RoadVitals

2002 Saturn LS Tires & wheels Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the tire or wheel system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Tires & wheels reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
12
Latest Jun 6, 2014
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
2%
of 493 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2002 Saturn LS submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 12 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.

Owner reports naming tire or wheel

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Body & structureTires & wheels
Filed Jun 6, 2014

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A KUMHO MOHAVE TIRE R/S 195/65/R15. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONED AND THE STEEL BELT SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT DURING THE INCIDENT THE FRONT QUARTER PANEL AND FRONT BUMPER WAS DAMAGED ON THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE DOT INFORMATION WAS NOT LISTED ON THE TIRE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT.

NHTSA ID
10596731
Incident
Jun 6, 2014
Tires & wheels
Filed Sep 21, 2006

2002 SATURN L200 LEFT FRONT TIRE BLEWOUT CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. *KB THE TREAD COMPLETELY CAME OF THE TIRE. *JB

NHTSA ID
10170127
Incident
Aug 27, 2006
Tires & wheels
Filed Nov 7, 2005

CONSUMER TIRES MAKE NOISE AT 33898 MILES. *TS UPDATED 11/7/2005 - THE ORIGINAL TIRES WERE REPLACED AT 15968 MILES. THE CONSUMER HAD THE TIRE ROTATED REGULARLY. AT 30545 MILE THE DEALER CLAIMED THAT THE TIRES HAD BEGUN CUPPING DUE TO LACK OF ROTATION. THE CONSUMER DIDN'T NOTICE ANY CUPPING. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED THAT THE MANUFACTURER REIMBURSE HIM FOR THE COST OF THE NEW TIRES SO HE COULD PURCHASED ANOTHER BRAND. THE MANUFACTURER DENIED THE CONSUMER REQUESTED AND INSTALL THE SAME BRAND TIRES AS THE ORIGINAL. *NM UPDATED 11/02/05. *JB

NHTSA ID
10142134
Incident
Jun 1, 2005
Mileage
14,000 mi
EnginePowertrain (other)Suspension+1 more
Filed Oct 20, 2005
Crash reported

DT: THE CONTACT PURCHASED A USED VEHICLE TWO YEARS AGO, AND THE SECOND DAY AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE THERE WAS A ROARING NOISE FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER SAID THIS WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE FRONT TIRES ,AND THE DEALER REPLACED BOTH TIRES. ABOUT TWO WEEKS LATER THE NOISE RETURNED. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES FOR NUMEROUS REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WOULD JERK TO THE RIGHT WHICH CAUSED THE CONTACT TO HIT A CURB. THERE WERE NO INJURIES BUT A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE REPAIRS TO THE WHEEL BEARINGS AND JOINTS WHICH HAVE NOT CORRECTED THIS PROBLEM. ALSO THE MOTOR MOUNTS AND AXLES HAVE BEEN REPLACED IN HOPES OF CORRECTING THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALER HAS NEVER BEEN ABLE TO ACCURATELY REPAIR THE VEHICLE. CURRENTLY THERE IS A NEED FOR NEW ROTORS AND MORE TIRES. THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO HAVE A ROARING SOUND LIKE A LOCOMOTIVE AS NOTED BY THE CONTACT. *AK UPDATE 1/11/2006 - *NM

NHTSA ID
10140308
Incident
Mar 9, 2003
Mileage
28,000 mi
Tires & wheels
Filed Oct 18, 2005

DT: CONTACT WAS IN A MOTOR HOME AND IT WAS TOWING SATURN VEHICLE. THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT, CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT QUARTER PANEL, FENDER, WHEEL WELL, AND PUSHED OUT THE BUMPER. ALSO CAUSED TIE ROD DAMAGE. IN ADDITION,THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE HUB AND HUB CAP. WOULD NEED A NEW WHEEL ALIGNMENT. CALLED AAA, AND THEY PUT ON A SPARE TIRE. DROVE TO A WALMART IN FLORIDA WHERE THE TIRE WAS ORIGINALLY PURCHASED, AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT DID NOT WHY THIS HAPPENED. THEY REPLACED THE TIRE, TOOK PICTURES, AND SENT TIRE OFF TO GOODYEAR. WALMART REPLACED TIRE BUT GOODYEAR REFUSED TO PAY FOR OTHER DAMAGES. GOODYEAR CONTACTED CONSUMER, AND SAID LACK OF AIR IN THE TIRE WAS THE CAUSE OF TIRE BLOWOUT. THEY WOULD NOT PAY FOR DAMAGES. GOODYEAR, DOUGLAS TOURING, SIZE P195/65R15 . *AK *JB

NHTSA ID
10132080
Incident
May 31, 2005
Mileage
54,000 mi
Tires & wheels
Filed Sep 28, 2005

MY SATURN LW300 HAS APPROXIMATELY 42,000 MILES. THE TIRES WERE REPLACED DUE TO CUPPING ON 11/20/03 OR 21,875 MILES. A SERVICE BULLETIN WAS PUT OUT FOR THE SHIM KIT. ON 12/31/04 OR 37,199 I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER AND QUESTIONED THE WEAR AND TEAR OF MY SECOND SET OF TIRES. I HAD ONLY HAD THIS SET OF TIRES ON FOR 15,000 MILES. THEY OFFERED TO REPLACE THE TIRES AT DEALER PRICE. I REFUSED THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE FACT THAT THE TIRES ON MY "TIRE EATING VEHICLE" ONLY SEEM TO LAST FOR A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. I AM NOW NEEDING TO REPLACE THE TIRES AGAIN AND THIS WILL BE THE THIRD SET IN 42,000 MILES. THAT'S ONLY AN AVERAGE OF 14,000 MILES. MY TIRES ARE NOW DOWN TO THE "UNSAFE" AREA OF THE TIRES AND I MUST REPLACE THEM FOR THE THIRD TIME. AFTER CONTACTING THE SATURN CORPORATION THEY SAID THAT THEY HAVE RECEIVED NEW ALIGNMENT SPECIFICATION AND WOULD ONLY PAY FOR ONE SET OF TIRES. IF THE SHIM KIT WAS INSTALLED PROPERLY I WOULD NOT HAVE TO BE REPLACING THE TIRES FOR THE THIRD TIME. *NM

NHTSA ID
10138053
Incident
Dec 31, 2004
Mileage
37,199 mi
Tires & wheels
Filed Jul 8, 2005

2002 SATURN L300 TIRES BEGAN TO CUP.*MR

NHTSA ID
10130173
Incident
Jul 1, 2005
Tires & wheels
Filed Apr 25, 2005

TIRES CONTINUE TO CUP. SATURN REPLACED TIRES SEVERAL TIMES AND PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. CAN ONLY GET APPROXIMATELY 12000 MILES ON SET OF TIRES.*AK

NHTSA ID
10118367
Incident
Mar 1, 2005
Mileage
20,000 mi
Tires & wheels
Filed Jun 3, 2004

I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AND MY STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO SHAKE. I JUST THOUGHT THAT I MAY NEED AN ALIGNMENT AND DID NOT THINK MUCH ELSE ABOUT IT. ABOUT 10 TO 20 MINUTES LATER MY TIRE BLEW OUT. THERE IS A LARGE GASH ALMOST ON THE SIDE OF THE TIRE AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE RUBBER SEPARATED FROM THE METAL ALMOST ALL OVER THE TIRE. *JB

NHTSA ID
10074732
Incident
Jun 2, 2004
SuspensionTires & wheels
Filed Dec 24, 2003

CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE INTO DEALER FOR A REGULAR MAINTENANCE CHECK UP. THE DEALER INDICATED THE NEED TO REPLACE ALL FOUR TIRES AND INSTALL A REAR ALIGNMENT KIT. *AK THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT THE UNEVEN TIRE WEAR WAS CAUSED BY THE FACTORY ALIGNMENT. *PH *NM

NHTSA ID
10048071
Incident
Nov 17, 2003
Mileage
25,000 mi
Tires & wheels
Filed Nov 12, 2002

THE VEHICLE MADE A ROARING SOUND WHILE DRIVING A WEEK AFTER PURCHASE. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT ALL FOUR FIRESTONE TIRES WERE BADLY CUPPED AND REPLACED THEM. THE DEALER ALSO INSTALLED A SHIM KIT. TIRE SIZE P205/65R15 F AFFINITY AND DOT # W2 URAS FB 05-02. *YH

NHTSA ID
568166
Tires & wheels
Filed Oct 23, 2002

ORIGINAL TIRES ON SATURN L300 2002, DOT W2URASFB 05/02 P20565R15 F AFFINITY, WHILE DRIVING A ROARING SOUND COULD BE HEARD, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALE RWHO STATED THAT ALL FOUR TIRE WERE BADLY CUPPED. MR *NLM

NHTSA ID
8021415
Incident
Oct 15, 2002
Mileage
4,800 mi

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .