Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2000 Saturn LS owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Ref: 07V519 I am filling this complaint concerning my 2000 Saturn ls1 2.2l engine. While driving on a southern california freeway in July 2008 my timing chain broke. This caused us to try and get to the side of the freeway from the left side of the freeway, a very nerve-racking situation. After talking to the dealership and several independent repair shops I elected to replace the engine instead of fixing the timing chain and the other damage that was caused in the broken timing chain. The repair was completed by claremont auto center in pomona ca on 14/July/2008. If necessary I should be able to get a copy of the repair bill.
The whole subframe on my 2000 Saturn LS is rotted so bad that I can't even drive the vehicle. It started with my car not starting and putting it up on a lift to see what the problem was. That not starting problem is a bad resonator, but in the process the subframe was found to be seriously rotted away.
I was driving my 2000 Saturn LS at 45 MPH when it just shut off, lost all power, and thankfully had a place to drift off to the side of the road. However, I was without a phone, and had to walk 5 miles in the sun to call for help. I had the car towed ($100) and was told that the timing chain had broken and I needed a new engine. I called for a second opinion and could not incur the cost to tow it again, but was told that the mechanic was more than reputable. After almost 3 weeks without a vehicle, as a single mother with a new job, this wreaked havoc in our lives and a $2500 expense for a new engine. I'm now driving a Saturn with a Chevy cavalier engine that is warranted for only 90 days. I kept the timing chain and took photos of the engine. …
I used the vehicle to pick my son up from college for the weekend, when we returned home he went out to start the vehicle later that night it would not start at all. All electrical and power to the car worked, like the radio, lights, windows, etc., but the car would not start. I had the car towed to the repair shop and the repair company called me to inform me that the timing chain had went on the vehicle and it would cost me anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000 to be reapired. As I did more research about the vehicle I came across a few websites that had complaints about this same vehicle and the same problems. Right now we are in the process of locating a repair shop that will do the work for less than the dollar amount quoted by the repair shop, because the vehicle was just purchase on feburary 13, 2009. …
On Tuesday morning, I took my 2000 Saturn lw2 to the dealership in conyers to have the oil changed. Left the dealership, went home, and that afternoon went to my cpa's office in roswell. On the way back home, noticed the "service" light flashing. Looked at other gauges to see what was wrong & watched my heat gauge go all the way over to the red, at which time both the low-coolant & "hot" lights came on. Managed to get the car to the side of a very busy interstate. Opened the hood & found what looked like sandy-colored mud all over the engine, especially on the driver's side. After sitting for two hours on the side of the road, finally got a tow truck to come bring the car home. Tow truck driver said the mud looked like a mixture of engine oil & coolant. Husband checked the oil level & discovered there was no oil in the engine. …
I have a 2000 Saturn l series sedan. The timing chain is making a horrible racket and our mechanic informed us that it must be replaced at a cost of about $1,200. If we don't replace it, the chain could break, cause further damage to the engine and could leave us stranded or even on the highway with no way to get out of heavy traffic. I've noticed that the NHTSA administration has a recall campaign number of 07V519000 (and action number - ea06009) under which Saturn was required to issue a recall for 2001 model year l series sedans with this very same issue. I don't see why my car should not be included as well since it is the exact same issue and could cause the exact same dangerous situation. The only difference appears to be that the recall is limited to model year 2001 and my car is a 2000. The two cars probably even use the same timing chain. …
My car was paid off in May 2007 and the timing chain broke in November 2007. I brought it into the dealer about a year ago with poor fuel economy, rough idle in the morning, oxygen sensor failure and random cylinder misfire. The dealer could not isolate the problem. They pressurized the fuel system to check for leaks. Cleaned the injectors and charged me 150$... Did not help. They said it was probably a bad injector... Had the injectors checked and they were fine. Had the oxygen sensor replaced 3 times. Nothing helped. Turns out the tensioner on the timing chain was failing. The dealership never thought of this even though it is a very common problem on this motor. Well the problem persisted until the chain jumped and the car would not start. …
I was picking my kids up from the babysitters when I heard a ticking noise. Let me remind you that I hadn't any engine problems before this day. Anyway, I heard the ticking noise as I was pulling up to the sitters house and cut my car off. Restarted the car and the noise was louder. Took my car to the shop and they told me that my timing chain was broken and that my engine had to be replaced. I don't understand why this was not covered under Saturn because my car only has 70K miles. It's a 2000 Saturn ls2 and it was running fine up until this date. There was no sign of this problem before it happened and I just don't understand why I should have to pay $3600 out my pocket but Saturn will take no responsibility for this major problem. Can you help me out? What if this would have happened while I was on the highway with my kids and an accident happened?
I had just gone to the gas station to fill up my 2000 Saturn lw2 when I was about two blocks from the gas station. I was right around the corner from my house, and had just turned right onto a street with a hill. Suddenly, my car started sputtering so I immediately tried to pull over. I wasn't completely out of the street when I suddenly lost all power brakes and power steering going down the hill at 25 miles per hour. I couldn't stop the car so I put it in park, which stopped it instantly, causing my neck to jerk, which has been sore from whiplash for the past four days so far. I had the car towed to the mechanic who found bits of my timing belt all through the motor, which blew the entire engine. After hearing that it would be over $3,000 for a used engine installed, we've been trying to determine our next move, financially.
Tl contact owns a 2000 Saturn ls1. He stated the vehicle was consuming large quantities of engine oil. The dealer stated the rack and pinion assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken for a second opinion to a local mechanic where the power steering reservoir was replaced and the failure ceased. On a separate occasion, while driving at speeds of over 10 MPH or attempting a left or right turn, the vehicle would lose power. Also, while in the reverse mode, the vehicle would stall. The dealer could not duplicate the problem. The failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer over 4 additional times and the failure could not be duplicated. There were no recalls on the vehicle and no further repairs were made to the vehicle. The failure and current mileages were under 103,000.
NHTSA investigations
Timing chain breaks, engine stall
On May 22, 2008, theoffice of defects investigation (odi) was petitioned by the north carolina consumers council (nccc) to broaden the scope of safety recall 07v-519, which was conducted by general motors corporation (GM) for model year (my) 2001 Saturn l-series vehicles equipped with the l61 2.2l engine and built during a 4-month period from November 2000 through February 2001 (dp08-002).
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-stall
On June 6, 2006, odi opened an investigation of timing chain failure resulting in engine stall while driving with no restart in approximately 20,514 model year (my) 2001 Saturn l-series vehicles equipped with 2.2l engines (l61) built from November 2000 through February 2001 (ea06-009).the vehicles built during those months exhibited higher failure rates than similarly equipped vehicles built before and after.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…
Engine complaints in other LS years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2000 Saturn LS?
NHTSA has 150 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2000 Saturn LS, 39% of the model year's 382 complaints. The component named most often is engine (36 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2000 Saturn LS engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2000 Saturn LS, though it has 6 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2000 Saturn LS engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 89,000 miles, and 1% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 5 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.