What breaks most · 2000 to 2004 model years
Saturn LS problems by year
Owners have filed 1,458 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Saturn LS across model years 2000 to 2004. Three years stand out: 2001 for engine and cooling complaints, 2002 for engine and cooling complaints and 2000 for engine and cooling complaints.
- Years to check closely: 2001, 2002, 2000
- Complaints on file
- 14582000 to 2004, all trims
- Worst year
- 2001582 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 3632 fires · 43 injuries · 3 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 78kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 16Across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 382 | 10 | 6 | Engine and cooling (140) | |
| 582 | 14 | 7 | Engine and cooling (300) | |
| 493 | 12 | 3 | Engine and cooling (200) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Exterior lighting (1) |
What fails on the 2001 Saturn LS
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 52% |
300 | 0 | Shop all engine and cooling parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 14% |
80 | 2 | Shop all electrical system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 9% |
51 | 1 | Shop all exterior lighting parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 7% |
41 | 0 | Shop all engine parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 5% |
30 | 4 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 5% |
29 | 0 | Shop all suspension parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 5% |
29 | 1 | Shop all steering parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 3% |
17 | 0 | Shop all fuel system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
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.
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The vehicle failed to start. Upon being inspected by an in dependent garage, it was determined to be a timing chain failure. Should this be covered under 07v-519?
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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
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Timing chain broke on 2000 saturn ls2 3.0l v6 engine while driving down the road causing engine failure. The 2.2l engine has been recalled and there are many complaints about the 3.0l engine having the same failures. This engine should be included in the recall also.
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 LS years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2001, 2002, 2000 carry the most filings on the Saturn LS. The 2001 alone has 582 complaints, led by engine and cooling.
What is the most common Saturn LS problem?
On the 2001 model year, the most-reported component is engine and cooling with 300 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Saturn LS problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Saturn LS complaints that include mileage is about 78,000 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.