U.S. public vehicle records

2000 Saturn LS problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

381 owner complaints analyzed

6 distinct recall campaigns

77,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2000 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 225 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Engine And Engine Cooling is the most frequently named component, appearing in 67 of 381 complaints (17.6%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	77	20.2%
Steering behavior	50	13.1%
Engine operation	26	6.8%
Electrical and battery issues	23	6.0%
Transmission and shifting	15	3.9%
Fuel system concerns	6	1.6%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Engine And Engine Cooling

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

Electrical System

Exterior Lighting:Brake Lights

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Belts And Associated Pulleys

Exterior Lighting:Tail Lights

Suspension

Tires

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Engine And Engine Cooling	67
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	36
Electrical System	30
Exterior Lighting:Brake Lights	30
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Belts And Associated Pulleys	20
Exterior Lighting:Tail Lights	17
Suspension	14
Tires	14

Engine And Engine Cooling: 67; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 36; Electrical System: 30; Exterior Lighting:Brake Lights: 30; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Belts And Associated Pulleys: 20; Exterior Lighting:Tail Lights: 17; Suspension: 14; Tires: 14

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 16; 25,000 to 49,999: 42; 50,000 to 74,999: 49; 75,000 to 99,999: 47; 100,000 to 149,999: 49; 150,000 and above: 22

50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (49). 156 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2020

2024

2000: 22; 2001: 18; 2002: 28; 2003: 33; 2004: 52; 2005: 45; 2006: 36; 2007: 24; 2008: 39; 2009: 23; 2010: 10; 2011: 11; 2012: 11; 2013: 5; 2014: 12; 2015: 4; 2016: 3; 2017: 2; 2018: 1; 2020: 1; 2024: 1

Pattern summary

Engine And Engine Cooling leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 77 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 50 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 26 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10002423 · 2003-01-09 (January 9, 2003)

WHEN CONSUMER PUSHES ON THE BRAKES THE CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT DEACTIVATE. *NLM

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10002423 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10003676 · 2003-01-13 (January 13, 2003)

WHEN CONSUMER WOULD APPLY THE BRAKES, THE TAIL LIGHTS WOULD BECOME INOPERATIVE, ALSO THE HEAD LIGHT SWITCH GOT SO HOT THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO TOUCH. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10003676 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10001711 · 2002-12-31 (December 31, 2002)

WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH, STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO VIBRATE THEN HAD A JERKING MOVEMENT DUE TO THE TIRES CUPPING AND WEARING. DEALER CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. TS

Owner-reported narrative. 6,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10001711 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10007128 · 2002-11-05 (November 5, 2002)

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH ON A CURVY ROAD, THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY FAILED. THIS WAS VERY DISCONCERTING DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE CAR WAS IN A FAST LEFT HAND CURVE AT THE TIME BEGINNING TRANSITION TO A RIGHT CURVE. THE SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING INPUT CAUSED AN UNCOMMANDED LANE CHANGE TO THE RIGHT LANE WHICH NEARLY CAUSED A COLLISION WITH THE VEHICLE THAT WAS IN THE RIGHT LANE JUST AFTER OUR REAR BUMPER. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND INSPECTED FOR A LOOSE OR BROKEN POWER STEERING BELT. UPON FURTHER INSP…

Owner-reported narrative. 35,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10007128 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10043126 · 2003-10-17 (October 17, 2003)

I HAVE A 2000 LS1 SATURN. I BOUGHT IT BRAND NEW. IN THE PAST YEAR I HAVE HAD TO TAKE IT IN OTHER THAN FOR MAINTENANCE BECAUSE SOMETHING HAS GONE WRONG. OCTOBER 2002- MY HYDRAULICS WENT OUT OF MY CLUTCH CAUSING ME TO BE STALLED WITHOUT A CAR. A FEW MONTHS AGO IT WAS RECALLED DUE TO SOMETHING GONE WRONG IN THE REAR AXLE. SO SATURN REPLACED IT. ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2003, I TOOK IT IN AGAIN BECAUSE I WAS HEARING A RUBBING NOISE WHEN I MADE SHARP LEFT TURNS. TURNS OUT I NEED A $1400 NEW STEERING RACK BECAUSE THERE IS AN INTERNAL LEAK FROM…

Owner-reported narrative. 36,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10043126 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10033292 · 2003-08-22 (August 22, 2003)

DRIVING HOME I SMELLED AN ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL. I THEN NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. WITH THE CAR OFF THE SMOKE CONTINUED AND THE HIGH BEAMS WERE ON. I DROVE TO SATURN AND THEY FOUND AN INTERNAL SHORT IN THE HEAD LAMP SWITCH (P/N 22679804). AT NO TIME DID ANY FUSE BLOW TO PROTECT THE CIRCUIT. I HAVE THE OLD PART AND CAN SEE EVIDENCE OF BURNT/MELTED WIRES. THIS IS A FIRE HAZARD. 2000 SATURN LS1 VIN [XXX]. *AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 49,744 miles reported. Look up ODI 10033292 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10010259 · 2003-03-10 (March 10, 2003)

OVER 3.5 YEARS THAT I HAVE OWNED MY 2000 SATURN LW2 WAGON, THERE HAVE BEEN RECURRING PROBLEMS WITH SEVERE ENGINE MISFIRES AND EXTREMELY ROUGH SHIFTING OF AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, ACCOMPANIED BY "SERVICE" OR "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" DASHBOARD LIGHTS COMING ON. TWO DIFFERENT SATURN DEALERS HAVE REPEATEDLY INVESTIGATED AND FOUND "COMPUTER DIAGNOSTIC CODES" PROVING THAT "SOMETHING" DID HAPPEN, BUT REPEATEDLY SAY THAT THERE IS NEITHER DIAGNOSIS OF THE ROOT CAUSE NOR CURE THAT CAN BE APPLIED, OTHER THAN THE BAND-AID OF "RESETTING THE COMPUTER" AND TELLIN…

Owner-reported narrative. 12,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10010259 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10049064 · 2003-12-02 (December 2, 2003)

TRANSMISSION FAILURE/REPLACEMENT AT 50,000 ODOMETER READING ON 2000 SATURN LW2, ENGINE L81 3.0 LITER V-6, VIN [XXX].....ON OCTOBER 6, 2003 I WAS ADVISED BY THE SERVICE MANAGER OF SATURN OF WOODBRIDGE (VIRGINIA) THAT. *AK MY 2000 SATURN LW2 NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION AT A COST OF $3,800. THE VEHICLE HAD JUST UNDERGONE THE 51,000 SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED ON OCTOBER 9, 2003 AT A COST TO ME OF $1,500. IT IS MY CONSIDERED OPINION THAT AN AUTOMOBILE TRANSMISSION IS NOT SUPPOSED TO FAIL WITHOUT EXPLAINED/ANTIC…

Owner-reported narrative. 43,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10049064 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10007668 · 2003-02-17 (February 17, 2003)

THE HEAT SHIELD BETWEEN THE EXHAUST PIPE AND THE GAS TANK FELL OFF OF MY 2000 SATURN L-SERIES. IT APPEARS TO BE FROM GALVANIC CORROSION(METAL FASTENERS USED TO SECURE A ALUMINIM HEAT SHIELD).

Owner-reported narrative. 58,184 miles reported. Look up ODI 10007668 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10061163 · 2004-03-02 (March 2, 2004)

TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY HAS 2 PARTS, THE LIGHT BULB HOLDER, AND THE SOCKET IN WHICH IT IS SCREWED INTO. AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME THE METAL PIECE THAT IS SCREWED INTO THE SOCKET BECOMES LOOSE AND ARC. WHEN THIS OCCURS IT SEVERS THE FLOW OF ELECTRICITY TO THE TAIL LIGHT. THIS RENDERS THE TAIL LIGHT INOPERATIVE. ALSO, THIS COULD CAUSES A FIRE HAZARD BECAUSE OF ITS LOCATION CLOSE TO THE GAS TANK. THE DEALERSHIP WANTS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY, BUT THIS WILL ONLY PROVIDE A TEMPORARY SOLUTION. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 60,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10061163 at NHTSA ↗