NHTSA Complaint #10192850 — 2001 SATURN LS

MY FAMILY AND I WERE TRAVELING ON U.S. 301 AT 9:00 A.M. ON OUR WAY HOME IN OUR 2001 SATURN (L100) COUPE. THERE WAS A CLICKING SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE THAT HAD STARTED WHILE DRIVING HOME. WHILE GOING 65 MPH, THERE WAS A POPPING SOUND AND THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON. THE CAR QUICKLY LOST POWER AND FORCED US TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. WE WERE SHAKEN BY THE THOUGHT WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPEN IF WE WERE IN AN AREA WITH HEAVY TRAFFIC. I WAS ABLE TO FLAG DOWN A PASSING TOW TRUCK TO HELP US OUT. THE ROAD SERVICE UNIT DROPPED THE CAR OFF AT A LOCAL MECHANIC AND THE FAMILY AT HOME. THE LOCAL CAR MECHANIC COULD NOT DETERMINE WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR UNTIL IT WAS TAKEN APART AND EXAMINED. THE FIRST EXAMINATION DETERMINED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN AND HAD FAILED AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE MECHANIC ALSO EXPLAIN THAT THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE TO BE TAKEN APART TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE. I SAID YES, ALTHOUGH I KNOW IT WOULD BE AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR. I THOUGHT WITH THE LOW MILES (58,767) ON THE CAR, THE WORK WOULD BE WORTH WHILE. THE EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED A DAMAGED HEAD AND BENT VALVES. WHAT LOOKED LIKE A $1000.00 TIMING CHANGE REPLACEMENT QUICKLY WENT TO SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS WORTH OF DAMAGE! I CALLED THE SATURN DEALER TO SEE ABOUT WARRANTIES THAT WENT WITH THE CAR AND WHAT HELP THEY COULD PROVIDE. THEY EXPLAIN THAT THEY COULDN'T CONSIDER A WARRANTY WITHOUT FIRST EXAMING THE CAR IN THEIR OWN SHOP AND HAVING ALL THE MAINTENANCE RECORDS PROVIDED TO THEM. WITH THE ADDITIONAL TOWING FEES, EXAMINATION FEES FROM THE LOCAL MECHANIC, AND NO GURANTEES FROM THE SATURN DEALER; I DECIDE TO ALLOW THE LOCAL MECHANIC TO DO THE WORK. THE FOLLOWING PARTS HAD TO BE REPLACE DUE TO THE 'PREMATURE" FAILURE OF THE TIMING CHAIN: HEAD, HEAD GASKET, VALVE GASKET, FRONT COVER GASKET, TIMING CHAIN KIT, VALVES, BELT, SPARK PLUGS, WIRE SET, FILTER, OIL, AND ANTIFREEZE. THE TOTAL BILL CAME TO $ 2,480.80. THE CAR IS RUNNING FINE NOW.