2003 SATURN ION Complaints

MY 2003 SATURN ION REFUSES TO START SPORADICALLY ON COLD MORNINGS. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE EARLY FALL. MY CAR REPAIR SHOP ASSURES ME THAT THE BATTERY IN MY CAR IS FULLY CHARGED AND CAPABLE OF STARTING. THEY TELL ME THAT THEY HAVE SEEN 5-6 OF THESE ISSUES WITH SATURN IONS IN THE PAST MONTH, AND THAT I MUST TAKE IT TO THE SATURN DEALERSHIP BECAUSE IT IS A KNOWN IGNITION SWITCH ISSUE. I LIVE IN A FAIRLY SMALL TOWN, THE FACT THAT MY SHOP HAS SEEN THIS MANY ISSUES WITH SATURNS IS ASTOUNDING. I HAVE SMALL CHILDREN AND THE TEMPS IN INDIANA HAVE BEEN BELOW ZERO. I FEAR THAT I WILL HAVE THEM OUT SOMEWHERE AND BE UNABLE TO START MY CAR IN SUB-ZERO TEMPERATURES, OR THAT I WILL BE UNABLE TO PICK THEM UP FROM SCHOOL BECAUSE I CANNOT GET MY CAR STARTED. I HAVE READ ON THE WEB THIS MORNING, THAT I AM NOT ALONE IN MY ISSUES WITH MY SATURN ION. I REALIZE THAT NO ONE HAS DIED OR BEEN INJURED IN MY PARTICULAR SITUATION, BUT IF SMALL CHILDREN ARE STRANDED IN MY CAR IN SUB-ZERO TEMPS BECAUSE MY CAR WON'T START, IT SEEMS THAT, AT THE VERY LEAST WE HAVE A POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE HERE. *TR

MY SATURN ION HAS BEEN HAVING INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS STARTING IN COOLER WEATHER. I HAVE REPLACED THE BATTERY AND FOUND OUT ONLINE THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH EITHER GOES BAD OR THE WRONG SWITCH WAS INSTALLED AT THE FACTORY. THE PROBLEM HAS TO DO WITH A KEY CODE AND VOLTAGE. THIS HAS OCCUR AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK FOR A MONTH NOW. *TR

THE PROBLEM HAS EXISTED SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR. MY CAR DOES NOT COLD START IN TEMPERATURES UNDER 30 DEGREES. MANY SATURN OWNERS WITH SAME PROBLEM. CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY BUT WHEN IT WAS I BROUGHT IT IN MANY TIMES FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTS AND SERVICE. DEALER REPLACED IGNITION SWITCH TWICE AND STARTER ONCE. PROBLEM HAS NEVER BEEN FIXED. ITS WORSE NOW THEN EVER BEFORE IN THESE COLD DAYTON OHIO WINTERS. NOW THEY SAY THEY NEED TO REPLACE THE MOTHER BOARD FOR MY CAR AFTER DOING ANOTHER DIAGNOSTICS TEST FOR A TOTAL OF @ $500.00. I FEEL SATURN IS NOT ONLY GIVING ME THE RUN AROUND BUT WILL GLADLY STILL TAKE MY HARD EARNED MONEY. PLEASE HELP. IM ABOUT TO BE A FATHER AND DON'T WANT TO BE STRANDED IN THE COLD WITH MY CHILD BY A COMPANY THAT JUST GOT MILLIONS LOANED TO THEM BY OUR GOVERNMENT. NOT FAIR, PLEASE HELP HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR WRONGDOINGS. *TR

FAILURE OF GM TO NOTIFY ME OF 3 RECALLS ON 2003 SATURN ION. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THIS WORK HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE, BUT I CANNOT TELL AT THIS TIME AND WOULD LIKE THIS PROBLEM INVESTIGATED. RECALLS ARE: NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V547000 NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V003000 *TR

DURING EVERY COLD SEASON SINCE THE PURCHASE OF 2003 SATURN ION, THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH STARTING THE VEHICLE IN COLD WEATHER (USUALLY WHEN BELOW 25 DEG F). THIS SEEMS TO BE AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. HOW THE PROBLEM MANIFESTS IS AS FOLLOWS: IN COLD WEATHER, WHEN TRYING TO START THE VEHICLE, ENGINE FREQUENTLY (AT LEAST 25% OF THE TIME) WILL NOT "CATCH" AND RUN- JUST TURNS OVER. IF IMMEDIATELY TRYING TO START IT AGAIN AFTER A FIRST FAILED START, ENGINE TURNS OVER SLOWLY AND DIES (SIMILAR TO DEAD BATTERY SYMPTOM, HOWEVER BATTERY HAS BEEN CHECKED AND FOUND TO BE OK). AFTER LETTING THE CAR SIT FOR 5 MINUTES AFTER A FAILED ATTEMPT, TRYING AGAIN MAY RESULT IN A MOMENT OF WHAT APPEARS TO BE FUEL GETTING TO THE ENGINE, AND MORE ENGINE TURNING, HOWEVER ENGINE STALLS. AFTER REPEATED WAITING AND START RE-ATTEMPTS (OFTEN 5- 10 TIMES, AND AN ELAPSED PERIOD OF TIME OF 30- 60 MINUTES OF RE-ATTEMPTS, THE ENGINE WILL FREQUENTLY START AND REMAIN STARTED. HOWEVER THE INCONVENIENCE OF A 30-60 MINUTE DELAY IS DISCONCERTING, AND ON SOME COLD MORNINGS, REPEATED FAILED ATTEMPTS CAUSES BATTERY TO DRAIN AND NEED FOR "JUMP STARTING" THE CAR, AT OWNER EXPENSE AND INCONVENIENCE. AN INTERNET SEARCH ON 2003 SATURN ION COLD STARTING PROBLEM INDICATES A PERVASIVE AND SYSTEMATIC PROBLEM IN IGNITION SWITCH DESIGN, HOWEVER SATURN HAS NOT YET ACKNOWLEDGED THIS DESIGN FLAW IN A FORMAL RECALL. TODAY, REPAIRS HAVE TO BE MADE AT OWNER EXPENSE ($200-300 REPLACEMENT IGNITION SWITCH SEEMS TO BE THE FEEDBACK). SEE WEBSITE HTTP://WWW.CARSURVEY.ORG/VIEWCOMMENTS_REVIEW_97727.HTML MY REQUEST OF THE NHTSA IS THAT YOU URGE SATURN TO ISSUE A FORMAL RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY. PLEASE RESPOND WITH YOUR INPUTS AND INTENDED APPROACH ON THIS SITUATION. ALSO, IF YOU ARE AWARE OF OTHER AGENCIES THAT I SHOULD CONTACT ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE. *TR

THE TEMPERATURES IN FORT WAYNE HAVE BEEN BELOW FREEZING LATELY (WIND-CHILL WAS -35 TODAY), AND MY 2003 SATURN ION HAS HAD A LOT OF TROUBLE STARTING. WHEN I TURN MY KEY IN THE IGNITION, IT TURNS OVER BUT WON'T START. AFTER LETTING IT SIT FOR A MINUTE, I TRY TO START IT AGAIN, ONLY NOW IT WON'T EVEN TURN OVER; IT JUST CLICKS. I THOUGHT MY BATTERY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, BUT I HAVEN'T HAD MUCH HELP TODAY IN DEALING WITH IT. I SEARCHED THE INTERNET FOR ADVICE, AND I CAME ACROSS A CAR REVIEW WEBSITE WITH SEVERAL REVIEWS AND COMMENTS COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME 2003 SATURN ION PROBLEM I'M HAVING. FROM THE REVIEWS AND COMMENTS, I FIGURED OUR PROBLEMS ARE ONE IN THE SAME- THE CARS HAVE FAULTY IGNITION SWITCHES. I TRIED TO GET MY CAR FIXED WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT IT LAST YEAR, AND THE DEALER TOLD ME IT WAS AN IGNITION PROBLEM. I'M JUST NOW DISCOVERING THAT IT'S A PROBLEM WITH ALL 2003 IONS- NOT JUST MINE. AS FAR AS I KNOW, SATURN IS DOING NOTHING TO HELP ITS CUSTOMERS IN THEIR GREATEST TIME OF NEED. THANK GOD MY CAR DIED IN THE PARKING LOT AT WORK AND NOT IN SOME LOCATION WHERE I WOULD BE STRANDED IN THE FRIGID TEMPERATURES. *TR

I HAVE 2 2003 SATURN ION'S WHICH HAVE STARTER PROBLEMS WHICH BOTH HAVE HAD STARTERS REPLACE BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM THAT GM/SATURN CONTINUE TO IGNORE. WHEN YOU GET A TEMPERATURE CHANGE THE CARS SOMETIMES START AND SOMETIMES DON'T. SATURN SHOULD RECALL. *TR

MY CAR WILL NOT START WHEN IT IS COLD. IT IS DUE TO THE FAULTY DESIGN OF THE IGNITION SWITCH/PASSLOCK ERROR. IT HAPPENS AT LEAST THREE OR FOUR TIMES A WEEK, END EVERY MORNING IT IS BELOW 34 DEGREES. I HAVE HAD A NEW BATTERY, FUEL FILTER AND STARTER REPLACED IN THE PAST WEEK. AFTER TEN TO FIFTEEN MINUTES IT STARTS, BUT TODAY AFTER FORTY FIVE MINUTES IT STILL DID NOT START. I WENT ONLINE AND FOUND THAT THOUSANDS OF OTHER SATURN OWNERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS PART NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START IN COLD WEATHER. IT TAKES APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES OR LESS FOR THE VEHICLE TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR INSPECTION, BUT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY FAILURES. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT NO RECALLS WERE AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 72,000. UPDATED 020209 *BF UPDATED 02/03/09.*JB

WE HAVE A 2003 SATURN ION THAT WONT START IN COLD WEATHER DUE TO IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEMS. SATURN DEALER WANTS $100 JUST TO DIAGNOSE IT ON A COMPUTER BUT MANY FORUMS HAVE INFORMATION STATING THAT THE DEALER ALREADY KNOWS THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH IS FAULTY. *TR