NHTSA Complaint #10112520 — 2002 SATURN LS

THE CAR WAS BROUGHT INTO THE SATURN DALERSHIP IN DEC 2003 TO FIX A RECALL ON THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: IGNITION: MODULE. THE RECALL ON OUR VEHICLE WAS CLOSED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT SHOWN ANY PROBLEMS SINCE THAT TIME UNTIL RECENTLY, MARCH 2, 2005. I WENT TO START THE CAR ON THE 2ND OF MARCH AND THE CAR WAS DIFFICULT TO START. ONCE STARTED, THE CAR RAN VERY ROUGH AND LOST POWER WHEN I TRIED TO GIVE IT GAS. WHEN MY HUSBAND TRIED TO DRIVE THE CAR LATER, THE CAR BACKFIRED AND SEEMED TO BE MISSING. WE HAD OUR MECHANIC COME LOOK AT INITIALLY THAT NIGHT, AND HE ASKED US TO BRING THE CAR TO HIS SHOP. ALTHOUGH WE WOULD HAVE TO DRIVE IT VERY SLOW, HE DIDN'T SEE ANY REASON WHY THE CAR COULD NOT BE DRIVEN TO THE SHOP INSTEAD OF HAVING IT TOWED. MY HUSBAND TOOK THE CAR TO THE SHOP AND EN ROUTE, THE CAR LOST POWER, THE BRAKES WENT OUT, IT THEN BEGAN TO SMOKE SO MUCH MY HUSBAND COULD BARELY SEE. HE WAS ABLE TO PULL THE CAR OVER AND BRING IT TO A STOP WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. AFTER STOPPING THE CAR ALL HE COULD DO WAS GET OUT AND RUN BEFORE THE CAR WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. IT WAS A TOTAL LOSS. THE RECALL ON THE CAR AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT FIXING THE RECALLED PARTS READS LIKE A BOOK OF THE EVENTS THAT OCCURED. THE FIRE IS CURRENTLY BEING INVESTIGATED BY OUR INSURANCE COMPANY.*AK