2005 SATURN ION Complaints

I WAS DRIVING MY 2005 SATURN ION, IT WAS SNOWING HERE IN SEATTLE. THE POWER STEERING WITHOUT ANY WARNING GAVE OUT. I COULD NOT MANEUVER MY CAR AND THE CAR ENDED UP HITTING THE SIDEWALK WITH ALOT OF FORCE AND CAUSING FRONT DAMAGE. WHEN I CONTACTED SATURN THEY STATED THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT THEY WERE NOT ISSUING A RECALL. *TR

TWO DAYS AFTER MOVING TO NJ FROM FL AS I WAS PULLING INTO MY DRIVEWAY THE POWER STEERING LIGHT CAME ON AND THE STEERING LOCKED UP. I FOUND THAT IF I TURN THE CAR OFF AND ON AGAIN THE STEERING IS GOOD FOR MAYBE 20 MINUTES. I HAVE CHECKED THE FUSE AND TOOK IT TO A SHOP. THE MECHANIC SUGGESTED I DO SOME RESEARCH BECAUSE A CAR THIS YOUNG SHOULD NOT HAVE THESE KINDS OF PROBLEMS. I HAVE SEEN SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET ABOUT THE SAME MODEL. MY CAR IS A SATURN, ION 2005. *TR

I HAVE A 2005 SATURN ION AND IT HAS A HABIT OF NOT STARTING AT TIMES. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE OWNED IT. WE TURN THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND THE CAR WILL NOT START. WE HAVE TO WAIT ANYWHERE FROM 10-45 MINUTES FOR THE CAR TO START AND IT SOMETIMES CAUSE MY HUSBAND TO BE LATE TO WORK. THIS IS AN EVEN BIGGER CONCERN SINCE WE HAVE A FOUR MONTH OLD SON. WE HAVE NOT HAD THE MONEY OR TIME DURING THE WEEK TO GO THE SATURN DEALERSHIP BUT I HAVE CALLED THE COMPANY WHO HANDLES MY EXTENDED WARRANTY AND HE SAID THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE. FROM THE DISCUSSION BOARDS I GATHER THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE AND THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL. *TR

SATURN ION 2005 PROBLEM STARTING-EVERY THREE OR FOUR STARTS, THE LOCK SYMBOL SHOWS UP AND CAR WILL NOT START, PANEL, HEADLAMPS, ACCESSORIES ARE OPERATING, BUT STARTER SEEMS LOCKED OUT. AFTER 10-20 MINUTE WAIT, IT USUALLY STARTS. *TR

AT ABOUT 38,000 MILES, THE IGNITION SWITCH LOCKED UP WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING. I HAD TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY TO SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. I PURCHASED A REPLACEMENT SWITCH WITH KEY FROM THE SATURN DEALER FOR ABOUT $140.00 AND INSTALLED IT MYSELF (THANK GOD I'M A MECHANIC) OR THE COST WOULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT TRIPLE. SATURN DOES NOT CLAIM ANY DESIGN RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE THOUSANDS OF KEY SWITCH FAILURES, BUT GM IS CERTAINLY WILLING TO TAKE OUR MONEY TO REPAIR A KNOWN DESIGN FLAW. NEXT VEHICLE I PURCHASE WILL BE MADE BY CHRYSLER-2005 CARAVAN SXT IS MECHANICALLY PERFECT WITH VERY GOOD FUEL ECONOMY. NO MORE GM PRODUCTS FOR THIS FAMILY! *TR

I HAVE HAD IGNITION PROBLEMS WITH MY VEHICLE. THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHEN ONE OF MY KEYS LOCKS THE IGNITION, ALL OCCURRENCES WHILE TRYING TO TURN THE CAR ON, AND I HAD TO REALLY WORK AT IT TO GET THE KEY TO TURN. IT COULD TAKE UP TO 5 MINUTES OF JIGGLING THE KEY HARD BEFORE IT TURNS. THIS ENDED WHEN I STARTED USING MY OTHER KEY. WITH THIS OTHER KEY, THERE HAVE BEEN FOUR SEPARATE OCCASIONS WHEN MY CAR WOULD NOT START. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE RADIO TURNS ON BUT THERE IS ONLY A BUZZING SOUND COMING FROM THE CAR. IF I WAIT LONG ENOUGH, THE CAR WILL EVENTUALLY START. HOWEVER, I DON'T ALWAYS HAVE TIME TO WAIT. THIS HAPPENS BOTH AFTER THE CAR SITS NO MORE THAN A FEW DAYS OR AFTER HAVING DRIVEN IT THE DAY BEFORE. IT ALSO HAPPENS IN COLD WEATHER AND IN MODERATE WEATHER. I CANNOT DRIVE A VEHICLE THAT IS SO UNRELIABLE, BUT I ALSO CANNOT AFFORD TO PURCHASE ANOTHER ONE. *TR

THE CAR WOULD NOT START, THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN ION. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE IGNITION CONTROL MODULE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REPAIRED AGAIN. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED OF THE SAFETY RISK INVOLVED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 41,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 61,000.

I HAVE A 2005 SATURN ION-3 WITH 87,639 MILES ON IT. LAST WEEK ON THE FREEWAY OUT OF NOW WHERE MY POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING. THIS PROBLEM CAUSED ME TO SWERVE ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. I THEN PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO RE-GROUP AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WENT WRONG. AFTER A FEW MINUTES I STARTED THE CAR AND STARTED DRIVING, IT WAS AS IF NOTHING EVER HAPPENED. THIS HAPPENS ALMOST EVERY TIME I DRIVE IT NOW. IT OCCASIONALLY TRIPS THE POWER STEERING LIGHT, SO I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL SATURN DEALER. THEY SCANNED THE CAR TO CHECK THE PROBLEM AND SAID THAT I NEED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN DUE TO A FAILED POWER STEERING MODULE. THEY WANT $955.00 PLUS TAX TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING MY CAR. HOWEVER I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO DEAL WITH IT FOR I HAVE NO OTHER MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION AND I HAVE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE IT BACK AND FORTH TO WORK TO SUPPORT THE FAMILY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN ION. A MONTH AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, THE POWER STEERING WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE STEERING COLUMN, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. SHE TURNED OFF AND THEN RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND THE STEERING COLUMN RESUMED WORKING. SHE STATED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN LOCKED ON THREE OCCASIONS WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE AND THEN REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT REIMBURSE HER FOR THE COST OF THE REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. UPDATED 12/10/08 *CN THE FOG LAMP WAS CRAXKED. UPDATED 12/16/08.*JB