2003 Saturn LW 300 V6

Summary:

A reliable and powerful car with a few minor quirks

Faults:

There was a gasket problem pretty much off the showroom floor, and the dealer didn't find it until it was out of warranty. Fortunately we bought the extended, so it only cost 25 bucks to fix.

Not really a problem with the car, but it uses a cartridge oil filter which can be installed the wrong way by a moron. A quick lube place installed the oil filter backwards once. This could have been disastrous, but wasn't.

The back hatch open button sucks. I cuss it a lot.

After a few years, the chrome on the roof rack has a few little bubbles, and there are weird little spots of black dust on the roof which line up with the front and back interior lights. I clean them off, and a few weeks later, they come back.

The center console lid has broken off due to poor placement of the lumbar support on the driver side.

General Comments:

Nice power, and the MPG hasn't been too bad.

Lots of space, especially with the seats down.

Honestly, it was probably a little overpriced, but it was my first new car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 6th October, 2007

2003 Saturn LW LW300 6 cylinder

Summary:

Serious integrity issues

Faults:

Radio stopped working (no power).

Front end (bumper assem.) fell off. Too cold.

Lights would turn off sporadically at night in the middle of driving.

Front end fell off again.

Could not open glove box.

Back seat cannot be cleaned (spilled root beer).

Hatch door will not open from outside button (have to use key fob).

General Comments:

This car was a return to the dealer because it was too uncomfortable for the previous owner... so I got a great deal on the car.

Although it is a little uncomfortable, I have learned to manage with that.

I have talked with other owners of the LW series that love their cars, and have had no problems. My experiences however, have lead me to not like this car at all.

The car is not yet 3 years old and I have had triple the problems of my wife's 1996 Toyota Avalon.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 27th January, 2006

2003 Saturn LW 200 2.2

Summary:

Roomy family wagon

Faults:

One month after I bought the car it was recalled to replace the ignition control module. This gave me a bad feeling about the car.

During the first snow storm the traction control stopped working. After I drove for a day, it came back on when the car was restarted. I took it into the dealer, they couldn't find anything wrong with it. The problem has reoccurred several times.

At 6500km the power transmission rod broke after being stuck in the snow. The power transmission unit was replaced under warranty, however it ruined a perfectly good weekend.

General Comments:

I bought this car because it is a mid-sized station wagon that was on sale for a good price. In retrospect I should have bought an import. I owned my Isuzu pickup for 12 years and for the first five nothing went wrong with it.

I sill like this car, however it seems like quality control is still not there for North American cars.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 9th February, 2004

26th Sep 2009, 10:15

I agree. We bought a 2003 LW200 used and we've been disappointed with the performance. We've had numerous problems not really related to wear and tear that cost $500 here and $700 there.

We didn't get the value we thought we were getting.

21st Mar 2010, 20:11

It is now March 2010. I still have the Saturn. After many problems during the first year, the car has been fairly reliable. It now has 112 000 km. Every three years I have had to replace the parking brake cables. The car now makes a groan if I make a quick turn, my mechanic can't figure it out. It also makes a strange noise from the fan. I want to keep the car for two more years. It might make it.

8th Sep 2010, 15:53

I presently own a 2003 LW200 that I bought new. It has over 121,000 miles on the clock. Here are some of major things replaced over the course of ownership:

In 2007, the A/C quit on the tail end of a road trip. The condenser had a leak and needed replacing.

The following year, the the fuel pump died.

I had the following issues crop up this year:

* Steering wheel shake at highway speeds, due to a couple of bad tie rods.

* Groaning when turning the steering wheel was due to a leak in the steering rack.

One unresolved issue revolves around the temperamental automatic climate control system. It is tolerable at best, horrible at worst.

One thing that compels me to hold onto this car is the cargo capacity with the seats down. 79 cubic feet is nothing to sneeze at. Plus, it's a fun car to drive in general.