Saturn Ion Complaints

4,344 consumer complaints on file.

#10315616March 2, 2010
STEERING
ON OCT. 2009 TO PRESENT MY SATURN ION (2005) POWER STEERING FAILURE. THIS HAPPENS EVERYTIME WHEN I DRIVE THE CAR. IN ORDER FOR THE PROBLEM TO GO AWAY, I HAVE TO PULL OVER AND TURN OFF ENGINE AND POWER STEERING IS OK FOR FEW MILES, THEN POWER STEERING FAILURE AGAIN AND AGAIN. THE STEERING WHEEL GETS REALLY HARD AND IT'S HARD TO STEER. ALSO I NOTICED MY MILEAGE FROM 60,000 NOW READS 711,300. I CALLED THE DEALER AND EXPLAIN THE SITUATION AND THEY ARE GOING TO CHARGE ME OVER $1200.00. I STILL DRIVE THE SATURN OCCASIONALLY ON SHORT DISTANCE ONLY. PLEASE HELP. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10315669March 2, 2010
STEERING
I HAVE A 2007 SATURN ION AND READ THIS MORNING THAT YOU ARE ISSUING A RECALL FOR THE CHEVY COBALT AND PONTIAC PURSUIT/G5. WHAT CONCERNS ME IS THAT YOU ARE NOT RECALLING THE ION BECAUSE OF A LACK OF REPORTED ISSUES. I HAVE RALLIED ION OWNERS FROM OUR MAIN SATURN ION CLUB SITES LISTED BELOW, WHAT CAN ALSO BE FOUND ON THESE SITES IS THE LARGE NUMBER OF FAILURES OF THE POWER STEERING ON THESE CARS, WHICH IS THE SAME PART NUMBER THAT HAS BEEN DEEMED DEFECTIVE ON THE COBALT/G5/PURSUIT. THE COBALT/G5/PURSUIT WAS BASED OFF AND ENGINEERED FROM THE SATURN ION AND SHARES THE ENTIRE DRIVETRAIN, STEERING SYSTEM AND WHEEL/TIRE SIZES WITH ONLY VERY MINOR DIFFERENCES IF ANY IN WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION AND PARTS. THIS IS SO MUCH SO, COBALT SUSPENSION PARTS ARE OFTEN PUT ON IONS. PLEASE DO NOT IGNORE THE IONS IN THIS RECALL, OUR CARS HAVE BEEN IGNORED BY GM IN MANY OTHER CASES SUCH AS THE CVT TRANSMISSION, LOWER CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS, AND IGNITION SWITCH FAILURES. HTTP://WWW.SATURNFANS.COM/FORUMS/FORUMDISPLAY.PHP?F=18 HTTP://WWW.REDLINEFORUMS.COM/FORUMS HTTP://WWW.IONFORUMS.NET/PHPBB3/. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10315654March 2, 2010
STEERING
I HAVE A 2004 SATURN ION WITH A BAD POWER STEERING MODULE. I READ TODAY THAT GM IS RECALLING 1.3 MILLION PONTIAC G5 AND CHEVROLET COBALT VEHICLES FOR THE SAME REASON. THE SATURN ION HAS THE SAME POWER STEERING MODULE AS THOSE VEHICLES SO I HOPE IT IS ALSO RECALLED. EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE IS AS FOLLOWS: START THE CAR, DRIVE AROUND FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 SECONDS, AND THE DASH DISPLAYS POWER STEERING AND THERE IS A "CHIME" SOUND INDICATING THE POWER STEERING HAS FAILED. THE POWER STEERING IS NOT FUNCTIONAL UNTIL THE CAR IS TURNED OFF, THEN STARTED AGAIN, AT WHICH TIME THERE IS ANOTHER APPROXIMATELY 30 SECONDS BEFORE FAILURE. THIS HAPPENS EVERYTIME THE VEHICLE IS STARTED. WE'VE BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY WANT $800 TO REPLACE THE MODULE. SO FAR WE'VE JUST LIVED WITH IT AND STOPPED DRIVING THE CAR AND DECIDED TO NEVER BUY GM AGAIN. IF YOU SEARCH GOOGLE FOR "SATURN ION POWER STEERING PROBLEMS" OR "SATURN ION POWER STEERING RECALL" THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10315701March 2, 2010
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I CURRENTLY OWN A 2005 SATURN ION-2. I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR SINCE IT HAD 12 MILES ON IT. IN 2007 MY CAR DID NOT START ONE MORNING AND SINCE IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY THE LOCAL SATURN DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE STARTER. STARTING LAST YEAR THIS PROBLEM RETURNED. WHEN I TURN THE STARTER ALL THE LIGHTS COME ON BUT THE STARTER WON'T EVEN TRY TO START. THIS HAPPENS MOSTLY WHEN IT'S COLD, BUT NOT NECESSARILY. IT HAPPENS AT ALL DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE DAY, AND IS VERY RANDOM. I MISSED WORK ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION AND EVEN MISSED A JOB INTERVIEW BECAUSE OF IT. EVERYTHING I HAVE READ ONLINE SAYS YOU HAVE NOT DONE A RECALL BECAUSE IT IS NOT A 'SAFETY ISSUE' BUT LAST WEEKEND AT 1AM, WHEN IS WAS 10 DEGREES OUTSIDE, I WAS STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE BECAUSE MY CAR WOULDN'T START. NOT ONLY IS IT UNSAFE FOR A SINGLE FEMALE BUT THAT TEMPERATURE IS BELOW FREEZING AND IT IS COMPLETELY UNSAFE, BECAUSE I COULD FREEZE TO DEATH WHILE WAITING IN MY CAR FOR IT TO START. I PURCHASED A NEW IGNITION SWITCH AND INSTALLED IT IN THE WAY THE DEALERSHIP INSTRUCTED ME TO, BUT THE CAR WOULDN'T START AT ALL AFTER I DID THAT AND I HAD TO RE-INSTALL THE OLD ONE. THIS WAS $30 I CAN'T GET BACK AND MY CAR STILL WON'T START. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10315731March 2, 2010
STEERING
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SATURN ION. INTERMITTENTLY THE POWER STEERING FAILED WHEN DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE, TURNED OFF AND ON AND IT RESET ITSELF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD TO REPAIR THE FAILURE HE HAD TO PAY $2000. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CALLED AND TOLD AND ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE REPAIR AND COST WERE THE SAME THAT THE DEALER STATED. HE THEN FILED CLAIM# 71-808240519 WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10315754March 2, 2010
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, STEERING
POWER STEERING JUST ALL OF A SUDDEN GOES OUT ON MY SATURN VEHICLE WHILE IN OPERATION. A CHIME SOUNDS INDICATING SOMETHINGS WRONG AND THE POWER STEERING INDICATOR COMES ON THE DASH BOARD. YOU LOOSE ALL POWER STEERING FUNCTION AND ITS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE TO MANEUVER AT ALL, AT HIGH SPEEDS, ESPECIALLY WHEN TURNING IT CAN BE DEADLY AS YOU CAN'T CONTROL THE WHEEL AND ALMOST BREAK YOUR ARM TRYING AND CAN EITHER HIT SOMEONE OR SOMETHING. WHEN YOU READ OVER THE USER MANUAL IT TELLS YOU THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDS TO BE SERVICED AND REFERS YOU TO A SATURN LOCATION TO HAVE THE REPAIR COMPLETED. UPON VISITING THE DEALERSHIP, THEY CAN ONLY OFFER YOU A COSTLY REPAIR TO REPLACE THE MOTOR WHICH THEY CAN'T GUARANTEE THAT IT WILL EVER GO OUT AGAIN. THIS IS NOT SAFE AT ALL! *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10315772March 2, 2010
STEERING
WHILE DRIVING AT MULTIPLE DIFFERENT SPEEDS AND DIFFERENT TYPES OF ROADS (ANYWHERE FROM 15-65 MPH, NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS TO FREEWAYS) THE POWER STEERING LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND THEN IMMEDIATELY AFTER THAT THE POWER STEERING WOULD GO OUT. WE WOULD HAVE TO RESTART THE CAR TO REGAIN POWER STEERING. AT FIRST IT HAPPENED ABOUT ONCE A WEEK, THEN MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY (AND THEN PROGRESSED TO EVERY TIME THE STEERING WHEEL WAS MOVED AT ALL). CAR WAS TAKEN TO SATURN DEALER FOR STEERING COLUMN REPLACEMENT OF THE STEERING COLUMN THAT THE DEALER SAYS WAS A "KNOWN PROBLEM", BUT WAS NOT A RECALL ISSUE. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10315776March 2, 2010
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
THE FOLLOWING EVENT OCCURRED ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2010 AT APPROXIMATELY 5:45 P.M. WHILE I WAS DRIVING MY 2007 SATURN ION. I DROVE TO THE SERVICE STATION FOR GAS. WHEN I TRIED TO TURN OFF MY CAR, THE KEY WOULD NOT BUDGE. THE IGNITION WAS LOCKED. I CALLED THE SATURN DEALERSHIP. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS CLOSED, BUT I WAS TOLD TO DRIVE MY CAR THERE AND SOMEONE WOULD DISABLE MY CAR. THE BATTERY CABLES HAD TO BE DISCONNECTED TO TURN OFF THE CAR. IN ORDER TO REPAIR MY CAR, THE WHOLE IGNITION HAD TO BE REPLACED. AFTER A BRIEF INTERNET SEARCH, I DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT; IT HAS HAPPENED TO MANY OTHER SATURN ION OWNERS. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10315741March 2, 2010
STEERING
MY 2006 SATURN ION HAS THE SAME POWER STEERING MOTOR DEFECT THAT THE RECALLED CHEVY COBALTS HAVE, MY POWER STEERING KEEPS CUTTING OFF, AND I HAVE NEARLY BEEN IN A FEW ACCIDENTS. YET GM/SATURN FAILED TO INCLUDE MY CAR IN THE RECALL THEY STARTED TODAY. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10315766March 2, 2010
STEERING
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SATURN ION LEVEL 2. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH THE POWER STEERING LIGHT FLASHED ON THE DASHBOARD AND THE POWER STEERING MALFUNCTIONED. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF AND THEN RESTARTED IT TO RESET THE POWER STEERING. TEN MINUTES AFTER RESTARTING THE VEHICLE THE POWER STEERING MALFUNCTIONED AGAIN. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THE DEALER INFORMED HIM THAT THE ELECTRIC ASSIST MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT HAS NOT HAD THE ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 141,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10315789March 2, 2010
STEERING
MY MOTHER'S 2005 SATURN ION LOOSES POWER STEERING ALL THE TIME. IF YOU STOP THE CAR, TURN IT OFF, AND RESTART THE CAR THEN THE POWER STEERING WORKS AGAIN FOR A WHILE. THIS IS THE SAME PROBLEM REPORTED IN THE 1.3 MILLION CARS GM JUST RECALLED BUT THEY DID NOT INCLUDE THE SATURN ION. WHY? *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10315811March 2, 2010
STEERING
POWER STEERING FAILING & PWR STEERING ERROR MESSAGE DISPLAYED. NOT CONSISTENT, STARTED ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO BUT BECOMING MORE FREQUENT THIS PAST MONTH. HAPPENS EVEN WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAYS (NOT CONSISTENT OR DUE TO TURNS). MUST PULL OVER & TURN CAR OFF & RESTART. THIS HAS SO FAR "RESET" THE POWER STEERING MODE. NEVER KNOW WHEN IT IS GOING TO HAPPEN. SPEED/STEERING NOT A FACTOR. DANGEROUS WHEN PASSING & THIS HAPPENS!!!! *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10315782March 2, 2010
STEERING
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SATURN ION. THE POWER STEERING HAS FAILED INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS MILES. THE POWER STEERING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THEN SHUT OFF WHEN THE CONTACT TURNED THE VEHICLE ON AND OFF. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 93,059.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10315826March 2, 2010
STEERING
POWER STEERING LIGHT GOES ON AND POWER STEERING FAILS WITHOUT WARNING. TURNING OFF ENGINE AND RESTARTING REMEDIES THE PROBLEM FOR A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. THIS PROBLEM MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER ESPECIALLY AT LOW SPEEDS. I'M JUST WAITING FOR THE DAY WHEN THIS PROBLEM CAUSES AN ACCIDENT. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10315830March 2, 2010
STEERING
LESS THAN A YEAR AGO, THE POWER STEERING ON MY 2006 SATURN ION QUIT ON ME ABRUPTLY AND IT ALMOST LED TO A CRASH. I WAS ABOUT TO TURN WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN I HEARD A BELL CHIME, AND ONE OF THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS CAME ON AND JUST AS THAT HAPPENED, THE STEERING GOT REALLY HARD AND I ALMOST GOT HIT BY ANOTHER MOTORIST. AFTER I GOT HOME, I RESTARTED THE CAR AND IT WAS FINE UNTIL ABOUT 15 MINUTES LATER WHEN IT WOULD SHUT OFF ALL OF A SUDDEN. I RAN IT FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS AND AFTER ABOUT 2 MINUTES OF DRIVING, THE POWER STEERING WOULD JUST SHUT OFF. THIS ALL HAPPENED WHEN MY CAR HAD AROUND 45K MILES ON IT. THIS SOUNDS JUST LIKE WHAT THE COBALTS AND PONTIACS THAT WERE JUST RECALLED WENT THROUGH. I BELIEVE THE SATURN IONS SHOULD BE LOOKED AT AS WELL. I HAD THE REPLACE THE ENTIRE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING SYSTEM ON MY CAR AT A PRICE OF AROUND $900. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10315869March 2, 2010
STEERING
ELECTRIC POWER STEERING IS INTERMITTENT. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10315859March 2, 2010
STEERING
I WAS DRIVING AND THE POWER STEERING UNIT FAILED MAKING THE CAR NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10315911March 2, 2010
STEERING
I AM EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE POWER STEERING ON MY 2007 SATURN ION. WHEN I FIRST START MY VEHICLE IT DRIVES NORMALLY, BUT AFTER ABOUT 2 MINUTES THE "PWR STR" ALERT APPEARS ON THE DASH AND IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN STEERING WHEEL. I UNDERSTAND THAT GM RECENTLY PUT OUT RECALLS ON OTHER MODELS, BUT THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THE SATURN ION ALSO. I RECENTLY VISITED A WEBSITE WITH MANY OTHER SATURN OWNERS WHO ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10315889March 2, 2010
STEERING
WHEN DRIVING HEAR A CHIME AND THE POWER STEERING FAILS, COMES BACK FOR A TIME AFTER THE CAR IS SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED. THIS WILL HAPPEN SOMETIMES ONLY AFTER ONE MIN OF DRIVE TIME OTHERS TAKES A WHILE LONGER FOR THE POWER STEERING TO FAIL AND STOP WORKING. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR MORE THEN ONE DAY I HAVE DONE RESEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND OTHERS WITH THE SAME ISSUE. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10315920March 2, 2010
STEERING
I WAS ADVISED AFTER CALLING SATURN A THIRD TIME THAT I FILE A COMPLAINT ON THIS WEBSITE TO GO TOWARD A RECALL OF MY ELECTRIC POWER STEERING MOTOR ON MY SATURN ION 2. 1. ONE NIGHT IN NOVEMBER 2009, WHILE MAKING A LONG DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY, MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT WITHOUT WARNING. WHEN I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON, THE POWER STEERING CAME BACK ON. 2. HOWEVER, SINCE THEN, THE POWER STEERING STARTED TO GO OUT MORE AND MORE FREQUENTLY. FOR THE PAST TWO MONTHS, THE POWER STEERING GOES OUT AS SOON AS I START DRIVING THE CAR AND I DRIVE WITHOUT IT 99% OF THE TIME. I HAVE NO IDEA WHETHER I AM CAUSING ANY FURTHER DAMAGE TO THE CAR DRIVING IT LIKE THIS. THERE IS NO WARNING OF IT HAPPENING OTHER THAN THE BEEP THAT OCCURS AFTER IT GOES OUT. SOMETIMES THE BEEP WILL BE SO DELAYED THAT I WILL GO TO TURN AND IT IS EXTREMELY HARD AND UNEXPECTED. THIS BACK AND FORTH OF HAVING OR NOT HAVING POWER STEERING IS OBVIOUSLY A SAFETY ISSUE. I CANNOT RELY ON SKILL OR MUSCLE MEMORY ALONE TO KNOW THE FORCE I NEED TO STEER THE CAR. I HAVE NOT YET HAD A CRASH BUT I WORRY ABOUT IT MORE AND MORE. PARKING IS A HUGE PROBLEM. 3. I WAS TOLD BY SATURN THAT IF I WENT TO ONE OF THE (FEW REMAINING) SATURN DEALERS TO HAVE A DIAGNOSTIC DONE, IT WOULD THEN CONTRIBUTE TO A RECALL. I DID GO HAVE THIS DONE, AND THE DEALER TOLD ME IT WAS "ONLY A MATTER OF TIME TILL A RECALL, SINCE WE SEE THIS PROBLEM EVERY DAY NOW". THEY EVEN STARTED CARRYING JUST THE MOTOR SINCE IT WAS SO EXPENSIVE FOR THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TO HAVE TO REPLACE THE WHOLE STEERING COLUMN. THEY QUOTED ME A PRICE FOR REPAIR AND I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THE RECALL. IT IS VERY HARD TO SCRAPE UP $600 TO REPAIR A PART THAT THEY ALL KNOW IS DEFECTIVE. DO PEOPLE HAVE TO CRASH AND GET SERIOUSLY INJURED OR DIE BEFORE IT WILL BE RECALLED? NOW TO SEE OTHER GM CARS GET RECALLED FOR THE EXACT SAME POWER STEERING MOTOR, BUT NOT MINE, IS UNBELIEVABLY FRUSTRATING. THERE IS NO "SATURN ELECTRIC POWER STEERING MOTOR"...THEY USE THE EXACT SAME PART. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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