NHTSA Complaint #10254791 — 2001 SATURN LS

IN JUNE OF 2007, MY HUSBAND AND DAUGHTER WERE TRAVELING TO LOS ANGELES, WHEN OUR 2001 SATURN L200 (WITH ONLY 65,714 MILES) STOPPED RUNNING ON THE FREEWAY OUTSIDE OF SANTA BARBARA, CA. THAT MORNING THE CAR STARTED, DROVE OFF FINE AND GAVE NO WARNING OF ANYTHING GOING WRONG, UNTIL THE CAR'S ENGINE IMMEDIATELY STOPPED AND FORTUNATELY THEY WERE NOT INVOLVED NOR THE CAUSE OF AN ACCIDENT. THE SATURN WAS TOWED AND THE MECHANIC INFORMED US THAT IT NEEDED A NEW ENGINE AS THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE. UPON CALLING SATURN WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE CAR WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY, AND THEY WOULD NOT PAY FOR THE NEW ENGINE. WE DID FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE SATURN CUSTOMER CARE CENTER. WE INCURRED A $3,000+ REPAIR BILL BEFORE HAVING THE ENGINE REBUILT. AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION, WE HAD LEARNED THAT THE '00-'03 L SERIES WERE BEING INVESTIGATED BY THE NHTSA AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS. WE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE CONSUMER AFFAIRS , BUT NOT WITH NHTSA AS OUR YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL WAS CURRENTLY UNDER INVESTIGATION. YESTERDAY, WE LOOKED AT THE NHTSA SITE TO SEE THE OUTCOME OF THE SATURN L200. AGAIN AFTER CONTACTING SATURN THEY STATED THAT THE RECALL DID NOT AFFECT OUR VIN. *TR