Even though my VIN number was in a range listed by GM as having a faulty timing chain, GM refused to help me with the repair. The car had less than 100,000 miles on it. Fortunately I am handy so I pulled the engine and had it professionally rebuilt, then re-installed it. If that is the way GM treats their customers, then I will not buy another GM. It is too bad, because other than that instance, it has been a great car. That was over 4 years ago and we still drive it today.

This is one of the few cars I have ever bought with less than 100,000 miles on it and it broke. I usually don’t buy cars under 120,000 miles. My main car has 252,000 (MB SL500) and is running strong.

First of all we loved our Saturn. It was a great car.

My 2001 Saturn Lw200 has a serial number that falls in the Recall 06074A issued January 2008 for a defective timing chain. I never received the recall notice. I found the notice by searching the internet after my timing chain broke and destroying my engine. I printed a copy of the recall and called Saturn national service. Initially Saturn Service could not find the RECALL. I offered to fax it to them. At that they mysteriously found it. Saturn now claims only select VIN numbers are included yet they fail to give me a list of those included or to give me the number of who decides which VIN numbers are included. Tier two customer service agent Latasha had me call the National Highway Traffic Safety and the Main GM number of 313-556-5000. All attempts to get a list of included number or how VIN numbers were selected fell on deaf ears. One has to wonder if a list exists or if the recall had any real substance. My guess is that there is no list of included VIN number and this is just a 'shell game' to get out of paying for repairs. I guess it is ok for them to take my tax dollars but they are not obligated to honor their customers. This was my first GM. Saturn was billed on their customer service. Do you think I will even consider another one? I'll let you be the judge. Thanks for nothing 'Government Motors'.

Update from Feb 22, 2010: I decided to repair the car. Given the timing chain was a know (and recalled) problem, putting a used engine in would necessitate me partially disassembling the used engine to replace the timing chain. By the time you go through all that, the cost would be fairly close to the cost to just completely rebuild the engine. I shopped around and selected Carolina Machine Engines (www.cmengines.com). They picked up the engine and delivered it back to my home. They completely rebuilt my engine replacing ALL parts excluding the ‘hard’ metals (block, head, crank, cams, and connecting rods.) They returning it with a full installation gasket set and even replaced the water pump all for $2600 door to door. I would highly recommend this quality shop.