Comments: 1-15, 16-30, 31-45, 46-57
I have a 2001 L300, my car had 35K when the problem occured, I was in the middle of posting a forsale sign in the window when is happend. People come to look at the car and wonder if I messed with the odometer and broke it. This is such a pain in the rear. I hope this car will sell. I am selling it with about 37k now as is with the broken BCM (I gather) for 5800 bucks. Hope It goes, good car beside the BCM issue.
I am reading about the odometer going crazy, but has anyone seen just the lights in the odometer go out. I have a 2002 l200 with 47000 miles and the lights for the odometer are not working, the trip meter and odometer are keeping accurate mileage just with no lights. all other lights in the dash work and dim properly, I tried turning headlights on and off, dimmer up and down, I don't know what else to do, any Ideas? Is this the BCM also? Thanks.
I own a 2000 Saturn L-series, 4 cyl manual shift, which I bought new. Currently, the instrument panel lights burns out fuses within a day or two on this car. I assume that too is BCM related after what I've read above. I've had a few problems over the years: engine malfunctioning & requiring a total rebuild at 40k miles, taillights giving me grief, power door locks, car won't start: security light flashes so it "thinks" its being stolen, windshield wiper motor is weak. Anybody seen these problems? I'm at just over 90k miles and this Saturn's days might be numbered.
I've just experienced what seems to be a BCM issue. I have an L200 2003 4 cyl. A couple days ago it wouldn't start. It was like somebody had removed the battery. Nothing worked. After it sat all night it started as if there was no problem. It happened again today. Having read about BCM issues, I thought if I disconnected everything, ie. took the positive off the battery, it might reboot. When I did this, it started right up and have had no problem since, but it's only been a few hours. I don't imagine it fixed things. Has anybody had this symptom? The dealer seemed to know about BCM issues, but had not heard of this one. Any feed back will be appreciated. The car has about 50 K. I'd hate to have the BCM replaced and find out this wasn't it, but I am suspicious. I suppose the dealer is the place to go, but with an intermittent problem, not sure of their diagnosis either.
Interesting situation. It is most likely the early stages of BCM death. Trouble is, when it does finally go, you could be stranded, so it's probably worth having it replaced. Yes, the dealer needs to reflash the software onto the replacement BCM, so that's the place to go. Also, be aware that the replacement BCM is updated and will not experience further problems.
I have a 2000 LS1 with about 120000 miles. Some of my issues are left directional works sometimes and sometimes goes nutty. Front passenger side and rear driver side power windows do not always work. Sometimes, left turn activates my hi-beam lights and occasionally the service light comes on. Does this sound like one of those BCM issues? Taking a 250 mile trip today and am gonna be holding my breath waiting to see what happens next.
I bought a 2000 LS2 V6 with 30,000 miles on it and a year later it was lighting up service, service engine soon and reduced power.
I was taking it to the Saturn dealer who each time told me they had fixed it. I then took it to a Chevy dealer (having been told originally any GM dealer could work on it under the extended warranty I bought). The computer was replaced and they tried everything.
One Christmas Eve my daughter was driving with my infant granddaughter on the freeway and it once again did it. I finally got the name of a big GM exec and e-mailed him with my experiences and how no one could determine the problem and advised him they were looking at one huge lawsuit if anyone was hurt or killed in this vehicle. Saturn Headquarters allege they were unfamiliar with this problem also.
The Chevy dealership were told they could no longer assist in my repairs, as the car was "special" and only Saturn techs knew it. I had to drive it 40 miles away and a tech was flown out from their headquarters. They ended up replacing the engine harness that time.
This summer I was coming back from a day trip with my little granddaughter in the back seat, in pouring rain on a freeway with little shoulder, when it sounded like my flashers were going on and off. I turned on a blinker to switch lanes and then the other to move right and they wouldn't go off. I then "turned on" my flashers, as we didn't have that far to get home, and proceeded with caution. Smoke then began coming from my steering wheel, and I had to pull over with little shoulder and run to get the little one out, and stand in a ditch to keep us out of traffic waiting for the tow truck.
At the moment my car will not start in the garage, and the lights, radio, etc, all work - Saturn installed one of their "special" batteries a year ago.
Needless to say this is my first and last Saturn, and possibly my last GM vehicle. The Saturn Service Manager even had the gall to call me up and chew me out when I had written the Headquarters originally regarding problems I had had with them beginning with them letting me drive a car off the lot with no tail lights after their pre-release inspection! Closer inspection revealed they had actually removed the tail light assembly, so there had not been a simple bulb burnout!
SAD... They want to sell American cars, but when we buy them, the quality and the service are not there!
I've had multiple problems with a used 2003 L200 (47,000 miles) that was bought 9 months ago. We bought it from a Pontiac dealership that could not fix a BCM that went bad 4 months after we bought the car. The nearest Saturn dealership is 100+ miles away and the car would have to be flatbedded there. They wanted $1200.00 so I had the car towed to a local auto parts shop that had the programmer $60towing, bought a pulled BCM with a year warranty $100, and the programming itself cost another $60.
It is a risk buying a used BCM, but also buying a new one as well. The BCMs are made by Motorola in China!
I would not suggest anyone ever to buy any saturn.
Today, 20-16-2008, I noticed a little smoke coming from my steering wheel. I thought is was my breath since it is cold here in IL. Again I noticed a little smoke from my steering wheel. Also, I noticed when I turn on the the turning signal, my headlight go to High Beam. Also, I notice recently that my power door locks don't open when I turn off the car, my key-less trunk button isn't working, my cigerette lighter doesn't work anymore as I use it to power media devices, my odometer light does not work, and my emergency light button doesn't light up anymore. Anyone have any answers for these problems? The Saturn dealer sure doesn't!
I am the one who wrote the Dec 17th comment. It cost me about $650 to fix the electrical for my smoking steering wheel. If you are smoking, something has burned in your wiring and you either 1. Need to take care of it asap or 2. Let the vehicle burn and the car insurance take care of it! I refuse to use the Saturn dealer as I do not trust the one close to me and another one about 30 minutes away is owned by the same person. There is one an hour away, but that is just so damn inconvenient with the traffic.
I just replaced an oxygen sensor 2 weeks ago (another $350). That could account for the smell of fuel at times.
Right before that when the car wouldn't start one night and then did the next morning I again took it into my trusted Chevy dealership who now have a person certified with the "unique" Saturn experience! That issue turned out to be metal shards from the key that was getting into some part of the ignition stuff (sorry I am not more mechanical, but by God I am learning!) The mechanic broke my key in half so I wouldn't be tempted to use it ever again and told me to do the same with any others I had!! I think that was another $300. I guess it is common when you carry many keys on your key ring and they bang together it loosens little bits of metal. I personally had never heard of that one before, but I have run into others who have had the problem and the problem is fixed.
Now you all know there is a reason they stopped making the LS-2's, but unfortunately those who buy the used LS-2 don't realize it until it is too late!
I informed Saturn in Tenn that I freely and quite happily share my "Saturn experience" with anyone who admires my car! even shared it with a man when I was getting my oil changed and he told me the owner of the dealership was building a home right next door to him... told him feel free to share this info with him too!
Still have the Saturn at this point until I get it paid off, but I did buy a 2nd RELIABLE vehicle 2 weeks ago... a NEW TOYOTA!
Good luck to all.
I have a 2003 L200 4cyl and at about 70000 miles I now have a BCM problem also. First symptom must have been the fuel gauge which most of the time is correct but sometimes shows E when it's not. That has been happening for a few months now. Yesterday when I parked the car my locks wouldn't unlock when I took the key out. I had to put key back in, turn to ACC and then off again and they worked. The very next time I started up again, an hour later, the odometer read 505582 and did not move.
Saturn dealership quoted me $337 for the part and $190 labor including programming and resetting the keys. I called Napa and they told me he couldn't get the part, that I would have to call the dealer directly. So where else can I get this part and not have to pay out the nose for it???
I, too, am a BCM victim who posted earlier. My Saturn dealer charged me a disposal fee for the old BCM. What character! It wasn't much, but just another example of the additional "nickel and diming" that they like to do with such misc. fees and hazardous materials fees. If I had known, I would have asked for the old part and disposed of it myself.
I just bought a used Saturn L-Series 2003 and now I'm having odometer issues as well; specifically, after a battery change the mileage now reads 684, XXX, and it's stuck there. I am being told that my extended warranty coverage does not cover this issue, that sucks, this should be a recall issue.
My 2000 LS2 just went through it's FOURTH BCM in 2.5 years. What happens is not only do the electric locks not work, I can start the car, but it won't shift out of park stranding me wherever I may happen to be. This last time, they replaced the BCM two weeks ago and it already is not working. Three Saturn dealers and they can't come up with the root cause of the problem (one even removed my auto-start which I had enjoyed living in Michigan). Otherwise the car still runs great at 130k+ miles, but that's worth absolutely nothing if you can't shift it. I'd stay far away from this car for these reasons.
I would suggest to those with constant problems to contact Saturn headquarters and if no satisfaction there I would go straight to General Motors. A GM dealership provided me with the name and e-mail of an executive and I did get immediate action for one major problem... just spent another $2000 in repairs and when it is paid off it is gone!!! Of course I share my "Saturn experience" with anyone I run into who has thought about or is thinking about buying a Saturn. It is true that Saturn has a monopoly on many of its parts which is another crock.