2004 SATURN ION Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR INSPECTION TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO HOW LOOSE THE WHEEL WAS WHEN IT WAS COMING DOWN FROM THE LIFT. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT AFTER LEAVING THE SHOP AND DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, SHE NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD PULL TO THE RIGHT, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO MAKE LEFT TURNS AND WOULD BE EXTREMELY EASY TO MAKE A RIGHT TURNS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED FOR THE STEERING COLUMN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 139,400.

WHEN I WAS GOING SOUTH ON I-95 IN GEORGIA I HEARD A WARNING TONE FROM MY SATURN AND SAW A WARNING ON MY DASH THAT WAS FOR THE POWER STEERING. IMMEDIATELY I COULD TELL I HAD LOST MY POWER STEERING BECAUSE CHANGING LANES FELT SLUGGISH AND A BIT DIFFICULT. (NOT PHYSICALLY DIFFICULT BUT MORE DIFFICULT THAN USUAL) THE LIGHT STAYS ON AND I HAVE NO POWER STEERING UNTIL I SHUT OFF THE CAR AND RESTART IT. THEN IT IS LIKE NOTHING HAS HAPPENED. AT SLOWER SPEEDS THIS COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF FORCE THAT IS REQUIRED TO TURN. THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IS NOT FOR ME BUT FOR MY WIFE WHO CANNOT PHYSICALLY CONTROL THE CAR WHEN THIS HAPPENS. THIS IS DEFINITELY A DANGEROUS PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF. *TR

TRAVELING ON AN INTERSTATE AT 65 MPH WE HEARD A TONE INDICATING SOMETHING WAS WRONG, STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT AND WE NOTICED THAT THE POWER STEERING INDICATOR LIGHT WAS ON. THE POWER STEERING WAS GONE AND IT BECAME VERY HARD TO STEER AND WAS UNABLE TO QUICKLY MANEUVER. WE PULLED OVER, TURNED OFF THE CAR AND THEN RESTARTED IT AND THE POWER STEERING CAME BACK ON. SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN AFTER TRAVELING A FEW MILES. WE WERE ABLE TO GET HOME AND NOW THE POWER STEERING SHUTS DOWN EVERY FEW MINUTES. CAR IS UNSAFE ON PUBLIC ROADS IN REGARDS TO BEING ABLE TO MAKE QUICK MANEUVERS AND COULD LEAD TO ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES. CLEARLY A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM NOT NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. CHEV. & PONT. CARS WITH SAME EQUIPMENT AND COMPLAINTS WERE RECALLED. SATURNS SHOULD BE ALSO. THERE IS AN OPEN ACTION NUMBER OF EA11014. *TR ..UPDATED 12/11/12 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED SATURN VOLUNTEERED TO REPLACE A PORTION OF THE STEERING THAT CONTROLLED THE POWER STEERING AT NO CHARGE. UPDATED 12/12/12

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC STOP, THE VEHICLE ERRONEOUSLY ACCELERATED AS THE CONTACT HAD THE BRAKES APPLIED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 108,000.

THE IGNITION WOULD NOT ENGAGE COULD NOT START THE CAR AND REPLACED THE ENTIRE SYSTEM AT 400.00 COST. LESS THAN A YEAR LATER, THE KEY NOW WILL NOT COME OUT OF THE IGNITION AND THE CAR WILL NOT TURN OFF. I DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY AND IT STILL WOULD NOT TURN OFF. AFTER MORE THAN 30 MINUTES, AND THE ENGINE OVERHEATING WE WERE ABLE TO PULL ENOUGH FUSES TO SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. THEY SAY I HAVE TO REPLACE THE SAME SYSTEM AGAIN. I HAVE HEARD THAT THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR AND I CAN'T GET ANY ANSWERS FROM GM. I CAN NOT AFFORD TO REPLACE THIS SYSTEM AGAIN AT A COST OF 400.00 PLEASE HELP ME WITH. *TR

OUT OF THE BLUE, THE CONSOLE MADE ALERT NOISES AND THE "PWR STR" MESSAGE APPEARED. THE STEERING BECAME ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL, AS THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. FORTUNATELY, I WAS IN A HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AND NOT THE HIGHWAY, INTERSECTION OR OTHER DANGEROUS AREA. *TR

OUR CAR, 2004, SATURN ION3, CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE DRIVEWAY ON IT'S OWN ABOUT 2 HOURS AFTER IT WAS DRIVEN HOME ON 4 NOV 2011. NO DRIVER - NO KEY IN THE VEHICLE WHEN IT CAUGHT FIRE. I SUBMITTED AN INITIAL REQUEST FOR REVIEW TO GM CLAIMS ALONG WITH ALL DOCUMENTATION THAT WE HAD VIA EMAILS AND OUR CLAIM WAS DENIED. *TR

EXCESSIVE BRAKE CHATTER IN FRONT BRAKES WHEN WET FROM A HARD RAIN OR RAIN PUDDLES. HARD TO STEER CAR, CAR SHUDDERS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SATURN ION. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE WARNING CHIME BEGAN TO SOUND. AFTER SHUTTING THE ENGINE OFF AND RESTARTING THE VEHICLE, THE STEERING FUNCTIONED NORMALLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED ONE MONTH LATER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 106,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SATURN ION-3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILED AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME INOPERABLE. THE CONTACT MANAGED TO EXIT THE ROADWAY WITHOUT INCIDENT HOWEVER, EXPERIENCED EXTREME DIFFICULTY IN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE WHO ADVISED THAT THE REPAIR WAS NOT UNDER RECALL AND OFFERED NO ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,755. AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 75,756.