2003 SATURN ION Complaints

MY 2003 SATURN ION HAS HAD TROUBLE STARTING. IF IT IS COLD OUTSIDE, IT WILL NOT START, BUT IF I WAIT 10-15 MINUTES IT WILL START. THE SATURN DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING STATING, "WE CAN'T FIX IT IF IT IS NOT DOING IT AT THE TIME WE ARE LOOKING AT IT." NOW THE CAR WILL NOT START AT ALL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN ION. WHEN THE CONTACT ARRIVED HOME AND PARKED THE VEHICLE, THE SEAT BELT FAILED TO UNLOCK. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THE FAILURE OCCURRED. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO UNFASTEN THE SEAT BELT, SOMEONE HAD TO CUT IT IN ORDER TO FREE THE CONTACT FROM THE VEHICLE. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO GET REPAIRED AND WAS INFORMED THAT SHE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. SHE FELT THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO A MANUFACTURER DEFECT; THEREFORE, THE REPAIR SHOULD BE FREE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 56,000. UPDATED 12/1/08 *CN THE DEALER REPLACED THE SET BELT AND BUCKLE. UPDATED 12/05/08. *JB

CAR WILL NOT START AT RANDOM TIMES. I WAIT 20 MINUTES AND THE CAR STARTS RIGHT UP. *TR

1. MY 2003 SATURN ION IT WOULD NOT START AGAIN. THIS IS HAPPENING MORE OFTEN. I HAVE HAD IT HOOKED UP A SCAN TOOL AT OUR REPAIR SHOP IT SAID IT WAS THE SAFETY SWITCH, SOMETHING ABOUT IT HAD BEEN TAMPERED WITH. WHICH IT HAD NOT, BECAUSE I WAS RIGHT THERE ALL THE TIME. IF I WAIT A FEW MINUTES IT WILL START I HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH THIS FOR ABOUT 2 YRS NOW, IT HAS WORKED EVERY TIME. HOWEVER IT IS BECOMING MORE OFTEN AND THAT IS WHY I WAS ABLE TO GET IT HOOKED UP TO A SCAN TOOL. 2. THE FIRST 2 YRS IT MAY HAVE HAPPENED 4 TIMES. WITHIN THE LAST 3 WEEKS IT HAS HAPPENED 6 TIMES. 3. YOU JUST NEED TO WAIT, WHEN IT DECIDES TO START IT WILL. IT IS ALMOST LIKE THE COMPUTER THINKS THAT SOMEONE IS BREAKING INTO THE CAR, SO SHORTS OFF THE FUEL TO THE CARBURETOR AND IT WILL NOT START. IT WILL TURN OVER, WILL NOT START. IF YOUR TRY RIGHT AWAY NOTHING HAPPENS, SO YOU NEED TO WAIT.... TRY IT AGAIN, IT TURNS OVER, FIRES UP WILL NOT START, THE ENGINE WILL NOT GO. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 SATURN ION AND FOR THE PAST 2 YEARS MY VEHICLE HAS HAD PROBLEMS STARTING IN THE COLD. I HAVE HEARD AND READ HUNDRED OF PEOPLE HAVING TO REPLACE THEIR IGNITION SWITCH ON THEIR IONS. IT HAS LEFT ME STRANDED ON MANY OCCASSIONS IN THE MORNING AND AT NIGHT. SATURN HAS NOT OFFERED TO FIX THIS PROBLEM AND IS JUST BANKING IN THE CASH FOR US TO REPLACE THEIR IGNITION SWITCHES AND GET OUR COMPUTERS REPROGRAMMED. SINCE SATURN WILL NOT DO ANYTHING TO HELP ITS CUSTOMERS THEN I FEEL IT IS SOMEONE TO INVESTIGATE THIS ONGOING PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN ION. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE ACTIVATED TO CLEAN THE WINDSHIELD. THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED TO OPERATE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP AND THEY STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE WINDSHIELD WIPER TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED OF THE SAFETY RISK INVOLVED. SHE IS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 36,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 37,000.

ELECTRIC POWER STEERING TURNS OFF WHILE DRIVING, MAKING STEERING VERY DIFFICULT AND EXTREMELY UNSAFE. THERE ARE REPORTS ON-LINE ABOUT MOST PEOPLE ALMOST LOSING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND AT LEAST ONE PERSON WHO RECENTLY CRASHED ON THE 405 FREEWAY. *TR

I WAS IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION IN MY 2003 SATURN ION AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE FRONT OF MY CAR IS CRUNCHED IN AND I HAVE PICTURES OF THE ACCIDENT. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO WALK AWAY FROM THE ACCIDENT UNHARMED, BUT IF I HIT THE OTHER CAR ANY HARDER I WOULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY HURT! I CALLED THE SATURN DEALERS HERE IN SYRACUSE AND THEY DID NOT SEEM VERY CONCERNED AT ALL WITH THE IDEA OF CHECKING THE SAFETY DEVISE THAT CONTROLS THE AIR BAGS! WHAT CAN BE DONE? *TR

THE BIGGEST ISSUE IS THAT ON COLD DAYS (AND SOMETIMES NOT SO COLD) MY CAR WILL JUST CLICK AND NOT START, OR WILL START AND DIE OUT. BUT IF I KEEP TRYING TO START IT AND LET IT SIT FOR AWHILE AND COME BACK, IT WILL START RIGHT UP. WHEN IT DOES THIS, THEY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT USUALLY COMES ON WHEN TRYING TO START IT, BUT WHEN I GET IT STARTED IT IMMEDIATELY GOES OFF. I'VE HAD THE BATTERY, ALTERNATOR AND STARTER CHECKED AND THEY ARE FINE. IT ONLY HAPPENS USUALLY IN THE MORNINGS OR LATE AT NIGHT WHEN IT'S BEEN COLD. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN ION. SPORADICALLY, WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WOULD ALSO EXPERIENCE A NO START CONDITION. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH AT THE COST OF SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS. TWO YEARS LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED, BUT THE DEALER WOULD NOT ASSUME ANY RESPONSIBILITY. LASTLY, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD REPEATEDLY HOP AROUND THE WINDSHIELD. ON ONE OCCASION, THE WIPER FRACTURED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 99,000.