Most common 2003 Saturn L200 problems
Share of the 138 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Saturn L200 complaints by model year
2003 Saturn L200 recalls (4)
Exterior lighting › Brake lights
On certain sedans and wagons, the plastic housing in the rear tail lamp assembly can become distorted if the brake lamps remain on for an extended time.
Remedy: Dealers will install two new tail lamp reinforcing socket adapters and sockets free of charge. The recall began on October 17, 2005. Owners May contact Saturn at 1-800-972-8876.
Seat belts
Certain wagons fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 210, "seat belt assembly anchorages." the seat belt anchor May separate from the floor of the vehicle before holding the required test load for the required time.
Remedy: Dealers will install a rear seat center belt anchor reinforcement plate to the floor pan of the vehicle free of charge. The recall began on April 25, 2005. Owners May contact Saturn at 1-800-972-8876.
Electrical system › Ignition › Module
On certain passenger vehicles equipped with 2.2l l4 (l61) engines, a failure of the ignition control module May cause deterioration in idle quality, reduction in overall engine power, and the vehicle May be hard to start.
Remedy: Dealers will (1) replace the ignition control module, (2) replace the ignition control module and spark plugs, or (3) replace the ignition control module, spark plugs, and update the powertrain control module…
Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer › Motor
Certain sport utility and passenger vehicles exhibit a condition in which the windshield wiper motor could fail during use because of improper manufacture.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the wiper motor assembly. Owner notification began November 6, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not…
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2003 Saturn L200:
Timing chain failure
On December 12, 2005, odi received a defect petition (dp05-008) requesting the investigation of timing chain failures that could cause stalling in Saturn vehicles equipped with the 2.2l (l61) engine. Odi opened pe06-006 on January 24, 2006, with 24 vehicle owner complaints that alleged a broken timing chain caused the vehicle to stop operating.on April 12, 2006, odi received information from general motors (GM)…
Timing chain failure
Analysis undertaken in response to the petition identified 26 complaints alleging timing chain failures in my 2000-2003 Saturn l-series vehicle equipped with the 2.2l l4 engine.most complaints of timing chain failure reportedly resulted in a sudden loss of engine power and stalling.odi also noted that certain my 2002-2003 Saturn vue and my 2003 Saturn ion model vehicles with the 2.2l engine vehiclescovered by a…
What 2003 Saturn L200 owners say
Electrical system all 50 →
Preceeding the two electrical fires in my vehicle, I had intermittent issues with shorts in the electrical system (the locks unlocking/locking at random; lights going on and off and the alarm system triggering even when not set). There was also leakage from somewhere in the car (either through the windshield or elsewhere in the front) that was quite noticeable during a heavy storm. Earlier this year, I was exiting a parking garage when I first saw and then smelled smoke coming from out of the dash. The electrical wires shorted out and caused a fire that melted a portion of the wiring in the front of the car. The dealership could not repair the car for several days and during a storm two days later, the entire system shorted out again (lights and other components would not turn off) and the battery completely discharged. …
Tl contact owns a 2003 Saturn L200. While driving at any speed or even while the vehicle is in park, the headlights turn on and off, the gauges constantly flash on the instrument panel, the door locks will lock and unlock themselves, and the windows will roll down and back up automatically. The windows are currently inoperative due to this failure. Whenever the contact drives the vehicle, he smells burning wires, but there is no smoke. He feels that the vehicle is extremely dangerous to drive. He took the vehicle to the dealer for inspection and they stated that the body control module was the cause of the failure. The contact did not get the vehicle repaired because he believes it should be covered under a recall due to the safety risk involved. The manufacturer stated that the owner was responsible for the repairs. The failure mileage was 105,000 and current mileage was 115,000.
Engine & cooling all 27 →
The contact owns a 2003 Saturn L200. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 45 MPH, an abnormal whirling sound was coming from the vehicle and the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact's wife was unable to restart the vehicle and with the assistance of a police officer, she coasted the vehicle off to the shoulder of the roadway. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with a defective timing chain which resulted in engine failure. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
I was stopping to turn right at a red light and my cars breaks stopped working. My car ran through the intersection, started violently shaking and then stopped. The car was still on but it would not drive. I turned the car off and tried to start it up 6 times and it wouldn't work. Then finally it started and I drove home. I went to start my car later that day and now it refuses to start. The battery light comes on, the car shakes, there's a very loud tapping/rattling sound, the ABS light flashes, the 'service engine soon' light is on. In the vehicle information section of this form, it asking me to enter the vehicles make, model and year. It's a Saturn L200 2002 but it's not giving me an option for the 2002. Only the 2003.
Fuel & propulsion system
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 (na) Saturn L200. The contact stated that while the engine was turned on, the odor of fuel was present inside and outside of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who indicated that the fuel pump was faulty and would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 82,000.
Parked car and locked with remote. Upon return to vehicle smelled gas and was locked out of 2003 Saturn ls200 after only 17,500 miles driven. Purchased new in 2003. Stranded until aaa tow to las vegas findlay GM dealership. Opened manually with key instead of remote. Attempted to start car engine. Turned over for a few seconds and died. All dashboard gauges not working. Problem per GM dealer was twofold: (1) faulty body control module (BCM) that controls vehicle's entire electrical system failed and required costly replacement part at $614 plus labor; also (2) fuel pump failed and required costly part replacement at $498 plus labor and cleaning of fuel system. After brief internet search I found these two parts are notorious for failures in Saturn vehicles. Have been failing since 2003 and continue to fail. Complaints have been made by Saturn owners to GM and the ntsb. …
2003 Saturn L200 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.2L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 21 / 29 / 24 |
| 2.2L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 21 / 29 / 24 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2003 Saturn L200 a good car?
There isn't enough complaint history for the L200 to compare model years reliably. So far owners have filed 138 complaints with NHTSA.
What is the most common problem with the 2003 Saturn L200?
The electrical system — 50 complaints, 36% of all complaints for this model year, most often about ignition › module. Next are the engine & cooling (27) and fuel & propulsion system (18).
How many recalls does the 2003 Saturn L200 have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2003 Saturn L200, the most recent from June 2, 2005 (brake lights). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do 2003 Saturn L200 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 63,000 miles; 36% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.