NHTSA Complaint #10157661 — 2000 SATURN LS

I WAS DRIVING HOME AT APPROXIMATELY 9:30 PM ON A BUSY HIGHWAY (RTE 695 - THE BALTIMORE BELTWAY) AND APPROACHING THE INTERSECTION OF INTERSTATE 70 WHEN MY CAR ENGINE CUT OUT WITH NO WARNING. I WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED BY A SEMI AND FORTUNATE TO COAST TO THE SHOULDER WITHOUT AN ACCIDENT. FORTUNATELY A MARYLAND STATE POLICE VEHICLE CAME BY TO PROVIDE FLARES FOR MORE VISIBILITY WHILE I AWAITED A TOW TO THE SATURN DEALERSHIP. MY COMPLAINT IS SIMILAR TO PENDING CASES (PE06-006 AND DP05-008) IN THAT THE SOURCE OF THE FAILURE IS ATTRIBUTED TO A TIMING CHAIN THAT SKIPPED. THE DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO RECOGNIZE THE WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM AS DOES SATURN HEADQUARTERS IN TENN. THEY OFFER NO MITIGATION TO THE $3,200 ESTIMATE FOR REPAIR. IF CIRCUMSTANCES HAD BEEN DIFFERENT, I.E., RAIN OR SNOW, I AM MY FAMILY COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED BY AN AUTOMOBILE WITH THIS KNOWN DEFECT THAT DIED ON THE ROAD WITH ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO DIE IN AN ACCIDENT BEFORE THIS KNOWN DEFECT IS CORRECTED?? *JB