NHTSA Complaint #10198717 — 2001 SATURN LS

NOT SURE IF I REPORTED HERE ALREADY, BUT DOING SO AGAIN JUST IN CASE. I OWN A 2001 SATURN L200 ("PREMIUM CERTIFIED" PRE-OWNED). IT FALLS SQUARELY WITHIN THE DATE OF MANUFACTURER OF THE TIMING CHAIN DEFECT (MY CAR WAS MANUFACTURED 2/01). I RECENTLY EXPERIENCED THE TIMING CHAIN FAILURE, TO THE TUNE OF $2900 WORTH OF REPAIR COST. AS WRITTEN ON THE REPAIR ORDER, THIS WAS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE TENSIONER (SP?) PROBLEM WITH THE CHAIN DESIGN. MY FAILURE HAPPENED UPON STARTING MY VEHICLE IN MY DRIVEWAY; HOWEVER, IN MY RESEARCH ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, THERE ARE MANY, MANY PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCED THIS WHILE DRIVING AND IT IS ONLY A MIRACLE THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ANY DEATHS OR SERIOUS INJURIES RESULTING FROM THIS DEFECT (AT LEAST, NOT THAT WE KNOW OF). MY VEHICLE HAD 80K MILES AT THE TIME...HOWEVER, MOST OF THOSE MILES WERE HIGHWAY (LONG TRIPS DOWN SOUTH). I WONDER WHETHER IT TOOK SO LONG FOR THIS TO HAPPEN BECAUSE I STARTED MY CAR LESS OFTEN THAT OTHER PEOPLE. IN ANY CASE, I WANTED TO ENCOURAGE A RECALL, SINCE THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A WIDESPREAD DEFECT AND A DANGEROUS CONDITION NOT ONLY TO THE OWNERS OF THE VEHICLES, BUT TO OTHER DRIVERS, AS WELL. SEARCH THE WEB AND SEE HOW MANY SITES THERE ARE WITH STORIES OF CHAIN FAILURE IN THIS VEHICLE--I GUARANTEE YOU WILL FIND HUNDREDS--QUITE A LARGE PERCENTAGE FOR THE SHORT MANUFACTURING PERIOD OF THIS PARTICULAR MODEL, NOT TO MENTION MANY OTHER SATURN MODELS WITH THE SAME DESIGN. MY DATE OF FAILURE IS WITHIN A DAY OR TWO--I DON'T HAVE THE PAPERWORK WITH ME. *JB