2002 Saturn LS Visibility Problems

SATURN L200, 2002, I PURCHASED FEB. 6, 2007. SUMMER I NOTICED THE AIR CONDITIONING NOT WORKING. I TOOK IN BACK TO THE SATURN DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT IT. THEY FIXED THE AIR CONDITIONING, BUT IN WINTER THE HEATING WAS NOT WORKING. NEW BLOWER MOTOR INSTALLED DEC 5, 2008. THE CAR DID NOT HEAT UP, DID NOT HAVE TIME TO RE-EXAMINE THE HEATING SYSTEM AND I HAD TO WAIT FOUR MORE DAYS FOR AN APPOINTMENT TIME WITH THEM. WHEN I ARRIVED ON MY APPOINTMENT TIME EARLY IN THE MORNING THEY SAID, LONG RIDE TO DEALERSHIP SO NOW CAR IS WARM, CAN YOU LEAVE IT, BECAUSE WE DO NOT HAVE TIME TO LOOK AT IT. I ASKED THEM WHY IS THERE NO TIME TO RE-EXAMINE THE HEATING SYSTEM WHEN I HAD AN APPOINTMENT. WE HAVE NO TIME, NO COURTESY CAR. I DROVE MY CAR HOME.THEY ALSO DID NOT BOOK ME FOR ANOTHER APPOINTMENT. THOUGH I ASKED FOR ONE. THEY SAID, THEY WERE BOOKED UP. I WAS DRIVING NORTH HEADING FOR THE LINK. I NOTICED THE WINDOW FOGGING A LITTLE AND TURNED ON THE DEFOGGER. THE WINDOW IN THE FRONT COMPLETELY FOGGED OVER AND DID THE DRIVERS WINDOW AND THE PASSENGER WINDOW BESIDE THE DRIVERS WINDOW FOG OVER. I COULD NOT SEE AHEAD OF ME AND GENTLY APPLIED THE BRAKES NOT KNOWING A SNOW PLOW WAS PARKED IN THE LANE IN FRONT OF ME. I HIT IT. MY CAR AIRBAGS WENT OFF. THE WHOLE ENGINE WAS CRUNCHED, HOOD UP, AND A CAR FIRE WAS STARTING. I PHONED 911 POLICE N FIRE MEN CAME. I WENT TO HOSPITAL IN AMBULANCE. MY CAR WAS TOWED TO POLICE IMPOUND. INSURANCE NOT PAID ENOUGH. DEALERSHIP TOLD ME IT WAS MY DRIVING. HIRED MECHANIC $200 HE FOUND SAME COMPLAINT. HIRED X-POLICE TO REPRESENT ME $630. CHARGES DROPPED. INSURANCE KEEPING ACCIDENT AT MY FAULT. INSURANCE COST TOO MUCH NOW. NO CAR, WALKING. LOSS OF WORK WITHOUT CAR. LOSS OF TIME WAITING FOR BUS. CAN'T TAKE MY DOG ON BUS, STRESS LEAVING HIM ALL DAY. CAR RENTAL COMPANY USED DAY OF ACCIDENT FAULTY MY SON ALMOST DROVE IT OVER A SIDE OF MOUNTAIN DEC. 24, 08. I MISSED CHRISTMAS GATHERINGS, MASS, PAIN, AND WORK. BACK AND NECK PAIN, HANDS PAIN. *TR

NHTSA ID

10329840

Incident

Dec 24, 2008

Mileage

166,637 mi

2002 SATURN L100, 148000 MILES, PRIMARY SAFETY CONCERN IS HEADLIGHTS WILL SHUT OFF SPONTANEOUSLY WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. OTHER ISSUES INCLUDE SPONTANEOUS/ERRATIC ACTUATION OF WIPERS, DOME LIGHT, AND DOOR LOCKS, AS WELL AS FLASHING OF HIGH BEAMS AND DRL LAMPS. ALSO ERRATIC INSTRUMENTATION ANOMALIES, E.G. "SECURITY" LAMP ILLUMINATES AND SHUTS OFF, "CHANGE OIL SOON" LAMP FLASHES, ALL GAGES FLICK FROM ZERO TO NORMAL, ETC. *CN

NHTSA ID

10302878

Incident

Jan 27, 2010

Mileage

148,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L200. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS AND HEADLIGHTS FLASH AND FLICKER RANDOMLY. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS FLICKER IN THE DAYTIME AND THE CONTACT NOTICED THE HEADLIGHTS FLICKERING AT NIGHT. SHE HAS TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS GIVEN A HANDOUT STATING THAT IT WAS NORMAL. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO REMEDY THE FAILURE. SHE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH CHRYSLER. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 49,700 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. THE DEALER STATED THAT CONSUMER HEARS A WHISTLING NOISE UPON ACCELERATION, WINDOWS MAKE CHIRPING NOISE WHEN ROLLING THEM UP, AND HEATER WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. UPDATED 11/27/07 *TR

NHTSA ID

10207766

Incident

Oct 1, 2007

WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR ON MY 2002 SATURN L200 HAS FAILED TO WORK PROPERLY. I NOTICED THAT A SIMILAR RECALL HAD BEEN PLACED ON THE 2003 MODELS AND THOUGHT IT MAY BE RELATED. *JB

NHTSA ID

10148024

Incident

Jan 16, 2006

HEADLIGHTS AND DASH LIGHTS FLICKER OR DIM REPEATEDLY AND/OR FAN SPEED FLUCTUATES RHYTHMICALLY WHILE COASTING OR BRAKING FROM HIGHWAY SPEED. NOT CAUSED BY OTHER EQUIPMENT BEING ACTIVATED/DEACTIVATED, WHICH WOULD CAUSE SINGLE MOMENTARY VOLTAGE FLUCTUATION, NOT RHYTHMIC REPEATED FLUCTUATION. THIS SITUATION COULD BE MISUNDERSTOOD BY OTHER DRIVERS AS FLASHING LIGHTS AS A SIGNAL. THIS SITUATION IS DISTRACTING TO ME AS THE DRIVER AS WELL AS OTHER DRIVERS. I AM CONCERNED WITH CONSEQUENCES TO MY VEHICLE (POSSIBLE PREMATURE ELECTRICAL FAILURE) AND TO DRIVER FROM MISINTERPRETATION BY OTHERS (AS NOTED IN PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS OF OTHERS -- POTENTIAL ROAD RAGE, TICKETS FOR OBSTRUCTION OF GOVERNMENTAL ADMINISTRATION, DISTRACTION RESULTING IN ACCIDENT). PROBLEM REPORTED TO SATURN DEALER 2003, WHO SAID IT WAS A KNOWN SATURN PROBLEM WITH NO CURRENT FIX. DEALER SUBSEQUENTLY ENCOURAGED REPORTING PROBLEM TO SATURN CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER (11-03), WHO ACKNOWLEDGED IT AS A KNOWN SATURN PROBLEM WITH NO CURRENT FIX. REPORTED PROBLEM AGAIN TO SATURN CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER 7-04, WAS ASSIGNED CASE NUMBER 1-12683522, WHICH IS STILL UNRESOLVED. WITH SATURN'S ANNOUNCEMENT OF DISCONTINUANCE OF L-SERIES, I SUSPECT SATURN WILL NOT PUT MUCH RESOURCE ON RESOLUTION. SAME SOUNDING PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED PREVIOUSLY TO NHTSA BY AT LEAST 7 OTHER PERSONS BETWEEN 9-5-02 AND 11-2-04 (COMPLAINTS 10018612 10010867 10016509 10026872 10049765 10099604 10098481). NHTSA ACTION PE03017 OPENED 4-17-03 AND CLOSED 8-15-03 SUMMARILY DISMISSED SOME OF THESE COMPLAINTS AS CAUSED BY VOLTAGE FLUCTUATIONS CAUSED BY OTHER ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT BEING ACTIVATED/DEACTIVATED. THIS IS NOT THE CASE!*AK

NHTSA ID

10106168

Incident

Jan 12, 2005

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD SKIP AROUND ON THE WINDSHIELD WHEN IN USE. THE DEALER HAS SERVICED THE WIPERS SEVERAL TIMES BUT CAN'T CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *NM THE WEATHERSTRIP ON THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WAS DISCOLORED. THE LF SEAT BELT HEIGHT ADJUSTER KNOB WAS MISSING. THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE DASH RATTLED AROUND THE VENT AREA WHEN SLOWING TO A STOP. THE TECHNICIAN DETERMINED THAT THE LEFT FRONT DOOR WAS OUT OF ALIGNMENT CAUSING NOISE AGAINST PRIMARY WEATHERSTRIP. THE WINDSHIELD WASHERS WERE INOPERATIVE BECAUSE THE HOLE WAS PLUGGED. TECHNICIAN REMOVED AND CLEANED THE WASHERS. THE VEHICLE BRAKES WERE NOISE IN THE MORNING DURING THE FIRST COUPLE OF STOPS. THE CONSUMER INITIATED A LEMON LAW CLAIM WITH THE BBB REGARDING THE DEALERS INABILITY TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM WITH THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS. THE CONSUMER'S CLAIM WAS DENIED. *NM

NHTSA ID

10074230

Incident

Dec 28, 2002

AUTOMATIC HEATING SYSTEM LOCATED IN A LOW AREA OF THE DASHBOARD MAKES IT VERY HARD TO ADJUST WHILE DRIVING. CONSUMER FEELS THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS, HAS ALMOST BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK

NHTSA ID

10051815

HORIZONTAL LINES APPEARED IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR FROM HEADLIGHTS OF CARS THAT WERE DRIVING BEHIND THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE.*MR *NLM

NHTSA ID

10042148

THE HEADLIGHTS AND DASHBOARD LIGHTS FLICKERED INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. DEALER KEPT THE VEHICLE FOR TWO WEEKS, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. *AK THERE WAS A SQUEAKING NOISE ONLY WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED TO THE LEFT. THE SUSPENSION LINK WAS REPLACED. THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE VEHICLE AND THE IGNITION CONTROL MODULE WAS REPLACED. THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW SKIPPED WHEN BEING ROLLED DOWN. THE RIGHT REAR BRAKE LIGHT BULB HAD BURNED OUT, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WENT ACROSS THE WINDOW HALF WAY BEFORE IT SQUIRTED ANY SPRAY AND THEN SCRATCHED THE WINDSHIELD. *JB

NHTSA ID

10038015

Incident

Sep 2, 2003

Mileage

6,068 mi