Comments: 1-15, 16-30, 31-45, 46-49
Car kept pulling to the right after 3 times of taking it in under warranty to fix because I thought this was a wheel alignment problem.
Rack and Pinion Steering was replaced under warranty later on at about 10,000 to 15,000 miles on the 4th time of taking it in for a pulling to the right problem.
Taillights keep burning out. I found out that the driver side taillight socket was corroded causing the taillight to dim more than the other one.
Interior fit and finish feels really cheap.
The car jack that came with the vehicle doesn't lift the car high enough to change the tire.
Drivers side front spring broke after 3 years of driving the car. Mechanic said that this shouldn't have happened since no accidents were involved. The part of the spring that snapped off was corroded. Because our warranty ran out, Saturn wouldn't do anything about it. Typical and not surprising.
The engine and the transmission are better than expected. Under normal acceleration, the car has good pickup. But if you punch the gas, the transmission has a hard time changing gears.
Seriously people, I don't recommend the 2000 model only because it was the first year made and Saturn was trying to work out the kinks. The 2002 might be a better bet.
It's a shame that Saturn has had so many problems with this model, because my girlfriend owned a 1997 Saturn SC1 and it had no problems.
On the good side, Saturn will bend over back wards to try and make you a satisfied customer, (as long as your under warranty).
Just commenting to give an update on the entry I made previously. The key kept getting stuck in the ignition cyclinder. this was replaced under warranty at that time. But it appears that it's happening again, although not as bad. And you have to really turn the steering wheel in both directions to turn the key to get the veh started. Another problem with the car that has just started is that after the vehicle is driven for an hour or so, the transmission starts slamming into gear. I've been talking to friends, and they have told me about a recall for this problem, but we didn't receive anything in the mail from Saturn. But it was too late by then anyways, because just recently the car was traded in for a 2000 Toyota Avalon. Hopefully, the dealership where we traded the car in too will fix the car. For anyone crossing their fingers and hoping that this is not there car, here is the vin # 1G8JW52R4YY609868.
On the Saturn LS2, year 2000, I, too, have had similar problems -- transmission slamming into gear, (it gets worse under load), transmission erratically shifting, taillights and brake lights going off (they don't burn out, but the contacts on the lightbulb enclosure keep corroding). A lot of electrical problems were covered under warranty, but the electronic bucket seats have The one major design flaw seems to be the suspension is not designed for the heavier 6 cylinder engine -- without ABS, the car skids easily.
However, on the plus, good pick-up and handling.
My husband purchased a 2000 LS2 against my better judgement (never buy a first year model). The car has had some kind of electrical issues since day 1. We had it towed to the nearest dealership 3 times within the first year. The dealership actually told us they didn't understand the codes coming off the controller! Huh??
So, we've lived with this for 5 years and now are trading the car in.
We've also replaced the front springs among other things. We have an ongoing joke that when we take the car in, it's a minimum of $500.
I had a 1995 Saturn that was GREAT!! Wish I'd never sold it!
I've had my 2000 LS2 for 2 years now and generally like the car a lot. The main problem is with the oil housing assembly which requires the oil cap to not be fully tightened down, but just snugly fit. No one seems to understand this and I have now been without my car three times due to bringing it in to get a simple oil change -- including at a Saturn dealership! When the oil cap is too tight it virtually guarantees that the next time it is loosened for an oil change the whole oil canister assembly will break no matter who does it rendering the vehicle undrivable. I like the car, but I'll be trading it as soon as the oil housing assembly is fixed!
I have been driving my Saturn for a little over 2 yrs. now and it has been a fairly reliable car. I have had a few problems, but they haven't been big ones. First right after the warranty went up the factory CD player broke. Then my turn signals both broke and the dealership said that the part alone would cost around $400 so I decided that I could just drive around without signals and if push comes to shove I use my hands for signals. Then my windshield wipers don't wipe in a consistent movement, they tend to wipe in a jerky movement and stop for a second and then continue to move.
It nice to see I’m not the only one having problems with my Saturn LS2. My last car was a repair nightmare, so the most important thing for me was making sure I wouldn’t be stranded on the road, so I bought a warranty for the duration of my car payments, and it’s paid for itself over and over again. I’ve only put on 20,000 miles.
Shortly after buying it, the fuel pump broke and I had to have it towed. Saturn fixed it under the warranty, minus my deductible and the service was great. The towing company scratched the trunk badly, and Saturn gave me a mobile detailer. The mobile detailer got her buffer wet and ruined the finish on the whole car, which after going back to Saturn, they fixed right. During this, they also provided me a rental car at no charge. I was impressed with the service. I complained to them about a transmission problem and they couldn’t find it. It’s the same problem as stated in the above owner’s description of a jerky delayed shift during quick acceleration at high speeds. They told me to keep an eye on it, but until they could find a problem, there was nothing they could do about it.
Shortly after that, things started going wrong with the interior of the car. The driver’s side window wouldn’t close properly. As I do have this deductible, I get things fixed in bulk to keep costs down. The passenger door lock wouldn’t go down all the way. The light panel on the rear door fell off. The trunk lock quit working, and the transmission still wasn’t working properly. They replaced everything, but the transmission under my warranty. They still couldn’t find the problem with that.
On Thanksgiving last year, the battery died and had to be replaced. That was not under warranty, even though I had the car for less than a year. I was not impressed with that.
Shortly after that, the same lock they replaced on the passenger door locked wouldn’t close when I used the child safety feature. The key began getting stuck in the ignition, and the service engine finally went off. Again, I went to Saturn, and again they gave me a rental car. They finally replaced the transmission and re-replaced the door lock, but told me to get a fresh key for my ignition and that was the problem. The remote controls were unresponsive and they also replaced them. There was no charge for any of that.
Now I’m about to go into the third lock replacement on the door, and the ignition has left me stranded twice this month with the key unable to be turned. It took a lot of jiggling and slamming on the steering wheel to get unstranded. I received a recall on the brake lights or something like that, and am sure my car is going to have to be left overnight. I expect they will provide another rental car and repair all of it at no charge.
Overall, the ride on this car is nice. Putting a seatbelt on a child is horrible, because the latch pushes into the car seat and takes two hands to do. Small children cannot do that by themselves in this car. I drove it across the country and had no problems. I’ve been very impressed with Saturn’s service, but not so with the car. If I hadn’t listened to my gut about getting the warranty, I’d be kicking and screaming about the car.
I have the car since May-2000 and had the same problems as mentioned above. For the brake lights there was a recall and was fixed free. My worse problem is the tires. I have now 38,000 miles on the car and am on my 3rd set of tires, which are again wearing on the front very strange on the outside, anyone else having tire problems?
I have had a 2000 LS2 since new. Nothing but trouble. I also had ignition replaced because of key not working. ($600) Also had problems with front tires going bald on the inside. Taillight recall to fix corrosion. Entire air conditioning system replaced. ($2000). New battery and positive battery cable ($500) Apparently the battery cable is hard to replace. Now the engine is making noises like a diesel engine and won't accelerate over 20 km per hour. I'm unloading this baby as soon as I get it repaired...again.
For all those drivers that are having problems with their transmissions slamming into gear, go and have you Mass Air Flow sensor checked. Mine did the same thing for a couple of months and I went in to have it checked. Saturn told me that the Mass Air Flow sensor is what was causing the problem. They replaced the sensor and it fixed the problem. Now the car shifts smooth. I can't feel it shift when I am on the interstate or in town.
I also had a LS2 and loved it. Sure I had a few problems with the car, but wish I didn't have to trade it in for for a new car. A year ago I ran into a puddle of water and shorted out the electrical system to the cooling fan. That caused the fan to keep running and ran down my battery.
Caution: Do not have your car engine steam cleaned, the same thing happened to me when I detailed the car in preparation to use it as a trade in. The car died in the parking lot of the Saturn dealer and it was not worth a dime.
I too had problems with my LS2 slamming into gear when the service light (with the wrench) was lit. I would turn off the engine and restart and the light would be gone for a while. Then, it would come on again. I took my Saturn in numerous times and they could not figure out the problem. However, after reading this board and seeing the Mass Air Flow sensor, I explained to the service man that this might be the problem or the transmission selonoid. He said, "Well, that's the internet, and not your car." Well, they came to me while I was waiting in the showcase room and said, "We found your problem. It's the Mass Air Flow Sensor." Needless to say -- THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!
I bought my LS2 new, and I've been driving it for the past 7 years. After driving numerous vehicles I have found that the LS2 is easily the most fun to drive. The power to weight ratio is the best in its class providing a ridiculous 0-60 time. I have had a few minor problems that Saturn really made every effort to correct. The problems include:
- A solenoid in the transmission went bad, causing it to slam into the next gear.
- The brake light sockets were recalled and once replaced worked perfectly
- The mass-air flow sensor went bad and was replaced.
Other than those problems that were all fixed under the warranty, I have to say that this is one of the best cars out there. My LS2 has 76,000 miles on it and I plan on keeping it until the engine seizes or I get enough money to buy a Corvette. This is an unbelievable sleeper car that has won me quite a bit of money off of my friends.
2000 LS2 Repairs
I have owned this car since new. I also have had many problems Ignition replaced because I couldn't turn the key ($600). The ignition key is so badly worn that the problem is starting to happen again. Reduced power light came on going up a hill and the BCM was changed under warranty. Front tires bald on the inside which was discovered after an accident on a snow covered road where the car skidded on a turn in the road. Battery and battery cable replaced ($600) Tail-light replaced due to corrosion. The entire air conditioning system had to be replaced in 2006 ($2000) After air conditioning was replaced the serpentine belt broke. Two weeks later the engine lost power and wouldn't accelerate over 20 km per hour. The engine started to make a noise like a diesel engine and I took it to my mechanic. He was stumped and called in an engine specialist. I ended up putting in a new (used) engine ($4700). The fan for my heater is making a loud squealing noise when I turn the steering wheel to the right. I won't be taking this car on any long trips. I will drive it until the next major problem comes up and then it's gone. I'm not spending another dime on this car.
I bought a 2000 LS2 with 78000 miles on it. It needed the front rotors turned and 4 tires. I am very very happy with this vehicle. It is the fastest car I've ever owned. Pickup is great. The trunk is huge. I use it as a kid / family mover, and it does an excellent job.
After reading the comments on this site I was prepared for the worst. 2 months after buying it however, the only thing I can complain about is some clunk noises in the suspension when going over bumps.
Buying a $20k car for $5k was a great deal. Thanks for this site.
Have owned the car since new as well. I rather like it, but wife doesn't seeing how it has had its share of problems like everyone else here. Most of the previous problems found above I have had, except for the key ignition thing. Right now I have 140,000 miles on mine and will probably drive it till the body falls off. Right now, I'm trying to fix a leak with my engine coolant. Haven't been able to figure out where the leak is. I think it's a good car and some of the problems are due to excessive wear and tear. Others though gave me some headaches. If anyone has some advice on my current problem, please help.