NHTSA Complaint #10234562 — 2002 SATURN LS

MY 2002 SATURN L200, PURCHASED FROM SATURN OF SCHAUMBURG IN DECEMBER OF 2005, NO LONGER RUNS BECAUSE OF A 'SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW IN THE TIMING CHAIN MECHANISM'. THE VEHICLE HAS ONLY ABOUT 48,000 MILES ON IT AND THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THIS CAUSED THE VALVES IN THE ENGINE TO BEND. I WAS TOLD BY SATURN OF SCHAUMBURG THAT THIS PROBLEM DID NOT EFFECT MY MAKE OR YEAR, ONLY 2001 VEHICLES. I WAS FURTHER TOLD THAT THIS PROBLEM 'HARDLY EVER HAPPENED WITH THE L-SERIES' HOWEVER, UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION I DISCOVERED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN ASSEMBLY USED IN THE RECALLED VEHICLES WAS ALSO USED IN MODEL YEAR 1999 THROUGH 2003 SATURN L-SERIES VEHICLES WITH 2.2 LITER ENGINES, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE MY VEHICLE. I GOT THIS INFORMATION FROM CONSUMER AFFAIRS. I ALSO FOUND THAT SATURN HAS REPAIRED 2,932 VEHICLES UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE OF TIMING CHAIN FAILURES AND THERE ARE ANOTHER 890 CONSUMER COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS PROBLEM. WHEN I CALLED WITH THIS NEW INFORMATION I WAS TOLD THAT I HAD TO TOW MY DISABLED VEHICLE TO SATURN FOR THEIR DIAGNOSIS AT ADDITIONAL COST TO MYSELF BEFORE THEY COULD TELL ME IF ANY OF THE COST OF REPAIR (ESTIMATED AT $2,272.00 BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC) WOULD BE COVERED BY SATURN. I ALSO SPOKE TO TIM IN SATURN'S CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER, WHO SAID HE WOULD TRY TO GET THE DIAGNOSIS CHARGED WAIVED, BUT PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO. HE ALSO INFORMED ME THAT SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE USED, IF SATURN DID DECIDE TO COVER SOMETHING IT WAS HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT THEY WOULD COVER 100%. *TR