2005 SATURN ION Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 60 MPH, DOWN AN ICY HILL THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE BRAKES DID NOT RESPOND. THE VEHICLE COASTED TO A STOP AND WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS PERFORMED, WHICH DETERMINED THERE WAS NO FAILURE ASSOCIATED WITH THE VEHICLE. WHILE DRIVING OFF THE LOT, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AGAIN. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN ALERTED. UPDATED 05/22/06

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE WERE SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. WHILE TURNING THE IGNITION ON, THE BATTERY LIGHT ILLUMINATED FOR 30 SECONDS. SECOND, THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW FELL OFF THE TRACK AND CAUSED THE WINDOW TO FALL INTO THE DOOR. THIRD, THERE WAS A GRINDING NOISE HEARD IN THE MOTOR AND THE VEHICLE HESITATED. ADDITIONALLY, THE HEADLIGHT SEAL AROUND THE HEADLIGHT WAS BROKEN ALLOWING WATER TO GET INSIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND ALL REPAIRS WERE MADE.

VEHICLE: 2005 SATURN ION RED LINE I WAS DRIVING IN COLUMBUS, OH AREA TO MEET SOME FRIENDS AND I HAD STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. WHEN I LEFT THE RED LIGHT I WENT THROUGH THE GEARS TO GET UP TO SPEED AND AS I CAME TO 4TH GEAR THE SHIFTER WOULD NOT GO IN. SO I LET OUT THE CLUTCH AND TRIED TO GO BACK IN. AS I PRESSED THE CLUTCH PEDAL AGAIN IT IMMEDIATELY FELL TO THE FLOOR WITH NO PRESSURE ON THE PEDAL AT ALL AND I COULD NOT SELECT ANY GEARS. THEN THE VEHICLE STARTED TO VIBRATE REALLY BAD SO I PULLED OVER AT THE WALGREEN'S A FEW YARDS AWAY. WHEN I CAME TO A STOP I NOTICED HYDRAULIC FLUID LEAKING FROM THE CAR AND IT WAS SHAKING BADLY. SO I CALLED MY FRIENDS AND THEY CAME TO LOOK. MY CLUTCH HAD GIVEN UP BUT WE WERE NOT SURE HOW BADLY. WE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP NEARBY THAT ALSO SPECIALIZED IN THESE VEHICLES. THE FRICTION DISC IN THE CLUTCH HAD RIPPED COMPLETELY APART WHICH IN TURN SCORED AND WARPED THE FLYWHEEL. THIS ALSO CAUSED THE SLAVE CYLINDER TO OVER EXTEND WHICH IS WHERE THE FLUID LEAKED FROM AND DEBRIS FLYING AROUND WITHIN THE BELLHOUSING HAD CONTACTED THE FLUID FEED LINE TO THE SLAVE CYLINDER AND PUNCTURED A HOLE IN IT. NEW PARTS WERE ORDERED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE AND THEY CONSISTED OF THIS: 1 NEW FLYWHEEL, 1 NEW CLUTCH FRICTION DISC, 1 NEW CLUTCH PRESSURE PLATE, 6 NEW CLUTCH PLATE TO FLYWHEEL BOLTS, 1 NEW SLAVE CYLINDER, 1 NEW THROW OUT BEARING, 1 NEW CLUTCH FLUID FEED LINE, 5 QUARTS OF HYDRAULIC FLUID, AND 1 QUART OF TRANSMISSION FLUID. THE TOTAL LABOR CHARGED WAS FOR 8 HOURS OF WORK. THE TOTAL REPAIR COSTS FOR LABOR AND PARTS CAME TO $1,752. I AM NOT THE ONLY OWNER OF THIS PLATFORM OF VEHICLE TO EXPERIENCE CLUTCH FAILURE ISSUES. I DO STILL HAVE THE OLD PARTS FOR INSPECTION. I UPGRADED TO NEWER, STRONGER PARTS TO AVOID THIS HAPPENING AGAIN IN 4,500 MILES WHICH IS WHERE THIS HAPPENED. 4,500 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. HERE IS THE VISUAL OF WHAT HAPPENED. HTTP://WWW.INTENSE-RACING.COM/PICS/CHRISD/PAGE_01.HTM. *JB

I WAS DRIVING MY 2005 SATURN ION2 AND THE BRAKES TOTALLY FAILED WHEN I DEPRESSED THE CLUTCH ON MY 5 SPEED TRANSMISSION. AFTER TAKING IT IN FOR SERVICE THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE SLAVE CYLINDER WAS LEAKING AND ALLOWED AIR INTO THE BRAKE SYSTEM BECAUSE THE BRAKES AND CLUTCH HAVE A SHARED HYDRAULIC FLUID RESERVOIR. I COULDN'T DOWNSHIFT BECAUSE THE CLUTCH FAILED AND I COULDN'T BRAKE BECAUSE THE BRAKES FAILED. THE WARNING SYSTEM FAILED BECAUSE THERE WAS STILL SOME FLUID IN THE SHARED RESERVOIR. THE WARNING LIGHT GOES ON WHEN THE SYSTEM IS OUT OF FLUID NOT WHEN IT IS RUNNING LOW. SCARY STUFF... I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED OR KILLED OTHERS. LUCKY FOR ME I WAS NOT GOING HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND/OR ON A BUSY STREET. I WAS ABLE TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP...*NM

DT*: THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING, ELECTRICAL GAUGE INDICATOR LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND THE MOTOR SHUT OFF INADVERTENTLY. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP ON FIVE SEPARATE OCCASIONS FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP PERFORMED DIAGNOSTICS TEST ON THE VEHICLE AND WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *JB

I PURCHASED A 3005 SATURN ION COUPE 3 5/31/05 WITH IN THE PAST 7 MONTHS,THE CAR HAS BEEN BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP 5 TIMES. THE DAY AFTER I PICKED UP THE VEHICLE, I NOTICED A THUMPING NOISE IN THE BACK. AFTER BRINGING BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP, I WAS TOLD THAT THE REAR ROTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THIS DID NOT FIX THE NOISE. MY SECOND TRIP THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT I NEEDED NEW REAR BRAKE DRUMS. BECAUSE THEY WERE WARPED (FUTURE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE SALES MANAGER INDICATED THAT THIS WAS COMPLETELY NORMAL, THAT IF THE CAR SITS FOR A FEW WEEKS WITHOUT BEING DRIVEN, THE DRUMS WILL WARP, WHICH LEADS ME TO THINK THAT SATURN SHOULD RE THINK THE QUALITY OF PARTS THEY USE.) SINCE THAT TIME, I HAVE BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR A DEFECTIVE RADIO (WHICH WAS REPLACED) A DRIVERS WINDOW THAT WOULDN'T GO DOWN (MOTOR REPLACED) AND THE CRUISE CONTROL NOT WORKING (AFTER 2 TIMES, IT WAS REPLACED). I FINALLY WAS ABLE TO SPEAK WITH THE AREA MANAGER LAST WEEK AFTER I CALLED SATURN CUSTOMER SERVICE TO LOG A COMPLAINT FOR THE SECOND TIME. HE OFFERED ME FREE BASIC MAINTENANCE (OIL CHANGES, TIRE ROTATIONS) FOR 2 YEARS. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT ANYONE AT SATURN HAD OFFERED TO DO ANYTHING FOR MY TIME/INCONVENIENCE. VERY POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE/SATISFACTION. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED VEHICLE STALLED SEVERAL TIMES AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THERE HAS BEEN NO WARNING PRIOR TO EACH INCIDENT. THIS WAS THE FOURTH TIME SHE TOOK VEHICLE TO A DEALER. EACH TIME THE DEALERSHIP TOLD HER THE PROBLEMS WAS FIXED. SHE DID NOT KNOW WHAT REPAIRS THE DEALERSHIP HAD DONE PREVIOUSLY. SHE DID NOT HAVE ANY OTHER PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE IS AT THE DEALERSHIP NOW AND HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *AK UPDATED 01/25/06. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATED INTERMITTENTLY THE VEHICLE WILL ACCELERATE WITH THE CONTACT'S FOOT ON THE BRAKE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, AND NO CODES WERE FOUND. THIS CAUSED THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE TO REAR END ANOTHER VEHICLE. THERE WAS PROPERTY DAMAGE. THE HOOD BUCKLED AND THE GRILL WAS DAMAGED. THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPAIRS DONE. *AK THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS SUCH AS THE RIGHT FRONT TURN SIGNAL, WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE A LOOSE CONNECTION. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START UNTIL 10 MINUTES AFTER THE INITIAL START. IT WAS DETERMINED THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW MODULE. UPDATED 01/25/06. *JB

THE ALMOST CRASH: 1. DRIVING ALONG THE ROAD; 2. PASSLOCK ANTI-THEFT DETERENT LIGHT CAME ON; 3. CAR STOPPED IN THE ROAD CAUSING DRIVERS TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION AROUND MY CAR. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS INDICATING A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK UPDATED 01/11/06.