NHTSA Complaint #10513365 — 2001 SATURN LS

VEHICLE 2001 SATURN L200 , WAS BEING DRIVEN AT APPROX 10MPH THRU RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD APPROX 100 YARDS FROM RESIDENCE, APPROACHING STOP SIGN. GM WAS CONTACTED ABOUT RECALL WAS TOLD VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF RECALL, BY 5 UNITS. VEHICLE SAT FOR 6 MONTHS. I EXAMINED ENGINE FOUND TIMING CHAIN TO BE BROKEN. 4 BENT VALVES, CYL 2 BOTH INTAKE & CYL 4 BOTH EXHAUST VALVES. CYL 2 & 4 PISTONS HAD HEAVY IMPACT MARKS, CYL 1 PISTON HAD LIGHT IMPACT MARKS, FROM THE VALVES HITTING THEM. PARTS REPLACED UPDATED TIMING CHAIN KIT, BALANCE SHAFT CHAIN, TENSIONER & GEARS WATER PUMP & THERMOSTAT CYLINDER HEAD GASKET UPPER KIT CYLINDER HEAD BOLT SET TIMING COVER GASKET KIT DRIVE BELT TENSIONER & DRIVE BELT SPARK PLUGS 4 COST TO REPAIR APROX: $2700 PARTS & LABOR EXAMINATION OF THE PARTS REMOVED SHOW'S THE OILER FOR THE TIMING CHAIN TO BE OF SIGNIFICANTLY SMALLER SIZE THAN THE UPDATED CHAIN OILER IN THE NEW UPDATED TIMING CHAIN KIT. CHAIN WAS EXCESSIVELY WORN AND BROKE AT A LINK, CHAIN TENSIONER WAS IN PIECES. THEIR IS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT THE ENGINE IN THIS VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE RECALL. *TR