Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||||
| 08089-B | 11/01/2008 | 08089-C | 10027804 | General motors corp: special coverage adjustment; analog onstar deactivation. *pe updated 2/17/09. *pe | 02/09/2009 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - SOFTWARE | |||||
| 08089-B | 11/01/2008 | 08089-C | 10027804 | General motors corp: special coverage adjustment; analog onstar deactivation. *pe updated 2/17/09. *pe | 02/09/2009 |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||
| 02/01/2010 | 30000 | 1 | |
| I have a 2003 saturn ion and it has the same starting problems reported extensively on this website. on cold days, the car will not start at times. it always seems to happen at the most importune times and locations. when this happens, there is no noise and no cranking sound when i turn the ignition key on. however, when i try to start the car about 5 to 15 minutes later, it starts without any problem. i replaced the battery, but it did not make any difference. the alternator checks out fine. i believe the problem is a faulty ignition module, but that is a guess on my part based on the numerous online complaints by other saturn owners. there is only one authorized saturn dealer/service facility left in the houston. the technician there told me he has serviced numerous saturns with the same exact problem and that replacing the ignition module seems to fix the problem, although not in every case. he said that gm has not issued a bulletin or recalled saturns to repair the units. gm's denial of a potentially lethal problem is not unlike that of toyota in addressing stuck accelerators and braking problems. maybe gm does not care because it is closing down its saturn division. i can see where saturn owners, who are unaware of the extent of the starting problem, wind up having their batteries, alternators and other components replaced at enormous cost and inconvenience before saturn suggests replacing the ignition unit. this is a situation that is ripe for exploitation because the problem is intermittent. the national transportation safety board needs to weigh in on this safety issue and not wait for people to get hurt. *tr | |||
| 01/11/2010 | 1 | ||
| 2003 saturn ion. this car will not start in the cold weather. if the temperature is below 32 degrees f for an extended period of time, the car will stall. i have read that the difficultly may have to do with a type of lubricant on the starter, which hardens in the cold weather. the car stalls as a result, and then the pass-lock kicks in. after 8 minutes, the car may start, or one may have to wait an additional 8 minutes (or more) for the ignition switch to loosen up enough to start the engine. however, the car may stall yet again---and set off the passlock system yet again. *tr | |||
| 05/08/2009 | 97576 | 1 | |
| My 2003 saturn ion has an ignition problem. sometimes it won't start. it is intermittent. today the car started, i started driving all the warning lights came on, the power steering went off, the abs brake light came on. i got the car stopped, turned off the car. tried to start it again, to no avail. waited a few minutes, started the car, turned around, went back to beg. destination. turned off car. tried to restart - no restart. waited 30 min. tried again, no start. waited 1 hour, started but none of the items on the dash would work. this problem has happened several times. what would have happened if i were on the freeway and all this just stopped and the power steering went out? *tr | |||
| 03/06/2009 | 48901 | 1 | |
| I have a 2003 saturn ion and the problem started yesterday. i just bought this car on january 31, 2009. i went to start the car and it would not turn over at all. it just said service vehicle on the message center screen. i drive 120 miles per day sometimes and i have done online research and have found hundreds of complaints on this car. it not only happens with this year and make but with other makes too! this is ridiculous and dangerous. the weather where i live gets down to 30 below zero sometimes and i cannot afford to not be able to start my car. i am a full-time student with 3 children and a husband that works out of town. i cannot afford the numerous car repairs that people are reporting that they had to have done on this type of car. why hasn't their been a recall?!!! *tr | |||
| 11/30/2008 | 50000 | 1 | |
| On july 5, 2008 i purchased a 2003 saturn ion from carmax for the cost of $10,998. it apparently passed the rigorous carmax certified quality inspection. in november 2008 (4 months later) the saturn would not start due to the cold weather. i took this into carmax and they replaced my battery at my cost. again in january 2009 (1 month later) it still would not start in the morning. they performed a diagnostic test and could not duplicate. this morning now february 2009 it did not start again in the morning resulting in a problem getting my daughter to school. it is undoubtedly an issue that needs to be addressed by saturn. after reading all these complaints about the car not starting under cold weather conditions i am perplexed as to why saturn is not doing anything about this. this is my first experience with a saturn and most likely my last. *tr | |||
| 12/22/2008 | 68000 | 1 | |
| I have had numerous incident during the last 14 months regarding my saturn ion iii not wanting to start in cold weather & the ignition switch not allowing me to release the key. this has caused me to take my vehicle to a mechanic to try to diagnose, new battery, towing etc. *tr | |||
| 12/13/2007 | 36000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. in cold weather conditions, the vehicle would not start. usually after repeated attempts of turning the key in the ignition, the vehicle will start. the vehicle has not been taken to the dealer for inspection to determine the cause of the failure. the failure mileage was 36,000 and current mileage was 48,000. | |||
| 12/12/2008 | 50000 | 1 | |
| 2003 saturn ion fails to start. this is leaving my wife and kids stranded in the cold a couple of times a day now. details can be found at this website as well as many others. this is the perfect description. http://www.carsurvey.org/viewcomments_review_97727.html. *tr | |||
| 12/10/2008 | 30000 | 1 | |
| Faulty design in the ignition switch. the switch leaks lubricant onto the wires of the ignition system. in cold temperatures this lubricant freezes and prevents the electrical signal needed by the passlock anti-theft system from being received by the bcm (body control module). when this signal isn't received the anti-theft system kicks in. it then shuts off the fuel delivery system for a default period of 10 minutes or sometimes longer for up to an hour. this has caused numerous failures with the driver being stranded in cold temperatures. there's numerous documentation in regards to this problem online for several years and saturn is taking no responsibility to try and remedy this problem, except to charge unreasonable prices to fix. in addition, according to many reviews online this problem resurfaces at a later date... *tr | |||
| 11/17/2008 | 72000 | 1 | |
| I own a saturn ion 2 2003 and it takes spells where it won't start. today i had trouble. when it won't start the lights and radio, etc work, a light comes on on the message center that says to service vehicle but it won't turn over. today i let it sit for about 10 to 15 min and it started. | |||
| 01/14/2008 | 15 | ||
| During cold weather, my 2003 saturn ion will not start. replaced the battery 12/07, and a diagnostic check of the starter and alternator was fine. it appears to be an ignition switch item from reading similar complaints online. *tr | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - BATTERY | |||
| 12/11/2007 | 1 | 01/12/2005 | |
| On tuesday, december 11, i stopped at a blockbuster to drop off some movies. when i returned to my car, it would not start. the engine would not even try to turn over. i heard a clicking noise, and called a friend to come and give me a jump. i tried to jump it, and that did not work. i immediately called a saturn dealership that is nearby where i live. i told them what was going on so i could bring it in and have it looked at. i said that my car wouldn't start, when i tried to jump it that didn't work, and that my key is now stuck in the ignition and won't come out. his response to me was, i bet it's the ignition switch. we have been having a lot of trouble with those now that the weather is cold. did you say you jumped it? you shouldn't have done that. that can cause the battery to have a shortage. today, i had my car towed to the dealership and they diagnosed my car with an ignition switch problem and a dead battery. i had them replace both, and i also kept both of my old parts. *tr | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION | |||
| 01/16/2009 | 70000 | 1 | |
| My car will not start when it is cold. it is due to the faulty design of the ignition switch/passlock error. it happens at least three or four times a week, end every morning it is below 34 degrees. i have had a new battery, fuel filter and starter replaced in the past week. after ten to fifteen minutes it starts, but today after forty five minutes it still did not start. i went online and found that thousands of other saturn owners have the same problem. this part needs to be recalled. *tr | |||
| 02/02/2008 | 63221 | 2 | 08/15/2003 |
| Car won't start on mornings when temp is below 50 degrees. once temp warms up, car starts fine. i can't wait until the afternoon to go to work! i also don't want to be stranded while working (i do home nursing). *tr | |||
| 02/01/2008 | 47000 | 6 | 09/02/2003 |
| On cold mornings (35 and below) my 03 saturn ion will not start. i turn the key and the lights come on but the engine won't turn over. the security light flashes and it tells me to service vehicle. if i wait about 10-20 minutes the car will start. (which causes me to be late for work) i've replace the battery but cannot afford 200+ to change out the starter and/or other parts. i've read numerous complaints online of other ion owners having the same problem (http://www.carsurvey.org/viewcomments_review_97727.html). *tr | |||
| 11/18/2007 | 3 | 11/05/2005 | |
| 2003 ion when the weather gets cold, my car will not start, i will try it again and again. i will wait about 15 minutes and then all of a sudden it will start like nothing is wrong. the battery has been tested and is completely fine. it will turn on all electronics, tell me to service engine, then it won't turn over. next i wait about 15 minutes and it starts. and runs fine. this has happened at least 20 times. *tr | |||
| 11/30/2006 | 30000 | 20 | 04/01/2003 |
| Car is very difficult to start in cold weather. must play with ignition switch many times to get it started. *tr | |||
| 01/18/2007 | 1 | 01/15/2003 | |
| I have a 2003 saturn ion which i purchased new from the dealer. when it gets cold outside (usually at or below 32 degrees) the car intermittently fails to start. the passlock system activates, preventing the car from starting, because the ignition switch fails to recognize that the proper key is in the ignition. gm has issued a technical advisory (# 04-08-45-005d) dated 15 mar 2006 identifying the ignition switch as the cause of this problem. the saturn dealership confirmed that the ignition switch was the cause of the passlock malfunction on my car and informed me that it would cost $250.00 to replace the ignition switch. in performance of my duties as a federal officer i rely on my vehicle to start when i need it to. i am often dispatched to remote areas in inclement weather to assist the public. having a vehicle that will not start because of a recognized defective ignition switch is unacceptable; being told that i have to pay for repairs because of a manufacturing defect is insulting. the faulty ignition switch is not only a safety concern of mine, it impacts the safety and security of the american public that i have sworn to protect. finally it is a safety concern for every saturn ion owner who depends on their car to start in 30 degree weather when there is no other warm environment available. | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - ANTI-THEFT CONTROLLER | |||
| 01/14/2008 | 15 | ||
| During cold weather, my 2003 saturn ion will not start. replaced the battery 12/07, and a diagnostic check of the starter and alternator was fine. it appears to be an ignition switch item from reading similar complaints online. *tr | |||
| 02/06/2007 | 23000 | 4 | |
| 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 | |||
| 01/19/2007 | 1 | 01/15/2003 | |
| I have a 2003 saturn ion which i purchased new from the dealer. when it gets cold outside (usually at or below 32 degrees) the car intermittently fails to start. the passlock system activates, preventing the car from starting, because the ignition switch fails to recognize that the proper key is in the ignition. gm has issued a technical advisory (# 04-08-45-005d) dated 15 mar 2006 identifying the ignition switch as the cause of this problem. the saturn dealership confirmed that the ignition switch was the cause of the passlock malfunction on my car and informed me that it would cost $250.00 to replace the ignition switch. in performance of my duties as a federal officer i rely on my vehicle to start when i need it to. i am often dispatched to remote areas in inclement weather to assist the public. having a vehicle that will not start because of a recognized defective ignition switch is unacceptable; being told that i have to pay for repairs because of a manufacturing defect is insulting. the faulty ignition switch is not only a safety concern of mine, it impacts the safety and security of the american public that i have sworn to protect. finally it is a safety concern for every saturn ion owner who depends on their car to start in 30 degree weather when there is no other warm environment available. | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - SWITCH | |||
| 10/10/2007 | 48 | 23 | |
| Everytime the weather is a bit cold, my saturn ion 2003 will not start. i took it to a local auto mechanic shop and they told me that it was a typical and unfair problem for the saturn ion owners. the also told me they do the same job on these same cars approximately 15 cars/times per week. the explanation they gave was that the ignition switch need it to be replaced. then i took it to my saturn dealership and they said the exact same thing: the ignition switch needs to be replaced because it is causing the passlock (security) system to think the car is being stolen and shuts the starter off. he also said it was really common to replace the ignition switches every winter because those kinds of cars have been having that same problem regardless what the year model they are. i also asked them how many cars (per week) they had to fix due to this same problem and they told me it varied, but it was always between 10 and 25 cars per week. also they said that previous year the weather was so cold and the saturn ions were not starting, that in just a week they had 40-something cars come in to get fix for the same problem. they told they would fix it for me but i would have to pay for everything. i refused to pay because it was not my fault, and i'm assuming people are paying to for something that is not even their fault. i also called saturn and the customer care representative at saturn said that saturn does not have a recommendation for this problem at this time. the last thing i did was a research on the web about this problem and i found many websites, blogs and forums that address the problem as a factory default from saturn. i read people's comments and they all said they had the same problem with their saturn ions and that saturn did want to admit it was a problem of them. it appears as if no one was to take responsibility and the ones paying for this are the customers. this is not fair. *tr | |||
| 11/08/2007 | 0 | 6 | 01/07/2003 |
| When it is very cold outside my 2003 saturn ion would not start. i took it to a mechanic which said he couldn't figure it out but would replace the started and solenoid which happened. again 2 days later, no start, i took it to a different mechanic which ran tests on it and said he couldn't figure it out, but since my battery was 5 years old, maybe i should replace that which i did. then 4 days later, the care wouldn't start again, again i take it to yet another mechanic which runs a series of different tests on it and says everything is good, no explanation for the no starts. finally after much frustration i was online doing some research about my car to discover a number of complaints about both the 2003-2004 saturn ion's having this ignition start problem and yet the manufacturer should have recalled it, yet hasn't and so while the ion owner like myself is stranded here and there and missing days of work due to inoperable on one's purchased vehicle, and paying towing costs, repair bills, testing costs, etc...saturn all along knew the problem. when i finally called saturn and told them of the problem, took the car in and with hours, had a new ignition switch and low and behold yep that was the problem to the tune of $179.00. i think if saturn knew this was a problem, it should have been recalled and fixed on saturn's tab, not mine the consumer. *tr | |||
| 01/03/2008 | 12000 | 10 | 03/03/2003 |
| Wont start in sub freezing weather for at least 15 minutes. *cn | |||
| 12/11/2007 | 1 | 01/12/2005 | |
| On tuesday, december 11, i stopped at a blockbuster to drop off some movies. when i returned to my car, it would not start. the engine would not even try to turn over. i heard a clicking noise, and called a friend to come and give me a jump. i tried to jump it, and that did not work. i immediately called a saturn dealership that is nearby where i live. i told them what was going on so i could bring it in and have it looked at. i said that my car wouldn't start, when i tried to jump it that didn't work, and that my key is now stuck in the ignition and won't come out. his response to me was, i bet it's the ignition switch. we have been having a lot of trouble with those now that the weather is cold. did you say you jumped it? you shouldn't have done that. that can cause the battery to have a shortage. today, i had my car towed to the dealership and they diagnosed my car with an ignition switch problem and a dead battery. i had them replace both, and i also kept both of my old parts. *tr | |||
| 11/29/2007 | 0 | 25 | 07/15/2006 |
| Hood latch broken, ignition switch sparks and the car doesn't start, loud clanking noise in front end, transmission is quirky while shifting(automatic) do not have any of the parts. *tr | |||
| 10/01/2007 | 71670 | 27 | |
| Whenever it is damp or cold outside the vehicle will refuse to start. once the vehicle has refused to start i must wait a minimum of 10 mins before starting the vehicle. on certain occasions this process repeats and i may have to wait upwards of 20 mins to start my vehicle and drive. this issue has been traced back to a faulty ignition switch and implementation of gms passlock vehicle protection system. the manufacturer refuses to acknowledge fault and replace the ignition switch without the consumer incurring substantial costs. *tr | |||
| 02/12/2007 | 5 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 01/21/2007 | 1 | 07/15/2003 | |
| My 2003 saturn ion fails to start in cold weather because the ignition switch does not properly read the key and the passlock system locks out the ignition. this has been an ongoing problem with the vehicle and in march 2006 gm issued a technical bulletin identifying the ignition switch as the source of the problem. saturn however refuses to correct this defect with my vehicle. as this failure only occurs in cold weather it is a safety concern of mine as i work late hours and i rely on my vehicle starting so that i can turn on the heat. sitting in the freezing cold in a vehicle that has an identified defective part that will not start is completely unacceptable. the saturn dealership told me that they would do nothing for me because a recall has not been ordered. as saturn will not step up and take care of its customers i ask that a safety recall be issued to correct this problem. *nm | |||
| 01/19/2007 | 1 | 01/15/2003 | |
| I have a 2003 saturn ion which i purchased new from the dealer. when it gets cold outside (usually at or below 32 degrees) the car intermittently fails to start. the passlock system activates, preventing the car from starting, because the ignition switch fails to recognize that the proper key is in the ignition. gm has issued a technical advisory (# 04-08-45-005d) dated 15 mar 2006 identifying the ignition switch as the cause of this problem. the saturn dealership confirmed that the ignition switch was the cause of the passlock malfunction on my car and informed me that it would cost $250.00 to replace the ignition switch. in performance of my duties as a federal officer i rely on my vehicle to start when i need it to. i am often dispatched to remote areas in inclement weather to assist the public. having a vehicle that will not start because of a recognized defective ignition switch is unacceptable; being told that i have to pay for repairs because of a manufacturing defect is insulting. the faulty ignition switch is not only a safety concern of mine, it impacts the safety and security of the american public that i have sworn to protect. finally it is a safety concern for every saturn ion owner who depends on their car to start in 30 degree weather when there is no other warm environment available. | |||
| 12/02/2006 | 1 | 07/15/2003 | |
| I have a 2003 saturn ion which i purchased new from the dealer. when it gets cold outside (usually at or below 32 degrees) the car intermittently fails to start. the passlock system activates, preventing the car from starting, because the ignition switch fails to recognize that the proper key is in the ignition. gm has issued a technical advisory (# 04-08-45-005d) dated 15 mar 2006 identifying the ignition switch as the cause of this problem. the saturn dealership confirmed that the ignition switch was the cause of the passlock malfunction on my car and informed me that it would cost $250.00 to replace the ignition switch. in performance of my duties as a federal officer i rely on my vehicle to start when i need it to. i am often dispatched to remote areas in inclement weather to assist the public. waiting 10-30 minutes for the passlock system to time out before i can start the car has made me late for assignments on more than one occasion. having a vehicle that will not start because of a recognized defective ignition switch is unacceptable; being told that i have to pay for repairs because of a manufacturing defect is insulting. the faulty ignition switch is not only a safety concern of mine, it impacts the safety and security of the american public that i have sworn to protect. finally it is a safety concern for every saturn ion owner who depends on their car to start in 30 degree weather when there is no other warm environment available. | |||
| 01/08/2007 | 71000 | 2 | 06/01/2003 |
| The first time the ignition switch passlock sensor went out on my 2003 saturn ion ii, it was near zero degrees outside, my 2 month old son was along, and i was stuck on the road for several minutes trying to restart the vehicle. the problem is apparently that a sensor that controls the gas flow stopped working properly and the car died. i was able to pull to the side of the road. when trying to restart the vehicle, it initially did nothing. i waited several minutes, called for my son to be picked up, then tried again. after about 15 minutes it started without a problem. i learned that the ignition switch was faulty and had a faulty passlock sensor. apparently, when the ignition is too cold, the grease begins to harden, causing the switch to be unable to make proper contact. this makes the car think someone is trying to steal it, so the security system kicks in and stops gas flow for up to 15 minutes. after that period of time, the security system resets and you can once again attempt to start the vehicle. however, if the grease has not warmed up enough by the, the whole thing starts over again. i had the switch replaced and everything was fine until today. the switch is again going bad. my husband had to be to court this afternoon and was unable to start the car. this time we had to wait and try again 3 times, wasting 45 minutes. at least this time it was only time that was wasted. last time it could have been a major safety issue. my baby could've been exposed to the cold for too long with serious consequences. not only that, but i could have been hit by other cars if i hadn't been able to move it out of the way. now that it has happened a second time to our vehicle, i did some research online and have seen that this problem happens quite regularly and that saturn has refused to do anything about it. please see: http://www.autoweb.com/content/research/forums/index.cfm/action/posts/fid/5610 for more complaints. *nm | |||
| 12/05/2006 | 10 | 02/23/2003 | |
| I own a saturn ion ii 2003 and every morning that it is cold it will not start. after getting a new battery, which is what the dealership advised me to do, it still will not start on cold mornings. there are several complaints out there about this issue in 03 to late 04 models regarding the replacement switch not turning in cold weather. these vehicles need to be recalled. *nm | |||