NHTSA Complaint #10167297 — 2002 SATURN VUE

WHILE DRIVING MY 2002 SATURN VUE TO WORK, THE REDUCED POWER AND SERVICE ENGINE LIGHTS CAME ON SIMULTANEOUSLY, AND I HAD NO POWER. I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE A STATE TROOPER SAT BEHIND ME WITH HIS LIGHTS ON SO THAT I WOULD NOT BE REAR-ENDED. MY CAR WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR STATION WHERE IT COULD NOT BE FIXED, SO IT WAS TOWED TO THE SATURN DEALER. IT WAS REPORTED TO ME THAT THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE AND SINCE THE ENGINE WAS A "ZERO TOLERANCE" ENGINE, THE ENTIRE ENGINE HAS TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF OVER $2000. I HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY, BUT DO NOT HAVE COPIES OF THE RECEIPTS FOR OIL CHANGES SO THEY WILL NOT HONOR THE WARRANTY (FOR WHICH I PAID $1700). HERITAGE (THE COMPANY WHICH I BOUGHT THE WARRANTY FROM WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR AT SATURN) SAYS THAT IF I PAY $435 TO HAVE THE ENGINE TORN DOWN, THEY WILL SEND AN AUDITOR TO DETERMINE IF THEY WILL PAY FOR THE REPAIRS OR NOT. MY CONCERN IS THAT THE ENGINE THAT THEY WILL PUT IN HAS 28,000 MILES ON IT AND THE TIMING CHAIN MAY BREAK ON THIS ENGINE AS WELL. *NM