2006 SATURN ION Complaints

ON FRIDAY WE GOT OUR 2006 SATURN ION OUT OF THE GM SERVICE DEPARTMENT AFTER HAVING A FROZEN AIR COMPRESSOR AND RIPPED SERPENTINE BELT REPLACED ($1400), ALONG WITH A TRANSMISSION LINE. AFTER DRIVING AND STOPPING THROUGHOUT THE DAY ON THE FOLLOWING MONDAY, I WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE VEHICLE ENGINE OFF AFTER I PUT THE CAR IN PARK IN THE DRIVEWAY OF MY HOME. I TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO TURN THE KEY TO THE OFF POSITION, BUT IT WAS LOCKED. I PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE AND IT MOVED FINE, BUT WHEN I DROVE BACK INTO PLACE AND TRIED TO SHUT IT OFF AGAIN, THE KEY WOULDN'T BUDGE SO THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN. WE DROVE IT BACK TO THE DEALER WHO WANTED TO CHARGE US AGAIN TO HAVE THE VEHICLE SERVICED. WE ALSO NOTICED THE COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON, EVEN THOUGH WE HAD ALL THE FLUIDS CHECKED TWO WEEKS PRIOR WHEN GETTING AN OIL CHANGE. THE DEALER SAID TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY TO SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. THIS DIDN'T WORK. ANOTHER RELIABLE SOURCE INSTRUCTED US TO DISCONNECT THE DISTRIBUTOR CAP TO AVOID THE ENGINE RUNNING ON THE ALTERNATOR. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO FIND A DISTRIBUTOR CAP, WE REALIZED THERE WAS NONE. A NEIGHBOR CAME AND DISCONNECTED A FUSE. THE KEY IS STILL LODGED IN THE IGNITION. WE HAVE HAD MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE, BEYOND WHAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR MAINTENANCE: POWER STEERING REPLACED AND THE GAS TANK REPLACED BECAUSE OF A CRACK IN THE NIPPLE. I AM PETITIONING THAT THIS VEHICLE BE RECALLED AS IT WAS IN CERTAIN "HOT" STATES. THE EXTREME TEMPERATURES EXPERIENCED IN MID-EAST STATES, COUPLED BY INADEQUATE SERVICE AND MATERIALS HAVE CREATED CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH ARE NO LESS THAN THOSE EXPERIENCED IN THE INITIAL STATES WHERE RECALLS HAPPENED. WHAT ALSO SHOULD BE NOTED IS THAT CONSUMER REPORT DOCUMENT 491 COMPLAINTS REGARDING THESE ISSUES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 65 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MERGED OFF ROAD AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN FOR INSPECTION OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,000. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS THE STEERING WHEEL TIGHTENED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 137,647.

TL* THE CONTACT SUBMITTED AN EMAIL COMPLAINT AND REQUESTED TO HAVE THE COMPLAINT SUBMITTED VERBATIM TO THE EMAIL SUBMISSION.RE: 2006 SATURN ION GENERAL MOTORS CASE NUMBER: 71-1262884818 DEAR MS. DAVIS: I AM WRITING THIS LETTER TO EXPRESS MY EXTREME DISSATISFACTION WITH A RECENT REPAIR THAT WAS DONE ON MY 2006 SATURN ION. ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 4, 2014, MY SON ARRIVED HOME WITH MY CAR AND SAID HE COULD NOT TURN THE CAR OFF. FINDING THIS STRANGE, I WENT OUTSIDE TO TRY, AND COULD NOT REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION OR TURN OFF THE CAR. I CALLED EMERGENCY ROAD ASSISTANCE TO SEE IF THEY COULD ASSIST ME. UPON THEIR ARRIVAL, THEY COULD NOT GET THE KEY OUT, SO I HAD THE TECHNICIAN TO FOLLOW ME TO THE NEAREST AUTO REPAIR SHOP. ONCE THERE, THE EMERGENCY ROAD TECHNICIAN RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS OVER THE PHONE ON HOW TO AT LEAST TURN THE CAR OFF BY REMOVING A FUSE. I LOCKED MY CAR, WITH THE KEY STILL IN THE IGNITION. BETWEEN THE TIME I DROPPED MY CAR OFF, UNTIL THE SHOP WAS SCHEDULED TO OPEN ON MONDAY, THE TEMPERATURES PLUMMETED TO A RECORD LOW OF AT LEAST 45 DEGREES BELOW ZERO. I WAS INFORMED THAT MY LOCKS WERE FROZEN AND MY CAR WAS NOT ACCESSIBLE. THE EXTREMELY COLD TEMPERATURES DID NOT ALLOW MERLIN ACCESS TO THE INSIDE OF MY CAR. MERLIN?S WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS, AND THAT THEY HAD ALREADY VERIFIED IT COULD ONLY BE FIXED BY THE MANUFACTURER OF THE CAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER. THE DEALER TOLD ME THE IGINITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACE. NEXT, I CONTACTED THE GENERAL MOTORS CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER TO REPORT WHAT HAD HAPPENED.GM INFORMED ME THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH HAS BEEN REDESIGNED TO AVOID THE NATURE OF REPAIRS SUCH AS MINE, FROM HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE.THE IGNITION SWITCH SHOULD DEFINITELY BE CLASSIFIED AS A RECALL.

I PURCHASED A 2006 SATURN ION IN MAY OF 2009 FROM ROCKENBACH CHEVROLET IN GRAYSLAKE ILLINOIS. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED THREE TIMES FOR THIS POWER STEERING PROBLEM PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT BY ROCKENBACK MECHANICS. THE MECHANICS SAID THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE, AND THE SALES MANAGER SAID I WAS NOT TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR ANY MORE CHECKS BECAUSE I HAD PURCHASED THE VEHICLE WITHOUT A WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED AFTER A START UP FROM AN INTERSECTION WHEN THE POWER STEERING CUT OUT ON JULY 14, 2009. SINCE THAT TIME I HAVE SPOKEN WITH THREE SATURN ION OWNERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE CHECKED OUT BEFORE ANYONE ELSE IS HURT. *TR

MY CAR WAS BEING PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY ON JANUARY 4TH AROUND 12:30 A.M., WHEN THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN THE CAR OFF, NOR WOULD IT COME OUT OF THE IGNITION. THAT JUST SO HAPPENED TO BE THE WEEKEND OF THE FAMOUS POLAR VOPRTEX, FEATURING A SNOW STORM AND RECORD-BREAKING FREEZING TEMPERATURES. I DROVE MY CAR TO THE NEAREST REPAIR SHOP, AND REQUESTED AN EMERGENCY ROAD SERVICE TECHNICIAN THROUGH MY INSURANCE COMPANY. WHEN HE ARRIVED, THE ONLY WAY HE COULD TURN THE CAR OFF WAS TO REMOVE A FUSE. ONCE EXAMINED ON 1/8/14 BY THE REPAIR SHOP, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CAR WOULD THEN HAVE TO BE TOWED TO THE NEAREST GENERAL MOTORS DEALER, ADVANTAGE CHEVROLET IN BOLINGBROOK, IL. AFTER BEING NOTIFIED BY THE DEALERSHIP OF WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS, BEING QUOTED THE PRICE OF $431.00 TO REPAIR IT, I RESEARCHED THE IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEM AND DISCOVERED OVER 500 COMPLAINTS ON THE SAME ISSUE, MAKE, AND MODEL CAR AS MINE. I THEN NOTIFIED GENERAL MOTORS' CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO TRY AND AT LEAST GET SOME MONEY OFF THE REPAIR BILL, BUT TO ALSO NOTIFY THEM THAT THERE IS A DEFECT WITH THE 2006 SATURN ION IGNITION SWITCHES. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I GOT NO ASSISTANCE FROM GM WITH THE BILL, AND THERE ARE STILL OTHER CONSUMERS OUT THERE WHO WILL BE MILKED FOR HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS FOR THIS SAME REPAIR. *TR

I NEEDED TO USE THE SPARE TIRE, WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN USED,TO HAVE A TIRE REPAIRED. THE TIRE WAS IN TERRIBLE CONDITION AND COULD NOT BE USE EVEN ONCE. THE TIRE INFORMATION IS T115/70R1488M RADIAL TUBELESS. *TR

I WAS REAR ENDED ON THE FREEWAY ON 11/17/13. I WENT TO GET IT FIXED ABOUT A WEEK LATER. THEY HAD MY CAR FOR ABOUT 3 DAYS. WHEN I WENT TO PICK UP MY CAR, THERE WAS NO POWER STEERING. WHEN THE GENTLEMAN TRIED TO PUT POWER STEERING FLUID IN IT, HE NOTICED IT WAS ELECTRIC. HE SAID IT MUST HAVE GONE OUT. NOW I HAVE TO PAY TO FIX MY POWER STEERING AND I DIDN'T HAVE MY CAR WHEN IT WENT OUT! *TR

MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN ONTO ANOTHER STREET AND THE WHEEL LOCKED UP. WHEEL BARELY MOVED ENOUGH FOR ME TO PULL INTO A PARKING LOT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT WAS MAKING A RIGHT TURN AT 15 MPH WHEN THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR OPENED WITHOUT BEING ENGAGED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE IGNITION BARREL SWITCH SEIZED AND WAS FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO CONFIRMED THE FAILURE AND ALSO STATED THAT THE DOOR LATCH WAS FRACTURED. THE IGNITION BARREL SWITCH WAS REPAIRED BUT NOT THE DOOR LATCH FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,000.