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Engine coolingPart report

2004 Saturn L300 Engine cooling Problems

Complaints
8about this part
Share
13%of 61 total for the year
Median mileage
84,000miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 8 complaints about the engine cooling of the 2004 Saturn L300, 13% of the 61 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 84,000 miles.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“I was driving my 2004 Saturn L300 at 55 MPH. The car suddenly cut off. I was able to drift to the side of the road. I tried to restart the vehicle and it would not start. This has happened to me in a parking lot approximately 3 other times. I took the car to a mechanic and he said it may be the crankshaft position sensor. This could have caused a serious accident.”

NHTSA complaint #10314965, filed 2010-02, 99,700 miles

“Problem synopsis: while driving at freeway speeds (65 miles per hour) the vehicle lost power, causing the reduced engine power (rep) and service vehicle soon (svs) lights to illuminate. Upon pulling to the side of the road and shifting the vehicle into park, it would idle roughly until shutting the engine off. Vehicle would start immediately after, with high RPM at idle and hard shifts into gear. Vehicle would only exhibit these problems when the automatic transmission would shift gears, usually between 3rd and 4th gear. …”

NHTSA complaint #10439123, filed 2011-12, 91,000 miles

“Car will hesitate and stall. The check engine light comes on the car will at times not be able to be driven due to the catalytic converter failing and clogging the exhaust system”

NHTSA complaint #10124867, filed 2005-06, 7,000 miles

“My wife and I own a 2004 Saturn L300. My wife is the primary driver and she reported seeing a wisp of smoke coming from the steering column. We took it to the Saturn dealership and they said it was an electrical short. A couple of weeks later my wife reported the same wisp of smoke. We took it back to the dealership to have them repair it again. The second time they repaired it, the turn signal would not turn off when the wheel was turned. Also, the wisp of smoke is back again. This will be the third time into the dealership for the same problem. …”

NHTSA complaint #10315338, filed 2010-03

“The car has continued to fail to start. It does not catch on the first try. Today it took four attempts to start. The car has been taken to the dealer twice and they keep telling us they can not find anything. The last time, the service engine light came on and stayed for over 2 hours. Car taken to dealer they kept several days and found nothing. There is something wrong with this car. I'm hoping it will not take my death or the death of someone else to find the root cause of the problem .”

NHTSA complaint #10086911, filed 2004-08

Related service bulletins

Engine cooling: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
2005416%
2004813%
2003410%

Other parts of the 2004 Saturn L300

Electrical system
15 complaintsExterior lighting
12 complaintsFuel system
7 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
6 complaintsBrakes
4 complaintsVehicle speed control
4 complaintsAir bags
3 complaintsEngine
3 complaintsSteering
3 complaintsBody and structure
3 complaintsTires
3 complaintsElectronic stability control
1 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2004 Saturn L300

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology