2003 SATURN ION Complaints

CAR INTERMITTENTLY STARTS. THIS HAS BEEN A SPORADIC EVENT SINCE DECEMBER 2007. IT HAPPENS PERHAPS ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH IN THE COLDER WEATHER. CAR WILL START FINE AT ONE STOP, THEN TRY TO START IT AGAIN AND NOTHING HAPPENS. COME BACK 10-20 MINUTES LATER AND IT STARTS RIGHT UP. ORIGINALLY THOUGHT IT WAS THE OLD BATTERY, BUT THAT HAS BEEN REPLACE AND THE PROBLEM IS RECURRING. *TR

THE IGNITION SWITCH DOES NOT WORK. DURING "COLD DAYS" MY CAR DOES NOT START. I HAVE TO WAIT BETWEEN 10 TO 20 MINUTES TO START THE CAR. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT ION 2003-2007 HAVE, SATURN KNOWS ABOUT IT. HOWEVER, THEY HAVE NOT DONE ANYTHING ABOUT FIXING THE PROBLEM. THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINS ABOUT THE IGNITION SWITCH, THEY NEED TO DO SOMETHING. *TR

THE OTHER DAY WHILE DRIVING MY SATURN ION IN THE RAIN MY WINDSHIELD WIPER WENT THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION INTO ON COMING TRAFFIC HAD TO STOP THE CAR AND ATTEMPT TO FIX ON HIGHWAY. THE WIPER SINCE THEN WILL NOT WORK. THE WIPER ARM NO SITS LOOSELY ON CAR. THIS ISSUE HAPPENED TO MY WIFE'S SATURN ION ALSO WE HAD TO REPAIR IT. THAT TIME IT HAPPENED WHILE VEHICLE WAS AT MECHANIC THEY NEVER TOOK RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT. *TR

2003 SATURN ION WITH 58,000 MILES HAD BEEN RUNNING FINE. AFTER A BRIEF STOP FOR SHOPPING, THE CAR WOULD NOT START. IT MADE ONLY A CLICKING SOUND WHEN THE KEY WAS TURNED. THIS HAD NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES, IT WOULD TURN OVER ONCE AND THEN NOTHING. AFTER ABOUT 40 MINUTES, THE CAR STARTED. IT WAS A COOL DAY, BUT THIS HAD NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE ON EVEN COLDER DAYS. ONE DEALER CHECKED THE BATTERY AND THE STARTER AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG. ANOTHER LOCATION IDENTIFIED THE BATTERY AS LOW. IT WAS REPLACED. BUT THE REAL CAUSE OF THIS EVENT IS STILL A MYSTERY. FROM OTHER COMPLAINTS, I SEE THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON EVENT IN A 2003 ION. I AM VERY CONCERNED, NOW, THAT IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN AND STILL THERE WILL BE NO REMEDY. ARE THERE NO RECALLS BECAUSE NO ONE CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM OR HOW TO REMEDY IT? *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY 2003 SATURN ION2 WITH 4 CYL AND VTI TRANSMISSION WITH 71,000 MILES TO WORK AND IT FELT LIKE IT WENT INTO NEUTRAL AND THEN SLOWED TO A STOP. I WAS ALMOST REAR-ENDED AND WAS STRANDED ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. IT TURNS OUT MY VTI TRANSMISSION IS DEFECTIVE, THERE IS A CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT AGAINST GM FOR IT, AND IT IS FOLLOWING THE SETTLEMENT BEFORE IT HAS BEEN RULED UPON BY THE JUDGE. THEY ARE COVERING 75% OF THE REPAIR BECAUSE I AM THE SECOND OWNER. IF I WAS THE ORIGINAL OWNER, THEY WOULD HAVE COVERED 100%. I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS ORIGINALLY SOLD AND IT WAS A CERTIFIED USED CAR. I WAS HAVING TRANSMISSION NOISES AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR AND IN REQUESTING THE SERVICE RECORDS, I FOUND OUT THAT THE PREVIOUS OWNER HAD TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AND WORK WAS DONE FOR THEM. I BROUGHT THE CAR IN AND THEY ALSO DID A REPAIR ON MY TRANSMISSION (THIS WAS PRIOR TO IT HAVING 36,000 MILES AND WAS STILL COVERED UNDER THE FACTORY WARRANTY). I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL ON THIS TRANSMISSION WHEN ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS DO A GOOGLE SEARCH FOR SATURN VTI TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AND YOU WILL FIND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD PROBLEMS. THE 75% REPAIR STILL LEAVES ME PAYING $1,150 AND MY CAR IS WORTH VERY LITTLE BECAUSE ALL THE CAR COMPANIES KNOW ABOUT THE PROBLEM, WHICH HAS DEVALUED THE CAR. THE WORST PART OF THIS IS THAT THEY ARE PUTTING IN THE VERY SAME DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION AND AGAIN THE GOOGLE SEARCH REVEALS THEY GO BAD AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN. CAN THE NHTSA PLEASE HELP ME AND THE THOUSANDS OF OTHER SATURN OWNERS WITH THIS PROBLEM? THIS TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. *TR

WHILE THERE HAVE, BEEN NO ADVERSE DEATHS OR INJURIES THERE IS A PROBLEM THAT HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES THAT COULD LEAD TO DEATHS. I HAVE A 2003 SATURN ION AND HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE IGNITION 2 TIMES. THE IGNITION LOCKS UP AND THE CAR WILL CONTINUE RUNNING EVEN IF I REMOVE THE KEY. *TR

OUR 2003 SATURN ION FAILS TO START AT TIMES. TYPICALLY WHEN THIS HAPPENS IT IS A COLD MORNING. WE REPLACED THE BATTERY AND STARTER. THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE HAVE CITED THE VERY SAME PROBLEM ON CAR DISCUSSION SITES. *TR

THERE ARE NO EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE. FROM EVERYTHING I'VE READ FROM OTHER SATURN ION OWNERS THIS IS A FREQUENT AND SEEMINGLY RANDOM PROBLEM. AT ANY GIVEN TIME IF IT IS COLD OUTSIDE THE CAR WON'T START. EVERYTHING LIGHTS UP, THE ENGINE TURNS OVER AND CATCHES, ONLY TO STALL. UPON REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO START THE CAR THERE WILL BE NO RESPONSE WHATSOEVER. THE ENGINE DOES NOT TURN OVER. AFTER WAITING SEVERAL MINUTES IT WILL EVENTUALLY START. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED 4 TIMES IN THE LAST MONTH; TWICE CAUSING ME TO BE LATE FOR PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT ENGAGEMENTS. UPON REPORTING THE PROBLEM TO THE SATURN DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT THE CAR I WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAVE MANY COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT THAT THEIR STAFF HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO RESOLVE IT. THIS HAS BEEN THEIR GENERAL ATTITUDE TOWARDS SEVERAL ISSUES I'VE HAD WITH MY CAR. I TOOK IT TO ANOTHER GARAGE AND THEY CAN'T FIND A THING WRONG WITH IT. SATURN SEEMS TO BE TURNING A BLIND EYE TO A PROBLEM THAT IS CLEARLY THE RESULT OF A POOR DESIGN SOMEWHERE ON THEIR PART. I HAVE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS WHEN I WAS AT ABOUT 80 000 KM, AND NOW NEED TO REPLACE STRUTS. I AM HESITANT TO DO THIS THOUGH, AS THE GENERAL CONSENSUS AMONG SATURN ION OWNERS IS THAT BUSHINGS AND STRUTS ARE IN PERPETUAL NEED OF REPLACEMENT ON THESE CARS. AFTER REPLACING THE PARTS MOST PEOPLE FIND THAT THEY HAVE TO MAKE THE SAME REPAIRS AGAIN WITHIN 2 YEARS. FURTHER PROBLEMS I HAVE WITH MY CAR ARE: TRUNK WILL NOT OPEN WITH KEY, REPLACED WIRES ON BOTH FRONT TURN SIGNALS AND ONE HEADLIGHT, KEY WOULD NOT RELEASE FROM IGNITION, ERRATIC TRANSMISSION BEHAVIOR (I WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THAT I JUST HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT), SEAT BELT GUIDES BROKEN (FRONT, BOTH SIDES), REAR SEAT BELT "FEMALE" COMPONENT FALLS INTO CREVICE IN SEAT, PAINT PEELING FROM FRONT BUMPER WITHOUT BEING CHIPPED PRIOR, AND A FAULTY CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE PROBLEMS HAS TURNED UP AGAIN AND AGAIN IN THE ION OWNERS COMMUNITY. *TR

RE: 2003 SATURN ION: BUY DATE 5/03. NOV,2003, SATURN SENT BULLETIN # 03-06-123-001, ENTITLED LOSS OF COOLANT/NO EXTERNAL EVIDENT. SENT SOLELY TO ALL PARTS MANAGERS AND TECH'S. CONDITION: SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT THAT THE LOW COOLANT LIGHT COMES ON WITH NO EXTERNAL LEAKS VISIBLE. CAUSE"THIS CONDITION MAY BE CAUSED BY POROSITY IN THE ALUMINUM OF CYLINDER HEAD CASTING. CAR HAS 34000 MI. WARRANTY IS 100,000 MI, OR 5 YEARS. THE LATTER EXPIRED MAY, 2008. I AM POSITIVE NO RECALL TO CUST'S WAS SENT. ASK THAT YOU VERIFY FROM NOV. 2003 TO PRESENT THAT NO RECALL WAS ISSUED. PROBLEM BEGAN ABOUT 500 MILES AGO. AFTER REPEATED INCIDENTS, MY LOCAL MECH. WENT ON THE COMPUTER AND FOUND THE ABOVE MENTIONED BULLETIN. I AM 86 YRS OLD, HAVE EMPHYSEMA, ON OXYGEN 24/7.NEAREST FAMILY MEMBER IS 400 MI. AWAY. CAR IS ONLY MODE OF TRAVEL DUE TO DISABILITY. BEEN WARNED BY LOCAL MECH. NOT TO TAKE ANY TRIPS DUE TO FIRE DANGER. *TR

ON MY 2003 SATURN ION 3 THE LEFT SIDE WIPER WENT THE OPPOSITE WAY AND LOCKED IN PLACE WHILE DRIVING CAR ON HIGHWAY. HAD TO PULL OVER AND TRY TO REPAIR WHILE ON ROAD. THIS HAPPENED TO MY WIFE'S SATURN ION 2 AND WE PAID TO REPAIR IT. *TR