2005 SATURN ION Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HER KEY BECAME STUCK IN THE IGNITION AND WOULD NOT COME OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SHUT ALL THE WAY OFF AT THE TIME AND CAUSED THE BATTERY TO BECOME DRAINED. THE VEHICLE HAS REMAINED PARKED FOR THREE MONTHS. THE DEALER ADVISED HER TO BRING IN THE VEHICLE FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AT HER EXPENSE. THE CONTACT WILL CALL THE MANUFACTURER FOR ASSISTANCE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000.

I BOUGHT A 2005 SATURN ION LAST AUGUST 2008. ON NOVEMBER 2008, I EXPERIENCED A DIFFICULTY ON STARTING THE CAR. SO I BROUGHT IT TO SATURN DUBLIN FOR A CHECK UP AND REPAIR, AND THEY DID ALL THE TEST FOR THE CAR AND INFORMED THAT THEY HAVE TO REPLACE THE IGNITION OF THE CAR AS THIS IS THE FINDINGS OF THEIR MECHANIC.. I AGREED AS I THOUGHT THIS WAS THE AUTHORIZED DEALER MECHANIC, I PAID FOR $700+, FOR REPAIR, LABOR AND PARTS.. BUT RECENTLY LAST WEEK, MAY 2009, MY CAR WOULD NOT START AGAIN..I BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND HAD IT CHECKED.. THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR, IT STARTED WHEN THEY CHECKED AND THEY ASKED ME TO PAY $130 FOR THE CHECK UP..WHICH I PAID. A FEW DAYS AFTER I WAS AT WORK, WHICH IS IN UNION CITY, 22 MILES AWAY FROM MY HOUSE AND WHEN I WAS ABOUT TO GO HOME,MY CAR WOULD NOT START GAIN.. SAME PROBLEM AS BEFORE... HAD TO CALL A TOW TRUCK TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED.. AS I RELAYED THIS TO MY BROTHER IN LAW... WE SEARCHED IN THE NET ON THE ISSUE AND CONCERNS AND FOUND OUT I WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO HAD THESE PROBLEMS.. HUNDREDS OF US WERE VICTIMS OF THIS PROBLEM. NOW, I DID HAD A BAD JUDGMENT ON BUYING A SATURN CAR. *TR

ON MY 2005 SATURN ION 3, THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AFTER PULLING OVER AND RESTARTED AND IT CAME BACK. I READ THAT OTHERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. WHY IS THERE NO RECALL ON THIS. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION TO LOSE POWER STEERING AT HIGH SPEED. POWER STEERING IS ELECTRICAL. ON MOST WEB SITES DISCUSSING THIS, IT SEEMS TO BE A REGULAR PROBLEM WITH SATURN OWNERS. *TR

WON'T START IN COLD WEATHER SECURITY SYSTEM KEEPS IT FROM STARTING. AND POWER STEERING GOES OUT CONTINUOUSLY. ON A 90 MILE TRIP IT GOES OUT 6 TO 10 TIMES. IT HAPPENS SO INCONSISTENTLY WITH DIFFERENT SPEEDS AND CONDITIONS *TR

UNABLE TO TURN KEY IN THE OFF POSITION OF MY 2005 SATURN ION WHILE THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING. HAD TO EVENTUALLY UNHOOK THE BATTERY TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE AND HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO A SERVICE STATION WHERE THEY ENDED UP BREAKING THE KEY TO REMOVE IT FROM THE IGNITION AND THEN REPLACING THE ENTIRE IGNITION LOCK MECHANISM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN ION. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE LETTERS "PWR STR" ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE STEERING BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF AND THEN RESTARTED NORMALLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED LATER THAT DAY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT IT WOULD COST $1,300 TO REPAIR. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY STILL AT THE DEALER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 68,000. UPDATED 05/08/09 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 05/12/09.*JB UPDATED 06/09/09.*JB

SINCE I PURCHASED MY CAR, IT WILL NOT START IN COLD WEATHER. I HAVE TO WAIT ABOUT 10 MINS, TRY AGAIN AND IT WILL START RIGHT UP. WELL, ABOUT A WEEK AGO IT "SHUT DOWN" WHILE I WAS DRIVING DOWN A BUSY STREET IN MY CITY. AFTER ABOUT 4 HOURS OF IT SITTING, I WENT BACK AND DROVE IT HOME WITH NO PROBLEMS. THEN, A FEW DAYS LATER IT DID THE SAME THING WHILE RETURNING TO WORK FROM A LUNCH BREAK. I HAD TO LEAVE IT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND GOT A RIDE. AFTER WORK, I PICKED IT UP AND WAS ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE IT STRAIGHT TO THE DEALERSHIP. WHILE DRIVING ON I-10 EAST, IT SHUT DOWN AGAIN. ON THE INTERSTATE!!!!! IT WAS RAINING OUTSIDE AND THE PERSON BEHIND ME ALMOST HIT ME. I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW I COASTED TO THE MEDIAN, EXCEPT GOD! MY CAR WOULD NOT DRIVE ANYMORE. I LEFT IT THERE AND GOT A RIDE HOME WITH SOMEONE BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO SIT IN THE RAIN ALONE ON THE INTERSTATE. WHEN I WENT BACK AT ABOUT 11:00 PM TO PICK MY CAR UP, IT WOULDN'T START. I WAITED 10 OR SO MINS AND IT STARTED UP. I DROVE IT STRAIGHT TO A FRIENDS HOUSE THAT WAS NEARBY AND LEFT IT THERE. I CONTACTED GM AND THEY ADVISED ME TO BRING IT TO SATURN, WHICH I HAVE DONE MANY TIMES BEFORE, SO I DID. THEY TELL ME THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY CAR. SO, I TOLD THEM TO KEEP IT UNTIL THEY FIGURE IT OUT BECAUSE I WILL NOT PUT MY LIFE IN DANGER AGAIN. I HAVE BEEN GOING BACK AND FORTH WITH GM AND SATURN AND NO ONE WILL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS. ITS RIDICULOUS THAT THIS CAR IS PUTTING MY LIFE IN DANGER. I REFUSE TO DRIVE IT AGAIN. AND NOW I AM PAYING A NOTE ON SOMETHING THAT I CANT DRIVE BECAUSE IT MAY STOP WORKING IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. *TR

I WAS REAR ENDED AND SHOVED INTO A PICKUP ON 03/23/09 IN MY 2005 SATURN ION AND AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY, SEAT BROKE AND WENT ALL THE WAY BACK. *TR

ELECTRIC POWER STEERING FAILURE IN 2005 SATURN ION IN LESS THAN 16000 MILES BUT 8 MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY. POWER STEERING BECAME OPERATIONAL AFTER EACH RESTART, BUT FAILED AGAIN WITHIN 3-5 MINUTES OF DRIVING. VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER POSING A SAFETY HAZARD FOR MY WIFE. DEALER REPAIR REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF COMPLETE STEERING COLUMN APPROACHING $1000 IN REPAIR COST. IGNITION SWITCH HAS ALSO FAILED TO PERMIT CAR FROM STARTING ON TWO OCCASIONS. DEALER ALSO REPLACED AT THE SAME TIME. DEALER RETURNED BOTH PARTS TO ME. I HAVE LEARNED THAT BOTH ARE COMMON FAILURES WITH THIS CAR AND OTHER GM COMPACTS. SEVERAL INCIDENTS OF REPEATED FAILURES OF THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING. THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLS OR REIMBURSEMENT FOR THESE PREMATURE FAILURES. NO WONDER GM IS GOING BUST WITH A PRODUCT OF SUCH LOW RELIABILITY AND POOR DESIGN. *TR

THE IGNITION KEY GETS STUCK AND WILL NOT COME OUT OF THE CAR. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME AFTER HAVING THE IGNITION SWITCH REPLACED LAST YEAR. I TOOK IT BACK TO SATURN AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED ON THE NEW PART (OF COURSE) AND THEY KEPT IT OVERNIGHT TRYING TO GET IT TO FAIL. THEY GREASED THE KEY AND TOLD ME IT WAS FIXED, DID NOT REPLACE ANYTHING BUT BLAMED IT ON THE KEY WEARING DOWN... *TR