NHTSA Complaint #10191327 — 2000 SATURN LS

RECENTLY MY INFANT DAUGHTER JUST BARELY AVOIDED BEING SERIOUSLY INJURED WHEN THE REAR WINDOW BRAKE LIGHT ON THE 2000 LS1 SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY DETACHED AND FELL WHILE DRIVING. WE HAD CHECKED WITH THE DEALERSHIP, WHO TOLD ME THAT NO RECALL HAD BEEN ISSUED BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM, AND THE TECHNICIAN COULD FIND NO REASON WHY IT SHOULD HAVE FALLEN. HIS SOLUTION WAS TO HAVE US ORDER A NEW PART AND PAY A LARGE SUM OF MONEY FOR THE PART AND LABOR TO INSTALL IT. A CHECK WITH THE NHTSA INFORMED US THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH 2000 L-SERIES SEDANS. THE NHTSA REPRESENTATIVE TOLD US THAT THIS WAS DUE TO ELECTRONICS WHICH MAY SHIFT OVER TIME. FURTHERMORE, IT APPEARED THAT THIS I WAS DUE TO A DEFECT IN THE DESIGN ,AND REPLACED THE BRAKE LIGHT ASSEMBLY .WOULD DO NOTHING TO PREVENT FURTHER DANGEROUS INCIDENTS. SATURN OFFERED TO PAY $55 TOWARD THE COST OF REPLACING THE PART. A REPRESENTATIVE SAID THAT THEY WOULD NOT ISSUE ANY RECALLS OR TAKE ANY ACTIONS UNTIL FORCED TO DO SO BY NHTSA. THEY REFUSED TO PROVIDE ANY NUMBERS REGARDING THE SIZE OF THE CLASS, SUCH AS NUMBER OF REGISTERED OWNERS OF 2000 L-SERIES SEDANS.*AK