2003 SATURN ION Complaints

I'VE BEEN HAVING COLD STARTING PROBLEMS WITH MY 2003 SATURN ION. I'VE HAD THIS PROBLEM FIX BY DEALER 3 TIMES IN THE PAST. AT 620.00 A POP THAT'S HARD . NOW AFTER TALKING TO A TECHNICIAN THAT USED TO WORK FOR SATURN BEFORE THEY CLOSED ,THAT THE PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY OIL THAT RELEASES FROM THE PART WHEN COLD AND LEAKS DOWN FROM THE IGNITION TO THE PASS LOCK SWITCH THIS SHOULD HAVE A RECALL BEFORE THIS BURNS SOMEONE UP AND KILLS THEM . THEY SHOULD HAVE TO FIX ALL THESE CARS .DO IT RIGHT AND STOP CHARGING PEOPLE FOR SOMETHING THAT REALLY CANT BE FIXED SIMPLY BY REPLACING A PART THAT WILL CONTINUE LEAKING OIL WHEN COLD. I AM REALLY SURPRISED THIS HASN'T ALREADY BEEN RECALLED. I CAN ONLY WAIT TO SEE IF THIS HAPPENS THEY NEED TO PAY ,I CANT AFFORD TO GO BUY A CAR WITH WORK SLOW SO SATURN AND GM SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE. ALL THIS IS IN THE IGNITION SWITCH INSIDE THE CAR AND IF A FIRE STARTS WITH YOU IN IT AT THE WHEEL YOU LOSE A CAR AND POSSIBLE A LIFE OR MORE IF IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AND THIS LOCKS DOWN YOUR CAR. IT'S NOT ONLY ME ITS MY KIDS AND OTHERS ON THE ROAD AT DANGER IT'S ALL WHO DRIVE A SATURN ION 2003. *TR

CAR HAS FREQUENT INTERMITTENT STARTING PROBLEMS (ABOUT ONE IN 4 STARTING ATTEMPTS IS A NO-GO). INTERNET RESEARCH BRINGS UP MANY COMPLAINTS OF THE IGNITION SWITCH SENDING THE WRONG SIGNAL TO THE COMPUTER WHICH IN TURN ACTIVATES THE SECURITY SYSTEM (PASSLOCK, IN GM SPEAK) AND PREVENTS THE CAR FROM STARTING. GM RECOGNIZES THE ISSUE IN TSB #3493A WHICH RECOMMENDS REPLACING THE IGNITION SWITCH. SINCE THIS IS A KNOWN FAILURE TO GM, I BELIEVE THE SWITCH REPLACEMENT SHOULD BE DONE AT THE MANUFACTURER'S COST, NOT THE CONSUMER'S COST. IT IS AN EXPENSIVE PROCEDURE AND CONSUMERS ARE FORCED TO GO TO THE DEALER FOR THE REPAIR BECAUSE THE CAR'S COMPUTER (BCM) HAS TO BE REPROGRAMMED AFTER THE SWITCH REPLACEMENT. *TR

POWER-OPERATED WINDOW,." THE POWER WINDOWS ARE INOPERABLE AFTER THE IGNITION HAS BEEN TURNED TO THE "OFF" POSITION AND THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR IS OPENED *CN THE REVERSE LIGHTS DO NOT WORK!!! HAVE BEEN REPLACED MANY MANY TIMES *CN

CAR WILL NOT START IN THE COLD WEATHER. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START SECURITY LIGHT TURN ON AND WON'T START FOR AT LEAST 15 MINUTES. I HAVE REPLACED THE BATTERY BUT THAT'S NOT THE SOLUTION. THIS HAPPENS AT LEAST THREE TIMES A WEEK. ITS HORRIBLE BEING STRANDED OUT IN THE COLD WHEN IS BELOW ZERO FOR AT LEAST 15 MINUTES. SATURN NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING OUT THIS PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN ION. DURING COLD WEATHER THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START SINCE THERE IS A DEFECT IN THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE VEHICLE RESETS TO A SECURITY MODE AS IF IT HAS BEEN STOLEN. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO REPLACE THE SWITCH; HOWEVER, THEY WOULD USE THE DEFECTIVE SWITCH WHEN THEY REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

CAR WILL NOT START IN COLD WEATHER. THIS BEGAN 3 MONTHS AGO AT THE BEGINNING OF THE WINTER SEASON, UNFORTUNATELY THE FIRST DAY OF A NEW JOB. THIS HAPPENED A NUMBER OF TIMES UNTIL I WAS LET GO FOR SHOWING UP LATE TO WORK (APPARENTLY, A CAR THAT PROBLEMATIC WAS INCONCEIVABLE). I HAD THE BATTERY REPLACED, BUT THAT DIDN'T HELP. THIS HAPPENS SPORADICALLY, BUT MOSTLY IN THE EARLY MORNING OR LATE EVENING WHEN IT'S COLDEST OUTSIDE. THIS PAST WEEK ALONE, MY CAR WOULDN'T START 3 TIMES. I'VE DONE SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND HAVE FOUND HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME PROBLEM IN SATURN ION'S (2003-2006 MODELS). SOME COMPLAINTS HAVE SUGGESTED IT'S THE IGNITION, THE PASSLOCK KEY, OR AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE, AND MY MECHANIC IS LOOKING INTO THE FUEL PUMP. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE DIAGNOSTIC DOESN'T READ A PROBLEM IF THE CAR IS STARTING, WHICH SEEMS TO BE THE CASE BY THE TIME THE MECHANIC'S SHOP OPENS (WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE FAIRLY GOOD IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ON MOST DAYS). THE OTHER DAY, MY CAR HAD STALLED WHILE DRIVING IN HEAVY RAIN CONDITIONS, THANKFULLY ON A SMALL RESIDENTIAL STREET, BECAUSE IT DID NOT WANT TO RESTART. IT TOOK 10 MINUTES TO GET THE CAR GOING AGAIN. YOU CAN IMAGINE HOW DISASTROUS THIS SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY OR BUSY CITY ROAD. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS ISSUE THAT MUST BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY BY GM. I HAVE ALSO MADE COMPLAINTS TO THE FTC & TO SATURN. FROM WHAT I'VE READ ONLINE, REPLACING THE PART DOESN'T EVEN HELP BECAUSE ALL OF THESE ION PARTS ARE FAULTY. PLEASE SEE TO IT THAT CONSUMERS ARE PROTECTED. THANK YOU. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A USED 2003 SATURN ION WHICH WAS PURCHASED IN 2008. IN COLD TEMPERATURES, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HER LOCAL REPAIR SHOP, AND THE FUEL INJECTOR WAS REPLACED. THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE FAILURE. TWO WEEKS LATER, IN COLD AND RAINING TEMPERATURES THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. NO FURTHER REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE TO DATE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 82,221. UPDATED 02/03/10 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE GREASE IN THE IGNITION SWITCH IS FREEZING AND/OR HARDENING SO THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH WILL NOT ENGAGE. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE RECALLED SO THE IGNITION SWITCH AND GREASE CAN BE REPLACED. UPDATED 02/11/10.*JB

MY 2003 SATURN ION REFUSES TO START WHEN IT IS COLD BUT AFTER 10 MINS IT WILL DECIDE IT WANTS TO START. I HAVE BEEN STRANDED AND PUT HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS INTO THIS PROBLEM WITH THE MECHANIC NOT SEEING THE PROBLEM. PUT A NEW IGNITION SWITCH IN THE CAR AND STILL HAS THE PROBLEM. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ON THE WEB MANY SATURN OWNERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS. THIS NEEDS TO BE A RECALL AND SATURN IS REFUSING TO DO SO. *TR

CAR WON'T START WHEN THE TEMP IS BELOW 20 F, HAVE TO WAIT 10 MIN FOR ANTI THEFT TO RESET AND THEN TRY AGAIN. SOME TIMES HAVE TO TRY 3 OR 4 TIMES. DEALER SAY IT'S A KNOW PROBLEM AND I HAVE TO REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH AT MY EXPENSE. *TR

2003 SATURN ION WILL NOT START DUE TO THE PASSLOCK TIMING ME OUT. IT HAS LEFT ME STRANDED TOO MANY TIMES AND YESTERDAY I HAD TO WAIT 3 HRS FOR MY CAR TO START. I HAVE READ REPORTS OF OTHER CONSUMERS HAVING THE SAME ISSUE AND WANTED TO FILE A WRITTEN COMPLAINT. *TR