2003 SATURN ION Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN ION. WHILE ACCELERATING ONTO A HIGHWAY AT 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ABNORMALLY DECELERATE WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC TEST INDICATED THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THEY WOULD GET BACK WITH THE CONTACT TO DETERMINE IF ANY ASSISTANCE WOULD BE PROVIDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 74,085.

POWER STEERING FAILURE. SPORADIC LURCHING LEFT OR RIGHT AT ANY GIVEN TIME. UNSAFE CONDITION. *TR

BOUGHT A 2003 SATURN ION 2 AND IT WILL PERIODICALLY LOCK OUT THE IGNITION SYSTEM SO YOU HAVE TO WAIT 8-10 MINUTES TO START THE CAR. WE HAVE REPLACED, THE IGNITION SWITCH, STARTER, BATTERY, AND A FEW OTHER PARTS TO NO AVAIL. IT WAS ONCE IN JAN. OF 2010 AND THEN AGAIN IN MARCH, BUT NOW IN JUNE IT HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES IN 2 DAYS. I READ ON A FORUM THAT PEOPLE WERE HAVING THIS PROBLEM IN COLD WEATHER CLIMATES DURING WINTER, BUT HAWAII IS A MODERATE CLIMATE YEAR ROUND, NO EXCUSE. *TR

I AM REALLY GETTING TIRED OF THIS PART BREAKING AND GM NEEDS TO FIND A FIX AND RECALL THIS CAR AND SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I FOUND 44 PAGES OF THE SAME COMPLAINT ON THIS SAME CAR ON THIS WEBSITE: (HTTP://WWW.CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM/AUTOMOTIVE/SATURN_IGNITION_LOCK.HTML) I OWN A 2003 SATURN ION SEDAN. MY IGNITION IS STUCK IN THE ON POSITION. THE ONLY WAY I CAN SHUT MY CAR OFF IS TO PULL THE FUSE TO THE ECM. THE KEY DOES NOT TURN IN ANY DIRECTION AND WILL PULL OUT OF THE SOCKET WITH THE CAR RUNNING. I HAVE HAD THIS IGNITION PART CHANGED 4 TIMES ALREADY. THE FIRST TWO TIMES WAS UNDER WARRANTY AND THE KEY WOULD PULL OUT WITH CAR RUNNING, THE SECOND TWO TIMES I HAD TO PAY FOR. THE LAST TWO TIMES IT WOULD NOT LET ME START THE CAR BECAUSE OF THE KEY NOT BEING ABLE TO TURN. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IT WON'T LET ME TURN IT OFF. I KNOW THIS IS AN OLDER CAR, BUT THIS IS TOO MUCH... [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THERE WAS A SAFETY ALERT LETTER ISSUED NOVEMBER OF 2009 FOR 2003 SATURN ION OWNERS WITH STIPULATIONS CLAIMING THAT THE CAR HAD TO BE IN SERVICE FOR 5 YEARS OR LESS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE PART REPAIRED AT NO COST. NO ONE FALLS UNDER THIS CRITERIA CONSIDERING THAT THIS ALERT WAS SENT OUT IN NOVEMBER OF 2009, REFER TO SAFETY ALERT #09280. MY CAR HAS 55,000 MILES ON IT AND A TRANSMISSION IS NOT AN EXPENSE THAT A SATURN CUSTOMER SHOULD HAVE TO BE PAYING IN MY OPINION. THEY DO OFFER A 50% OFF DEAL WHERE THEY TAKE CARE OF HALF THE COST. IT'S A $5000 JOB AND HALF IS $2500, STILL A VERY HIGH COST FOR A PROBLEM THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED A RECALL. I HAVE ONLY HAD THIS CAR FOR 2 YEARS AND TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM ON A CAR THAT I HAVE A CAR PAYMENT ON. PLEASE ASSIST THE SATURN OWNERS IN FINDING OUT HOW THIS DID NOT BECOME A RECALL. SO MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS ISSUE AND IT SEEMS UNFAIR TO HAVE TO PAY MORE MONEY FOR A DEFECT IN THE SATURN ION AND VUE'S TRANSMISSION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND HELP IN THIS MATTER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN ION. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN IN ANY DIRECTION. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 130,000.

I WAS AT A STOP SIGN AND MY CLUTCH PEDAL DISCONNECTED FROM ITS SOCKET JUST AS I WAS ABOUT TO BEGIN DRIVING. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH WHEN THE POWER STEERING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE HOME, TURNED IT OFF AND RESTARTED IT; THE POWER STEERING SEEMED TO RESET AND FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS OR WARRANTIES THAT WOULD COVER THE FAILURE; HOWEVER, THEY OFFERED TO PERFORM A DIAGNOSTIC TEST FOR A FEE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT SPOKEN WITH THE MANUFACTURER WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 102,000.

2003 SATURN ION. SEPTEMBER 09. DROVE CAR. PARKED. COULD NOT GET KEY OUT OF IGNITION. WAITED 10 MINUTES. KEY CAME OUT. HAD IGNITION SWITCH REPLACED AT SATURN DEALER. NEXT WEEK THE SAME THING HAPPENED. HAD IGNITION SWITCH REPLACED AGAIN.(AT MY EXPENSE). KEY CONTINUES TO INTERMITTENTLY STICK IN THE IGNITION. I CAN NOT GET OUT OF MY CAR UNTIL I GET THE KEY OUT. LOOK AT THE WEBSITE AND READ ALL THE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. HTTP://WWW.CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM/AUTOMOTIVE/SATURN_IGNITION_LOCK_P5.HTML NO WONDER GM CLOSED OUT THE SATURN LINE. JUST AS BAD AS TOYOTA. THE MECHANICS AT THE SATURN DEALERSHIP KNEW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, BUT THEY OFFERED NO PERMANENT FIX. THIS IS WHY I DON'T TRUST AMERICAN MADE CARS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN ION. THE POWER STEERING FAILS INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE POWER STEERING LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE DURING AND SOMETIMES AFTER THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE CONTACT WOULD SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE FOR A FEW MINUTES FOR THE POWER STEERING TO RESET ITSELF TO NORMAL. THE DEALER ADVISED HAVING A DIAGNOSTIC PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE BEFORE REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 43,225. UPDATED 05/19/10. *LJ