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 | |||
| 05/01/2012 | 145000 | 1 | |
| When i turn my car on the parking lights and front turn signals starting blinking really quick like strobing. i can turn my left turn signal on and it will blink inside hearing the normal ticking. if i turn my right turn signal on it the arrow on the inside blinks slower and makes no ticking sound.if i push on my brake the light work probably and the ticking sound on the right turn signal inside starts. if i put my emergency brake on it works properly. the strobing of the front outside parking lights stop. if i turn my parking light on and drive with them on everything works properly. i know this has something to do with the recall. it is effecting my car so bad that my radio display light blinks also. so it is getting feedback from this problem before i have a wreck. i am a single mother with 2 children. *tr | |||
| 05/01/2012 | 145000 | ||
| When i turn my car on the parking lights and front turn sighnals starting blinking really quick like strobing. i can turn my left turn sighnal on and it will bleink inside haring the normal ticking. if i turn my righ turn signal on it the arrow on the inside blinks slower and makes no ticking sound.if i push on my brake the light work probably and the ticking sound on the right turn signal inside starts. if i put my emergency brake on it works properly. the strobing of the front outside paking lights stop. if i turn my parkng light on and drive with them on everything works properly. i know this has something to do with the recall. it is effctging my car so bad that my radio dispaly light blinks also. so it is getting feedback from this problem before i have a wreck. i am a single mother with 2 children. | |||
| 08/11/2012 | 94500 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn ion. the contact was driving 20 mph when she began to smell burning rubber and plastic. the contact stopped the vehicle and at discovered that the power windows and power locks had become inoperable. the fuse was replaced for the windows and they began to function properly. a personal mechanic advised the contact that the new fuse would need to be removed to ensure that no electrical fires occurred. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure and current mileages were 94,500. | |||
| 08/11/2012 | 94500 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 saturn ion. the contact was driving 20 mph when she began to smell burning rubber and plastic. the contact stopped the vehicle and at discovered that the power windows and power locks had become inoperable. the fuse was replaced for the windows and they began to function properly. a personal mechanic advised the contact that the new fuse would need to be removed to ensure that no electrical fires occurred. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure and current mileages were 94,500. kmj | |||
| 08/11/2012 | 94500 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 saturn ion. the contact stated while driving 20 mph she began to smell rubber and plastic burning. she brought the vehicle to a stop and at that time the power windows and power locks failed. the fuse was replaced for the windows and they began to function properly. a personal mechanic advised the new fuse be removed to make sure no electrical fire occurred. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure and current mileages were 94,500. dt | |||
| 12/14/2011 | 85487 | ||
| Multiple failures of electrical system. gauges drop to zero, the engine may or may not stop running, then the dash warning lights ( ie oil warning light, ect ) come on, and then dash returns to normal. if the car is moving the engine starts running again. one steering warning message during a left hand turn. the car was difficult to steer into and out of the corner. i am willing to turn my car over to have the steering and electrical system checked out. saturn has been unable to repair the electrical system since the car was new. the factory extended warranty was used to check this issue out as well. | |||
| 10/15/2011 | 95354 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 saturn ion 3. the contact was driving 30 mph when the power steering failure warning light illuminated. the failure light went off when the vehicle was restarted. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer, but the manufacturer was contacted. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 95,354. kmj | |||
| 10/15/2011 | 95354 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 saturn ion 3. the contact was driving 30mph when the power steering failure light illuminated. the failure light went off when the vehicle was restarted. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer, but the manufacturer was contacted. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were. 95,354. rds | |||
| 05/28/2008 | |||
| 2004 saturn ion1 will not start due do passlock theft deterrent problem. the possible components causing this are the ignition switch and/or the bcm. the battery was tested as good. this problem started in january 2008 during a winter storm and has happened dozens and dozens of times since, with the last occurrence today and it is nearly 90 degrees outside. it has previously only done this in cold and wet conditions. the car will crank once or twice when the ignition switch is engaged but then it will do do nothing, the service engine light along with the passlock icon illuminates. after waiting 10 minutes the lights go off and it will start. this is an extremely common problem with these cars and the repairs are costly and not always effective according to what others are indicating online. this could easily put somebody in harms way given an unsafe or harsh environment. | |||
| 11/10/2008 | 60000 | ||
| I bought my 2004 saturn ion used with less than 60,000 miles on it, i had it less than a year when one day it wouldn't start, i thought it was the battery or the alternater, but none of that fixed the problem. this problem progressively got worse and started happening very frequently, more often when it got cold out. after about 10-15 minutes the car will start, i have had to wait up to 45 minutes for the car to start sometimes. this problem has made me late for work, left my children waiting for me and left myself after work closing a bar one night at 3:00 in the morning. the more i mentioned this problem to people the more i found out i am not the only one with this problem, it has to do with the security pass lock system and ignition. if this is such a frequent problem for saturns why hasn't there been a recall ever to had it fixed, and why are dealerships allowed to sell used saturns without correcting the problem or making buyers aware of this potential problem, it is simply dishonest! | |||
| 12/01/2004 | 9000 | 1 | |
| After only 9 months of owning my ion i have experienced problems with shifting the car in and out of gear. it is a random occurrence and can happen 8 times in a week then not at all for months. however when it does happen it is a life threatening experience as i am usually driving on a major highway. the car will be locked into 4th for example and when i try to shift to 5th i can not get it out of 4th. i have taken the car to the saturn dealership a minimum of 20 times for this problem, only to be told that they could not do anything. i then took it to a different dealership where the tech took the car home for 1 week, experienced the problem for himself, and told me all he could do was replace a wire and hope it helped because saturn would not let him investigate any more options. it did absolutely nothing to help my car. and since the last time my car has been at the saturn dealership my power steering now goes in and out. apparently they busted a seal and failed to mention that to me, so not only do i have to worry about not being able to shift, but also losing my power steering. they only solution i can come up with is to try my best to get the car to a safe spot and turn it off and let it sit. this car has had more problems than anyone should have to deal with: reverse switch going out, airconditioning going out, power windows no longer work, power steering, and not being able to shift. i have to drive this everyday with my children in the car with me at most times. this should have all been taken care under the orig. warranty, as it all happened within the first 6-12 months of owning the car. lol that's what i get for buying a gm product. *tr | |||
| 11/01/2008 | 40000 | 1 | |
| My saturn ion 3, 2004 will not start when it is cold. you have to wait 10 minutes and then try again to try to get the car to start. the car eventually starts. i called saturn to inquire about this and they said that it is an ignition switch problem with their passlock system. they fix about 10 of them every week, b ut saturn has yet to recall the switch. this problem happens almost everyday in the cold and has been happening to my car for over a year now. *tr | |||
| 03/10/2009 | 62591 | 1 | |
| We purchased our saturn ion (used- from a dealership) and within a few weeks it began not starting on the first try we would have to wait for 15-20 minutes to start it. then when the morning weather turned cold it would not start. at all. in the afternoons when it would warm up some it would start again. we thought it was the battery so replaced the battery. next morning it wouldn't start. i went online to see if there was a recall. there was none. but, i did find hundreds of posts about the same thing. i even found videos posted to youtube.com on how it might be fixed. scary!! also i found posts where people went to the dealerships for fixes and the dealerships fixed the problem only for it to crop up again within a short time. please can you help? i found you by accident others would make complaints but they don't know you exist to help. our car is basically useless because we cannot count on it to start when we need it. the date i gave you was a guesstimate of the first time it happened. we have not taken our car to the dealership because of the numerous post where folks took their cars in, had repairs , only to have the trend start over again. *tr | |||
| 01/08/2009 | 48000 | 1 | |
| On cold days in the winter my saturn ion 2 does not start. turn the key and nothing happens. the check engine light comes on and the car will not start for 10 minutes. i have had the ignition key replaced and that fixes it for a while. i was fixed under warranty, but they replaced the part with the same series part so now not under warranty the problem recurs. *tr | |||
| 11/01/2008 | 100000 | 1 | |
| I have a 04 saturn ion, it does not start in the cold, it gives me so many headaches, there is over 30 pages of complaints on website with people with the same car and same problems. it seems to be a white wire in the steering column, i don't understand if so many people have the same issues why it cant be fixed. it has caused me to be late for work, college classes, and to be stuck out on a cold night by myself due to my car not starting. you have to try to start it and then leave it alone for about 15 minutes and it usually starts right up. it happens pretty much all the time but it is so random you never know when you will be stranded. i have spent money replacing batteries and everything else when none of this caused the problem. *tr | |||
| 02/06/2009 | 45000 | 1 | |
| 2004 saturn ion intermittently will not start. happened one time last winter, but has progressed this winter. if you allow the car to sit for 10-12 minutes it starts right up. i called saturn and made an appointment to leave the car with them while i visited family in florida. i since went online and discovered that hundreds (maybe thousands) of saturn owners have this same problem. i called saturn service and told them what i had discovered. they made no comment but said they had replaced the ignition switch. i called a toll free number that a saturn owner had left on an online forum and filed a formal complaint with saturn of america. she was very polite and assured me she would call saturn and see what she could do for me. the next day she said they could only give me 10% off the cost of the ignition switch which amounts to $12. i called the service manager to tell him that i expected more because this is such a common problem and should actually have been a recall. i could never reach him. he was never available (as they said--gone for the day). i then emailed saturn of charleston/huntington wv and explained. a sale person acknowledged my email and assured me she would give the email complaint to service and someone is services would contact me. two days later and they still have not contacted me. i told the sales person that it sadden me that $240 was more important than my future business. why should saturn owner pay for a common problem that they have known exist? and from what i've read a new ignition is not the solution. often it works for a year and then same problem comes back. it has been mentioned that it could be a passlock system problem or gel inside the ignition switch that ages and loses conductivity over time. who knows? any help would be appreciated. *tr | |||
| 01/12/2008 | 46000 | 1 | |
| In trying to start my car in the mornings, especially when it is cold outside, it fails to start and my security system light will flash. i have been told that this is related to the passlock system, but it is not under warranty. i occurs 5 out of 7 days a week. i was told that there was nothing to be done unless i disable my security system. *tr | |||
| 01/01/2009 | 76000 | 1 | |
| This has occurred several times before, usually when its colder out. i go to start my car and nothing happens, then a security feature lights up. my car thinks i'm stealing it, apparently. sometimes my key won't come out of the ignition when this happens either, and i've had to get it towed and repaired. usually after sitting there and trying to start it for a period of ten to thirty minutes, the car starts as if nothing happened, but is a huge inconvenience seeing as i've been out of town a couple of times when this has happened and it also makes me late for work. i've talked to other saturn owners and they've said they've also had this happen. i'd say that this happens about twice a month. *tr | |||
| 12/07/2007 | 32700 | 5 | |
| My 2004 saturn ion 3 will not start at times on cold mornings, the battery was replaced and still no start..it is in the shop right now after reading other complaints on an online forum i see this is a wide spread and yet saturn does nothing to help, it seems to be in the ignition switch, bcm, and or the passlock system. *tr | |||
| 01/04/2007 | 5 | ||
| Car wouldn't start numerous (cold) mornings, no way to get to work. eventually, later in the day the car would start. called saturn dealer they told me to bring it in, i dropped it off; they called later to tell me it was my passlock sensor. in the meantime i check online and find a huge message board with tons of other people who have had the same problem. i talk to the service technician about it and he tells me that they have had this problem with the ion, but that it was decided that it wasn't serious enough for a recall. of course it's not life threatening but it's still a defective part!! i also talked to the service manager who explained to me that it was a known problem with the ion but that i was now way past my warranty anyway. i don't care if i have 6 miles, 6,000 miles, 60,000 miles or 600,000 miles on the car this part should be replaced by saturn at no charge. it is a known problem, why make the consumer pay for it?! the part was replaced and i paid for it because i didn't have a choice at the time, i need a vehicle for work. if this doesn't get resolved and/or i don't get a refund from saturn, this will be the last vehicle i buy from them. that is a guarantee! *nm | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - BATTERY | |||
| 03/20/2007 | 40000 | 10 | 09/14/2004 |
| My trunk has started to get water in it. this caused my battery to fail on several occasions. now that it is winter i had to replace my battery because it froze . the entire inside of my trunk is damaged. *tr | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION | |||
| 02/12/2008 | 30000 | 1 | 12/23/2003 |
| 2004 saturn ion i'm having starting problems. on cold days the car won't start sometimes, but if you wait a few minutes it will start right up. sometimes it takes so long that i have to leave it and get a ride. *tr | |||
| 01/01/2005 | 28000 | 50 | 06/01/2004 |
| I live in minnesota. i purchased a new 2004 saturn ion coupe, with only 84 miles and drove off the show room floor. i had numerous problems with the car starting in cold weather. i took the car to a saturn dealership once it started , and they said it was the pass lock system in the car. the saturn has continued to do the same thing over the last couple winters. this past winter it was extremely bad. 2 out of 7 days the car wouldn't start right away ,but then i would try again in 20 minutes and it would start. i took the saturn remote controls off the key chain thinking it was the problem. but it wasn't . also, i had the battery tested and it was fine. there needs to be a recall on this vehicle. can someone please help. it seemed many were having the same complaints. this almost cost me a pay raise. too many absences at my job will eliminate me.*ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - ANTI-THEFT CONTROLLER | |||
| 12/10/2007 | 6 | ||
| I have a 2004 saturn ion which was recently purchased. one morning i went to start the car. all the interior lights came on, the electrical system worked fine, but the engine would not turn over (nothing happened at all). when i returned home that evening, the car started immediately, ruling out a dead battery. this failure re-occurs mostly on cold mornings. i discovered on the web that saturn has a problem with the ignition switch pass lock system when it is cold. saturn is aware of the problem but refuses to do anything about it. i took the car to a local mechanic and asked him to replace the switch. he made a special trip to the saturn dealer (30+ miles) to get a new switch, however he discovered that the switch needs to be programmed and only a saturn dealer can do that. the saturn dealership failed to mention this to him when he bought the part. now, i have to pay to have the car towed to the saturn dealer to have the switch programmed, as well as for nearly a week of wasted time, money, and convenience. *tr | |||
| 01/09/2006 | 30 | 06/09/2005 | |
| My 2004 saturn ion coupe never starts in the cold. it has become such a headache i warm a towel in the morning put it on the engine before i start it. i get such a migraine wondering what is going on with my car. i called saturn they said it was a theft device and maybe someone tried to steal my car or gas. crazy!!!!!!!!!! *nm | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - MODULE | |||
| 12/07/2007 | 32700 | 5 | |
| My 2004 saturn ion 3 will not start at times on cold mornings, the battery was replaced and still no start..it is in the shop right now after reading other complaints on an online forum i see this is a wide spread and yet saturn does nothing to help, it seems to be in the ignition switch, bcm, and or the passlock system. *tr | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - SWITCH | |||
| 01/04/2008 | 20000 | 15 | 02/14/2004 |
| During cold weather (around 32 degrees f and below), car will not start for 8-10 minutes. on initial attempt to start car, engine begins to turn over for less than 1 second, then stops. a lock symbol flashes on the dash and the message readout states service engine. any addition attemps to start the car will result in absolutely no turnover of the engine. after 8-10 minutes, the car will start right up with no problem. attemps to jump start the car will are not sucessful until after the 8-10 minute period. the battery has been checked out and found to be fine. i have not attempted a repair yet. this first happened in november of 2005 and has occurred off and on for the past 2 years. *cn | |||
| 12/07/2007 | 32700 | 5 | |
| My 2004 saturn ion 3 will not start at times on cold mornings, the battery was replaced and still no start..it is in the shop right now after reading other complaints on an online forum i see this is a wide spread and yet saturn does nothing to help, it seems to be in the ignition switch, bcm, and or the passlock system. *tr | |||
| 02/16/2007 | 35000 | 5 | 08/16/2006 |
| When very cold, car will not crank or start- passlock security becomes enabled. *jb | |||
| 12/04/2006 | 31200 | 2 | 11/23/2006 |
| I went to start my car 12-4-06 at 6 am car would not turn over. later that day at 9:45 am car did turn over. called car dealer and spoke to head of service department he said that since car was started problem might not show up on diagnostic. on 12-5-2006 same thing happens again in the morning car will not turn over. had the car towed in and sat the for a few hours to find out that it was an ignition switch.(in there words the grease that is inside gels up in very cold weather and does not male contact to turn the car on. i feel that a dissevice is being done to anyone that owns a saturn ion. that this is a problem that they are running into a lot , but we the consumers are having to deal with it. if your car does not start and you get stranded that is a safety issue to me. *nm | |||