2006 SATURN ION Complaints

CAR BEGAN TO MAKE EXCESSIVE RATTLING AND CLUNKING IN FRONT END AND THE STEERING FELT VERY LOOSE. TOOK TO GM DEALER AND THEY FOUND THE ENTIRE FRONT END PRETTY MUCH SHOT. CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS, SWAY BAR LINKS, AND STRUTS ALL REPLACED. THE DEALER SAID THE STEERING COLUMN WAS FRACTURED AND NEAR FAILURE. STEERING I SHAFT AND COLUMN WERE REPLACED. AROUND $3000 IN PARTS AND LABOR AT 71000, NOT MY IDEA OF A QUALITY BUILT VEHICLE. MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD FOR SOMETHING WITH THIS KIND OF MILEAGE. *TR

MY 2006 SATURN ION KEY WOULD NOT TURN OFF. LEFT VEHICLE RUNNING UNTIL I COULD FIND A SERVICE SHOP OPEN AT 7PM. TOOK CARE TO NON-GM SHOP FOR FIXING THAT NIGHT, SHOP CLAIMED THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. IGNITION TUMBLER WAS BROKEN. THEY REPLACED FOR AROUND $400. SATURN WOULD NOT EVEN CONSIDER COVERING THIS SINCE I DID NOT USE A GM DEALER. ALMOST 1 YEAR LATER THIS HAPPENED AGAIN. LUCKILY PARTS AND LABOR WERE COVERED WITHIN THE YEAR, HOWEVER, NOW THEY STATED THAT THE TUMBLER HOUSING IS ALSO WORN OUT AND ARE WANTING TO CHARGE AN ADDITIONAL $300 TO COVER THE NEW PARTS AND DIFFERENCE IN LABOR. FIRST INSTANCE WAS AT 63,000 MILES, SECOND INSTANCE AT 75,000 MILES. UNACCEPTABLE. *TR

TWICE IN 3 WKS. THE POWER STEERING LIGHT HAS COME ON, RESULTING IN DIFFICULTY IN STEERING. HAD TO TURN CAR OFF, AND THEN IT WOULD RE-SET ITSELF. WAS ON THE FREEWAY, AND LUCKILY, WAS ABLE TO EXIT WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM. I SEE THIS HAS BEEN REPORTED AND SHOULD BE ON A RECALL LIST, DUE TO ITS POTENTIAL DANGER. *TR

RECENTLY, I HAVE NOTICED A STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE IN AND AROUND THE CAR. I SEARCHED THE FUEL LINES TO SEE IF THERE WAS A LEAK AND THERE WAS NOT. I DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND THE GM RECALL FOR THE FUEL PUMP OF THIS VEHICLE. THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER IS 09V419000. I CONTACTED GM AND GAVE THEM MY VIN TO SEE IF MY CAR WAS ONE OF THE AFFECTED. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS NOT. I SEE THAT THE RECALL INCLUDES 2006 SATURN IONS IN NORTH CAROLINA, BUT APPARENTLY MY CAR IS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. THE ISSUE WITH MY CAR IS EXACTLY THE SAME LISTED IN THE RECALL. I HAVE DONE MORE RESEARCH AND HAVE FOUND OVER 80 OTHER COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER SATURN ION OWNERS STATING THAT THEIR CARS ARE DOING EXACTLY THE SAME THING. HOWEVER, THEIR CARS ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL EITHER. I BELIEVE THIS ISSUE AFFECTS A MAJORITY OF THESE MODEL CARS, NOT JUST THE ONES LISTED IN THE RECALL SENT OUT BY GM. *TR

IN 2008 MY KEY WAS STUCK IN THE IGNITION NOT ALLOWING MY CAR TO SHUT OFF. AFTER SEVERAL HOURS IN THE BLAZING SON WITH MY SON, A TOW TRUCK CAME AND HAD TO DISCONNECT MY BATTERY AND TAKE OUT THE IGNITION RELAY JUST TO GET MY CAR TO STOP RUNNING. MY CAR ALMOST OVER HEATED AND RAN OUT MOST MY GAS.THE IGNITION CYLINDER AND SWITCH WAS REPLACED COSTING OVER SEVEN HUNDRED DOLLARS. NOW IN 2012 THE SAME THING HAS HAPPENED AGAIN. I WAS QUOTED ANOTHER SIX HUNDRED AND EIGHTY DOLLARS TO REPLACE IT AGAIN. SINCE I DO NOT HAVE THE FUNDS TO REPLACE SUCH A COSTLY UNEXPECTED REPAIR I AM FORCED TO LIVE WITH A CAR THAT I CAN NOT DRIVE. MY KEY IS STUCK IN THE IGNITION NOT ALLOWING ME TO LOCK MY DOORS WHICH LEAVES MY CAR OPEN FOR ANYONE TO DESTROY IT OR ROB IT. SINCE YOU CAN ONLY ACCESS THE BATTERY BY THE TRUCK AND THE TRUNK CAN ONLY BE OPENED BY KEY OR AUTOMATIC KEY RING. I CAN NO LONGER ACCESS MY BATTERY TO HOOK IT BACK UP. THIS IS BECAUSE THE ONLY OTHER WAY TO GET TO OPEN THE TRUNK IS BY HAVING THE SEATS DOWN IN THE BACK AND CLIMBING THROUGH THE TRUNK TO OPEN IT. EVEN IF SOMEONE ELSE DOES OPEN THE TRUNK. CONNECTING THE BATTERY AND DISCONNECTING THE BATTERY IN HUNDRED DEGREE WEATHER IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. SINCE BEING DIAGNOSED WITH AN AUTOIMMUNE DISORDER I CAN NO LONGER DUE SUCH THING. IF CONNECTED I CAN START MY VEHICLE. ACTUALLY AFTER REPLACING THE IGNITION RELAY IT STARTS ITSELF. I SEE ONLINE THAT THE IGNITION OR ITS PARTS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH MY VEHICLE. WHEN IS IT GOING TO BECOME A RECALL? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE IGNITION FAILED AND AS A RESULT, HE WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE IGNITION TO THE OFF POSITION. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT IN ORDER TO TURN OFF THE VEHICLE HE HAD TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER AND THE IGNITION LOCK HOUSING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 62,000.

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR THROUGH TOWN WHEN THE DASH SUDDENLY MADE AN ALERT SOUND AND A 'PWR STR' LIGHT CAME ON. MY POWER STEERING INSTANTLY STOPPED WORKING. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A THREE LANE STREET AND IN THE PROCESS OF MERGING LANES, SO THE POWER STEERING FAILURE ALMOST CAUSED ME TO RUN INTO ANOTHER CAR. AFTER I SHUT MY CAR OFF AND STARTED IT AGAIN, THE POWER STEERING WORKED FINE FOR ABOUT 5 MILES BEFORE THE MESSAGE CAME BACK UP AND THE POWER STEERING FAILED ONCE AGAIN. I DRIVE AT LEAST 15-20 MILES THROUGH THE CITY FOR MY JOB EACH DAY, AND IT'S A HUGE SAFETY HAZARD FOR ME WHEN THE POWER STEERING STOPS WORKING. IT HAS BEEN FAILING AT LEAST 2 OR 3 TIMES A DAY SINCE THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED. I DROVE TO MY PARENTS' HOUSE WHICH IS 80 MILE FROM MY CURRENT HOME, AND THE POWER STEERING FAILED AT LEAST 7 TIMES DURING THE DRIVE. I LOOSE ALMOST ALL OF MY CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE WHENEVER THIS OCCURS, AND I'M VERY CONCERNED FOR MY SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF THE OTHERS ON THE ROAD NEAR ME. *TR

MY 2006 SATURN ION RECENTLY HAD TO HAVE THE FUEL PUMP REPLACED. I NOTICED A RECALL (090226) ON CERTAIN ION VEHICLES FROM THIS YEAR FOR THIS EXACT ISSUE, BUT THE RECALL DID NOT INCLUDE MY CAR. THE PROBLEM DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL DESCRIBES WHAT HAPPENED TO MY VEHICLE. I'M HOPING BY NOTIFYING THE NHTSA ABOUT THE FACT THAT THIS IS HAPPENING TO OTHER VEHICLES THAT THE RECALL MAY GET EXPANDED AND GM WILL HAVE TO TAKE CAR OF THE PROBLEM FOR OTHER PEOPLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IN SOME INSTANCE THE KEY BECAME LODGE IN THE IGNITION SWITCH WHICH PREVENTED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TURN OFF. ALSO, THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START FOR 30 MINUTES OR MORE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSE THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED HE WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION. THE CONTACT HAD TO REMOVE A FUSE IN ORDER TO SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSE THAT THE IGNITION CYLINDER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.