NHTSA Complaint #10239714 — 2002 SATURN LS

WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 25-30 MPH AND THE ENGINE STALLED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. CREATED AN IMMEDIATE TRAFFIC HAZARD IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC AND COULD NOT MOVE OFF CURBED ROADWAY. TOWED TO REPAIR WHERE DIAGNOSIS IS BROKEN TIMING CHAIN. AFTER RESEARCHING ON THE INTERNET FOUND RECALL ON 2001 VERSION OF SAME VEHICLE. NOW I READ THERE IS AN INVESTIGATION AND SAME CONCERNS IN 1999-2003 VERSIONS OF THIS VEHICLE. I ALSO READ THAT SATURN IS CLAIMING THESE WOULD PROBABLY HAPPEN WHEN THE CAR IS IN PARK DUE TO HEAVY LOAD ON CHAIN AT THAT TIME. MINE FAILED AT APPROXIMATELY 25-30 MPH! I ALSO READ THAT IN REOPENING THIS CASE THE NHTSA IS ESPECIALLY INTERESTED IN THE NUMBER OF THESE FAILURES IN YEARS OTHER THAN 2001 IN WHICH THE VEHICLE WAS ON THE ROAD. MINE FITS THIS SITUATION. MY CAR IS BEING REPAIRED BUT I BELIEVE THAT SATURN SHOULD PAY THE BILL AS MY ENGINE IS THE SAME ONE THAT IS RECALLED JUST A YEAR LATER. SATURN DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM IN 2002 SO WHY WOULD THEY HAVE MADE A CHANGE IN THE ENGINE? SATURN OBVIOUSLY KNOWS THIS IS THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG AND IS HOPING TO GET BY WITH A ONE-YEAR RECALL WHEN IT SHOULD BE MORE. I HAVE MAINTAINED TIMELY MAINTENANCE OF MY 2002 SATURN WITH ROUTINE WORK (OIL CHANGES, ETC). THE VEHICLE HAS 99,000 MILES ON IT. *TR