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 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VISIBILITY - POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS | ||||||||||||||||
| 04V004000 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | from 06/01/2002 to 09/30/2003 | V (Vehicle) | 79204 | 12/30/2003 | MFR | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 01/05/2004 | 01/14/2004 | 571 | 118 | |||||
| Defect Summary | Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 118, power-operated window, partition, and roof panel systems. the power windows and/or sunroof may be operable after the ignition has been turned to the off position and the front passenger door is opened. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | If unsupervised children are left unattended in the vehicle and operate the power windows or sunroof, there is an increased risk of injury to the child. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will upgrade the body control module (bcm) calibration. owner notification began on december 30, 2003. owners should contact saturn at 1-800-972-8876. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Gm recall no. 03069.customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236). | |||||||||||||||
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VISIBILITY | |||||
| 030864038 | 10/01/2004 | 030864038A | 10005573 | Aftermarket window tinting scratched or torn. *tt | 03/04/2004 |
| VISIBILITY - DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER SYSTEM - REAR WINDOW | |||||
| 050848003 | 09/01/2005 | 050848003A | 10017502 | Rear defogger grid inoperative or incomplete defogging of rear glass. *tt | 11/09/2005 |
| VISIBILITY - REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES - INTERIOR | |||||
| 030848003 | 05/01/2003 | 03T08 | 10001670 | Inside rear view mirror compass will not display all 8 compass directions. *tt | 06/18/2003 |
| 03T08 | 02/01/2003 | 10001130 | Inside rear view mirror compass will not display all 8 compass directions. *tt | 04/15/2003 | |
| VISIBILITY - SUN ROOF ASSEMBLY | |||||
| 040867007 | 10/01/2004 | 10012748 | Sunroof drain hose rattle. *tt | 03/14/2005 | |
| VISIBILITY - WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER | |||||
| 030843004 | 08/01/2003 | 10003521 | Windshield wipers chatter or hop across windshield during wiper operation. *tt | 10/22/2003 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VISIBILITY - WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER | ||||||
| PE07011 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 02/28/2007 | 08/09/2007 | WINDSHIED WIPER LINKAGE FAILURE | ||
| Investigation disclosed that the manufacturer issued a service bulletin in august 2003, regarding service that required removal of the wiper arms.gm issued the bulletin at that time to address customer comments on windshield wiper chattering or hopping across the windshield during wiper operation.the correction was to replace the wiper arm and blade.however, the bulletin did not place specific emphasis on the importance of using the proper tool and procedures to remove the wiper arm and to prevent damage to the pivot shaft housing.in gm's response to odi's information request letter, gm states, ...the wiper pivot housing in the subject vehicle may crack and/or fracture as a result of an overload condition applied to the wiper pivot housing during improper removal of the wiper arms.gm's field survey found that ...dealers do not routinely use the wiper arm removal tool when servicing the wiper arms.odi concludes that the failure and warranty reports in this investigation do not identify a safety related defect trend.odi does have concern, however, that prior and improperly performed wiper arm removal may have contributed to the failures identified during this investigation.in august 2007, gm issued a new technical service bulletin (gm number 07-08-43-007) to specifically emphasize the importance of using the proper tool for removal of the wiper arms to prevent pivot shaft damage during the procedure.this investigation is closed. | ||||||
| VISIBILITY - WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER - LINKAGES | ||||||
| PE07011 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 02/28/2007 | 08/09/2007 | WINDSHIED WIPER LINKAGE FAILURE | ||
| Investigation disclosed that the manufacturer issued a service bulletin in august 2003, regarding service that required removal of the wiper arms.gm issued the bulletin at that time to address customer comments on windshield wiper chattering or hopping across the windshield during wiper operation.the correction was to replace the wiper arm and blade.however, the bulletin did not place specific emphasis on the importance of using the proper tool and procedures to remove the wiper arm and to prevent damage to the pivot shaft housing.in gm's response to odi's information request letter, gm states, ...the wiper pivot housing in the subject vehicle may crack and/or fracture as a result of an overload condition applied to the wiper pivot housing during improper removal of the wiper arms.gm's field survey found that ...dealers do not routinely use the wiper arm removal tool when servicing the wiper arms.odi concludes that the failure and warranty reports in this investigation do not identify a safety related defect trend.odi does have concern, however, that prior and improperly performed wiper arm removal may have contributed to the failures identified during this investigation.in august 2007, gm issued a new technical service bulletin (gm number 07-08-43-007) to specifically emphasize the importance of using the proper tool for removal of the wiper arms to prevent pivot shaft damage during the procedure.this investigation is closed. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| VISIBILITY | |||
| 09/14/2011 | 70000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. the contact stated that the windshield wiper arm failed to operate. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, where the dealer stated that the windshield wiper motor and arm needed to be replacemed. the manufacturer was notified and they stated that the vin did not apply to recall under nhtsa campaign id number 02v283000 (visibility:windshield wiper/washer:motor). the vehicle was repaired. the failure and current mileages were 70,000. | |||
| 09/14/2011 | 70000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. the contact stated that the windshield wiper arm failed to operate. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, where the dealer stated that the windshield wiper motor and arm needed to be replacemed. the manufacturer was notified and they stated that the vin did not apply to recall under nhtsa campaign id number 02v283000 (visibility:windshield wiper/washer:motor). the vehicle was repaired. the failure and current mileages were 70,000. sm. | |||
| 09/14/2011 | 70000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. the contact stated the windshield wiper arm failed to work, the vehicle was vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer confirmed the wind shield motor and arm needed replacement. the manufacturer was contacted, and they stated vin did not apply to recall under nhtsa campaign id number:02v283000(visibility:windshield wiper/washer:motor). the vehicle was repaired. the failure and current mileages were 70,000 rds | |||
| 07/20/2011 | 52000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. the contact stated that the while driving in incliment weather, he noticed that the windshield wipers would not operate. the vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic, who was unable to diagnose the failure. the manufacturer was notified and stated that there were no recalls addressing the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 52,000. the vin was unavailable. sm. | |||
| 07/20/2011 | 52000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. the contact stated that the when driving in incliment weather he noticed that the windshield wipers would not operate. the vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic and they advised him that they were unable to diagnose the failure. the manufacturer was contacted and they advised him that there were no recalls on the vehicle. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 52,000. the vin was unavailable. tb | |||
| 05/11/2010 | |||
| I am the owner of a 2003 saturn ion and was driving down the highway when it started raining. i have very poor visibility because the drivers side wiper blade flew off the side of the windshield. i called saturn about this concern, was told i have to replace it. it shows the connective joint on the wiper broke loose and after reading several hundred complaints online about this same problem, it is apparent that saturn knows of this defective product, but charges hundreds of dollars to repair the problem. many injuries and possibly death could result from this defect and i am very unhappy with saturn's lack of concern for public safety. i can only drive my car when it is not raining because i cannot afford 481.00 to fix what should not have broken in the first place. the plastic molding on the windshield cavity is not sufficent or safe for any vehicle. please attend to this matter before someone is killed. | |||
| 03/30/2011 | 114000 | ||
| 2003 saturn ion wiper failure: the wiper linkeage aka wiper transmision broke while driving down the highway at 70mph in a rain storm. there was not any ice and the wipers were in good shape. the wiper proceeded to go outside of the windshield and not return to the off position. very dangerous and others have had the same problem. again there was not any ice involved. | |||
| 10/30/2004 | 34200 | 1 | |
| Power-operated window,. the power windows are inoperable after the ignition has been turned to the off position and the front passenger door is opened *cn the reverse lights do not work!!! have been replaced many many times *cn | |||
| 02/08/2009 | 80000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. the contact stated that the duct port, where air travels through the vehicle, fails to transport correctly and becomes stuck. the insulation between the vent loosens and stops switching between heat and defrost. the failure began at 36,000 miles. the failure has not been repaired. the contact feels that this is a safety issue because the windows could fog up and reduce visibility. the failure occurs in rainy weather conditions. the vin was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 80,000. | |||
| 11/13/2008 | 88000 | 1 | |
| My 18 yr old daughter was driving to school this morning during a heavy rain downpour and almost had a wreck due to the sudden malfunction of the driver's side windshield wiper assembly. the wiper arm sudden became possessed were it was moving erratically causing practically zero visibility on a busy two-lane highway. she barely pulled off the road as a school bus rounded the curve. needless to say everyone was lucky. a good samaritan mechanic stopped and quickly assessed that a plastic support had broken on the wiper motor assembly. we had to leave the car in a stranger's driveway until we can make arrangements to move it during safer conditions. i got on the computer and found where others had suffered the same issue!! i know parts wear out, but this is a major safety issue that gives no warning. my daughter was lucky not have wrecked or injured the school children that were standing on the side of the road, awaiting the bus. angry mother *tr | |||
| 09/03/2008 | 36000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. while driving approximately 55 mph on normal road conditions, the windshield wipers were activated to clean the windshield. the driver's side windshield wipers failed to operate. the failure occurred without warning. the vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop and they stated that the failure was related to the windshield wiper transmission. the vehicle was repaired. the contact was concerned of the safety risk involved. she is in the process of notifying the manufacturer. the failure mileage was 36,000 and current mileage was 37,000. | |||
| 10/15/2006 | 54000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. sporadically, while driving various speeds, the vehicle would stall without warning. the contact would also experience a no start condition. he took the vehicle to the dealer and they replaced the ignition switch at the cost of several hundred dollars. two years later, the failure recurred, but the dealer would not assume any responsibility. lastly, the windshield wipers would repeatedly hop around the windshield. on one occasion, the wiper fractured and had to be replaced. the failure mileage was 54,000 and current mileage was 99,000. | |||
| 09/15/2006 | 38000 | 1 | |
| Temperature control knobs don't rotate and it restricts the air flow preventing the car from defogging front windshield, drivers side and passenger side windows restricting visibility making the continue operation of the vehicle unsafe. *tr | |||
| VISIBILITY - DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER SYSTEM - WINDSHIELD - HEATER CORE | |||
| 02/02/2005 | 303000 | 3 | 04/30/2003 |
| Driver noticed that the transmission would down shift on its own. driver took vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that transmission was adjusted on more than one occasion. however, driver informed the mechanic that the problem still occurred, and had not been resolved. *ak the consumer stated that the engine takes 2-5 minutes for it to idle down from 2500 rpm's. the consumer stated that the defoster on the passenger side failed. the consumer stated that the hood would not always close properly. | |||
| VISIBILITY - POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS | |||
| 09/01/2011 | 2 | ||
| 2003 saturn ion . consumer writes in regards to vehicle recall issues *tgw the consumer stated the vehicle was purchased new and she was never informed of a recall regarding the body control module which she was having problems with. the consumer stated the problem first started when the driver side window dropped when she closed the door. then it would not stay up. then half of the dash went black. the next window would go up and down on its own with no contact of any type. then the controls to the electric windows stopped working completely and the electronic lock/opening device would not open the doors any longer or lock the trunk. the consumer was informed she would have to pay for a diagnostic test. the consumer also stated there was also a problem with the transmission. the vehicle did not react to being in park, so therefore, she had difficulty removing the keys from the ignition. the o2 sensor and the ignition switch had to be replaced. the consumer stated the transmission was never properly replaced. on one occasion, the vehicle stalled and the steering locked up. *jb | |||
| 10/08/2003 | 3000 | 10 | 07/20/2003 |
| The driver's side door leaks at the top. condensation gathers on the upper inside of the door and drips on the drivers leg, as well as on the power window/locks switches, which could cause corrosion or a short in the electrical system.*ak | |||
| 01/24/2004 | 14000 | 2 | 08/08/2003 |
| 2003 saturn ion 1. during cold weather the passenger side window frosts. the controls are set for defrost, air on and blower medium high. even with the blower on high there is very little air coming from the passenger side defrost outlet. a co-worker has a similar problem with his ion. the dealer said the system is operating as designed. 2. the hood latch freezes and the hood cant be opened to add window washer fluid. sometimes you can get the hood open but you cant relatch the hood completely without pushing the hood release handle down. a co-worker has a similar problem with his ion. 3. some the edges on interior plastic parts on the are very sharp. the worst is the compartment door to the left drivers leg. this popped open and had a sharp rough edge. as i exited the car i cut my leg. i fixed this myself by filling the edge. *la | |||
| 1 | |||
| Consumer having problems getting two recalls performed on the vehicle. *ph when the consumer tried to make an appointment, the dealership told the consumer he had heard of the recall but was not familiar with what it said, the consumer wanted to make an appointment for the weekend, but was told the most skilled mechanics worked weekdays. the consumer felt the dealership had only been minimally informed of the recall. *jb *nm | |||
| VISIBILITY - REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES | |||
| 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 | |||
| VISIBILITY - SUN ROOF ASSEMBLY | |||
| 11/15/2004 | 0 | 4 | 04/15/2003 |
| Interior roof around sun roof - very loss and wires are exposed. dealership was notified when vehicle was purchased and failed to fix issue. possible issue with wires exposed to getting wet. ceiling has started to hang lower because the material/glue holding it in place is not working right. possible replacement of ceiling should be done but company has not.*ak | |||
| VISIBILITY - WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER | |||
| 02/24/2009 | 62000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. the contact started the ignition and the windshield wiper system activated. immediately, the driver's side windshield wiper began to move erratically. the failure occurred without warning. currently, the driver's side windshield wiper is inoperative. the vehicle has not been repaired. the vin was not accepted by the system. the failure and current mileages were 62,000. | |||
| 02/07/2009 | 1 | ||
| On my 2003 saturn ion 3 the left side wiper went the opposite way and locked in place while driving car on highway. had to pull over and try to repair while on road. this happened to my wife's saturn ion 2 and we paid to repair it. *tr | |||
| 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 | |||
| VISIBILITY - WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER - LINKAGES | |||
| 03/12/2007 | 42990 | 2 | 05/01/2003 |
| 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 | |||
| 10/20/2006 | 45747 | 1 | 04/15/2005 |
| I don't know what caused the failure, but it has never been abused, and the car has only 45747 miles as of the service date. we live in michigan, and although the manufacturer may want to claim that snow caused this failure, we have not had any snowfall prior to this date (10-25-06). i noticed that the windshield wiper arm was folded outward from the windshield. i took it to the dealer, and their diagnosis was that the support bracket was broken. however, there is no way to obtain the simple bracket. the entire assembly including the wiper motor which still functioned correctly had to be replaced. the parts of the assembly are a unitized module where no single part can be purchased individually. the total cost of this assembly (gm part number 15221904 according to the invoice) was $149.12 while labor and fees made up an additional $100. overall cost to fix was $250.91 with state taxes. i asked for the broken part, which is available for you to look at (i will take digital pictures if you so wish). additionally, while most of the mechanism is constructed of metal, the high stress points (the brackets) are made of brittle plastic. while no harm came to me because of this failure, the potential for catastrophe does exist. if this mechanism were to fail while one was driving, their vision would be obstructed and an accident could easily occur. this is particularly true in my case, where the driver's side wiper was rendered virtually useless. this defect could easily be corrected. the brackets which are both made of brittle plastic could be replaced with a more reliable metal part. to save precious pennies, saturn chose to construct this critical part of the car with an inferior material. the result is a design flaw potentially affecting the safety of thousands of unsuspecting saturn owners. i ask that consideration be made for them while this complaint is reviewed. | |||
| 03/15/2006 | 42000 | 1 | 08/12/2003 |
| Premature failure of the driver side windshield wiper linkage causing wiper to be inoperable. *jb | |||
| VISIBILITY - WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER - MOTOR | |||
| 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 | |||
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | |||
| 05/23/2010 | 160000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. the contact stated while driving 25 mph the power steering lock. the windshield wiper transmission has failed. the front windows on the front driver and passenger side does not go up or down. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was notified who stated the vehicle should be taken to the dealer and they would decide if they should offer any assistance. the failure mileage was 160,000. mw | |||