NHTSA Complaint #10235993 — 2001 SATURN LS

MY 2001 SATURN, L200 SERIES, STOPPED SUDDENLY WHILE DRIVING. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A NEARBY SATURN DEALER AFTER I WAS UNABLE TO RESTART IT. THE DEALERS SERVICE DEPARTMENT INFORMED ME THAT THE MY TIMING CHAIN WAS BROKEN AND IN THE PROCESS, SOME VALVES WERE BENT. I WAS LED TO BELIEVE BY THE DEALER THAT IT WAS PROBABLY DUE TO A LOW QUANTITY OF OIL. I WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED ANOTHER MOTOR AND THE COST WOULD ABOUT $2,900.00. I TOLD THEM THAT I WAS NOT IN A POSITION TO HAVE THEM REPAIR THE CAR AND THAT I WOULD HAVE IT TOWED TO ANOTHER LOCATION. CURRENTLY, THE CAR IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REPAIRED BY AN INDEPENDENT AUTO MECHANIC WHO INFORMED ME THAT MY CAR'S TIMING CHAIN SHOULD NOT HAVE BROKEN, WITH ONLY 88,000 MILES. ALSO, HE SAID THAT THE CAR HAD SUFFICIENT OIL (MY LAST OIL CHANGE IN APRIL, 2008) AND THAT IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE TIMING CHAIN BREAKING. AT THIS TIME, HE BELIEVES THAT TO FIX THE CAR, HE WILL NEED TO REPAIR THE ENGINE HEAD, AS WELL AS THE TIMING CHAIN AND SEVERAL VALVES AND REPLACE OIL AND OIL FILTER. *TR