Total Complaints
11 filings
SATURN LW200 · model year
2001 SATURN LW200
11 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2001SATURNLW200 carries 11 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 6 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2001 LW200 is engine with 7 filings, followed by electrical system:ignition:module (1) and exterior lighting (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 14 investigation files overlapping the 2001 LW200. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
11
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
6
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ENGINE | 7 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 1 |
| STEERING | 1 |
| SUSPENSION | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20170720ENGINE
WHILE DRIVING MY CAR WITH 2 SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN IN IT MY STEERING WHEEL WENT CRAZY. IT WENT FROM BEING CENTER TO VERTICAL. I DROVE AS CLOSE TO HOME AS I COULD GET AND THEN MY CAR CAME TO A GRINDING HAULT. I THOUGHT I UAD A FLAT TIRE BUT THATS NOT WHAT IT WAS. AFTER TOWING IT HOME WE LOOKED UNDER IT AND THE ENGINE CRADLE HAD BROKE!! WHEN THIS HAPPENED IT BROKE THE CONTROL ARM ON MY CAR CAUSING MY TIRE TO ROTATE INWARD AND BACK INTO THE FENDER WELL. WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIX IT AND WE HAVE NO OTHER CAR. THE ONLY WAY THE CHILDREN WERE HURT WAS PSYCHOLOGICAL, SINCETHEY ARE AUTISTIC. NOONE WAS INJURED BUT IF THE CRADLE BROKE CAUSING THE CONTROL ARM TO BREAK WHILE DRIVING I VERY WELL COULD HAVE LOST CONTROL. WE WERE STRANDED IN THE DARK, WITH 2 SPECIAL NEEDS KIDS AND NOWAY HOME. IF WE WERE ON THE HIGHWAY IT COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL!!
Mileage: 100,000
20170720STEERING
WHILE DRIVING MY CAR WITH 2 SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN IN IT MY STEERING WHEEL WENT CRAZY. IT WENT FROM BEING CENTER TO VERTICAL. I DROVE AS CLOSE TO HOME AS I COULD GET AND THEN MY CAR CAME TO A GRINDING HAULT. I THOUGHT I UAD A FLAT TIRE BUT THATS NOT WHAT IT WAS. AFTER TOWING IT HOME WE LOOKED UNDER IT AND THE ENGINE CRADLE HAD BROKE!! WHEN THIS HAPPENED IT BROKE THE CONTROL ARM ON MY CAR CAUSING MY TIRE TO ROTATE INWARD AND BACK INTO THE FENDER WELL. WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIX IT AND WE HAVE NO OTHER CAR. THE ONLY WAY THE CHILDREN WERE HURT WAS PSYCHOLOGICAL, SINCETHEY ARE AUTISTIC. NOONE WAS INJURED BUT IF THE CRADLE BROKE CAUSING THE CONTROL ARM TO BREAK WHILE DRIVING I VERY WELL COULD HAVE LOST CONTROL. WE WERE STRANDED IN THE DARK, WITH 2 SPECIAL NEEDS KIDS AND NOWAY HOME. IF WE WERE ON THE HIGHWAY IT COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL!!
Mileage: 100,000
20170720SUSPENSION
WHILE DRIVING MY CAR WITH 2 SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN IN IT MY STEERING WHEEL WENT CRAZY. IT WENT FROM BEING CENTER TO VERTICAL. I DROVE AS CLOSE TO HOME AS I COULD GET AND THEN MY CAR CAME TO A GRINDING HAULT. I THOUGHT I UAD A FLAT TIRE BUT THATS NOT WHAT IT WAS. AFTER TOWING IT HOME WE LOOKED UNDER IT AND THE ENGINE CRADLE HAD BROKE!! WHEN THIS HAPPENED IT BROKE THE CONTROL ARM ON MY CAR CAUSING MY TIRE TO ROTATE INWARD AND BACK INTO THE FENDER WELL. WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIX IT AND WE HAVE NO OTHER CAR. THE ONLY WAY THE CHILDREN WERE HURT WAS PSYCHOLOGICAL, SINCETHEY ARE AUTISTIC. NOONE WAS INJURED BUT IF THE CRADLE BROKE CAUSING THE CONTROL ARM TO BREAK WHILE DRIVING I VERY WELL COULD HAVE LOST CONTROL. WE WERE STRANDED IN THE DARK, WITH 2 SPECIAL NEEDS KIDS AND NOWAY HOME. IF WE WERE ON THE HIGHWAY IT COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL!!
Mileage: 100,000
20151229ENGINE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN LW200. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST ACCELERATOR FUNCTION AND STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE OWNERS RESIDENCE. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 124,000.
Mileage: 124,000
20150413EXTERIOR LIGHTING
2001 SATURN L200. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO RECALL BULLETIN 05052. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE LEFT REAR BRAKE LIGHT WORKED SPORDICALLY AND THE PROBLEM WENT ON FOR YEARS. RELACING THE BULB WOULD ONLY CORRECT THE PROBLEM FOR A SHORT TIME. *JB
20140726ENGINE
WHEN DRIVING MY VEHICLE DOWN THE ROAD WITH MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR , IT DIED. THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL ON THE TIMING CHAIN FOR THE SATURN L SERIES FOR THE YEAR OF MY VEHICLE. YET, MINE IS 2 MONTHS SHY OF THE RECALL DATE. MY MECHANIC SAYS THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM FOR THESE VEHICLES OF THIS YEAR. TELL ME WHY THE ENTIRE PRODUCTION TIME OF THIS VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED? SEEING HOW THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE OUT THERE HAVING THIS ISSUE. I WAS VERY LUCKY THAT THERE WAS NOT AN ACCIDENT INVOLVED IN THIS SITUATION, BUT I AM SURE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN. I AM ASKING THAT MY ENGINE BE REPLACED BY GM. I AM ASKING THAT THE THE RECALL BE EXTENDED FOR THE UNFORTUNATE PEOPLE WHO NOW HAVE VEHICLES THAT CANNOT BE DRIVEN DUE TO A FAULTY MANUFACTURING ISSUE. THE NHTSA NEEDS TO EXTEND THE RECALL! *TR
Mileage: 116,000
20140604ENGINE
AFTER STARTING CAR AND ROLLING BACK TO LEAVE PARKING SPACE AT 5MPH THERE WAS A MUFFLED POP AND THE CAR STOPPED MOVING.I TRIED TO CRANK ENGINE AGAIN AND IT WOULD NOT START. I HAD TO PUSH IT INTO A NEARBY PARKING SPOT. LOCAL REPAIR PERSON DIAGNOSED THE CAR NEEDS A NEW TIMING CHAIN. SAID SAME YEAR AND MODEL WAS INVOLVED IN GM SAFETY RECALL 06074 ISSUED DECEMBER 2007 ACCORDING TO HIS DATABASE. GM SAYS MY CAR ISN'T INVOLVED IN THAT RECALL. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN BREWING FOR YEARS AS THE CHAIN SEEMS NOT TO BE GETTING PROPER OILING AND WOULD RATTLE MAKING A DREADFUL NOISE WHICH WOULD SUBSIDE AFTER A FEW MILES NORMALLY. IT HAS OCCURRED PERIODICALLY SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR USED WITH 32K MILES. *TR
Mileage: 117,000
20140313ENGINE
2001 SATURN L200. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO IGNITION CONTROL MODULE FAILURE RECALL NOTICE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED IN DECEMBER 2013, THE VEHICLE STARTED RUNNING REALLY BAD, RUNNING ROUGH AND WOULD SHUT OFF. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO HIS MECHANIC, WHERE HE DISCOVERED A RECALL. THE CONSUMER STATED HE WAS NEVER INFORMED ABOUT THE RECALL. THE MECHANIC FIXED THE VEHICLE. HOWEVER, IT CONTINUED TO RUN ROUGH. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED HIS MECHANIC, AND HE INFORMED THE CONSUMER, THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW ENGINE.
20140313ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
2001 SATURN L200. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO IGNITION CONTROL MODULE FAILURE RECALL NOTICE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED IN DECEMBER 2013, THE VEHICLE STARTED RUNNING REALLY BAD, RUNNING ROUGH AND WOULD SHUT OFF. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO HIS MECHANIC, WHERE HE DISCOVERED A RECALL. THE CONSUMER STATED HE WAS NEVER INFORMED ABOUT THE RECALL. THE MECHANIC FIXED THE VEHICLE. HOWEVER, IT CONTINUED TO RUN ROUGH. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED HIS MECHANIC, AND HE INFORMED THE CONSUMER, THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW ENGINE.
20131009ENGINE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN LW200. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE WARNING INDICATOR. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART AND WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE TIMING CHAIN WAS FRACTURED AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO OTHER COMPONENTS IN THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS SCHEDULED FOR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,000.
Mileage: 34,000
20130223ENGINE
DRIVING IN PARKING LOT AND CAR SUDDENLY STALLS. WOULDN'T RESTART AND FOUND OUT LATER THAT TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKEN. ENGINE NOW ALSO HAS INTERNAL DAMAGE AS A RESULT. IT IS A 2.2L ENGINE BUT APPARENTLY NOT ON THE RECALL LIST EVEN THOUGHT THE CHAIN AND OILING NOZZLE ARE THE SAME AS THE OTHER 2001 RECALLED ENGINES. *TR
Mileage: 157,082
Compare 2001SATURNLW200 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
EA11014Engineering AnalysisClosed
Electric Power Steering Failure
RQ10004Recall QueryClosed
Electric Power Steering Failure
PE09016Preliminary EvaluationClosed
OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLES STICK UNLATCHED
PE08061Preliminary EvaluationClosed
TIMING CHAIN BREAKS, ENGINE STALL
DP08002Defect PetitionClosed
TIMING CHAIN FAILURE-STALL
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2001 SATURN LW200 have?▼
The 2001 SATURN LW200 has 11 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 6 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2001 SATURN LW200?▼
The most-complained component for the 2001 SATURN LW200 is ENGINE with 7 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE and EXTERIOR LIGHTING.
Is the 2001 SATURN LW200 safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.