2004 SATURN ION Complaints

THE POWER STEERING IN MY 2004 SATURN ION CONTINUOUSLY FAILS. IT USED TO RESET AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTING, BUT NOW IT JUST FAILS AFTER A FEW SECONDS. I HAVE NOTICED ONLINE THAT THERE A ALOT OF PEOPLE WITH THIS PROBLEM. IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. I HAVE BEEN QUOTED THAT THIS TYPE OF REPAIR WOULD BE AROUND $500. I DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY. I BELIEVE AN INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE STARTED. *TR

SATURN ION 2004- SPONTANEOUS POWER STEERING OUTAGES. THIS CAR IS A DANGER TO THE PUBLIC IN THAT WITHOUT ANY WARNING THE POWER STEERING FAILS ON THE VEHICLE. THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN MUST BE REPLACED ALTHOUGH THE ACTUAL MOTOR IS THE REASON FOR THE FAILURE. THE COST OF THE REPAIR IS APPROXIMATELY $1100.00. AFTER RESEARCH THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT EXISTS AMONG THESE MODELS AND THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR HARM OR DEATH DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY. A LOCAL NEWS STATION ANNOUNCED THIS EVENING THAT THE FEDS ARE INVESTIGATING THE CHEVROLET COBALT FOR THE SAME ISSUE- POWER STEERING FAILURE. THE SAME THING NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED RELATED TO THE SATURN ION BEFORE PEOPLE START DYING. *TR

MY WIFE OWNS A 2004 SATURN ION, ONLY 50,000 MILES. FOR ABOUT 3 YEARS THERE HAS BEEN AN OFF AND ON PROBLEM WITH THE POWER STEERING LIGHT COMING ON AND THE POWER STEERING STOPS WORKING- ONCE YOU TURN CAR OFF AND BACK ON IT STARTS WORKING AGAIN MOMENTARILY- THIS IS AN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. I'VE REPLACED THE FUSES AND THAT DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. CURRENTLY THE POWER STEERING WILL CUT OUT AT LEAST A FEW TIMES A WEEK IF NOT A FEW TIMES A DRIVING TRIP AND IT IS GETTING TO BE VERY UNSAFE. IF THE POWER STEERING WERE TO CUT OUT ON THE FREE WAY DURING A SHARP TURN, I'M VERY CONCERNED MY 105 LB. WIFE COULD LOSE CONTROL AND SERIOUSLY HURT HERSELF OR OTHERS. I HAVE READ NUMEROUS MESSAGE BOARDS AND THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT SATURN IS AWARE OF AND IS UNWILLING TO DO A RECALL- THEY JUST WANT TO MAKE MORE $$ BUY CHARGING OVER $1,000 TO REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN WHICH IN A LOT OF CASES IT SOUNDS AS IF IT COULD BE A CHEAPER FIX THAN WHAT SATURN WANTS TO CHARGE CONSUMER FOR. BOTTOM LINE IS THAT A CAR WITH ONLY 50,000 MILES SHOULD NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND SATURN SHOULD BE LIABLE AND CORRECT THESE SAFETY ISSUES. WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR THEM A FEW DEATHS BEFORE THEY REALIZE THIS NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED WHEN THE TEMPERATURE DROPPED BELOW 30 DEGREES THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START DUE TO THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE. THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY THE PASS LOCK CIRCUIT THAT WAS INSIDE THE IGNITION SWITCH AND THE RESISTANCE VALUE WITHIN THE PASS LOCK SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY AND THERE WERE NO RECALLS. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

IN COLD WEATHER(TEMP UNDER 32F), MY WIFE'S SATURN WILL NOT START. THIS IS THE FOURTH TIME THIS SEASON. WHEN TRYING TO START THE CAR, NOTHING HAPPENS. SHE HAS LIGHT, RADIO BUT TURNING THE KEY EVERYTHING GOES DARK AND NO TURN OVER OF THE ENGINE. I CHECKED ONLINE AND FOUND THE A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. THE PART SEEMS TO BE THE IGNITION SWITCH HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE PASSLOCK. I CALLED THE DEALER AND HE EVEN SAID THE SAME THING ABOUT PEOPLE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. *TW

MY DRIVER WIPER IS INOPERABLE. THE ENTIRE ARM PIVOTED 180 OPPOSITE OF ITS RESTING POSITION WHILE I WAS DRIVING DOWN A ROAD GOING 50MPH TO CLEAN MY WINDOW. INITIALLY MY PASSENGER SIDE WASN'T WORKING AT NORMAL SPEED. IT SEEMED 'SLUGGISH'. SO I INCREASED THE SPEED OF THE WIPERS UNTIL IT REACHED ITS HIGHEST LEVEL. THIS OCCURRED 1 DAY AFTER ABOUT 8 INCHES OF SNOW FELL INCLUDING ICE. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE I WAS DRIVING DOWN A BUSY HIGHWAY. AFTER I REACHED MY DESTINATION I REMOVED THE BLADE FROM THE ARM SO THE ENTIRE WIPER WOULD NOT INTERFERE WITH TRAFFIC. AN AUTO MECHANIC STATED THE PIECE IS MADE OF PLASTIC. I AM FIGHTING MY EXTENDED WARRANTY COMPANY TO REPLACE THE PIECE AT NO CHARGE. THEY STATED THEY WOULD ONLY COVER THE WIPER MOTOR, BUT NOT THE WIPER TRANSMISSION. READING OTHER REVIEWS, OTHERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. SATURN SHOULD REALLY CONSIDER DOING A RECALL OR FIX FOR FREE. OCCURRED AT 54K MILES ON CAR. JAN 16, 2010. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 SATURN ION. ABOUT 3 WEEKS AGO I HAD THE TRANSMISSION FLUID FLUSHED AND CHANGED. THEN ON JANUARY 13, 2010, MY CAR STALLED ON ME. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE SATURN DEALERSHIP AND CALLED THE NEXT MORNING. I WAS TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IT WAS A GENEROUS OFFER TO ONLY HAVE TO PAY HALF FOR THE REPAIR. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH, AND ALTHOUGH THERE ARE REPORTS FOR ABOUT 15 SATURN VEHICLES ON RECALL LISTS, THE ION WAS NOT ONE OF WHICH I COULD READ ABOUT. IN SOME CASES, TRANSMISSION FAILURE FOR THE SATURN VUE CAN BE A RECURRING PROBLEM; FOR THE SAME CUSTOMER. *TR

I DRIVE A 2004 SATURN ION AND LAST YEAR, THE WINTER OF 2008 WHENEVER THE TEMPERATURE DROPPED BELOW 40, WHICH WAS ONCE OR TWICE, MY CAR WOULDN'T START. THIS YEAR, 2009, THE TEMPERATURE HAS BEEN BELOW 40 FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS NOW AND OUT OF THE 5 WORK DAYS OF THIS WEEK MY CAR STARTED ONCE ON THE FIRST TRY. WHEN I TRY TO START IT, THE ENGINE TURNS OVER AND SHUTS OFF IMMEDIATELY. I HAVE TO WAIT AT LEAST 10 MINUTES TO START AGAIN. SOMETIMES IT WILL WORK THE SECOND TIME, USUALLY I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE THIRD TRY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SATURN ION. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START WHENEVER THE TEMPERATURES OUTSIDE WERE LOW. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER AND THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 63270.

IN COLD WEATHER (BELOW 20F), THE CAR REFUSES TO START, OR EVEN TRY TO TURN OVER. *TR