NHTSA Complaint #10173553 — 2002 SATURN LS

WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK WHEN THE CAR STARTED TO MAKE A NOISE AND THEN JUST DIED. HAD IT TOWED TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED IT AS A BROKEN TIMING CHAIN. HE HAD HEARD THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE L-SERIES. THEN I HAD IT TOWED TO OUR LOCAL SATURN DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE WORK DONE; TIMING CHAIN & GUIDES, HEAD, VALVES, PISTONS WERE ONLY SCORED -- TOTAL BILL OF $3,700!! CAR IS A 2002 WITH ONLY 58,000 MILES ON IT AND THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. DEALERSHIP TRIED TO SAY IT WAS POSSIBLY DUE TO "POOR MAINTENANCE," BUT IF THEY HAD LOOKED AT THEIR RECORDS, THEY WOULD HAVE SEEN I HAD THE CAR SERVICED ONLY BY THEM ON A REGULAR ON-TIME BASIS! IN FACT IT HAD BEEN IN FOR A SERVICE (OIL CHANGE) ONLY THE WEEK BEFORE. LET'S FACE IT: THE TIMING CHAIN WAS DEFECTIVE. *JB