2003 SATURN ION Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY BECOMES STUCK IN THE IGNITION AND CAUSES HER TO RESTART THE VEHICLE APPROXIMATELY 3 OR 4 TIMES TO RELEASE THE KEY. SHE HAS TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER APPROXIMATELY 3 TIMES AND THEY HAVE KEPT THE VEHICLE FOR AN ENTIRE WEEK. AFTER LEAVING THE DEALER, THE VEHICLE WILL OPERATE NORMALLY FOR A FEW WEEKS, BUT THEN THE FAILURE RECURS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 17,000.

2003 SATURN ION WITH CRACKED CYLINDER HEAD CUSTOMER STATES THAT THE PROBLEM COMES FROM A DEFECTIVE CASTING OF CYLINDER HEAD**CC THE CONSUMER STATED SHE EXPERIENCED A CRACKED CYLINDER HEAD IN MAY OF 2007 BUT THE CORPORATION DENIES ANY RESPONSIBILITY IN THE MATTER. THE CONSUMER STATED SATURN STATES NOT WANT TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE INSURANCE WARRANTY NOR THE DEFECT OF THE VEHICLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN ION. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH DURING RAINY CONDITIONS, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS TRAVELED BEYOND THE NORMAL RADIUS. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE PLASTIC LINKAGE ON THE WIPER MOTOR HAD FAILED. THE DEALER HAS NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THERE IS A DEFECT INVESTIGATION OPEN (NHTSA ACTION # PE07011) FOR THE WINDSHIELD WIPER LINKAGES. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 43,000.

THIS HAPPENED THREE TIMES NOW. FIRST TIME THE DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING AND THE VEHICLE SERVICE ENGINE DISPLAY CAME ON AND ALL ELECTRICAL POWER WENT OUT. IMMEDIATELY PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. TURNED OFF THE KEY, CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD FOR SMOKE, AND CALLED DAD BECAUSE THE CAR WAS STUCK IN PARK WITH THE KEY STUCK IN THE IGNITION, AND THE WINDOWS LOCKED IN THE DOWN POSITION. CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE ,THE EXTENDED WARRANTY - NO PROBLEM, THEY WILL TOW IT TO THE NEAREST SATURN DEALER, 180+ MILES AWAY THROUGH A RAIN STORM. SEVERAL DAYS LATER HAD TO DRIVE ROUND TRIP TO RETRIEVE CAR FROM SATURN DEALER, WHO HAS REPLACED 7.5 AMP BODY CONTROL MODULE FUSE, BUT DIDN'T KNOW WHY IT BLEW OUT. GOT BACK HOME , 180+ MILES AND NO PROBLEMS. DAUGHTER ENTERED THE CAR, WENT 8 MILES, BANG SAME THING. TO REPLACE FUSE CALLED SATURN TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT. DROVE CAR BACK TO SATURN 180+ MILES TO GET FUSE TO BLOW 3 TIMES ON WAY BACK BY ADJUSTING THE LH RV MIRROR. THEY KEPT THE CAR FOR ONE WEEK AND REPLACED LH MIRROR SWITCH. PICKED UP CAR FROM SATURN. DEALER NO PROBLEMS FOR ABOUT A MONTH. TODAY SHE WAS HEADING TO WORK, ADJUSTED LH RV MIRROR AND BCM FUSE BLEW OUT, EVERYTHING WENT DEAD. CALLED SATURN WHY DO I HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE THEM FIX WHAT I JUST PAID TO HAVE FIXED , $50.00 DEDUCTIBLE, AND WHAT WAS THE REAL ROOT OF THE PROBLEM? WHEN WAS THIS GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN? CHECKED THIS SITE FOR OTHER SIMILAR PROBLEMS. FOUND ODI #10152158 NOTICED THAT THE VINS WERE VERY SIMILAR - 9TH DIGIT WAS DIFFERENT. MINE WAS 0, AND THEIRS WAS X. DID NOT KNOW IF THAT WAS SIGNIFICANT. IT HAPPENED TWICE 13 MONTHS APART. WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE. 1 ORIGINAL FAILURE, 3 DUPLICATED BY MYSELF, AND NOW ANOTHER FAILURE. DON'T THINK IT WAS THE MIRROR SWITCH. IT WAS THE BCM? OWNER LOVED SATURNS. HE OWNED 3. 2006 VUE, 2006 ION QUAD COUPE, AND 2003 ION SEDAN. THIS WAS A LEMON. SATURNS WERE NOT LEMONS. THIS WAS A LITTLE ELCTRONIC GLITCH IS., AND A SAFETY HAZARD THAT COULD GET SOMEONE KILLED. *AK

SATURN 2003 ION THE CAR WILL NOT START, PASSLOCK LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE MESSAGE DISPLAYED. CAR WILL START AFTER APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES. HAPPENS IN HUMID COOL WEATHER (RAIN, 30-40'S F). A VOLTAGE SIGNAL IS SENT THROUGH THE PASSLOCK RESISTOR IN THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE PASSLOCK SYSTEM INTERPRETS IT AS A FAILURE AND THE STARTING CIRCUIT IS DISABLED. THIS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION IN CASES WHERE THE CAR NEEDS TO BE MOVED QUICKLY TO AVOID A HAZARD. *JB

2003 SATURN ION. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START CAR ON COLD MORNINGS PASS LOCK SYSTEM ENGAGES AND LOCKS CAR FROM BEING ABLE TO START FOR SOME PERIOD OF TIME. HAS LEFT ME STRANDED IN COLD WEATHER SEVERAL TIMES, LATEST BEING DATE JUST BELOW. THIS IS NOT A BATTERY OR STARTER ISSUE. FROM RESEARCH I HAVE DONE, THIS SEEMS TO BE A FAULTY DESIGN WITH THE STARTER SWITCH, AND IS IS APPARENTLY KNOWN TO SATURN CORP.*AK

I OWN A 2003 SATURN ION AND HAVE EXPERIENCED STARTING PROBLEMS THE PAST TWO WINTERS. I'VE HAD A MECHANIC CHECK THE BATTERY,FUEL,AND CLUTCH BUTTON, BUT DUE TO THE INTERMITTENT HAPPENINGS, NOTHING WAS FOUND TO BE WRONG. MY BATTERY WAS RECHECKED AND CORDS WERE CLEANED, FUEL LINE WAS CLEANED, ETC. THE PROBLEM WOULD GO AWAY AND THEN HAPPEN AGAIN. I FINALLY NOTICED THE PATTERN OF NOT STARTING WHEN IT WAS COLD. I ALSO NOTICED THAT IT WOULD RESTART ABOUT TEN MINUTES AFTER. I HAD A MECHANIC CHECK DURING MY INSPECTION THIS YEAR BUT AGAIN HE WAS NOT ABLE TO HELP DUE TO IT NOT ACTUALLY HAPPENING. ON 3/15/07 I DID A SEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND NUMEROUS OTHER SATURN CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH MY DEALERSHIP TO FIX IT, BUT BEING THAT MY CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY, I WAS TOLD I WOULD HAVE TO PAY. I DO NOT THINK I SHOULD PAY FOR A PROBLEM I DID NOT HAVE CONTROL OVER. (EXCEPT THAT I TRUSTED SATURN WHEN I PURCHASED MY 2 CAR FROM THEM). SATURN SHOULD PAY FOR THE REPAIRS AND SHOW THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE AND CAN BE TRUSTED TO FIX THEIR MISTAKE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN ION. THE WINDSHIELD WIPER LINKAGE FAILED WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH IN THE RAIN. THE WINDSHIELD WIPER CAME OFF THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW SHIELD AND WOULD NOT RETURN TO ITS NORMAL POSITION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,990. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WERE REPAIRING THE LINKAGE. THE CONTACT WAS AWARE THAT OF INVESTIGATION# PE 07011 ON THE SAME YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL VEHICLE FOR THE DUPLICATE FAILURE. ALSO, THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE TIMING CHAIN SHOULD BE REPAIRED, IT WAS RELATED TO INVESTIGATION #DP 05008. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 43,000. *AK

I DRIVE A '03 SATURN ION AND HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS FOR THE PAST YEAR WHERE THE CAR WOULDN'T START, MOSTLY ON COLD MORNINGS, AND WOULD LEAVE ME STUCK IN DIFFERENT AREAS OF TOWN. MOST OF THE TIME IF I WAITED A COUPLE MINUTES IT WOULD START UP WITH NO PROBLEM. THIS PAST SUNDAY MY WIFE WAS DRIVING AND PULLED INTO THE DRIVEWAY AND SHE COULDN'T GET THE CAR TO TURN OFF OR TURN THE KEY. SO NOW I'M DRIVING AROUND WITH MY KEY IN MY IGNITION AND MY STEERING COLUMN OFF SO IT LOOKS LIKE I STOLE MY CAR, THE ONLY WAY I CAN START AND STOP THE CAR IS BY PLUGGING AND UNPLUGGING THE IGNITION SWITCH. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FROM WHAT I'VE READ THERE HAVE BEEN MANY OTHERS THAT HAVE HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM AND IT HAS ENDED UP COSTING THEM HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS FOR AN OBVIOUS MANUFACTURER DEFECT. I JUST PAID $200 FOR THE IGNITION CYLINDER ALONG WITH THE HOUSING UNIT AND I COME TO REALIZE THAT I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS AT ALL. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN ION. AFTER INSERTING THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION,IT WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN THE KEY AND THE ENGINE DIDN'T START. ON THE THIRD ATTEMPT WITHIN TWO HOURS, THE VEHICLE STARTED. THE MECHANIC ON TWO OCCASIONS STATED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH/ANTI-THEFT SYSTEMWAS READING THAT SOMEONE WASTRYING TO BREAK INTO THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 74,000. *AK