUSTOMER CARE REP." THAT ADAPTERS WERE INSTALLED IN FEB 2009. AUTO WASN'T REGISTERED IN 2009, AND NO ADAPTERS HAVE EVER BEEN INSTALLED. I AM A DISABLED VIETNAM VETERAN LIVING ON A VERY MEAGER MONTHLY INCOME AND CAN'T AFFORD TO REPLACE THESE LAMPS. I AM DRIVING THIS AUTO WITH NO BRAKE LIGHTS, ASIDE FROM ANTI-COLLISION LAMP AT TOP OF REAR WINDSHIELD. I HOPE THIS LETTER HAS MORE IMPACT THAN I'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE, AS OF TODAY. ANY HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. *TR
I OWN A 2001 SATURN L200 4 CYLINDER SEDAN. IT HAS JUST OVER 70K MILES ON IT. ALL MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN DONE ON OR BEFORE SCHEDULE. ALMOST 2 YEARS AGO THE COMPUTER HAD TO BE REPLACED. AFTER THAT INCIDENT, THE LIGHTS STARTED DOING WEIRD THINGS. SO I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THAT ISSUE WAS RESOLVED (A RECALL). I HAVE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKES 3 TIMES. ON 3/30/06 I WAS IN RUSH HOUR ON A BUSY HIGHWAY PASSING A CAR IN THE LEFT LANE. MY CAR JUST DIED (NO LIGHTS CAME ON INDICATING THE ENGINE STOPPED, JUST NO POWER). THANK GOD I GOT TO THE RIGHT LAND. I SAT THERE FOR AN HOUR AND FINALLY GOT THE CAR TOWED. THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE. I HAVE SPEND $200 JUST TO FIND THAT OUT. I AM NOT SURE WHAT OTHER DAMAGE HAS RESULTED. SATURN IS ACTING IGNORANT ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. THEY SAY THEY CANNOT TELL ME ANYTHING UNLESS I HAVE IT AT A SATURN DEALERSHIP. (ANOTHER TOW CHARGE AND DIAGNOSTICS CHARGE). I SAW THAT THERE IS AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS MATTER AND WANTED TO FILE A FORMAL COMPLAINT. I STRONGLY BELIEVE, AFTER THE RESEARCH I HAVE DONE, THAT SATURN SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND FIX THIS PROBLEM. *JB
NOTICED A BURNING RUBBER SMELL FROM THE RT REAR OF THE VEHICLE AND THEN FROM THE LEFT REAR TIRE OF THE VEHICLE. HUBCAP VERY WARM AFTER A SHORT TRAVEL DISTANCE, BACK BRAKES MADE A GRINDING SOUND. WENT TO USE PARKING BRAKE, COULD NOT LIFT UP BRAKE. PARKING BRAKE INOPERABLE. TOOK TO GET REPAIRED, WAS TOLD THAT THE PARKING BRAKE CABLE WAS BOUND UP, DUE TO CORROSION, CAUSING THE CONNECTION CABLES TO BIND UP BOTH REAR BRAKES, UNABLE TO BE RELEASED, WHICH CAUSED THE BRAKE SHOES TO MELT ON BOTH REAR WHEELS, CAUSING THE PAD TO RUB AGAINST THE ROTOR AND, METAL TO METAL, HEAT UP AND CAUSE BURNING SMELL. NEED TO HAVE NEW BACK ROTORS, BRAKES SHOES, BRAKE PADS, PARKING BRAKE FIXED, NEW CABLES, AND SPRING CLIPS REPLACED. ALL PARTS NEED TO BE NEW AS THE ROTORS ARE DAMAGED DUE TO BRAKE HANGUP. BACK ROTORS HAVE HAD TO BE REPLACE 3 TIMES ON THIS VEHICLE SO FAR. *NM
SATURN HAS A RECALL ON TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLIES. I HAVE A 2001 L SERIES SATURN. BOUGHT IT FROM OLDS DEALER IN HELENA MT. THERE ARE NO SATURN DEALERS IN MONTANA. I CALLED THE 800# IN THE RECALL LETTER AND THEY SAID TO GO TO UNDERRINER OLDS IN BILLINGS, APPROXIMATELY 240 MILES AWAY. I BOUGHT IT AT AN OLDS DEALER TWO MILES FROM MY HOUSE. SEEMS TO ME THEY COULD AUTHORIZE THAT OR PAY ME A COUPLE OF DAYS WAGES, GAS, MOTEL, PER DIEM OR HAVE IT FIXED IN HELENA!!! THIS IS REALLY STUPID, BECAUSE MY TAILLIGHTS ARE DEFECTIVE AND KEEP WIGGLING LOSE AND I LOSE MY BRAKE AND TAIL LIGHTS.*JB
BRAKE LIGHTS NOT WORKING RIGHT. RIGHT BRAKE LIGHT HOUSING IS MELTING AND MY BRAKE LIGHTS DON'T CONSISTENTLY WORK WELL. *NM
BRAKE LIGHTS CEASED TO FUNCTION. CAR REAR ENDED DURING EARLY MORNING PILE UP ON I-85 DUE TO TIRE FAILURE ON CAR TWO POSITIONS IN ADVANCE. INVESTIGATE CAUSE OF LIGHT FAILURE AND FOUND MELTED/BURNED LIGHT SOCKET AREA. TRIED TO REPAIR THEN CALLED SATURN FOR PARTS AVAILABILITY. INFORMED THAT THERE WOULD BE A RECALL IN OCT 05 BUT THAT I COULD PURCHASE THE NEW LIGHT ASSEMBLIES MYSELF AND MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET REIMBURSEMENT LATER. COST OVER $350.00 PER ASSEMBLY! UNABLE TO SPEND THIS AMOUNT IMMEDIATELY SO I PARKED THE CAR UNTIL THE RECALL LETTER COMES!*JB
REAR BRAKES FAILED AND ENTIRE UNITS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, BOTH DRIVERS AND PASSENGER REAR DISK BRAKES INOPERABLE
TAIL LIGHTS DO NOT WORK AFTER REPEATED REPLACEMENT. NOTICED SAME MODELS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM
TIE ROD END- DRIVERS SIDE. LSO HAVE PROBLEM WITH LEFT BRAKE LIGHT- REPLACED BULB AND KEEPS GOING OUT IGNITION SWITCH LOCKED UP NOW ENGINE AND COIL PACK BLOWN-- ENGINE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT NEVER CAME ON TO ALERT OF IMPENDING PROBLEM. *AK
1) REAR LEFT TAILLIGHT ASSEMBLY HAS FAILED FOR THE SECOND TIME IN LESS THAN A YEAR. RIGHT ONE HAS ALSO FAILED WITHIN THE YEAR. 2) CIRCUIT BOARD SHORTS OUT, RESULTING IN NO BRAKE LIGHT IN FAILED ASSEMBLY WHEN HEADLIGHTS ARE ON.*AK 3)ENTIRE ASSEMBLY MUST BE REPLACED, ROUGHLY A $450 REPAIR. OLD PART IS WITH CARMAX ON SOUTH BLVD IN CHARLOTTE, AS THEY ARE MAKING THE REPAIR TODAY.
PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE LIGHT FAILED TO LIGHT UPON DEPRESSION OF THE BRAKE PEDAL. DEALER REPLACED SOCKET WITH PART SN 21019709. FIRM BELIEF THAT THERE IS AN INHERENT DESIGN FLAW IN THIS SOCKET/TAILIGHT CONNECTION.*AK
WHILE DRIVING 35 MPHAND UPON TRYING TO STOP THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED, AND THE BRAKES FAILED. CONSUMER STATED THAT SHE HAD BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, TRYING TO STOP THE VEHICLE. SHE THEN PULLED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. CONTACTED THE DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THE BRAKE WOULD ALWAYS OVER POWER THE ENGINE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. ALSO, PROVIDE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER, AND MAKE CORRECTIONS WHERE NEEDED.*AK
REAR TAIL LIGHTS ON MY 2001 SATURN L100 HAVE HAD PROBLEMS. GM RECALLED OTHER PRODUCTS FOR SIMILAR PROBLEMS. THE BULB HOLDERS HAVE BEEN REPLACED 2 MONTHS AGO AND NOW THE DEALER HAS STATED THAT THE ASSEMBLIES ARE IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT. THESE ASSEMBLIES ARE FAILING SOONER THAN WHAT IS TO BE EXPECTED. I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIX THE PROBLEM OF LIGHTBULBS INTERMITTENTLY WORKING FOR ABOUT 1 AND HALF YEARS NOW. IT SEEMS APPARENT THAT THE SYSTEM USED IS INFERIOR IN QUALITY. *AK
REAR DRUM BRAKES LOCKED UP AFTER REVERSING FROM GARAGE ON A COLD MORNING-- BRAKES DID NOT DISENGAGE AND BURNED AFTER DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MILESMPH. DEALER DETERMINED EMERGENCY BRAKE CABLES HAD CORRODED AND DID NOT RELEASE. *AK
CONSUMER STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS HAD BEEN REPLACED SIX TO EIGHT TIMES. THEY WILL WORK FOR ABOUT TWO MONTHS AND THEN THEY COMPLETELY STOP WORKING. CONSUMER HAD TO HAVE THEM REPLACED. HOWEVER, SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO SATURN. THEY WILL NOT WORK WITH CONSUMER TO FIND OUT WHAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM. THEY JUST CONTINUED TO REPLACE THE BRAKE LIGHT ASSEMBLY. *AK
MY BRAKE, TAIL, AND INTERIOR LIGHTS KEEP FAILLING. I'VE REPLACED HARNESSES AND OTHER WIRES. I ALSO HAVE SHAKING OF STEERING WHEEL AND AUTOMATIC LOCKING SYSTEM FAILURE. THEN I HAVE TROUBLE STARTING MY VEHICLE AND THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. NOW I HAVE OTHER LAMP (LIGHT) PROBLEMS. I ALSO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH MY AUDIO SYSTEM WHERE IT WILL NOT ALLOW ME TO USE ANY OF THE BUTTONS, WHATEVER IS PLAYING THAT IS WHAT YOU HEAR UNTIL IT DECIDES TO WORK AGAIN. MY FUEL EFFICIENCY IS NOT GOOD EITHER, I'M HAVING ENGINE NOISES AND EXHAUST PROBLEMS.*AK
DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WHEN I NOTICE A BURNING RUBBERY SMELL. STOP THE CAR AND CHECK ALL TIRES, THE LEFT DRIVER REAR IS EXTREMELY HOT AND SMELLY, THE OTHERS ARE NOT. DROVE IMMEDIATELY TO THE SATURN DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD I NEEDED A NEW BRAKE CALLIPER AS IT WAS DISINIGRATING AND THE SMELL WAS FROM THE BRAKE PADS GETTING SO HOT, THEY WERE MELTING. I ALSO HAD TO HAVE THE BRAKE PADS CHANGED DO TO THE FACT THE CALIPER BINDING LOCKED ONTO BRAKE SLIDER AND WOULD NOT FREE UP. HAD I CONTINUED TO DRIVE IT LOCKED UP, IT COULD HAVE GOTTEN SO HOT, IT WOULD HAVE STARTED A FIRE UNDER THE WHEEL WELL.*AK
CONSTANT BRAKE DUST, UNUSUAL WEAR ON ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS, AFTER JUST UNDER 40000.ROTORS COULD NOT BE TURNED MUST BE REPLACED, DEALER ACKNOWLEDGES WEAR PROBLEM ON L SERIES BUT GM WILL NOT CONTRIBUTE TO COST AT THIS POINT. REAR TIRE WEAR DEALER DOES ACKNOWLEDGE PROBLEM AND DID REPLACE ALL 4 TIRES AND SHIM KIT FOR CHPPED UP REAR TIRES BUT HAS NOT DONE ACROSS BOARD RECALL ?*AK
BRAKE LIGHTS FAIL WHEN ALL OTHER LIGHTS ARE ON (HEADLIGHTS, TAILLIGHTS). WHEN LIGHTS ARE OFF - BRAKE LIGHT WILL WORK. TAIL LIGHTS KEEP SHORTING OUT DUE TO DESIGN FLAW OF LIGHT HOUSING UNIT. PULL BULB OUT, APPLY BULB GREASE, PULL SPRINGS UP, AND REINSERT. WORKS FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS. *AK
MY CAR IS 2001 L 200 AND I HAVE HAD NUMERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH EMER. BRAKE AND STEERING. I HAVE RECENTLY HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE STRUAT MOUNT, AND BRAKE ROTERS. I HAVE ONLY 45,000 MILES ON THE CAR AND HAVE ALREADY BEGUN THE HIGH REPAIR BILLS. WITH NO HELP FROM SATURN AS OF YET. I STILL AM TRYING. *AK
CONSUMER HAD PROBLEM WITH BRAKES AND WILL PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION ON THIS ISSUED.
AT APPROXIMATELY 50,000 MILES, I GOT A STATE INSPECTION OF MY CAR. THE FRONT ROTORS WERE SEVERELY WORN, REQUIRING REPLACEMENT. IN ADDITION TO BEING WORN DOWN, THE BRAKE PAD SEEMS TO HAVE NOT FIT PROPERLY AND A "LIP" REMAINED ON THE ROTORS SUCH THAT EVEN IF THE WEAR HAD NOT BEEN SO SEVERE, THE ROTORS WOULD HAVE HAD TO BE REPLACED BEFORE NEW BRAKE PADS WOULD WORK WITH THEM.*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
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