2002 Saturn LS Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 200 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the 2002 Saturn LS, 41% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 78,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “timing chain” (82% of reports).
- 200engine and engine cooling complaints
- 78,000median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $4,050typical repair cost reported by owners
- 44%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Timing chain: mentioned in 163 of 200 complaints (82%)
- Engine stalled: mentioned in 11 of 200 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine and engine cooling repair on the 2002 Saturn LS at $4,050, and half of them between $3,300 and $4,800.
Based on 34 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2005–2014), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems happen?
Based on 180 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 200 complaints, 2 mention a crash.
Saturn LS engine and engine cooling complaints by model year
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine and engine cooling for the 2002 Saturn LS. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I was backing out of a parking spot and my 2002 l200 stalled after a rattling sound from the engine. I had the car towed to the saturn dealership in marietta, georgia. They diagnosed that the timing belt had slipped/broke and had damaged the engine. They also said that the engine would need to be…
The vehicle has been well maintained with regular oil changes. While turning onto a main street the engine just quit, leaving me stranded in the middle of the road. I was fortunate i was not on the highway at a high rate of speed as i would have had no means to remove the vehicle from the highway…
Engine light came on. Took car to mechanic and a faulty thermostat was diagnosed; engine running too cold. Thermostat is located beneath the intake manifold and therefore difficult and time-consuming to access. Cost to replace the thermostat was approximately $450. *tt
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2002 Saturn LSs have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 200 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the 2002 Saturn LS (41% of the 493 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Saturn LS engine and engine cooling?
No recall currently lists engine and engine cooling for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems start?
The median reported mileage is 78,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix engine and engine cooling problems on the 2002 Saturn LS?
Owners report a typical cost of $4,050 (half paid between $3,300 and $4,800), from 34 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine and engine cooling problems on the 2002 Saturn LS?
The most frequent phrase is “timing chain”, in 163 of 200 complaints, followed by “engine stalled” (11).
Other 2002 Saturn LS problems
See all 2002 Saturn LS problems or engine and engine cooling problems across all LS years.