NHTSA Complaint #10184543 — 2000 SATURN LS

I HAVE A SATURN SL YEAR 2000. IT CURRENTLY HAS 63,000 MILES ON IT. ABOUT 6 WEEKS AGO I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND IT SUDDENLY STARTED ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN, I WENT THROUGH A RED LIGHT BECAUSE I COULDN'T SLOW IT FAST ENOUGH. THE BRAKES WOULD SLOW IT DOWN IF I FLOORED THEM BUT NOT SLOW IT TO A STOP. THE ENGINE RPMS WERE UP TO 5 AND WOULD NOT DECREASE. I HAD TO THROUGH THE CAR IN TO NEUTRAL THEN PARK (RPMS STILL AT 5) THEN TAKE THE KEYS OUT. I HAD THE NEAREST AUTO REPAIR CHECK IT AND THEY SAID THAT AN ICE BLOCK HAD FROZE IN THE AIR INTAKE CAUSING ACCELERATOR TO FREEZE. 2 WEEKS LATER THE SAME EVENT OCCURRED. I PROCEEDED WITH THE SAME ACTIONS TO STOP, AND WHEN I RESTARTED THE CAR THE PROBLEM WAS GONE. (THIS TIME I SMELLED AN AWFUL BURNING SMELL WHICH I ASSUME WAS EITHER FROM RIDING MY BRAKES OR FROM THE ENGINE REVVING SO HIGH) LUCKY NO RED LIGHTS THIS TIME AND NOT CAUGHT OFF GUARD AS THE FIRST TIME. I DECIDED TO USE THE SATURN DEALER SHIP TO HAVE THE CAR CHECKED. THEY STATED THAT "MICE" HAD CHEWED THROUGH THE WIRES GOING TO THE ACCELERATOR SENSOR/CONTROL. THEY REPLACED THE WIRES AND SAID IT WAS FIXED. NOW 2 WEEKS LATER THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED. I CALLED THE SATURN DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THAT THEY MAY HAVE TO KEEP THE VEHICLE UNTIL THEY CAN DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM TO DIAGNOSE IT. I EXPLAINED IT HAS OCCURRED ONLY ABOUT EVERY 2 WEEKS AND THAT I HAVE ONLY ONE VEHICLE. I THEN DECIDED TO RESEARCH THE INTERNET ABOUT THE PROBLEM. ON ONE SITE WWW.CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM I FOUND A FEW DISTURBING REPORTS/COMPLAINTS FROM PEOPLE (INCLUDING ONE 10 MILES FROM WHERE I LIVE). THEY DESCRIBED THE SAME PROBLEMS ( ALTHOUGH 1 WAS A SATURN 2002) AND THAT AFTER MANY INCIDENTS AND VARIOUS REPAIRS THEY HAVE NOT HAD THEIR PROBLEM RESOLVED AND THEY ARE TERRIFIED TO DRIVE THEIR VEHICLE. ONE DESCRIBED THEIR VEHICLE AS A POSSESSED DEATH TRAP WHICH IS EXACTLY HOW I AM FEELING. . I AM VERY FRIGHTENED TO EVEN DRIVE NOW. PEOPLE COULD BE KILLED BY THIS PROBLEM. *JB