NHTSA Complaint #10025456 — 2002 SATURN LS

I HAVE A SATURN L-SERIES VEHICLE. RECEIVED A LETTER ABOUT A DEFECT RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY-FAILURE OF IGNITION CONTROL MODULE THAT MAY CAUSE DETERIORATION IN IDLE QUALITY, REDUCTION IN OVERALL ENGINE POWER AND THE VEHICLE MAY BE HARD TO START.CONTINUED OPERATION AFTER SUCH FAILURE MAY LEAD TO SECONDARY FAILURES OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, OXYGEN SENSOR AND EXHAUST RESONATOR. FAILURE OF RESONATOR FAILURE MAY LEAD TO AN UNDERCAR FIRE WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. THE COMPANY STATES IN THE JULY 2003 LETTER, THAT PARTS AVAILABILITY IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO PERFORM REPLACEMENTS AT THIS TIME. PROBLEM: I HAVE HAD THE ABOVE SITUATION TAKE PLACE TWICE SINCE I HAD THE CAR. IT STARTS OUT WITH A ROUGH IDLE ESPECIALLY DURING DAMP AND/OR COLD DAYS. THE POWER OF THE VEHICLE IS EXTREME. IT EITHER SEEMS TO BE GASPING FOR FUEL ETC. OR THE OPPOSITE HAS OCCURRED, WHERE THE VEHICLE SEEMS TO HAVE BURSTS OF UNUSUAL POWER WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY.WHEN THE VEHICLE FINALLY FAILED ON THE TWO OCCASIONS, IT WAS HARD TO START, LOST POWER, THE FUEL DIDN'T SEEM TO GET THROUGH AND THE VEHICLE SHOOK VIOLENTLY.TREVOSE OF SATURN TOOK CARE OF THE REPAIRS AT THAT TIME. I WAS TOLD THAT " THERE IS NO GUARANTEE IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN. I WAS TOLD TO THINK ABOUT EXTENDING MY CURRENT EXTENDED WARRANTY, AS IT WON'T BE COVERED IF IT HAPPENS AFTER THE CURRENT WARRSANTY RUNS OUT. SINCE THOSE TWO TIMES, I RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO SATURN IN TREVOSE AGAIN. I STATED THAT THE INITIAL SYMTOMS OF LOST POWER, ROUGH IDLE IN DAMP AND/OR COLD WEATHER WAS TAKING PLACE. BOTH TIMES I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS CHECKED OUT AND NOTHING IS WRONG. I DO NOT FEEL COMFOTRTABLE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE. IT HAPPENED TWICE WITHOUT WARNING. EVEN THOUGH CERTAIN SYMPTOMS WERE PRESENT THE TIMES THE FAILURES TOOK PLACE, SATURN DID NOT TAKE THEM SERIOUSLY WHEN MENTIONED TO THEM. SINCE THOSE TWO TIMES, I HAVE PRESENTED THE SYMPTOMS TO THEM, AND THEY ONCE AGAIN TAKE THEM LIGHTLY. I NO LONGER FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE. *AK