NHTSA Complaint #10096533 — 2001 SATURN LS

NOTICED MY ALARM REMOTE KEY WAS BECOMING ULTRA SENSITIVE AND JUST FIGURED THE SMALL WATCH-LIKE BATTERY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. SHORTLY AFTERWARD ON THE SAME DAY I REALIZED MY INTERIOR DOME LIGHT WAS DIMMING AND MY ENGINE MADE A LOUD WRENCHING NOISE UPON THE INITIAL START. UPON LEAVING MY PLACE OF DESTINATION THE SAME EVENING I WAS UNABLE TO START MY CAR AT ALL. I FIGURED THE BATTERY HAD DIED SO I HAD A FRIEND GIVE ME A JUMP TO NO AVAIL. MY CAR WOULD TURN OVER AND AUTOMATICALLY SHUT OFF LESS THAN TWO SECONDS LATER. THIS FURTHER VALIDATED THAT I MOST LIKELY DIDN'T HAVE A STARTER ISSUE ON MY HANDS. THE OTHER PECULIAR THING IS THAT I NOTICED MY CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF PARK SO I COULD PUT IT IN NEUTRAL FOR THE INEVITABLE TOW THAT FOLLOWED. THIS LEFT ME CONCERNED, AND MUCH TO MY DISMAY THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT MY BCM (BODY CONTROL MODULE) HAD FAILED COMPLETELY AND THREW MY ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OFF THE MAP. I'VE ONLY HAD THIS CAR FOR A FEW YEARS AND THE COMPUTER CHIP IS FAILING, WHAT GIVES? I HAD JUST RECENTLY DROPPED A FEW HUNDRED DOLLARS ON THE PREVENTIVELY MAINTENANCE PACKAGE FOR 35000 THAT SATURN RECOMMENDS. THIS MOST RECENT INCIDENT RESULTED IN $650 MORE. I AM DISGUSTED WITH THE LACK OF RESPONSE THAT I'M GETTING FROM THE MANUFACTURER, AS SEVERAL ATTEMPTS HAVE BEEN MADE OVER THE COURSE OF THIS WEEK TO FILE MY CONCERNS WITH THEIR HOME OFFICE.*AK