2004 SATURN ION Complaints

2004 SATURN ION1 WILL NOT START DUE DO PASSLOCK THEFT DETERRENT PROBLEM. THE POSSIBLE COMPONENTS CAUSING THIS ARE THE IGNITION SWITCH AND/OR THE BCM. THE BATTERY WAS TESTED AS GOOD. THIS PROBLEM STARTED IN JANUARY 2008 DURING A WINTER STORM AND HAS HAPPENED DOZENS AND DOZENS OF TIMES SINCE, WITH THE LAST OCCURRENCE TODAY AND IT IS NEARLY 90 DEGREES OUTSIDE. IT HAS PREVIOUSLY ONLY DONE THIS IN COLD AND WET CONDITIONS. THE CAR WILL CRANK ONCE OR TWICE WHEN THE IGNITION SWITCH IS ENGAGED BUT THEN IT WILL DO NOTHING, THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT ALONG WITH THE PASSLOCK ICON ILLUMINATES. AFTER WAITING 10 MINUTES THE LIGHTS GO OFF AND IT WILL START. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS AND THE REPAIRS ARE COSTLY AND NOT ALWAYS EFFECTIVE ACCORDING TO WHAT OTHERS ARE INDICATING ONLINE. THIS COULD EASILY PUT SOMEBODY IN HARMS WAY GIVEN AN UNSAFE OR HARSH ENVIRONMENT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH, THE POWER STEERING MALFUNCTIONED. THE POWER STEERING LIGHT ILLUMINATED BEFORE THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE CONTACT TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND RESTARTED IT; AFTER RESTART, THE POWER STEERING RESET TO NORMAL. THE CONTACT PLANNED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 88,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH INTO A PARKING LOT. A CHIME SOUNDED INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AND RESUMED NORMALLY FOR A PERIOD OF TEN MINUTES. THE VEHICLE FAILURE OCCURRED REPEATEDLY; AND WHENEVER IN OPERATION DURING WARM WEATHER TEMPERATURES. THE AUTHORIZED DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE MALFUNCTION AND STATED THERE WAS NOT A RECALL FOR THE DEFECT. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,000. UPDATED 07/19/10. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE STEERING GOES OUT 4-5 TIMES A DAY IN A 45 MINUTE TO HOUR TIME FRAME. IT WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER THE VEHICLE. UPDATED 09/22/10

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE POWER STEERING FAILED SUDDENLY. THE CONTACT TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE AND RESTARTED IT; AFTER RESTART, THE POWER STEERING FUNCTIONED PROPERLY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWICE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED OR REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 55,000.

2004 SATURN ION. POWER STEERING GOES OUT INTERMITTENTLY I HAVE HAD NEAR MISSES TWICE WITH IT GOING OUT AT LOW SPEEDS EXTREMELY HARD TO TURN. WHEN CAR STOPS & IS RESTARTED POWER STEERING WORKS AGAIN. I DRIVE 10 MI TO AND FROM WORK USUALLY HAPPENS IN AFTERNOON 4 OUT OF 5 TIMES. *TR

DRIVING ON FREEWAY THROUGH A BENDING TUNNEL AND SUDDENLY THE POWER STEERING FAILED. VERY NEAR COLLISION WITH THE TUNNEL WALL. DROVE REST OF THE JOURNEY WITH NO POWER STEERING. POWER STEERING RETURNED ON START-UP. BUT THEN FAILED AGAIN THE NEXT DAY AND IS NOW, EXCEPT FOR THE FIRST 10 SECONDS AFTER TURNING ON THE IGNITION, DOES NOT WORK AT ALL. $1200 REPAIR ESTIMATE TO REPLACE POWER MODULE. 2004 SATURN ION WITH ONLY 35,000 MILES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF 65 MPH, THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY A LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST. THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME EXTREMELY HARD AND THE CONTACT HAD EXTREME DIFFICULTY IN MAINTAINING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. SHE WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROADWAY WITHOUT INCIDENT AND SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. WHEN RESTARTING, THE VEHICLE WAS STILL WITHOUT POWER STEERING ASSIST. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR MANUFACTURER HAD YET BEEN CONTACTED. THIS WAS THE FIRST INCIDENT OF THE FAILURE IN THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 92,890.

I BOUGHT MY 2004 SATURN ION USED WITH LESS THAN 60,000 MILES ON IT, I HAD IT LESS THAN A YEAR WHEN ONE DAY IT WOULDN'T START, I THOUGHT IT WAS THE BATTERY OR THE ALTERNATOR, BUT NONE OF THAT FIXED THE PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM PROGRESSIVELY GOT WORSE AND STARTED HAPPENING VERY FREQUENTLY, MORE OFTEN WHEN IT GOT COLD OUT. AFTER ABOUT 10-15 MINUTES THE CAR WILL START, I HAVE HAD TO WAIT UP TO 45 MINUTES FOR THE CAR TO START SOMETIMES. THIS PROBLEM HAS MADE ME LATE FOR WORK, LEFT MY CHILDREN WAITING FOR ME AND LEFT MYSELF AFTER WORK CLOSING A BAR ONE NIGHT AT 3:00 IN THE MORNING. THE MORE I MENTIONED THIS PROBLEM TO PEOPLE THE MORE I FOUND OUT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM, IT HAS TO DO WITH THE SECURITY PASS LOCK SYSTEM AND IGNITION. IF THIS IS SUCH A FREQUENT PROBLEM FOR SATURNS WHY HASN'T THERE BEEN A RECALL EVER TO HAD IT FIXED, AND WHY ARE DEALERSHIPS ALLOWED TO SELL USED SATURNS WITHOUT CORRECTING THE PROBLEM OR MAKING BUYERS AWARE OF THIS POTENTIAL PROBLEM, IT IS SIMPLY DISHONEST! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SATURN ION. THE POWER STEERING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE POWER STEERING MALFUNCTIONED. WHEN THE CONTACT TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE AND RESTARTED IT, THE POWER STEERING FUNCTIONED NORMALLY; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE REOCCURRED CONSTANTLY. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 68,000.

MY CAR RAN FINE UNTIL ABOUT 60,000 MILES. THEN THE POWER STEERING GOING. AT FIRST IT WAS SPORADIC. IT WOULD GO OUT AND THEN COME BACK ON. PRETTY SOON IT GOT TO BE ALL THE TIME. I HAVE YET TO GET FIXED. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME IT WOULD COST $1,200. *TR