SaturnL100, L200, LW2002001Overview/saturn/l100-l200-lw200/2001/base/

2001 Saturn L100, L200, LW200

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2001 L100, L200, LW200.

Transmission Automatic 4-spd

The 2001 Saturn L100, L200, and LW200 lineup operates via an automatic 4-spd transmission with EPA fuel economy ratings of 21/30/24 mpg, while engine maintenance calls for 5 qt of 5W-30 API oil viscosity. This model year sits within a reliability history characterized by 0 recalls and 8 total owner complaints, indicating a low volume of reported issues overall. Despite this low count, the engine persists as the top complaint area, signaling that mechanical scrutiny should remain focused on that system.

Model year200220012000

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity5 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified
Lug nut torque92 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy21/30/24 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 75 · 525 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12580255. Note the factory fuel filter, front wiper blades, serpentine belt and cabin air filter are now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 75 · 525 CCAOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter12580255 alt 12605566
Engine air filter90571362
Fuel filter25319686 discontinued
Spark plug12681661
Front wiper blades22698024 discontinued
Serpentine belt24466974 discontinued
Thermostat12622410
Cabin air filter90464424 discontinued

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined21 / 30 / 24 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume97 cu ft
Cargo volume18 cu ft
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 5 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 92 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 18.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-3-4-2. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake FluidDOT 3
Engine Oil5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity5 qt

Engine torques

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts7.4 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts13 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug18.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts92 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-3-4-2
Spark Plug ManufacturerAC Delco
Spark Plug Gap0.040 in
Spark Plug Torque18.0-22.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity1.00-2.10 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Standard BCI Group Number75
Standard BCI Cranking Performance525 cca

Service checks

Injector Primary Resistance12-13 na ohms

Brakes

Brake ApplicationWITH REAR DISC
Torque to Knuckle59 ft-lbs / 70 ft-lbs
Torque Caliper to Bracket22 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.080; Rear: 0.080 in
Minimum Shoe Thickness0.080 in
Brake ApplicationWITH REAR DISC
Rotor Max Parallel Variation0.0004 in / 0.0003 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.001 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
174 ft. lbs., step 2: 7574 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 2 stages
122 ft. lbs.22 ft. lbs
2155 degrees.155 degrees

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant every 100,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 100,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

At 6,000 miBrake System (inspect)
Every 6,000 miAxle Shaft Oil Seal (inspect) · Body Latches, Locks & Hinges (inspect) · Brake Hydraulic System (inspect fluid level) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Parking Brake System (inspect)
Every 7,500 miEngine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 12,000 miBrake System (inspect) · Cabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 18,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Coolant System Hoses (inspect)
Every 30,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace) · Fuel System (inspect) · Vacuum Line (inspect)
Every 36,000 miRadiator Cap (inspect)
Every 100,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Fuel Filter (replace) · Spark Plugs (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Owner complaints about the 2001 Saturn L100, L200, LW200 dominate in one area — the engine, 5 of 8 reports (62%), well ahead of the next concern. NHTSA has issued no recalls for this vehicle, so these are owner-reported concerns only. 0 of the reports describe a crash and 0 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the engine pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.

0
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
213
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
8
Owner complaints
0 involved a crash · 0 a fire

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 8 complaints on record, top 4 components.

Engine5
Steering,Suspension,Engine1
Exterior Lighting1
Electrical System,Engine1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 213 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
PIP5601C2025-07-18Unknown Or OtherThis PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic…
General Communication2024-08-26Electrical SystemVehicle Wide Programming (VWP) is a new process to update software on GM Vehicles. It…
18-NA-0992024-06-17Unknown Or OtherThis bulletin provides information for use on a Product Assistance Claim (PAC), which is…
24-NA-0982024-06-06Electrical SystemThis service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Service Programming…
16-NA-3832024-03-13Engine And Engine CoolingThis technical bulletin advises of a new fuel injection cleaner kit used for…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific L100, L200, LW200. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2001 L100, L200, LW200 take?

5 qt of 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2001 L100, L200, LW200 have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 0 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the L100, L200, LW200 get?

EPA figures are 21 city / 30 highway / 24 combined mpg.