NHTSA Complaint #10162332 — 2001 SATURN LS

MY WIFE AND I OWN A 2001 SATURN L200 SEDAN THAT WE HAVE BEEN VERY HAPPY WITH. OVER THE YEARS THERE HAVE BEEN NOTHING MORE THAN THE NORMAL LITTLE PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR. ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO MY WIFE STARTED NOTICING A 'TICKING' NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE SOUND CAME AND WENT BUT MOSTLY WHEN SHE STARTED THE CAR. WE HAD IT IN TO A GARAGE AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE, BUT ASSURED MY WIFE EVERYTHING WOULD BE FINE. TWO DAYS LATER EVERYTHING WAS NOT FINE. MY WIFE, WHO IS A NURSE, WENT TO START HER CAR AFTER WORK. THE CAR STARTED, WITH THE NOISE, AND THEN STALLED. SHE TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR BUT WAS UNABLE TO. ALL OF THIS HAPPENED SUNDAY JULY 9TH AT 4:00 AM IN THE MORNING. WE HAD THE CAR TOWED THE FOLLOWING MONDAY, AT AN INCREASED EXPENSE BECAUSE SHE WAS IN A LOW CLEARANCE PARKING GARAGE. WE HAD THE ENGINE CHECKED AND IT WAS DISCOVERED TO BE A TIMING BELT FAILURE. LUCKY, FOR US IT HAPPENED WHEN SHE STARTED THE CAR NOT WHEN SHE WAS DRIVING, SO THERE WAS NO OTHER DAMAGE DONE TO THE MOTOR. AS I STATED EARLIER OUR CAR IS A 2001 SATURN L200 THAT HAS ONLY 78,000 MILES. NEVER BEFORE HAVE I HEARD OF A TIMING CHAIN FAILING, LET ALONE AT 78,000 MILES. THE LAST CAR WE OWNED, A 1993 NISSAN MAXIMA HAD A TIMING BELT AND THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT RECOMMEND REPLACEMENT UNTIL 90,000 MILE AT THAT. I HAVE HAD MANY CARS AND HAVE DRIVEN THEM WELL BEYOND 100,000 MILE MARK AND NEVER HAVE I HAD TO FIX A TIMING CHAIN BEFORE. *JB