2002 Saturn L300 review from North America
"Looks great, but repair cost is ugly"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Rear brake dome light detaches from mounts occasionally.
Leak in engine coolant/heater core at 10,000 miles.
Malfunctioning water pump at 10,000 miles.
Popping/grinding sounds in steering column when turning. Repacked the column under warranty, but the problem has returned.
Tires replaced at 25,000 miles due to excessive wear. Required realignment.
Recall on the rear lights.
Leaking power steering unit at 67,500. Uneven tire wear noted - requires realignment.
General comments?
When I asked about having the steering wheel checked for the popping noise the Saturn service manager told me that it is a common problem on the L300. When he saw I had the water pump replaced he said that was another common problem!
At 67,500 miles the service manager recommended a special alignment kit to make future realignments easier! Sounds like they know this is a problem with the L300, too.
You MUST have the oil changed at Saturn because of the "special" filter. Many quick change places won't touch the L300 because the filter is known to leak.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Model year | 2002 |
| Year of manufacture | 2001 |
| First year of ownership | 2002 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2006 |
| Engine and transmission | V6 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 5 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 10 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 5 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 6 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 116 miles |
| Most recent distance | 67500 miles |
| Previous car | GMC Cavalier |
| Date of Entry | 3rd July, 2006 |