2004 SATURN ION Complaints

WHILE DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC ON RT 95 CAR STALLED AND IT TOOK A FEW MINUTES TO RESTART. HAVE A TERRIBLE TIME STARTING THE CAR IN MORNING AND ITS NOT THE BATTERY AS ITS ABOUT YEAR OLD. I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE THE COLD WEATHER BUT SOMETIMES IT STARTS SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T. I NEVER KNOW WHETHER ITS GOING TO START. WHEN THIS HAPPENS IT SOUNDS DEAD. I THINK THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH. HAVE TALKED TO OTHER SATURN OWNERS WHO HAVE SAME PROBLEM AND THEY SAID A RELAY SWITCH CURED THE PROBLEM. *TR

12/14/2006 - 03/2014 - IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEMS OFF/ON - CAR WON'T START. FIRST TIME WON'T START, WAIT 15 MINUTES MOST OF THE TIME WILL THEN START IF NOT THEN WAIT 30 MINUTES THEN WILL START. THERE ARE OTHER TIMES THAT IT WILL START THEN "DIE" THEN START AFTER PARKING AT A STORE (GROCERY, LIBRARY, ETC... NOT AT AN OVER NIGHT WAIT). WHEN CHANGE OIL AT A DEALERSHIP I HAVE TOLD THEM THAT PROBLEM BUT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR NOT STARTING. IT HAPPENS OFF AND ON. MOST OF THE TIME THAT HAPPENS WHEN WEATHER IS COLD BUT HAS HAPPENED IN WARM WEATHER TOO JUST NOT AS MUCH. AGAIN, DEALERSHIPS NEVER FINDS THE PROBLEM BECAUSE IT ONLY HAPPENS OFF AND ON FOR THE LIST EIGHT (8) YEARS! SO AT 60 YEARS OLD I COULD BE STUCK IN VERY COLD OR VERY HOT WEATHER FOR 15 - 45 MINUTES AND IT MAY NOT BE SAFE! NOW HAVE 39,189 MILES ON MY CAR WITH THE SAME 3,918 MILE PROBLEM! *TR

THE TIMING CHAIN HAS BUSTED WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK. THE ENGINE JUST STOPPED OUT OF NOWHERE

MY 2004 SATURN ION INTERMITTENTLY WILL NOT RELEASE THE KEY FROM THE ACC POSITION AS WELL AS WHEN TRYING TO START IT THE SECURITY SYSTEM WILL INTERMITTENTLY KEEP THE CAR FROM STARTING, I WILL GO TO START THE VEHICLE AND THEN IT WILL START TO CRANK THEN SHUT DOWN, I HAVE TO WAIT 10 MIN THEN THE CAR WILL START. IT IS STARTING TO HAPPEN MORE FREQUENTLY AND I SEEN THE JUST DID A RECALL ON 2/25/2014 ON IGNITION SWITCHES FOR MY YEAR AND MODEL OF SATURN BUT MY VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED AND I CAN SEE THAT SEVERAL COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN PUT IN AND THIS IN MANY CASES WAS JUST A START TO WHAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE INCURRED @ SOME POINT MOST OTHER PEOPLE COMPLAIN EVENTUALLY THEN CANNOT GET THE ENGINE TO STOP RUNNING. I AM TRYING TO FIND OUT WHY MY VIN IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL AS I JUST TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE SHOP COINCIDENTALLY FOR THIS PROBLEM AS THEY TOLD ME WAS THE IGNITION SWITCH BUT DID NOT HAVE THE FUNDS TO REPAIR IT. THIS TO ME IS ABSURD WHEN YOU SEE THE AMOUNT OF COMPLAINTS AND NOW I FIND OUT 13 PEOPLE HAVE DIED! *TR

THE OUTSIDE WINDOW WEATHER STRIPPING IS WARPING AND CRACKING CAUSING JAGGED EDGES. IT STARTED TO RIPPLING ON THE FRONT DOORS NOW IT IS STARTING TO DO IT ON THE REAR DOORS. I HAD TO JUST REPLACE WEATHER STRIP. *TR

IT TURNS OUT SATURN ION IGNITION SWITCHES CAME WITH A FLAW FROM THE FACTORY, EXCESSIVE GREASE WITH POOR COLD WEATHER PERFORMANCE.THE PASSLOCK ISSUE PRESENTS ITSELF AS YOUR CAR SUDDENLY NOT STARTING. SUFFICE IT TO SAY IF THERE'S NO OBVIOUS REASON FOR YOUR VEHICLE TO NOT START, IT'S PROBABLY PASSLOCK RELATED. IF YOU'VE NOTICED THAT WAITING A FEW MINUTES SEEMS TO HELP, THAT'S THE CLINCHER. TEN MINUTES IS THE MAGIC NUMBER, THAT'S WHEN THE COMPUTER RESETS. IF YOU WERE CHARGED FOR A NEW BATTERY, STARTER, IGNITION SWITCH OR A TOW I SUGGEST YOU NOT LET THE ISSUE DROP, IT WASN'T YOUR FAULT OR RESPONSIBILITY. GM SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. FORGETTING THE UNPLEASANTNESS OF BEING STRANDED IN 10 MINUTE INCREMENTS (ALSO, THE CAR FAILS TO START SEVERAL TIMES IN A ROW, AS LONG AS 40 MINUTES BEFORE) THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE DEALT WITH ACCORDINGLY. CALLING THE PROBLEM A SAFETY ISSUE MIGHT SEEM LIKE A STRETCH BUT LET'S THINK FOR A MOMENT. WHAT IF YOU'RE TRYING TO FLEE AN EMERGENCY SITUATION (STALKER, LANDSLIDE, FIRE, FLOOD, ETC.) AND YOUR CAR FAILS TO START? WHAT IF IT'S -10 OUTSIDE AND YOUR CAR WON'T START? YOU'RE NOW STUCK IN A FREEZING CAR FOR A MINIMUM OF 10 EXTRA MINUTES, GOING INSIDE ISN'T ALWAYS AN OPTION! LEAVING ASIDE THE SAFETY EXAMPLES, THINK OF EVERYDAY LIFE, TODAY IS BIG MEETING DAY, YOU'RE READY TO LEAVE AND... CAR WON'T START. SAFETY & RELIABILITY ARE TWO (2) KEY ITEMS DEFINITELY FAILING IN ORDER FOR DRIVING TO AND FROM ANY DESTINATION. I FEEL GM/SATURN SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS DEFECT. AS FAR AS I KNOW, THERE HAS BEEN NO NOTIFICATION FROM GM/SATURN REGARDING THIS DEFECT. WITH THE RECENT FIX, I PAID $550.00 FOR THE REPAIR OF THE IGNITION SWITCH, NEW BATTERY, STARTER AND PLUGS, WHICH ALL NEEDED TO BE CHANGED DUE TO THE STRESS & STRAIN OF THIS "STARTING" ISSUE. I WOULD APPRECIATE REIMBURSEMENT OF THE AMOUNT STATED. PLEASE REPLY...[XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

2004 SATURN ION. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING FAILURE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED SHE FIRST STARTED HAVING FRONT SUSPENSION PROBLEMS, WHICH THE DEALER FIXED FREE OF CHARGE. THE EXHAUST WAS LEAKING AND SHE PAID TO HAVE IT REPLACED, ALONG WITH THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. ALSO, THE HORN STOPPED WORKING. THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A LETTER IN JULY 2012, FROM GM STATING THE WARRANTY WAS BEING EXTENDED BECAUSE THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING COULD FAIL. ON DECEMBER 16, 2013, THE POWER STEERING FAILED, AS THE CONSUMER WAS LEAVING A PARKING LOT. SHE HAD TO USE EXTRA FORCE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. AFTER A COUPLE OF MINUTES, IT WAS BACK TO NORMAL. A TEST REVEALED, THERE WAS INDEED A FAILURE. WHEN THE CONSUMER CALLED GM, SHE WAS INFORMED THE EXTENDED WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED ON 11/28/13 THE CONSUMER NO LONGER OWNS THE VEHICLE. UPDATED 02/5/14

I WAS DRIVING INTO PARKING LOT AND ELECTRIC POWER STEERING WARNING WITH ALARM CAME ON THE READOUT ON THE DASH. AT THAT TIME IT HAD BECOME NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL IN ANY DIRECTION. IF ANYONE HAD BEEN CLOSE ENOUGH TO ME THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A COLLISION. I TURNED THE IGNITION OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN AND THE ELECTRIC STEERING RETURNED. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE VEHICLE AND THIS INCIDENT PUT ME IN A PANIC MODE BECAUSE I AM PHYSICALLY DISABLED WITH DISABILITIES THAT AFFECT MY ARMS AND LEGS. TRYING TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN THE ELECTRIC STEERING FAILED CAUSED ME GREAT PAIN. I FEAR THAT IF THIS HAPPENS AGAIN THERE COULD BE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT WITH OTHER VEHICLES OR EVEN SERIOUS INJURIES TO PEDESTRIANS. THERE WAS NO WAY I COULD CONTROL THAT VEHICLE WITHOUT A FULLY FUNCTIONAL ELECTRIC STEERING. I CONSIDER MYSELF LUCKY THAT THE VEHICLE WAS GOING AT A VERY SLOW RATE OF SPEED AND NOT ON THE ROADWAY WHEN THIS HAPPENED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STARTING THE IGNITION, THE STEERING WHEEL FAILED TO MOVE AND THE POWER STEERING WARNING INDICATOR WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT PROCEEDED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE WITHOUT THE POWER STEERING ASSIST FUNCTION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER A RECALL ISSUED BY THE MANUFACTURER RELATED TO THE POWER STEERING COMPONENT. THE MALFUNCTION RECURRED AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED FOR THE MOST RECENT FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL FAILED WHILE REVERSING AND SPORADICALLY WHEN DRIVING. THE STEERING WHEEL HAD TO BE TURNED WITH FORCE. THE FAILURE WAS RECURRING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO HAVE A DIAGNOSTIC PERFORMED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000.