Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | ||||||||||||||||
| 09E012000 | SABERSPORT | E (Equipment) | 16270 | 05/11/2009 | OVSC | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 04/07/2009 | 04/07/2009 | 571 | 108 | ||||||
| Defect Summary | Sabersport is recalling 16,270 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. these headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment. these lamps do not contain the required amber side reflectors. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Sabersport will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant combination lamps. the safety recall began on may 11, 2009. owners may contact sabersport at 1-909-598-7589. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | This recall only pertains to aftermarket replacement equipment and has no relation to any original equipment installed on vehicles produced by the vehicle manufacturer.in order to determine if your aftermarket lamp assembly is affected by this noncompliance, please review the list of model numbers provided to us by sabersport.the list can be found under document search located at the bottom of your screen.owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov . | |||||||||||||||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TURN SIGNAL | ||||||||||||||||
| 04V547000 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | from 06/01/2002 to 07/31/2003 | V (Vehicle) | 178798 | 11/17/2004 | ODI | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 11/16/2004 | 11/18/2004 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | Certain passenger vehicles have a condition in which the turn signal lamp and daytime running lamp (drl) on either front side can stop working because of loss of contact between the bulb and socket. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | If a front turn signal lamp is inoperative, others may react more slowly to a turning vehicle and a crash could occur. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will replace the drl/turn signal bulb on both the left and right front side and inspect for and add a drl jumper kit if not present. the recall began november 17, 2004. owners should contact saturn at 1-800-972-8876. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Gm recall no. 04095.customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration | |||||||||||||||
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | |||||
| 04095 | 11/18/2004 | 10012086 | Daytime running lights (drl) / turn signal bulb. replacement and drl jumper kit installation. latest part availability and shortage information. stocking policy message. *tt | 02/11/2005 | |
| 030842009 | 06/01/2004 | 030842009A | 10003065 | One or both daytime running lamps (drl) are inoperative, diagnostic trouble code (dtc) b3948 and/or b3949 may be set. *tt erratic front turn signal operation when using a cell phone charger in either accessory power outlet. *tt | 10/07/2003 |
| 030842005 | 06/01/2003 | 10002125 | Service manual update for 2003 saturn ion body and accessories service manual regarding stop lamp switch replacement procedure. *tt | 08/13/2003 | |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TURN SIGNAL | |||||
| 2377 | 11/24/2004 | 10013847 | Update-2003-2004 ion sedan turn signal lamp/drl saturn letter to owners. *sc | 04/26/2005 | |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TURN SIGNAL - FLASHER UNIT | |||||
| 040842002 | 03/01/2005 | 040842002A | 10012702 | Turn signal indicator flashing faster than normal and corresponding front turn signal bulb inoperative. *eh updated *eh | 03/10/2005 |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TURN SIGNAL | ||||||
| EA04035 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 12/22/2004 | 10/20/2005 | FRONT TURN SIGNAL/DRL FAILURE | ||
| The combination front turn signal/drl in my 2003 saturn ion coupes experienced significant early-life failures due to various bulb quality issues due to inadequate design and manufacture.this problem trend appears to have disappeared after the fall of 2003.the change of lead wire material near the start of my 2004 vehicle production appears to have reduced the failure rate for my 2004 saturn ion coupes.although operating temperatures in the subject vehicles' lamp assemblies are below the socket material maximum temperature specification, they are only slightly below the specification.in december 2004, gm reduced the voltage to the lamp assembly in order to reduce the temperature in the assembly of the subject vehicles.warranty claims on the subject vehicles do not indicate an increasing trend over time.warranty claim rate of subject vehicles (excluding early my 2003 claims) is not significantly higher than other gm vehicles that use combination turn signal/drls.a safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time.further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will take further action if warranted by the circumstances.see attached summary report. | ||||||
| PE04061 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 08/17/2004 | 12/22/2004 | FRONT TURN SIGNAL/DRL FAILURE | 04V547000 | |
| On november 16, 2004, gm notified nhtsa that it will conduct a safety recall of 178,798 model year (my) 2003 and 2004 saturn ion sedan vehicles for inoperative front turn signal/drl bulbs.gm stated that temperatures in the lamp assembly exceed the material specification for the bulb sockets and bulb base sleeves, which cause deformation.the deformed sockets can cause loss of bulb and socket contact.the deformed sleeves can cause stress cracks to form on the bulb that can lead to premature bulb failure.the recall remedy is to replace the front turn signal/drl bulbs and inspect for voltage-reducing jumper (which reduces temperature in lamp assembly) and add if not present.see nhtsa recall no. 04v547 for details.the bulbs for the turn signal/drl in the saturn ion sedan and ion coupe are identical in design and made by the same supplier.but the turn signal/drl sockets, wiring and housing are different in design for the sedan and coupe, and were made by different suppliers.gm's data shows a lower operating temperature for the coupe's lamp assembly that does not exceed the material specification for the bulb socket and the bulb base sleeve.complaint and warranty rate is also lower for the coupe.however, gm's warranty data shows a continuing trend for the coupe.this preliminary evaluation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea04-035) for further investigation of the my 2003 and 2004 saturn ion coupe vehicles. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | |||
| 07/31/2012 | 140000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. the contact stated that the turn signals were defective and were inoperable. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer for a diagnostic test which proved a defective body control module that needed to be replaced. the contact did not have the body control module replaced. the failure mileage was 140,000. kmj | |||
| 07/22/2009 | 126000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. the contact called the manufacturer to have her vehicle repaired according to nhtsa campaign id number 04v547000. she was informed that her vehicle was included in the recall, but it could not be repaired because the warranty expired. the current and failure mileages were 126,000. | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 1 | ||
| 2003 saturn ion has problems with daytime running lights.*mr *nm | |||
| 11/01/2004 | 1 | ||
| There was a problem with the turn signal lamps and daytime running lamps on saturn ion. *bf *sc | |||
| 07/31/2004 | 10000 | 4 | 10/21/2002 |
| The front left light of my 2003 saturn ion has gone out repeatedly. upon careful inspection, the bulb itself is not burnt out. when signaling left, the blinker in the vehicle and the left tail light blink very rapidly. as the front left turn signal light is also the daytime running lght, i have a burnt out left daytime runnung light which is a possible saftey hazard. the vehicle was brought in to the dealer three times. the first two times i was told that the bulb was defective and that they had just replaced it. i know this is not true as i tried to troubleshoot the vehicle before bringing it to the dealer by taking the right good buld and seeing if it would turn on in the left light assembly. it did not. the third time i brought it in the service manager told me they would just replace thw whole assembly as they have been having problems with them. after four months the problem re-appeared and i once more had to bring it into the dealer. being that the warranty is not expired, i had to pay for the repair. as this seems to be a reoccouring saftey failure, please investigate and advise. | |||
| 10/01/2003 | 6692 | 1 | 05/31/2003 |
| To date, vehicle has has multiple problems which dealer/service department has been unable to resolve. 10 service visits in less than 6 months and no end in sight. problems include: daytime running lights/blinker lights inopperable (repaired 6 times); outside temperature guage malfunctioning (repaired 3+ times); air conditioning inopperable and compass malfunctioning.*ak | |||
| 10/07/2003 | 2 | 05/31/2003 | |
| Problems with vehicle left front blinkers and rear blinkers. *la *mr | |||
| 09/29/2003 | 4248 | 0 | 03/01/2003 |
| I have had repeated problems with the exterior front lighting on my new 2003 saturn ion which is a safety hazard. on 5/15/03 i took the vehicle to the albuquerque saturn dealership to fix the front driver side running light and left turn signal. they replaced the bulbs, but i had to take it to the dealership again on 7/18/03 after having driven it less than 100 miles for the same problem. this time they replaced the entire headlamp assembly. then again on 9/29/03 i took it back to the dealership to have the passenger side front running light and turn signal replaced. i talked with the sales manager ben vigil and the service manager justin greenberg. i complained that i've spent more time at the dealership for unscheduled maintenance than routine maintenance, and i was concerned i had bought a lemon. i told them that if my turn signals aren't working properly, that is a safety issue. mr. greenberg told me that he probably gets two customers a day with the same problem (which shocked me). he said saturn has sent out new bulbs to the dealerships which they claim will solve the problem. we'll see. | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - BACK UP LIGHTS | |||
| 10/01/2004 | 1 | 06/21/2003 | |
| 2003 ion has had blower fan, clutch switch, cylinder cable hood latch, brake light bulb, wiper module all replaced with in months apart from each other. *ts the rotors were warped and the tail lamp failed. *jb | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - BRAKE LIGHTS | |||
| 03/24/2009 | 65000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. while driving at speeds of 40 mph, the brake lights failed. the contact was stopped by a police officer due to the failure. the failure would occur intermittently. the contact believed nhtsa campaign id number 05v245000 (exterior lighting: brake lights) contributed to the failure of the vehicle. a complaint was filed with the manufacturer and there were no repairs made to the vehicle. the failure mileage was 65,000 and the current mileage was 80,000. | |||
| 10/01/2004 | 1 | 06/21/2003 | |
| 2003 ion has had blower fan, clutch switch, cylinder cable hood latch, brake light bulb, wiper module all replaced with in months apart from each other. *ts the rotors were warped and the tail lamp failed. *jb | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS | |||
| 12/31/2007 | 1 | 09/10/2005 | |
| I was drove my car home one night and the headlights were working fine. i went in the house changed and got ready to leave again when i turned on my headlights they did not come on. thought maybe it was the bulbs that went out but the bright lights worked. had the bulbs check they were fine, i also checked the fuses to make sure that was burnt out. after a week the lights still were not working took it to a car mechanic and the analysis showed some sensor. he replaced the sensor and it did not fix the problem my low beam headlights are still not working. *tr | |||
| 05/30/2004 | 38000 | 1 | 01/15/2003 |
| Headlights do not project a beam as far as when vehicle was new. nightime driving on rural roads during deer season is hazardous. saturn dealer has installed updated wiring harness to correct repeated premature daytime running light failures and coincidently or not, the headlights have performed poorly since then. discussed this with saturn dealer and service manager said he has lots of complaints about poor headlight performance from the ion. i know my saturn ion headlights performed satisfactorily at first, but have degraded. the electrical system and my vision are both fine. the supension has not been altered and the vehicle has not been involved in an accident. i replaced factory halogen bulbs with sylvania silverstar 9007 bulbs and illuminated field is brighter, but still does not extend down the road much farther. at speeds over 55mph, on a dark rural highway, i can overdive my headlights. emailed saturn and they have never heard of my problem and did not offer a solution, but will listen to determine if this is a trend. i'm afraid to drive this vehicle at night. *ak | |||
| 03/07/2004 | 49000 | 4 | 03/29/2003 |
| Throttle froze during the winter months. consumer contacted manufacturer, and was told that because warranty expired they will not make any repairs without consumer first paying for it. also, headlight covers were covered with a film that made visibility difficult.*ak on 3-7-04 the vehicle was involved in an accident. when the consumer took her foot off the gas but the vehicle did not slow down. the vehicle began to slide then rolled over. the driver sustain double whiplash and left shoulder muscle spasms. the vehicle was not totaled. on 6-16-04 the front passenger side wheel bearing was replaced. *nm | |||
| 06/01/2003 | 3 | 05/31/2003 | |
| Daytime running lights have shorted out 3 times since purchasing the vehicle in may 2003. *ak | |||
| 05/01/2003 | 3000 | 03/31/2003 | |
| Headligh movement, distracting to dirver as light beams hit object the beam appears to be gittering. distracting also to vehicles in front of you as drivers continue to look in mirror. saturn dealership stated they do not have a fix, that is is this way by design. headlight mounts to mounting panel with (2) pins going through upper ear in mounting panel and then upper and lower ears on headlight assy. and into lower ear of mounting panel. appears to much play in the pin to mount area, this will worsen over time as metal pin in plastic ears will become larger from the shaking. this occurs even of smooth road beds. | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS - HIGH/LOW BEAM DIMMER SWITCH | |||
| 12/31/2007 | 1 | 09/10/2005 | |
| I was drove my car home one night and the headlights were working fine. i went in the house changed and got ready to leave again when i turned on my headlights they did not come on. thought maybe it was the bulbs that went out but the bright lights worked. had the bulbs check they were fine, i also checked the fuses to make sure that was burnt out. after a week the lights still were not working took it to a car mechanic and the analysis showed some sensor. he replaced the sensor and it did not fix the problem my low beam headlights are still not working. *tr | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TURN SIGNAL | |||
| 01/18/2009 | 92200 | 1 | |
| Failure of gm to notify me of 3 recalls on 2003 saturn ion. it is possible that this work has already been done, but i cannot tell at this time and would like this problem investigated. recalls are: nhtsa campaign id number: 04v547000 nhtsa campaign id number: 04v003000 *tr | |||
| 10/08/2007 | 3 | 03/14/2006 | |
| When it rains or snows, my driver seat and floor gets wet. there are no water stains around the sun roof nor is there any water damage on the drivers' door. in new england, the car is non-functional in the winter and spring because of this problem. i have taken it to the local saturn dealership and they have refused to fix it. 2) i have had to replace my front turn signals 3 times in 1.5 years. i am almost convinced it is a socket problem and not a lightbulb problem. 3) i have had to replace the brakes and rotors twice within a 12 month period. in that time. i have only driven 17,000 miles. once is understandable. twice is expensive and ridiculous. *tr | |||
| 11/07/2004 | 0 | 2 | 03/30/2003 |
| Front right turn signal bulb 'bright' / 'high' elment burned out. bulb was oem wagner 5702ka. bulb base was blacked, had signs of overheating. both left and front headlight assembly outer lenses have changed from clear to translucent imediately above turn signal bulbs, perhaps due to overheateing. dealer said a problem was discovered and fixed in the later 2003 ions. dealer offered to diagnose and install a 'resistor and harness' kit at my expence. this is obviously a design error and should be fixed at saturn's expence. may be a potential fire hazard.*ak | |||
| 11/15/2003 | 32981 | 4 | 04/15/2003 |
| The turn signals working intermittently. the vehicle has been to the dealer on four occasions and the problem keep recurring. *jb | |||
| 09/23/2004 | 14100 | 4 | 09/27/2003 |
| Apparent electrical problem has led to failure of left front turn signal on four separate occasions. manufacturer's authorized dealerships have been unsuccessful in repeated attempts to repair.*ak | |||
| 08/09/2004 | 22000 | 8 | |
| Vehicle was serviced 8 times for passenger front service turn signal light. the bulb was replaced, manufacturer sent a representative to inspect the vehicle and nothing was found.*ak | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 1 | ||
| Right turn signal operates intermittently leaving consumer vulnerable to accident. *la dealer was notified. *cb | |||
| 02/28/2003 | 4 | ||
| Turn signal failed and was repaired 4 times within first 7,000 miles of usage. *ak | |||
| 04/29/2004 | 1000 | 8 | |
| My 2003 saturn ion 2 sedan has had at least eight front turn signal or daytime running light bulbs fail since the car was delivered in february 2003. the bulbs in question are manufactured by wagner, and are type 5702. failure of front turn signal lamps creates the potential for an accident, since oncoming traffic has no indication of my intent to turn. the local dealership has examined the car on three or four occasions, and has found no objective reason for the failure. replacing the bulb corrects the problem, typically for several months but in several instances for less than a week. the bulbs in question are not available from national parts chains such as napa, advance auto parts, autozone, and pep boys; the only source is a saturn dealership, which charges approximately $8 for a replacement lamp. i have since experimented with using a sylvania 3157nall, which is apparently identical and is rated for use in daytime running light applications. it functions identically to the oem part, except that it appears to last much longer (it has yet to fail after several months), and is readily available from any automotive parts store for about a quarter of the cost. *la | |||
| 09/29/2003 | 4248 | 0 | 03/01/2003 |
| I have had repeated problems with the exterior front lighting on my new 2003 saturn ion which is a safety hazard. on 5/15/03 i took the vehicle to the albuquerque saturn dealership to fix the front driver side running light and left turn signal. they replaced the bulbs, but i had to take it to the dealership again on 7/18/03 after having driven it less than 100 miles for the same problem. this time they replaced the entire headlamp assembly. then again on 9/29/03 i took it back to the dealership to have the passenger side front running light and turn signal replaced. i talked with the sales manager ben vigil and the service manager justin greenberg. i complained that i've spent more time at the dealership for unscheduled maintenance than routine maintenance, and i was concerned i had bought a lemon. i told them that if my turn signals aren't working properly, that is a safety issue. mr. greenberg told me that he probably gets two customers a day with the same problem (which shocked me). he said saturn has sent out new bulbs to the dealerships which they claim will solve the problem. we'll see. | |||
| 07/13/2003 | 3 | 07/08/2003 | |
| Electrical; door seals loose; car returned up to 3 times since purchase on 7/13/03. saturn ion 3 coupe--turn signals burned out w/in one week of each other; requested check of electrical system. july 26, 2003 electrical system checked. complained about door seal at same time & service dept did not check it out until they replaced the fuse box on july 31. requested to return vehicle and was told it would be fixed to my satisfaction. door seal was not installed properly & i have to take the car back for a fourth time to get this repaired approximately one week from today. *ph | |||
| 06/05/2003 | 4 | 05/15/2003 | |
| My turn signals do not work in the front of my car due to a shortage or something and also my car shakes and looses power when i have my air conditioner on. *ak | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TURN SIGNAL - FLASHER UNIT | |||
| 02/13/2007 | 17 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 06/16/2005 | 27000 | 1 | 03/01/2003 |
| At the time my saturn was involved in an accident it was under 30,000 miles and still under warrenty. i was driving on a busy highway and my accelerator got stuck. at the time i could not see what was holding down my accelerator. it was a piece of panel that came off partially that was holding the accelerator really hard and it was stuck making my pedal stuck almost all the way to the floor. i tried to slow the car down with both feet on the breaks and the emergency break to no avail. i didn't turn the ignition off because i had cars on all sides of me going 50-70 mph. it was when i came to a red light that i realized my car wasn't going to stop and i had no other choice but to hit an suv and my car kept trying to accelerate and push the suv out of the way. that is when i turned off the ignition. i had to turn off the ignition before another accident occurred. the suv was damaged. my car was damaged. i haven't been able to get my car fixed because i am waiting for saturn to acknowledge the manufacturing defect which caused the accident, so that they could lend me a rent-a-car while it is in the shop. but, i cannot get them to give me a call to make an appointment to get my car in the shop or supply a rent-a-car. a forensic investigator inspected my car on friday and agrees that i didn't cause the accident. he supplied the information to saturn and still three days later i can't even get a courtesy call. the accident was on june 16, 2005. i couldn't get them to call me to speak about what my options were until the week of july 1, 2005. then an investigator july 8, 2005. they have not made one effort to work with me about getting the car into the shop. they have not given me the time of day to make an appointment with a saturn shop location to get my car fixed and so that they could supply a rent-a-car. | |||
| 09/29/2003 | 4248 | 0 | 03/01/2003 |
| I have had repeated problems with the exterior front lighting on my new 2003 saturn ion which is a safety hazard. on 5/15/03 i took the vehicle to the albuquerque saturn dealership to fix the front driver side running light and left turn signal. they replaced the bulbs, but i had to take it to the dealership again on 7/18/03 after having driven it less than 100 miles for the same problem. this time they replaced the entire headlamp assembly. then again on 9/29/03 i took it back to the dealership to have the passenger side front running light and turn signal replaced. i talked with the sales manager ben vigil and the service manager justin greenberg. i complained that i've spent more time at the dealership for unscheduled maintenance than routine maintenance, and i was concerned i had bought a lemon. i told them that if my turn signals aren't working properly, that is a safety issue. mr. greenberg told me that he probably gets two customers a day with the same problem (which shocked me). he said saturn has sent out new bulbs to the dealerships which they claim will solve the problem. we'll see. | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TURN SIGNAL - SWITCH | |||
| 09/29/2003 | 4248 | 0 | 03/01/2003 |
| I have had repeated problems with the exterior front lighting on my new 2003 saturn ion which is a safety hazard. on 5/15/03 i took the vehicle to the albuquerque saturn dealership to fix the front driver side running light and left turn signal. they replaced the bulbs, but i had to take it to the dealership again on 7/18/03 after having driven it less than 100 miles for the same problem. this time they replaced the entire headlamp assembly. then again on 9/29/03 i took it back to the dealership to have the passenger side front running light and turn signal replaced. i talked with the sales manager ben vigil and the service manager justin greenberg. i complained that i've spent more time at the dealership for unscheduled maintenance than routine maintenance, and i was concerned i had bought a lemon. i told them that if my turn signals aren't working properly, that is a safety issue. mr. greenberg told me that he probably gets two customers a day with the same problem (which shocked me). he said saturn has sent out new bulbs to the dealerships which they claim will solve the problem. we'll see. | |||