2004 SATURN ION Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SATURN ION3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE WAS STANDING AT THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE AND REACHING FOR AN OBJECT IN THE TRUNK WHEN THE REAR LIFTGATE CAME DOWN ABRUPTLY ON HER HEAD AND SHOULDERS. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES FROM THE LIFTGATE AND IT WOULD NOT REMAIN UP IN THE OPEN POSITION WITHOUT HOLDING ONTO THE LIFTGATE MANUALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION OF REPAIRS. THE FAILURE RECURRED TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,300. UPDATED 12/23/10*LJ UPDATED 01/04/11

CAR HAS 70000 MILES, POWER STEERING GOES ON AND OFF, INTERMITTENTLY, SOMETIMES SHUTS OFF COMPLETELY. FUSES WERE REPLACED, THE MOTOR SEEMS TO BE BAD, AS HUNDREDS OF OTHER SATURN CUSTOMERS ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING WITH MY DAUGHTER IN MY 2004 SATURN ION AND THE POWER STEERING LIGHT CAME APPEARED. I LOST POWER STEERING IMMEDIATELY. IT TOOK ALL MY STRENGTH TO TURN MY VEHICLE AROUND AND MAKE IT HOME SAFELY. I IMMEDIATELY RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM AND FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ONLINE. I CONTACTED CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY SAID THAT THERE WAS A SPECIAL POLICY IN PLACE FOR THE PROBLEM TO BE REPAIRED BUT BECAUSE MY VEHICLE WAS OVER 100,000 MILES (118,000) IT WOULD BE AN OUT OF POCKET EXPENSE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2004 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 10 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY SHIFTED INTO THE NEXT GEAR. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY INFORMED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE AS HAVING A FAULTY TRANSMISSION WHICH NEEDED REPLACING. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT HE WOULD ONLY BE LIABLE FOR ONE HALF OF THE REPAIR COSTS. THE CONTACT DECLINED AND STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE LIABLE FOR THE FULL REPAIR COSTS DUE TO NUMEROUS TRANSMISSION COMPLAINTS FOUND ONLINE FOR HIS YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

MY ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS. IT WOULD COME ON AND GO OFF. I WAS ON MY WAY TO THE LAKE ONE DAY AND WAS DRIVING DOWN A CURVY ROAD AN MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT! IT TOOK ALL THAT I HAD TO MANUALLY TURN THE WHEEL SO I WOULD NOT GO OFF THE ROAD AND DOWN THE HILLS SIDE! THE POWER STEERING WILL GO OUT AFTER A LOT OF TURNING. I HAVE FOUND THAT IF YOU SHUT THE CAR OFF THAT IT WILL RESET IT'S SELF, BUT THIS IS STILL VERY DANGEROUS AND NEEDS SOMETHING DONE ABOUT IT. A WEEK AGO I RECEIVED A LETTER IN THE MAIL SAYING THAT IF I HAD THIS PROBLEM THAT IT COULD BE FIXED AT ANY GM DEALER, BUT WHEN I MADE MY APPOINTMENT THEY SAID THAT THEY COULDN'T FIX IT BECAUSE MY CAR IS PRIOR SALVAGED AND THIS IS NOT A RECALL! I CAN NOT AFFORD TO REPLACE THIS IT WILL COST $600 TO $1000 TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THE ECONOMY IS BAD ENOUGH WE CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY OR NEED TO BE PAYING FOR GM'S MISTAKES. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM AN IT NEEDS TO BE TAKING CARE OF! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT WAS PULLING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL CAME OFF. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS A SHEET METAL PART FORMED INTO A RECTANGLE SHAPE THAT IS ATTACHED TO THE WHEEL AND THE FRAME WORKING AS A TYPE OF ARM TO CONNECT THE WHEEL TO THE FRAME. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE PART CORRODED AND THAT CAUSED IT TO BREAK. THE CONTACT WAS NOT AWARE OF THE SPECIFIC NAME OF THE PART AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE DEALER AND THE POLICE STATED THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THEY HAVE SEEN THIS TYPE OF FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WAS 45000.

WHILE DRIVING ON A STRAIGHT ROAD THE POWER STEERING LIGHT CAME ON AND HEARD A CHIME SOUND. THIS WAS AROUND 80,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. TURNED CAR OFF AND BACK ON. EVERYTHING SEEMED TO WORK FINE AFTER THAT. NOW I HAVE ABOUT 123,000 MILES ON MY CAR AND THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN FOR MY SATURN ION BUT NO RECALL. SO NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. CHEVY COBALTS HAVE THE SAME PART , BUT THEY HAVE AN ACTIVE RECALL ON THAT VEHICLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH WHEN SHE BEGAN TO SMELL SMOKE AND THE VEHICLE BECAME HARD TO STEER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING MOTOR AND COLUMN WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 45,020.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SATURN ION. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH HE HEARD A CHIMING NOISE IN THE DASHBOARD AND THE POWER STEERING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD. HE LOST ALL POWER STEERING AND STATED THAT HE CONTINUE TO DRIVE WITH DIFFICULTY TO HIS DESTINATION. FOUR HOURS LATER HE RETURNED TO THE VEHICLE AND THE POWER STEERING WORKED AS NORMAL. THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWICE. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING MODULE WAS REPLACED. HE HAD TO REPLACE IT BECAUSE HE WAS NOT ABLE TO HANDLE THE VEHICLE TRAVELING THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS ON THE WAY HOME. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE MANUFACTURER STATING THAT THEY HAVE HAD THE IDENTICAL FAILURE WITH OTHER 2004 IONS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 119,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 123,000.

SATURN NOTIFIED ME IN AUGUST OF 2010 THAT THEY ARE EXTENDING THE WARRANTY ON MY 2004 SATURN ION FOR THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING TO 10 YEAR OR 100,000 MILES. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT THE PART WENT OUT A FEW YEARS AGO AND THOUSANDS OF MILES AGO. MY CAR IS NOW OVER 100,000 MILES. HAD I BEEN INFORMED BEFORE THE INTITIAL WARRANTY RAN OUT, I WOULD'VE HAD IT FIXED. NOW THEY TELL ME THEY WILL NOT COVER THE DEFECTIVE PART. *TR