2003 Saturn L200 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other L200 years
- Not enough data
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 138 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Saturn L200. The most reported problem area is electrical system (50 complaints, 36%), typically at around 55,845 miles. Complaints mention 7 crashes, 7 fires, 9 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 138owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 7complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 Saturn L200 problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System problems | 50 | 36% | 55,845 | “body control module” (18%) | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 18 | 13% | 59,500 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 16 | 12% | 16,379 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 14 | 10% | 51,252 | — | — |
| Steering | 11 | 8% | 106,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 10 | 7% | 29,579 | — | — |
| Engine | 9 | 7% | 124,326 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 8 | 6% | 47,233 | — | — |
| Power Train | 8 | 6% | 55,500 | — | — |
| Suspension | 7 | 5% | 66,000 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 5 | 4% | 16,379 | — | — |
| Structure | 5 | 4% | 77,500 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 3% | 68,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 3% | 15,758 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 3% | 59,444 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 4 | 3% | 135,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 3 | 2% | 43,400 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 2% | 72,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 3 | 2% | 47,233 | — | — |
| Tires | 3 | 2% | 15,000 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 2 | 1% | 44,300 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 1% | 133,950 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 1% | 122,900 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 1% | 152,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 Saturn L200 recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Exterior lighting:brake lights
Problem: On certain sedans and wagons, the plastic housing in the rear tail lamp assembly can become distorted if the brake lamps remain on for an extended time.
Risk: This can cause (1) an intermittently inoperative brake/tail lamp bulb or (2) a short circuit that opens a fuse causing inoperative brake lamps (including the center high-mounted stop lamp) or tail lamps. A following driver may not know when the brakes have been applied, and a rear-end crash could occur without prior warning.
Fix: Dealers will install two new tail lamp reinforcing socket adapters and sockets free of charge. The recall began on october 17, 2005. Owners may contact saturn at 1-800-972-8876.
Seat belts
Problem: Certain wagons fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 210, "seat belt assembly anchorages." the seat belt anchor may separate from the floor of the vehicle before holding the required test load for the required time.
Risk: If a separation occurred in crash, the right and center rear seat occupants may not be properly restrained, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Fix: Dealers will install a rear seat center belt anchor reinforcement plate to the floor pan of the vehicle free of charge. The recall began on april 25, 2005. Owners may contact saturn at 1-800-972-8876.
Electrical system:ignition:module
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles equipped with 2.2l l4 (l61) engines, a failure of the ignition control module may cause deterioration in idle quality, reduction in overall engine power, and the vehicle may be hard to start. Continued operation of the vehicle after such an ignition module failure will result in the "service engine soon" light flashing, and may lead to secondary failures of the catalytic converter, oxygen sensor, and exhaust resonator.
Risk: Failure of the resonator will cause increased exhaust noise. Prolonged operation of the vehicle following a resonator failure may lead to a fire.
Fix: Dealers will (1) replace the ignition control module, (2) replace the ignition control module and spark plugs, or (3) replace the ignition control module, spark plugs, and update the powertrain control module calibration. Owner notification began on august 4, 2003. Owners should contact saturn at 1-800-553-6000, prompt 3.
Visibility:windshield wiper/washer:motor
Problem: Certain sport utility and passenger vehicles exhibit a condition in which the windshield wiper motor could fail during use because of improper manufacture.
Risk: If this were to occur in severe weather, driver visibility could be reduced, which could result in a vehicle crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the wiper motor assembly. Owner notification began november 6, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact saturn at 1-800-553-6000, prompt #3 or hummer at 1-866-486-6376.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Timing chain failure (PE06006) — opened Jan 24, 2006, closed Jun 6, 2006.
- Timing chain failure (DP05008) — opened Dec 20, 2005, closed Feb 6, 2006.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2003 Saturn L200. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 45 MPH, an abnormal whirling sound was coming from the vehicle and the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact's wife was unable to restart the vehicle and with the assistance of a police officer, she…
Passenger side wiper blade stopped working while driving in rain.
The front bumper plastic fasteners that hold the bumper to the chassis degrade and break over time and the front bumper will fall off without notice. This happened to me as my car was slowly moving forward in a parking lot and i had to get out and pick up the bumper and put it in my back seat to…
Brakelights have quit working twice. Also multiple electricle problems. On 1 occasion, abs light was out, came on again with restart. Another time fuel gague showed empty, showed full on restart. Another time turned key and no elecric at all, unplugged battery and all was well.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 saturn l200. While starting the vehicle, the check engine indicator illuminated and an abnormal noise was heard. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 148,000.
Other Saturn L200 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 138 | 4 |
See all Saturn L200 problems by year, every Saturn model, or the VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Saturn L200?
Owners most often report electrical system, engine and engine cooling, exterior lighting problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 50 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Saturn L200?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2003 Saturn L200 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other L200 model years, the 2003 has too little data to compare. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.