NHTSA Complaint #703614 — 1995 SATURN SL

MY CAR HAD 26,653 MILES ON IT, BEING ONLY 3.5 YEARS OLD, WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCCURED, FEB.10, 1999. THE EGR VALVE WENT, WITH NO PRIOR WARNING, AND NO EARLIER SIGNS OF FAILURE. I WAS DRIVING ON AN OPEN HIGHWAY, WHEN CAR STALLED. THE "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT" LIT. I BARELY GOT VEHICLE OFF TO SIDE OF ROAD. RESTARTED CAR LONG ENOUGH TO GET IT TO AN OPEN PARKING LOT (APPROX 1 MILE), WHERE IT COASTED TO A STOP, AND COULD NOT BE RESTARTED. NEXT MORNING, FEB 11, 1999, HAD TO HAVE CAR TOWED TO SATURN OF CLARENCE FOR REPAIR. BECAUSE CAR WAS OFF 3 YR WARANTEE, I HAD TO PAY FOR ALL REPAIRS, REPLACEMENTS, AND LABOR. I FELT THIS WAS UNWARANTED, AS THE EGR SHOULD NOT HAVE BECOME DEFECTIVE IN A VEHICLE, WITH LOW MILEAGE. HEAVY CARBON BUILD-UP TO EGR VALVE, NEEDING IT'S REPLACEMENT. THROTTLE BODY HAD TO BE CLEANED FOR SAME REASON. ALSO REPLACED: 2 COILS, AND 4 PLUG WIRES. CAR NOT RUNNING ROUGH PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT DATE. NEW INFORMATION LEARNED INDICATES THAT SATURN & GM, HAVING TROUBLE WITH EGR VALVES PREMATURELY NEEDING REPLACEMENT DUE TO CARBON BUILD-UP. THANK YOU, FOR YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION. DLK