NHTSA Complaint #10352900 — 2000 SATURN LS

ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 2010, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ILLUMINATED IN MY 2000 SATURN LS2 SEDAN. AS EXPECTED, I TOOK IT IN FOR A DIAGNOSIS. THE DIAGNOSIS I RECEIVED WAS QUITE INTERESTING. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A LEFT BANK 02 SENSOR FAILURE (2 BANK SYSTEM) AND THAT THE CAR'S COMPUTER FAILED AND NEEDS REPLACEMENT. I WAS INFORMED THAT IF I DON'T REPLACE THE COMPUTER, I CAN CONTINUE TO EXPECT MAJOR COMPONENTS IN THE VEHICLE TO FAIL ON A CONTINUOUS BASIS. THE REPAIR SHOP REPLACED THE 02 SENSOR BUT WANTS OVER $1,000 TO REPLACE THE COMPUTER! I REPORTED THE DEFECTS TO THE MANUFACTURER POINTING OUT THAT THIS IS THE STRAW THAT BROKE THE CAMEL'S BACK FOR ME. I HAVE HAD EVERY SINGLE ROUTINE MAINTENANCE ITEM AND ALL RECOMMENDED SERVICE AND REPAIRS DONE AT SATURN DEALERSHIPS SINCE THE TIME I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW, WITH ONE OR TWO EXCEPTIONS. WHENEVER I WOULD CALL THE MANUFACTURER TO REPORT PROBLEMS OR COMPLAIN ABOUT THE CONDITION OF THE VEHICLE, I WAS TOLD IN THE LAST FEW RECENT YEARS THAT THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY DUE TO THE MILEAGE AND THAT I SHOULD TAKE IT TO ONE OF THEIR AUTHORIZED REPAIR FACILITIES AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. NO ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF MY CONCERNS WAS EVER MADE AND THE DRONES OR ROBOTS AT THE CALL CENTER KEPT REPEATING THE SAME MESSAGE ABOUT THE MILEAGE. I KNOW OF OTHERS WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME OR SIMILAR CONCERNS AND THE MANUFACTURER'S HABIT OF IGNORING THE PROBLEMS DO NOT MAKE THEM GO AWAY. TOYOTA LEARNED THAT LESSON RECENTLY. SATURN OWNERS SHOULD NOT JUST BE THROWN OUT IN THE COLD BECAUSE GM HAS DECIDED THAT THEY ARE THE STEP CHILDREN OF THEIR PRODUCT LINE. I HAVE SPENT MORE MONEY IN "OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY" REPAIRS ON THIS VEHICLE THAN EVER SHOULD HAVE OCCURRED. THE QUESTION OF THE DAY WOULD BE IF I GOT ALL RECOMMENDED ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, WHY DOES THE VEHICLE CONTINUALLY FALL APART? GM HAS EVIDENCE THAT I WAS A REGULAR AND DILIGENT CUSTOMER WHEN IT CAME TO ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS. THEY NEED TO DO RIGHT BE US! *TR