2001 Daewoo Lanos Problems

What owners report

Complaints about this model year are dominated by two open recall campaigns: a camshaft position sensor that can melt and produce a burning smell or smoke, and a passenger-side air bag/seat issue covered by a federal safety standard recall. Most owners who filed were not describing a new failure at all, but that they could not find a dealer to perform the recall work after the manufacturer stopped operating in the U.S., with the car often unusable in the meantime. A smaller group reports basic mechanical wear and trim problems, such as seats reclining on their own and stalling or idle trouble.

1. 1
   Engine cooling

   Camshaft position sensor overheating or recall not completed

   • 72 complaints (56%)
   • median 47,175 mi at 4.0 yrs old (28 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2004–2015

   Owners describe a burning smell, visible smoke from under the hood, and in some cases a melted sensor and wiring harness; one complaint mentions the check engine light coming on intermittently with the car jerking. Many reports center less on the failure itself than on the aftermath: owners say they received the recall notice but could not locate an authorized service center, could not reach the phone number on the letter, or were told the vehicle's engine or date code was not covered. Some dealers reportedly refused the work or quoted long waiting lists with no parts available. Mileage in the sample is spread widely, from a few hundred to over 100,000 miles, with many reports coming years after purchase.

   Recall 04V394000Recall 04V357000

   What to check: Look for a melted or discolored sensor connector and a burnt smell near the camshaft cover, and ask for written proof of whether the camshaft position sensor recall was completed. A scan tool check for camshaft sensor codes is also worth doing.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Consumer replaced dead battery in 2001 Daewoo Lanos. When consumer started the vehicle smoke came from under the hood. The consumer believes the smoke may have been a result of the recalled camshaft position sensor. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it still sits to date. The consumer requested reimbursement of the purchase price.”

   NHTSA complaint #10165875, filed 2006-08, 63,600 miles

   “The cam shaft position sensor failed. As a result, engine sensor light stayed on. Recall 04v357000 was issued, however dealer stated the engine serial number was not included. The vehicle check engine light comes on and the dealer advised that engine number was no listed in the recall list. Consumer requests that the recall list be updated because he talked to several consumers with the same problem.”

   NHTSA complaint #10092104, filed 2004-10, 48,789 miles
2. 2
   Air bags

   Passenger air bag recall and deployment concerns

   • 33 complaints (26%)
   • median 38,500 mi at 4.0 yrs old (10 state mileage)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2002–2005

   Owners report receiving a recall notice about the front passenger air bag assembly under a federal occupant-protection standard, and then being unable to get the work done: dealers reportedly refused because the car was not bought there, because the manufacturer was no longer supplying parts, or simply because no Daewoo dealer was near. A few complaints describe air bags that did not deploy in a collision, and one mentions the driver's seatback breaking in the same crash. Reports cluster at low to moderate mileage, from around 12,000 to 79,000 miles, and were mostly filed in the mid-2000s.

   Recall 02V131002Recall 02V131001

   What to check: Ask whether the air bag recall was completed and request documentation; if no record exists, contact a brand that now services these vehicles to confirm remedy availability before relying on the car.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The consumer was concerned that driving the vehicle some 75 miles to a dealer for the air bag repair and out of pocket expense for the NHTSA recall 02v131000.”

   NHTSA complaint #10097223, filed 2004-10, 31,000 miles

   “Safety recall on Daewoo Lanos passenger side air bag. The consumer received a recall letter after her daughter had already been involved in an accident. The vehicle was rear ended and pushed into another vehicle and subsequently the air bags did not deploy. The drivers side seat broke as well. (recall 02v131001).”

   NHTSA complaint #10097681, filed 2004-10

Buying note. Given the age of this model year and the manufacturer's exit from the U.S. market, the main practical question is parts and service availability rather than any single fault. Before buying, confirm in writing which recalls were completed and whether a servicing brand will still perform the remaining recall work.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.