2003 SATURN ION Complaints

THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE ON THE VEHICLE. ALL I DID WAS GO TO START IT UP AND IT WOULDN'T START. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO A GOODYEAR BUT THEY COULDN'T FIX IT. SO RIGHT NOW IT IS BEING LOOKED AT BY A MECHANIC. HE SAID THAT THE TIMING CHAIN IS BROKEN AND BECAUSE OF THE BREAKAGE I NOW HAVE TO HAVE THE VALVES REPLACED AS WELL AS THE THERMOSTAT, THE FUEL PUMP AND THE HEAD GASKET. ALL OF THESE WERE DAMAGED BY THE CHAIN. THIS IS NOW COSTING ME APPROXIMATELY $3000. ALL OF WHICH IS CAUSED BY A FAULTY BELT THAT SATURN INSTALLED ON THEIR VEHICLES. *TR

THE TIMING BELT BROKE ON MY 2003 SATURN ION ON 11-28-07. THE CAR ONLY HAS 67,000 MILES ON IT. UNFORTUNATELY WITH THE BELT BREAKING IT MESSED UP THE VALVES, HEAD GASKET AND FUEL PUMP. WHICH IS COSTING ME ALMOST $3000. THE BELT SHOULDN'T HAVE BROKEN WITH THAT FEW OF MILES ON IT. NOW I AM DOWN TO ONE CAR AND IT HAS BECOME A HUGE HASSLE. I AM NEVER GOING TO BUY A SATURN AGAIN. IN MY OPINION THE WARRANTY IS AWFUL AND THE CUSTOMER SERVICE IS NON-EXISTENT. THE WARRANTY IS ONLY ON THE FIRST 30,000 MILES AND OR 3 YEARS. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE CAN NOT HELP ME IN THE SITUATION. *TR

SATURN 2003 ION WILL NOT START IN THE WINTER, WHEN TEMPERATURE IS 32 DEGREE'S OR LOWER. *TR

KEY STICKS FORWARD WHEN TRYING TO START. CAR WILL NOT START WHEN IT GETS COLD OUTSIDE. HAD IT TOWED IN. REPLACEMENT PART # 10392423 IGNITION SWITCH. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 SATURN ION. MY CAR WILL NOT START WHEN IT IS COLD OUTSIDE. I READ THROUGH MESSAGE BOARDS AND FOUND MANY PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I ALSO READ SOME PEOPLES CAR ACTUALLY STALL WHILE DRIVING, WHICH SOUNDS RELATED TO ME. LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKES WERE ALSO POPULAR COMPLAINTS. THESE CARS ARE OBVIOUSLY RIDDLED WITH ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS AND ARE ROLLING DEATH TRAPS. I PERSONALLY EXPERIENCED POWER STEERING LOSS ONCE, BUT IT NEVER HAPPENED AGAIN SO I THOUGHT IT WAS A FLUKE UNTIL READING OTHERS POSTS. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO SEVERAL MECHANICS AND HAVE FOUND NO RESOLUTION. I FOUND A TSB STATING THAT A FAULTY IGNITION IS THE CAUSE OF THE COLD STARTING PROBLEM, SO I WILL LIKELY REPLACE IT. *TR

MY COMPLAINT IS THAT MY CAR SHUTS OFF WHILE I'M DRIVING IT. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED I WAS LEAVING WORK AND HAD JUST MADE A RIGHT HAND TURN AND AS I WAS ACCELERATING THE CAR COMPLETELY TURNED OFF, I WAS GOING ABOUT 30 MPH WHEN IT HAPPENED. I WAS ABLE TO PULL THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT INCIDENT. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY TO HAVE THE ISSUE FIXED. I WAS TOLD THE PROBLEM WAS THE BODY CONTROL MODULE, SO IT WAS REPLACED AND I PICKED UP MY CAR. TWO WEEKS LATER I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK ON A BUSY HIGHWAY DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC AND WHILE I WAS IN THE LEFT LANE GOING 65 MPH THE CAR COMPLETELY SHUT OFF. I PUT ON MY FLASHERS AND COASTED TO A STOP, USING SOME BRAKES, BUT I COULDN'T STOP TOO SUDDENLY OR I WOULD HAVE BEEN REAR-ENDED. I WAS IN THE LEFT LANE NEXT TO A JERSEY WALL, THERE WAS NOT MUCH OF A SHOULDER SO I WAS PARTIALLY ON IT AND PARTIALLY BLOCKING TRAFFIC, I AM VERY LUCKY TO NOT HAVE BEEN HIT. IT WOULD BE A REAL TRAGEDY FOR SOMEONE TO BE KILLED DUE TO THIS MALFUNCTION BEFORE NOTICE WAS TAKEN AND THESE CARS RECALLED COMPLETELY. *TR

HOOD LATCH BROKEN, IGNITION SWITCH SPARKS AND THE CAR DOESN'T START, LOUD CLANKING NOISE IN FRONT END, TRANSMISSION IS QUIRKY WHILE SHIFTING(AUTOMATIC) DO NOT HAVE ANY OF THE PARTS. *TR

CAR WOULDN'T START, BATTERY AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM CHECKED OK. FINALLY CHECKED WITH OTHER OWNERS OF SIMILAR MAKE,MODEL AND YEAR OF CAR AND THE COLD WEATHER PROBLEM WITH THE STARTED IS A KNOWN ISSUE. WAITED AN HOUR OR SO TO TRY AGAIN AND THE CAR STARTED. *TR

WHEN THE TEMPERATURE IS 32 DEGREES OR LESS AND THE ENGINE IS NOT RUNNING I ATTEMPT TO START MY CAR AND IT WILL NOT START. THE IGNITION SWITCH CLICKS AND THEN THE CAR STALLS. THE SECURITY SYSTEM KICKS IN AND THE SECURITY LIGHT COMES ON AND THEN THE ODOMETER SCREEN READS "SERVICE VEHICLE SOON". THE CAR WILL NOT START FOR ABOUT 8 TO 10 MINUTES. AFTER 8 TO 10 MINUTES THE LIGHT STOPS BLINKING AND THE SERVICE VEHICLE GOES OFF AND THEN THE CAR STARTS. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE THEN AND IT OCCURS ALL DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE DAYS. AS I READ ON THE INTERNET THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS. THIS IS GOING TO COST ME APPROXIMATELY $200.00 TO FIX. *TR

FAILURE TO START IN COLD WEATHER COMBINED WITH SECURITY SYSTEM LOCKOUT. THE PROBLEM ARISES AS FOLLOWS: A.THE SATURN VEHICLE IS EXPOSED TO TEMPERATURES AT OR APPROACHING 32 DEGREES F FOR SEVERAL HOURS WHEN THE ENGINE IS NOT RUNNING (USUALLY 6-10 HOURS.) B.AN OPERATOR ATTEMPTS TO START THE VEHICLE, THE IGNITION SWITCH CLICKS AND THE CAR STALLS. C.THE SECURITY SYSTEM KICKS IN. THE SECURITY LIGHT BLINKS AND THE ODOMETER SCREEN READS: ?SERVICE ENGINE SOON.? FUEL WILL NOT BE SENT TO THE ENGINE. D.THE VEHICLE WILL NOW NOT START FOR ABOUT 8-10 MINUTES AS THE SECURITY SYSTEM RESETS. E.AFTER 8-10 MINUTES, THE SECURITY LIGHT WILL STOP BLINKING AND THEN GO OUT. ?THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON? SCROLL LIGHT WILL STOP AND ALSO GO OUT. F.NOW THE OPERATOR MAY ATTEMPT TO START THE VEHICLE AGAIN. G.HOWEVER, IF THE IGNITION SWITCH GREASE HAS NOT ADEQUATELY WARMED, THEN THE PROCESS WILL BEGIN AGAIN. H.A SIGNAL THAT THE VEHICLE WILL LIKELY START AFTER THE PRESENT ?LOCK-OUT? WILL BE WHEN THE IGNITION SEEMS TO CRANK A BIT MORE THAN JUST A CLICK, BEFORE LOCKING OUT AGAIN. *TR