2001 Saturn LS Tires & wheels Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN L200 EQUIPPED WITH BRIGDGESTONE/FIRESTONE MATRIX TIRES, TIRE SIZE 195/65/R15. THE CONTACT NOTICED THE SIDE WALL ON THE FRONT PASSENGER AND DRIVER TIRES EXHIBITED PLY SEPARATION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TIRES WERE PURCHASED THREE MONTHS PRIOR TO THE DEFECT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A TIRE CENTER WHERE BOTH FRONT TIRES WERE REPLACED WITH NEW TIRES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE DEFECTIVE TIRES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. THE DOT NUMBER WAS UNAVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

10407666

Incident

Jun 13, 2011

Mileage

100,000 mi

IN OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2005 WE PURCHASED REPLACEMENT TIRES FROM PEP BOYS. WE WERE TOLD THE TIRES PURCHASED WERE PROPER AND HAD A 65,000 MILE WARRANTY. FIRST OF JUNE 2006 MY DAUGHTER HAD A FLAT TIRE. SHE WENT TO PEP BOYS. THEY ADVISED HER TWO FRONT TIRES WERE BALD AT 20,000 MILES NOT DUE TO HER OR THE CAR BUT THE TIRES SOLD WERE WRONG AND SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN PUT ON THE CAR SHE HAS. PEP BOYS REFUSED TO REPLACE AT NO COST BECAUSE THEY SAY THEY ARE NOW USED? USED, YES BUT WRONGLY SOLD. WE WERE REPRESENTED AT THE SALE TO BE PROPER NO MENTION THEY WOULD NEVER HOLD UP. BEFORE THIS FLAT TIRE IN APRIL MY DAUGHTER WAS IN A CAR ACCIDENT. IT WAS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. WE GOT THE CAR BACK MIDDLE OF MAY 2006. ONLY A FEW WEEKS BEFORE THE FLAT. IT NEVER OCCURRED TO US THAT SHE HAD WRONG TIRES, I TALKED WITH MY LOCAL FIRESTONE DEALER WHO I USED FOR YEARS. HE ADVISED ME THAT THESE TIRES ARE RATED (V) WHICH BY THE STANDARDS IS NOT ALLOWED TO BE PUT ON THIS TYPE OF CAR BECAUSE THEY WILL FAIL AND NEVER HOLD UP THERE HAVE BEEN MANY LAWSUITS FROM ACCIDENTS OVER THIS SAME PROBLEM. MY PROBLEM IS THAT PEP BOYS KNOWING SOLD TIRES THAT WOULD NOT HOLD UP ON MY SATURN, APPARENTLY THERE IS A TIRE STANDARD THAT EVEN DICTATES THIS BUT IT WAS NOT FOLLOWED. I UNDERSTAND NO ONE WARRANTIES V RATED TIRES NOT SURE HOW TRUE. THIS PRACTICE PUTS END USERS AT LIFE SAFETY RISK AS WELL AS OTHERS DRIVING ON THE ROAD. PEP BOYS ATTITUDE IS YOU USED THEM ONLY IN THE CONTENT THEY RECOMMENDED AND PRESENTED THEM AT THE POINT OF SALE AS BEING PROPER FOR MY DAUGHTER??S CAR. NOT THAT THEY WOULD WEAR OUT AT 20,000 MILES AND PUT HERE AND OTHERS AT A LIFE SAFETY RISK. IT APPEARS THEY WANT TO THEN PRORATE TIRES AND CHARGE THE DIFFERENCE TO THE END USER WHO WAS NOT AWARE OF THIS. *JB

NHTSA ID

10161352

Incident

Jun 9, 2006

EIGHT MONTHS AFTER I BOUGHT A 2001 SATURN L300 I STARTED HAVING TIRE PROBLEMS. IT STARTED OUT WITH THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE RUBBING WHEN I TURNED THE WHEEL WHILE BACKING UP. I ONLY HAD 6400 MILES ON THE TIRES. LOUD NOISES WERE COMING FROM THE TIRES AT 12964 MILEAGE. MY SATURN SERVICE DEPT. RESET THE FEA TO NEW SPECS AND INSTALLED A CAMBER CASTER KIT AND 4 NEW TIRES. THIS WAS THE 2ND SET OF TIRES FOR MY 2001 SATURN L300. AT 17224 MILEAGE THE RUBBING ON THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE WAS BACK. THIS TIME THE SERVICE DEPT. RE-SECURED THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL HOUSE. THEN ON NOV 24, 2003 (25277 MILEAGE) THE LOUD NOISE WAS BACK. AT THIS TIME THE TECH FOUND THE TIRES STARTING TO SLIGHTLY CUP. HE RE-INSPECTED AND FOUND ALL 4 TIRES OUT OF SPECS AND IT WAS NECESSARY TO REALIGN ALL. I TOOK THE CAR (27115 MILEAGE) BACK IN ON JAN 16, 2004 AND THE TIRES WERE MAKING LOUD NOISES. THIS TIME THE TECH CONFIRMED THAT THE TIRES WERE CUPPING AND OUT OF ROUND. THEY REPLACED ALL 4 TIRES AND RESET TO NEW FACTORY SPECS. ALSO, DID A WHEEL ALIGNMENT. THIS WAS THE 3ND SET OF TIRES. ON DEC 20, 2004 I HAD A RATTLE ON THE RIGHT FRONT. AT THIS TIME THEY REPLACED THE RIGHT FRONT LINK BAR(38871 MILEAGE). MARCH 29, 2005 THE CAR WAS BACK IN THE SERVICE DEPT. WITH LOUD TIRE NOISE(42667 MILEAGE). THE TIRES HAD HIGH AND LOW SPOTS. I WAS TOLD I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE TIRES AGAIN. I TOOK THE CAR BACK IN FOR NEW TIRES ON JUNE 22, 2005. AT THIS TIME AFTER CALLING SATURN CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THE DEALER MANAGER, I AGREED TO BUY 2 TIRES AND SATURN BUY 2 TIRES. SATURN PAID TO REALIGN THE TIRES. AT THIS TIME I WAS TOLD BY A TECH THAT SATURN HAD A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM WITH THE 2001 L300 SERIES. IT HAD TO DO WITH THE TIRES CUPPING AND MAKING LOUD NOISES. HE SAID THAT AS LONG AS THE CAR DROVE AND TURNED WITH NO PROBLEMS THAT SATURN DID NOT CONSIDER THE CUPPING, LOUD NOISES AND REPLACING TIRES EARLY A PROBLEM. HE SAID IF I COULD TAKE THE CAR TO A NASCAR GARAGE, IT COULD BE FIXED AND SATURN COULD FIND OUT HOW TO FIX THE L300 SERIES. *NM

NHTSA ID

10132544

Incident

Jan 26, 2002

PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE'S FUEL PUMP. *MR THE FUEL PUMP WAS BAD. THE MECHANIC STATED WHEN HE PULLED THE GAS TANK AND STARTED TO REMOVE THE FUEL PUMP PART OF THE FUEL PUMP FELL APART WHICH WAS NOT NORMAL. THE TWO REAR TIRES WERE REPLACED. *SC *JB

NHTSA ID

10089426

Incident

Jun 26, 2004

CONSUMER STATES THAT FRONT DOOR SEAL FELL OFF RESULTING IN GAS FUMES COMING INSIDE VEHICLE. ALSO THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES AND VIBRATIONS STARTS AT HIGHWAY SPEED. DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO FIX. *AK *CB

NHTSA ID

10026785

Mileage

196 mi

I PURCHASED A 2001 SATURN L-300 IN SEPT OF 2001, I AM NOW ON MY 3 SET OF TIRES FOR THIS VEHICLE AND IT ONLY HAS 39000 MILES ON IT. THE MANUFACTURER HAS REPLACED THESE TIRES UNDER WARRANTY. THIS LAST TIME I MENTIONED THE TIRES GIVING ALOT OF ROAD NOISE, THE SERVICE MANAGER STATED THAT SINCE THE PREVIOUS REPLACEMENT OF TIRES ON MY VEHICLE SATURN HAS COME OUT WITH A "SHIM" KIT FOR THE REAR END . WHEN MENTIONING THIS TO A FRIEND WHO WORKS IN AUTO MANUFACTURING SHE STATED THAT THIS WOULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE . TO MY KNOWLEDGE SATURN IS NOT RECALLING THESE VEHICLES NOR IS THEIR CURRENTLY A "CAMPAIGN" ON THIS ISSUE . THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE OF MICHIGAN IS WORKING ON THIS CASE WITH ME UNDER THE LEMON LAW OF MICHIGAN BUT I CAN NOT LET THE SILENCE CONTINUE IF THIS IS ALSO A SAFETY ISSUE. THE TIRES ARE FIRESTONE AFFINITY. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10023731

Incident

Sep 19, 2001

Mileage

24,000 mi

I PURCHASED A 2001 SATURN L300. AT 9000 MILES I NOTICED A SLIGHT VIBRATION IN THE RIDE. I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR THE DEALER TO INSPECT IT. THE DEALER SAID THE TIRES WERE CHOPPY AND HAD UNEVEN WERE. THEY ALSO STATED IT WAS A KNOW DEFECT. THEY REPLACED TWO TIRES UNDER WARRANTY. WELL I NOW HAVE 30000 MILES ON THE CAR AND I AM GOING TO REQUEST MY 5TH, YES FIFTH, SET OF TIRES TO BE REPLACED. ONLY THIS TIME AM I GOING TO REQUEST ANY TIRE AS LONG AS IT IS NOT THE FIRESTONE AFFINITY HP P205 65 R15. THIS IS MY FIRST GM CAR AND I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED. IF GM KNOWS THE TIRES ARE DEFECTIVE, WHY DO THEY CONTINUE TO REPLACE THEM WITH THE SAME DEFECTIVE TIRE? *JB

NHTSA ID

10013622

Incident

Mar 28, 2003

Mileage

9,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING BATERY AND ENGINE CHECK LIGHT APPEARED ON DASHBOARD. VEHICLE SHUT OFF AND PULLED OUT ON ROAD. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THE TIRES WERE WORN PREMATURELY, THE LEFT SIDE BRAKE BULB WAS REPLACED, THE BRAKES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*JB

NHTSA ID

8018564

Incident

Sep 2, 2002

4 SETS OF TIRES HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY DEALERSHIP DUE TO ROAD NOISE AND THUMPING. ALIGNMENT WAS DONE, BUT DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. FIRESTONE INFINITY P195/55R15. 1 SET OF TIRES LASTS ABOUT 4000 MILES.*AK

NHTSA ID

8002947

Incident

Nov 1, 2000

WHILE DRIVING ON A CLEAR LEVEL ROAD THE LEFT REAR TIRE RUPTURED AT THE SIDEWALL FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I ALSO NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE VEERED HEAVILY TO THE RIGHT UNDER ACCELERATION. I THEN CHECKED THE TIRE PRESSURE ON ALL FOUR WHEELS AND FOUND THEM TO BE NORMAL PRIOR TO THE TIRE RUPTURING. I THEN RETURNED TO THE DEALER WITH THE TIRE AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I ALSO COMPLAINED TO THE SERVICE MANAGER STEVE ABOUT THE CAR VEERING HEAVILY TO THE RIGHT. I THEN EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT I DIDN'T FEEL SAFE WITH THE TIRES THAT ARE ON THE CAR AND REQUESTED THAT THEY BE REPLACED WITH GOODYEAR EQUIVALENTS. THE DEALERSHIP AGREED AND REPLACED THE FIRESTONE TIRES WITH GOODYEAR INTEGRITY TIRES. I WAS THEN ADVISED BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE VEERING HEAVILY TO THE RIGHT UNDER ACCLERATION AND THAT NOTHING HAD BEEN DONE TO THE VEHICLE OTHER THAN REPLACE THE TIRES. SINCE REPLACEMENT OF THE TIRES THE VEHICLE HAS PERFORMED WELL WITHOUT THE VEERING TO THE RIGHT. I NOTICED THAT THE RENTAL VEHICLE HAD THE SAME FIRESTONE TIRE AND FOUND THE SIDEWALLS TO BE SOFT.THIS AFTER CHECKING THAT THE AIR PRESSURE HAD BEEN NORMAL. PLEASE INVESTIGATE AND ADVISE.*AK (TIRESIZE: 205/65R15)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 205/65R15 )

NHTSA ID

736800

Incident

Nov 2, 2000

TIRE VIBRATION AT 70+ MPH. TIRES REPLACE DUE TO SQUARE TIRES. NEW TIRES HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. *AK (TIRESIZE: P195/65R15)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P195/65R15 )

NHTSA ID

733131

Incident

Oct 1, 2000