NHTSA Complaint #10360849 — 2002 SATURN LS

I HAVE DISCOVERED THE CAUSE OF THE EXTREMELY HIGH FAILURE RATE IN THE BCM'S IN THE SATURN L-SERIES SEDANS. IN AN INVESTIGATION TO FIND THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE FAILURE OF THE BCM, WE PULLED THE BCM OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND PERFORMED ELECTRICAL TESTS ON THE UNIT TO DETERMINE THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEMS WE WERE EXPERIENCING. THE ROOT CAUSE TURNS OUT TO BE MICROSCOPIC FRACTURES IN THE SOLDER JOINTS ON THE HEADER CONNECTOR BETWEEN THE BCM AND THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS. THESE FRACTURES ARE BELIEVED TO BE CAUSED BY IMPROPER MOUNTING OF THE HEADER CONNECTOR TO THE MAIN BOARD OF THE BCM. AS THE MANUFACTURE OF THE HEADER CONNECTOR HAS PROVIDED STRAIN RELIEF MOUNTING POINTS ON THE CONNECTOR TO KEEP IT WELL MOUNTED TO THE BOARD SO VIBRATION WILL NOT AFFECT THE JOINTS TO ALL OF THE PINS. SATURN HAS FAILED TO USE THESE MOUNT POINTS AND HAS OPTED TO NOT USE ANY MECHANICAL DEVICE OR BOLTS TO SECURE THE HEADER CONNECTOR TO THE MAINBOARD AT ALL. THIS ULTIMATELY LEADS TO THE VIBRATION CAUSED MICRO FRACTURES IN THE PIN SOLDER JOINTS CAUSING INTERMITTENT ELECTRICAL OPENS TO THE MAINBOARD ON THE HEADER PINS.THE ULTIMATE SAFETY COMPLAINT COMES INTO PLAY WHEN THE BCM STOPS DISPLAYING INFORMATION ON THE DASH (I.E. ALL OF THE DASH GAUGES GO DEAD), THE DRIVER HAS NO IDEA OF WHAT SPEED THEY ARE DOING, NOR IF ANY OF THE SAFETY SYSTEMS IN THE VEHICLE ARE WORKING AT ALL. THE ELECTRICAL ENGINEER THAT SIGNED OFF ON THE PLANS FOR THIS DESIGN SHOULD HAVE AN ETHICS VIOLATION COMPLAINT FILED AS WELL, FOR KNOWINGLY ALLOWING THIS TYPE OF PRODUCT TO GO INTO FULL PRODUCTION PUTTING THE GENERAL PUBLIC SAFETY INTO QUESTION. *TR