What breaks most · 2003 to 2003 model years
Saturn L200 problems by year
Owners have filed 138 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Saturn L200 across model years 2003 to 2003. One year stands out: 2003 for electrical system complaints.
- Years to check closely: 2003
- Complaints on file
- 1382003 to 2003, all trims
- Worst year
- 2003138 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 77 fires · 9 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 64kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 4Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 138 | 7 | 4 | Electrical system (50) |
What fails on the 2003 Saturn L200
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 36% |
50 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2003 Saturn L200 |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 13% |
18 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2003 Saturn L200 |
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 12% |
16 | 0 | Shop exterior lighting parts for the 2003 Saturn L200 |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 10% |
14 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2003 Saturn L200 |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 8% |
11 | 0 | Shop steering parts for the 2003 Saturn L200 |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 7% |
10 | 0 | Shop visibility parts for the 2003 Saturn L200 |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 7% |
9 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2003 Saturn L200 |
| Air bags | 6% |
8 | 5 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
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.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Saturn L200 years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2003 carries the most filings on the Saturn L200. The 2003 alone has 138 complaints, led by electrical system.
What is the most common Saturn L200 problem?
On the 2003 model year, the most-reported component is electrical system with 50 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Saturn L200 problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Saturn L200 complaints that include mileage is about 64,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.