2003 Saturn L300

Summary:

Overall it has been a severe disappointment

Faults:

The steering has never been right. I have sent it back to the dealership 4 times in the first 6 months and the problem was never rectified. The steering wheel is very shaky and often slips making it feel as if you are about to run off the road. The tires have been balanced and rotated twice and the problem persists.

The CD player was faulty. It skipped when there was a bump in the road and also would not play several of my Cd's. The Cd's were not "burned", but manufacturer made. The car went to the shop several times for this. The blame was placed on the Cd's and not the player. Eventually it was replaced, at my cost, because it was not covered on warranty.

The cruise control is rough with frequent jerky accelerations.

The fuel pump went out as I was driving causing all power to go. I was unable to steer.

General Comments:

The car has been a disappointment. Aesthetically, it is beautiful with white exterior and tan leather interior. But looks don't cause the car to feel safe and make it run efficiently.

The most crucial problem has been with the steering. I feel extremely unsafe driving this car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 2nd January, 2008

2003 Saturn L300 V6

Summary:

Very disappointed with Saturn's response to the problem

Faults:

BCM(Body Computer Module) has to be replaced, because the odometer locked in at 694,978 miles.

General Comments:

My wife loves the car, but is disappointed an afraid to drive anywhere with it for fear of it being unable to start, or anything else that is controlled by the computer module (BCM). The blue book price on the car without the problem, is $9,350.00 as a trade-in price. The dealer is only offering $7,500.00. If they replace the BCM, the milage has to be set at zero, and a TMU(Total Milage Unknown) sticker placed on the door.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 21st September, 2007

22nd Sep 2007, 08:59

No. The dealer CAN replace the BCM and set it at the last known mileage. It does NOT need to be set TMU. If the dealer says otherwise, try a different dealer.

Also, while the BCM is a known issue on the L-series cars, the replacement part is an updated part which does not have a history of failures. Once it's been replaced, it will not fail again.

2003 Saturn L300 V6

Summary:

Great car for the money

Faults:

Transmission -- bad High pressure solenoid.

General Comments:

As I am approaching 100K the transmission would have needed servicing anyway.

I enjoy this car and have never regretted buying it.

Looking forward to another 100K.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 12th June, 2007

2003 Saturn L300

Faults:

OK, so it's been two weeks since I've had this Saturn. I was stunned to see all the comments written. The car worked perfectly for the first two weeks, but now the 'service' light keeps coming on after running for about 15 minutes or so, and only when this service light comes on, that the car starts shifting gears really hard. I feel like the transmission is about to fall out. I read earlier up that this dude had a similar problem and it was as a result of his MAF sensor. Is this really the problem??

General Comments:

I really do love this car. I hope I can fix it, cheaply.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 16th December, 2006

17th Dec 2006, 10:34

Yes, it's probably the MAF sensor. Less than $200 to fix it. There are a few odd replacements of the transmission pressure solenoid, but it's more likely the MAF. Take it to the Saturn dealer to have it diagnosed.

19th Feb 2008, 13:28

A lot of times, when your car has the "check engine" or "service" light on, the car will go into a basic mode. Meaning it senses some sensor is bad, and it just stops taking input from the sensors. The transmission will shift hard because it doesn't have any inputs. It's like a limp home mode. I would certainly get it fixed so the light isn't on anymore. Probably a bad sensor somewhere. Once that is fixed, you should have no problems.

11th Feb 2009, 10:20

It's probably the solenoid. Mine was doing the same thing and I had to replace it. It was over 600.00 to replace. You can get a cheap code reader and turn the engine light off; it will give you the code. And strangely it will start shifting normally for a short period of time.

Hope this helps.

26th Nov 2014, 00:02

It's likely you have a misfire! Check the ignition coil. I had the same problem.