2004 Saturn L300 Reviews

Leaking air conditioning condenser replaced.

Tie-rod end replaced.

Presently having intermittent problem with starting.

Motor cranks, but will not start. Try again 5 to 30 minutes later, and the motor starts.

Considering it is six years old, I really did not have too many problems.

The V6 is very responsive.

The ride is still smooth and quiet.

95% of the miles are freeway miles; 128 to and from work.

48,000 needed brakes and rotors (could not be turned), continuous fluid light coming on, oil light coming, on gas cap light (emissions) light coming on.

Rotors need replacing again at 84,000 miles, and now again at 105,000 miles.

The straw that broke the camels back at 105,000 miles; it needs intermediate steering shaft $220.00 and a coolant bridge kit to the tune of $1600.00. Plus many little things keep popping up.

Very undependable car. Seats are uncomfortable.

100,000 mile service $1200.00. Might just as well be driving a Benz.

The car has been great until one day it decided to not start. That was two weeks ago. An hour later, I tried again, it started and the check engine light was on. I got gas and the engine light went off.

Exactly a week later it did the same thing.. I brought it to the mechanic because the dealership wants $60 just to see what the problem is, even though I purchased the extended warranty.. When he drove it (for a couple days) there was no problem. The light even went off by itself the next day so he couldn't check the diagnostics..

I got it back, go to make a right turn about an hour later and it just shut off while I was driving. No check engine light or anything. It started back up with no problem. He took it a few more days, no problems (of course) and the day after I got it back, I stopped at a light and it just shut off again.

I loved the car up until now.

The stalling thing happened to me now for the first time this weekend. Came out after dinner and it wouldn't start for about 20 minutes, then drove 150 miles home, and another 150 the next day. Went out at night, and it happened pulling up to a stoplight. I don't get it. I wish I had seen this forum before I purchased the car.

Car stalls out while driving at highway speeds.

I bought my 2004 L300 in November 2004. I started having problems with it less than a month later.

While driving on the highway at 65mph+ it all of a sudden stalls out. It will lurch forward and not allow me to accelerate. I have to turn on my hazards and make my way to the shoulder of the road where, sitting idle, it has what can only be described as convulsions. I turn it off, wait a few second and turn it back on. It starts right up like nothing was ever wrong with it, except that the SES, car/wrench light and another light on the right side of the dash come on. Of course this almost always happens on the weekends when dealerships are closed and I am out of town.

Unlike some of the posts on here, my dealership has been nothing but kind, helpful and understanding. I have not had to pay for them to try to figure out what is wrong, and they have provided me with a rental car each time they needed to keep it longer than a day.

My car has been in the shop since Tuesday and it is now Friday. They have not been able to get it to act up for them (of course). It seems to only want to break down on me. I will be getting it back today to go on another trip. I have already found other dealerships close to my destination, so that if it does stall on me again I can get it somewhere before the codes disappear.

The Dimmer switch went bad at 8,400 miles.

Riding comfort for this car is very bad. I have been experiencing vibrations/shimming between the 45-65 miles/hour range since the day I bought this car. The dealer replaced all tires, but did not solve the problem completely. Rotating and balancing the tires does not solve this issue either. These vibrations happen at unpredicted times. You cannot predict when they might occur. The dealer is not interested in taking care of this issue. Did anybody else experience this issue?

Road noise is a major issue as well.