2003 SATURN ION Complaints

I PURCHASED A 2003 SATURN ION LEVEL 2 BRAND NEW FOR SATURN OF LA CROSSE. APPROXIMENTLY 25 TIMES SINCE I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE, THE CAR WILL NOT START, AND I HAVE TO WAIT APPROXIMENTLY 10 MINUTES BEFORE THE VEHICLE WILL START. I HAVE NOT CONTACTED ANY DEALERSHIP AT THIS POINT, BUT DID FIND MULTIPLE PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERINCING THE SAME PROBLEMS. I AM UPSET THAT SATURN IS NOT TAKING THIS MATTER MORE SERIOUSLY AND MAKING A RECALL NOTICE. DOES IT HAVE TO START ON FIRE OR SOMEONE DIE BEFORE SOMETHING IS DONE? *NM

FOR THE PAST TWO WINTERS I'VE HAD DIFFICULTY STARTING MY CAR ON 5 SEPARATE OCCASIONS. WHEN I WENT OUT TO START IT EACH TIME IT WOULDN'T START. I WOULD WAIT ABOUT 10-15 MINUTES TO RESTART IT, AND LUCKILY IT STARTED. THIS HAS CAUSED ME TO BE LATE ON EVERY OCCASION, ALL THE WHILE BRAVING THE FREEZING COLD. *NM

I HAVE A 2003 SATURN ION. I JUST PURCHASED THIS CAR FROM THE DEALERSHIP EARLIER IN 2006. IT WORKED GREAT UNTIL THE COLD WINTER CAME. EVER SINCE THE WEATHER HAS BECOME COLD I HAVE HAD ISSUES STARTING MY CAR ALMOST DAILY. I WILL GET IN THE CAR AND TRY TO START THE ENGINE. MOST TIMES NOTHING HAPPENS...NO NOISE AT ALL. OTHER TIMES IT WILL SOUND LIKE IT'S TURNING OVER BUT WILL THEN STOP. I WILL HAVE TO WAIT ABOUT 10 MINUTES AND THEN THE CAR STARTS FINE. I WILL DRIVE TO MY LOCATION AND SHUT THE CAR OFF. IF I GET BACK IN AGAIN WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME I HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS AGAIN. I HAVE SEARCHED THE INTERNET MESSAGE BOARDS AND HAVE FOUND HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ISSUE...BUT STILL NO RECALL BY SATURN. IF THIS PROBLEM PERSISTS WITHOUT A RECALL I WILL NO LONGER PURCHASE SATURN VEHICLES. *JB

2003 SATURN ION COMPONENT: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH NO CRANK, NO START WHEN AMBIENT TEMPERATURES IS COLD - DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES (DTCS) B2960 AND OR B3033 ARE SET. *TT. WENT TO START IT IN COLD WEATHER, HEARD A CLICK AND NOTICED SERVICE VEHICLE ON THE DASHBOARD. CAR WOULD NOT TURN OVER AFTER TURNING KEY IN IGNITION SEVERAL TIMES. I LET IT SIT FOR 10 MINUTES OR SO AND IT FINALLY STARTED. I REPLACED THE BATTERY AS ADVISED BY AN AUTO MECHANIC AND IT STILL DID THE SAME THING A COUPLE DAYS LATER. I ALSO FOUND A MESSAGE BOARD DISCUSSING THIS ISSUE AT: HTTP://WWW.CARSURVEY.ORG/VIEWCOMMENTS_REVIEW_97727.HTML. *NM

2003 SATURN ION-3 FAILS TO START IN COLD WEATHER. THIS APPEARS TO BE A KNOWN MANUFACTURER DEFECT IN THE IGNITION SWITCH. (REFERENCE SATURN TSB 040845005 OF NOV 2005 OR NHTSA 10007431 OF MARCH 2006). IT APPEARS THAT SATURN IS COUNTING ON WARM WINTERS TO GET THE CARS OUT OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD (WHICH HAPPENED TO ME) AND THEN HIT YOU WITH A $40 PART AND $156 LABOR CHARGE TO FIX AN ITEM THEY MIS-MANUFACTURED. *NM

MY SATURN ION (2003) HAS HAD A LOT OF PROBLEMS THIS WINTER WITH INTERMITTENT STARTS. I TRY TO START THE CAR IN THE MORNING, AND IT JUST WON'T CRANK OVER. I HAVE MISSED WORK, AND BEEN STRANDED IN THE FREEZING COLD. A RECALL NEEDS TO BE ISSUED ON THE STARTER SWITCH. I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE DIAGNOSTIC TESTS DONE, AND HAD THE BATTERY REPLACED. I CANNOT AFFORD A $200 REPAIR ON SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE REPLACED BY SATURN. THIS IS A CASE OF NEGLIGENCE. *JB

WHEN MY 2003 SATURN ION IS IN WEATHER THAT IS 32 DEGREES OR UNDER, THE GREASE IN THE IGNITION FREEZES THUS TRIGGERING THE SECURITY SYSTEM TO LOCK THE CAR DOWN FOR A PERIOD OF 15 MINUTES. THIS HAS HAPPENED MORE THAN ONE TIME DURING THIS WINTER SEASON. HAD I BEEN WITH A SMALL CHILD OR ELDERLY ADULT THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS EVENT. SATURN IS MORE THAN AWARE OF THIS SITUATION CLAIMING THE FIX DOZENS OF CARS A WEEK AT 200+ A POP. THIS IS A DOCUMENTED PROBLEM WITH SATURN AT THE DEALERSHIP AND AT THE CORPORATE LEVEL. THEIR CORPORATE OFFICE SAID THE ONLY WAY THEY WOULD DO A RECALL ON THIS PART IS IF PEOPLE WOULD FILE THE CLAIM ON THIS SITE. *JB

I PURCHASED THIS CAR FROM SATURN OF BELLEVUE (WA) IN OCTOBER OF 2005. I AM EXPERIENCING A PROBLEM WITH MY PASSENGER SIDE FRONT BLINKER. IT DOES NOT OPERATE. MY BACK ONE FLASHES QUICKLY. IT IS NOT THE BULB. WHEN I TOOK APART THE HEADLIGHT TO LOOK AT IT, IT STARTED WORKING. SEEMED LIKE A LOOSE CONNECTION. THAT WAS A TEMPORARY FIX, NOW THE PROBLEM IS BACK AGAIN. I FOUND A RECALL CAMPAIGN ABOUT THIS ISSUE. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V547000. I AM THOROUGHLY DISGUSTED THAT SATURN EXPECTS ITS CUSTOMERS TO PAY $92 FOR A DIAGNOSTIC ON A RECALL ISSUE. IT SEEMS QUITE OBVIOUS THAT THE RECALL WORK WAS NOT DONE PROPERLY. *NM

THE IGNITION SWITCH FREQUENTLY FAILS TO MOVE INTO THE LOCKED POSITION AFTER THE ENGINE IS TURNED OFF. THIS REQUIRES REPETITIONS OF STARTING AND STOPPING THE ENGINE. THE DEALER FAILED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *JB

CAR ROUTINELY WILL NOT START IN COLD WEATHER DUE TO FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH. A NEW IGNITION SWITCH MUST BE INSTALLED AND IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. *JB