2002 Saturn LS Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other LS years
- More complaints than other years 2nd of 5 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 493 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Saturn LS. That ranks 2nd out of 5 LS model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (200 complaints, 41%), typically at around 78,000 miles. Complaints mention 12 crashes, 12 fires, 8 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 8 defect investigations involving it.
- 493owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 8NHTSA investigations
- 12complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2002 Saturn LS 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 200 | 41% | 78,000 | “timing chain” (82%) | $4,050 |
| Electrical System problems | 102 | 21% | 76,500 | “ignition control module” (8%) | $990 |
| Exterior Lighting problems | 69 | 14% | 61,050 | “turn signal” (12%) | — |
| Engine | 43 | 9% | 114,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 34 | 7% | 75,200 | — | — |
| Power Train | 26 | 5% | 73,600 | — | — |
| Suspension | 18 | 4% | 33,531 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 12 | 2% | 53,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 12 | 2% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 12 | 2% | 25,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 10 | 2% | 49,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 10 | 2% | 57,500 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 9 | 2% | 117,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 9 | 2% | 148,000 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 8 | 2% | 42,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 8 | 2% | 90,529 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 6 | 1% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 4 | 1% | 48,913 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 3 | 1% | 144,400 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 3 | 1% | 34,950 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 1% | 37,400 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 2 | 0% | 69,457 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 2 | 0% | 103,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 0% | 84,088 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2002 Saturn LS recalls (3)
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.
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
- Fuel pump leaks (PE09028) — opened May 21, 2009, closed Oct 27, 2009.
- Timing chain breaks, engine stall (PE08061) — opened Oct 16, 2008, closed Apr 8, 2009.
- Timing chain failure-stall (DP08002) — opened Jun 18, 2008, closed Oct 16, 2008.
- Timing chain failure (PE06006) — opened Jan 24, 2006, closed Jun 6, 2006.
- Timing chain failure (DP05008) — opened Dec 20, 2005, closed Feb 6, 2006.
- Inoperative tail lamps (PE05010) — opened Feb 15, 2005, closed Jun 3, 2005, led to recall 05V245000.
- Inoperative tail lamps (DP05001) — opened Feb 10, 2005, closed Feb 22, 2005.
- Headlamps flicker off and on (PE03017) — opened Apr 17, 2003, closed Aug 25, 2003.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Rear tail lights will not work. Have checked all fuses relays,and even changed the turn signal switch. My car is currently at the garage. Original appointment was only for inspection. Mechanic has not yet located the issue. Also has no dash lights. Parking lights. Had I known this in advance would…
The contact owns a 2002 Saturn J-Type. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle's brake lights failed to illuminate. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 05V245000 (Exterior Lighting), however, the part to do the recall repair is no longer…
The same thing is happening to my car that happened to many Saturn owners of the same year. The car is turning but only stays on for a few seconds before shutting off. This seems to be the same as the ignition module and spark plugs issue as it is the same symptoms as those people were experiencing.
Engine stalled while driving at highway speeds around 65-70 mph. Engine could not be restarted and had to be towed back home. Mechanic inspection revealed complete loss of compression in two cylinders and partial compression loss in other two. Engine was permanently damaged and would have to be…
Mechanic found short circuit in tail lamp assemblies causing brake lights to come on, and stay on, when headlamps do. *tr
Other Saturn LS years
See all Saturn LS problems by year, every Saturn model, or the VIN decoder.
Similar Saturn models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Saturn LS?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, electrical system, exterior lighting problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 200 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Saturn LS?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2002 Saturn LS a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other LS model years, the 2002 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.