NHTSA Complaint #10280448 — 2001 SATURN LS

2001 SATURN L100, CAR BROKE DOWN ON MASS PIKE, OVERHEATED; TOWED TO MECHANIC, HE REPLACED THERMOSTAT, BUT THE WATER PUMP WAS STILL NOT OPERATING CORRECTLY AND IN PROCESS OF FURTHER TESTING FOUND ONE OF THE TIMING CHAINS HAD BROKEN AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED; (THIS SATURN MODEL HAS TWO CHAINS-ONE RUNS THE ENGINE AND ONE THE COOLING SYSTEM); WHEN LOOKING UP THE INFORMATION TO ORDER THE PARTS FOR THE REPAIR HE GOT A TECH NOTE ON A RECALL FOR THIS SPECIFIC PROBLEM. ONLY SATURN SAID MY VIN NUMBER IS NOT COVERED IN THE RECALL. I'VE SEEN MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS LIKE THIS ON THE WEB. SATURN WILL NOT REPLACE THE TIMING CHAIN AS A PART OF THE RECALL. I AM HAVING IT DONE ON MONDAY AT SATURN OF MEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS. I WAS TOLD TO BE SURE TO REGISTER THIS COMPLAINT WITH YOU IN HOPE OF HAVING THE RECALL EXPANDED TO COVER MY CAR AND OTHERS LIKE IT WITH THIS PROBLEM THAT WAS RECALLED, BUT THAT SATURN HAS SOMEHOW FOUND A LOOP HOLE AND IS NOT FIXING. I HAVE NOT HAD A CAR SINCE JULY 28--THE LONGEST SINCE I WAS 16; MY EMAIL IS [email protected]; KAREN BURKE; SHOULD I ASK SATURN TO SAVE THE OLD PARTS? I SENT EMAIL INFORMATION TO JOHN PAUL AND HANK PHILLIPPE RYAN--LOCAL SOURCES FOR HELP IN MATTERS LIKE THIS. JOHN PAUL RESPONDED AND SUGGESTED I BE SURE TO REGISTER THIS COMPLAINT IN HOPE OF EXPANDING THE RECALL. THE INCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO THE STATE POLICE BECAUSE IT WAS A CLOSED ROAD--AAA COULD NOT RESPOND TO MY NEED FOR A TOW. I WAS REFERRED THROUGH THE STATE POLICE FOR SERVICE ON THE MASS PIKE. AGAIN I HAVE SEEN OTHER COMPLAINTS ONLINE ABOUT THIS SITUATION. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE RECALL EXPANDED. OBVIOUSLY THE PROBLEM EXISTS, MY CAR IS PROOF. *TR