Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | |||||
| 050730003 | 02/01/2005 | 10017446 | Intermittent hesitation during vehicle launch. *tt | 11/08/2005 | |
| 3251 | 10017133 | Transaxle slips, no third gear, engine flare during shift after transaxle service. *sc | 10/25/2005 | ||
| 3619 | 10016524 | Shift control knob loose or detached from shift control lever. *tt | 09/20/2005 | ||
| 3035 | 01/01/2004 | 10009650 | No forward or reverse gears or line pressure after a valve body replacement on a vt25e transaxle. *tt | 10/14/2004 | |
| 3034 | 01/01/2004 | 10009583 | No reverse after case cover assembly replaced. *tt | 10/07/2004 | |
| 040730036 | 09/01/2004 | 10009534 | Revised vt25e (vti) spacer plate available. *tt | 10/06/2004 | |
| 040730024A | 11/01/2005 | 040730024B | 10008481 | No movement in drive or reverse with or without diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) p1758, p1758, p1882, p0841, p0741, p0742. *mj this bulletin replaced previous 04-07-30-024. *tt | 08/02/2004 |
| 040730016 | 03/01/2004 | 10006462 | 1-2 and/or 2-3 upshift delay, harsh tip-in downshift, erratic engagement of down slope mode. *tt | 05/03/2004 | |
| 040730011 | 04/01/2004 | 040730011A | 10005977 | Anaerobic sealant application requirements for vt25e transaxle. service manual update. *tt *mj | 04/05/2004 |
| 030730052 | 03/01/2005 | 030730052C | 10004487 | Engine flare during 2-3 shift, most noticeable during light to moderate acceleration. *tt updated *eh | 12/16/2003 |
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||||
| SB-09280A | 12/01/2009 | 10032327 | Saturn: new special reimbursement policy for vehicles equipped with variable transmission with intelligence (vti) transmission-50 percent of transmission repair cost will be paid by gm or customer may elect the option of $5,000 customer cr | 03/05/2010 | |
| 3669 | 10019228 | M86/m94 transmission information to disassemble third fourth and fifth gear. *ak | 02/21/2006 | ||
| 3633 | 10018547 | Remanufactured vt25e transmission quality issues. inoperative, noise, slip, low pressure or leak related concern. *tt | 01/05/2006 | ||
| 050730005 | 03/01/2005 | 10015025 | Low speed grind noise and or hesitation while driving. *eh | 05/13/2005 | |
| 050730004 | 03/01/2005 | 10015024 | Intermittent no movement in drive or reverse with or without diagnostic trouble codes. *eh | 05/13/2005 | |
| 040730007 | 02/01/2004 | 10012701 | On wheel movement in snow or slippery surfaces. *eh | 03/10/2005 | |
| 040730032 | 08/01/2004 | 10009420 | Grind/rattle noise from transaxle in park and neutral after an extended cold soak following case cover replacement or other internal transaxle overhaul. *tt | 09/29/2004 | |
| 040730005 | 02/01/2004 | 10005546 | Hiss/chirp noise in park or neutral. *mn | 03/02/2004 | |
| 030730023A | 12/01/2004 | 030730023B | 10005283 | Vehicle does not shift or move after running for a period of time and/or check engine light is on and dtc p0741 is set. *ph *sc | 02/18/2004 |
| 030730051 | 10/01/2004 | 030730051A | 10004486 | Low speed coast grinding noise and/or hesitation at vehicle launch - technical service bulletin. *tt to include 2005 saturn vue. *eh | 12/16/2003 |
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM) | |||||
| 030730052A | 09/01/2004 | 030730052B | 10005541 | Engine flare during 2-3 shift, most noticeable during light to moderate acceleration. the condition may be caused by aeration of transaxle fluid, resulting in a delayed apply of 3rd clutch. corporate bulletin number 03-07-30-052 *m | 03/02/2004 |
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - LEVER AND LINKAGE - FLOOR SHIFT | |||||
| 050729006 | 09/01/2005 | 10017827 | Shift control knob loose or detached from shift control lever. *tt | 12/02/2005 | |
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY | |||||
| 3337 | 10017218 | Manual transaxle gear rattle noise heard during cold ambient temperatures with clutch pedal released (up) and engine rpm 1500-2500. noise will not be present when clutch pedal is pressed to the floor. *tt | 10/28/2005 | ||
| 04020 | 03/01/2004 | 10006485 | Special policy adjustment - extended transmission warranty coverage for the variable transmission with intelligence (vti) transmission. *mr | 05/04/2004 | |
| 030730048 | 10/01/2003 | 10003944 | Service information regarding transaxle poor performance after case cover replacement, diagnostic trouble code p1882 set. *tt | 11/07/2003 | |
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION | |||||
| 070729001 | 04/01/2007 | 070729001A | 10021453 | Mg3, m86 transaxle grinding/whining noise in 3rd or 4th gear, excessive engagement or disengagement effort while shifting into 3rd or 4th gear, will not shift into either 3rd or 4th gear. (replace complete output shaft assembly). *kb | 04/27/2007 |
| 040729001 | 09/01/2004 | 10011093 | Service manual update for 2004 and 2005 mu3 manual transmission backup lamp switch installation procedure. *tt | 12/29/2004 | |
| 040729002 | 10/01/2004 | 10010524 | Service manual update for manual shift control assembly replacement and shift control cable replacement. *eh | 11/30/2004 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | |||
| 01/23/2013 | 200000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 saturn ion. the contact stated that while driving approximately 20 mph, a click was heard when the clutch pedal was depressed and it became difficult to depress. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure and current mileage was 200,000. mah | |||
| 01/23/2013 | 200000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 saturn ion. the contact stated that while driving approximately 20 mph, the clutch pedal began to harden. also the contact would hear a click when depressing the clutch pedal. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for a diagnostic testing. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage and current mileage was 200,000. dr | |||
| 11/05/2012 | 92536 | 1 | |
| I started my car, pulled forward through the parking lot, didn't reverse. headed down westheimer at about approx. 35 mph. i drove about one mile when i heard the warning chime and my power steering suddenly went out. luckily i was the only one on the road being it was about 1 am. i pulled into a gas station turned my car off and back on suddenly it was back. *tr | |||
| 11/05/2012 | 92536 | ||
| I started my car, pulled forward through the parking lot, didn't reverse. headed down westheimer at about approx. 35 mph. i drove about one mile when i heard the warning chime and my power steering suddenly went out. luckily i was the only one on the road being it was about 1 am. i pulled into a gas station turned my car off and back on suddenly it was back. | |||
| 10/29/2011 | 138000 | ||
| Shortly after buying this vehicle, i have had numerous failures of the power assist steering system. at any speed, at any time, pwr str dis displayed on the obd display, simultaneously as the motor stopped functioning, forcing me to unexpectedly manually steer the car until the ignition was cycled and the system reset. sometimes this happens 1-7 times a day. i have personally came close to having a single car accident due to power assist failure while curving. there are no other previous failures of the steering equipment leading up to this issue. | |||
| 07/26/2010 | 55000 | ||
| Approximately one week after i purchased the vehicle i noticed a grinding noise that was not favorable and i was pretty sure it was the tranny. i purchased an extended warranty with the car so i took it to the dealer for diagnostics and repair. it was confirmed to be the tranny and they tried to put a bandaide on it by flushing it and changing the fluids. one week later same noise only louder. they replaced the tranny. 30 days after the first repair; the noise returned, they replaced some parts, in the tranny they just put in it. just over 12,0000 miles later i was attempting to back up and the car would not go in reverse. i had it towed and the tranny was again replaced, that was just under 12,0000 miles ago and the tranny is slipping again, only now the extended warranty people say i am out of funds because they will not repair a vehicle beyond it's worth. i have had the axle replaced twice and it needs to be done again, extended warranty again say's they are done paying out on this car even though my time or mileage is not expired on the warranty. about a month ago it failed to start and because i had read this web site on consumer complaints for this car i knew to wait 5-15 min and try again. this has happened several times but so far it eventually starts. i purchased this car on credit just over a year ago to get a reliable vehicle because i work 7 days a week out of my car and it is becoming a nightmare no-one will wake me up from. and because i am upside down on the loan i cannot even trade it in for something that is reliable. for the amount of complaints i have seen there should be some recourse to the consumer. i have had the tranny replaced twice and fixed twice, the axle has been done twice and need it again. chevy bought this company out and should have to honor the standards for a safe vehicle or stop selling them to unsuspecting buyers. | |||
| 12/01/2003 | 1000 | ||
| The litany of problems with this unsafe and unreliable vehicle is long and varied. multiple transmission problems, electrical issues, losing power while driving, etc.. gm and saturn knew of these issues, especially the ones concerning the vti transmission, yet they chose to continue to put the public at risk by denying their responsibilities to correct these problems. the only real way, in my opinion, to make this right is to fully recall and replace these vehicles. this car has been nothing but a nightmare since i bought it brand new in late 2003 and continues to be a hazard. please force gm to do the right thing and get these cars off the road before someone gets killed. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||
| 11/14/2010 | 66252 | ||
| 2004 saturn ion vti transmission failure, pulling out of a fast food drive thru at a slow rate of speed, hundreds of miles from home. it has been a known issue that this transmission was a poorly made gm product; saturn was aware of it, gm has been aware. recalls should have been made, but instead they are allowed to rip off the buyer with transmissions that fail within 66,000 miles. car has been maintained perfectly. there will be no more gm purchases with my dollars. my work is worth a better product. | |||
| 11/06/2010 | 143000 | ||
| 2004 saturn ion with automatic transmission, the car sopped moving in drive while turning onto the freeway. car was towed to a saturn dealer which they stated that the transmission is no good. nothing was done because they want $5,000 to fix the car. found out through the internet nhtsa#10032327, states that saturn gm will pay 50% of cost of replacement, saturn dealer will not honer service bulletin. | |||
| 01/16/2010 | 60000 | ||
| Tl. the contact owns 2004 saturn ion. the contact while driving 10 mph the vehicle would shift into the next gear. the contact called the manufacturer and they informed the contact to take the vehicle to a dealer. the dealer diagnose the vehicle as having a faulty transmission and it needs to be replace. the dealer offered to pay have of the cost of the repairs but the contact stated the manufacturer should pay the full cost of the repairs because this is a manufacturer defect. the contact notice numerous complaints regarding the transmission and stated a recall should be issued. the failure mileage was 60,000. jo | |||
| 06/21/2010 | 87000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 saturn ion. while traveling 35 mph the contact noticed that the vehicle would no longer accelerate. the vehicle was taken to the dealership where the transmission was flushed. immediately after the repair the contact noticed that the failure reoccured. the vehicle has not been diagnosed and there were no prior warnings. the current and failure mileages was 87000. bml | |||
| 01/13/2010 | 98700 | 1 | |
| I have a 2004 saturn ion. about 3 weeks ago i had the transmission fluid flushed and changed. then on january 13, 2010, my car stalled on me. i had it towed to the saturn dealership and called the next morning. i was told that the transmission was bad and needed to be replaced. it was a generous offer to only have to pay half for the repair. i have done some research, and although there are reports for about 15 saturn vehicles on recall lists, the ion was not one of which i could read about. in some cases, transmission failure for the saturn vue can be a recurring problem; for the same customer. *tr | |||
| 10/10/2009 | 94039 | 1 | |
| I was once a loyal general motors customer | |||
| 08/25/2005 | 1 | ||
| My saturn 2004 ion has been breaking down since i purchased it used in 2005. they have put in 2-3 transmissions and everytime it is cold it won't start. a couple times the would start but not shift into gear! the tech's could not figure out what was wrong so my dad (who does not work on cars ) figured out it was a loose wire! they have replaced the stabilizer bar bushings at least 3 times! the cars heat and radio would just shut off and turn back on they also fixed that a couple times. my car will be paid off shortly but i will not be able to know what it is like to not have a car payment because at any moments notice my 2004 saturn ion might fall apart!!!!! *tr | |||
| 01/18/2008 | 70000 | 1 | |
| I have a 2004 saturn ion 2 automatic transmission. any day that the temperature is less than 20 degrees it will not start. sometimes after about half an hour of trying it will start, but not very often. also it often idles at an extremely high rpm. it sounds terrible when it does this. also when it idles high it seems to have trouble shifting gears. it's very twitchy and jerky. *tr | |||
| 06/25/2007 | 4 | 11/11/2003 | |
| On june 25, 2007 the 2004 saturn ion quad coupe came to a dead stop in the middle of an intersection. after numerous attempts to start the car i was forced to have the car towed to a saturn dealership in fort lauderdale. i was told that there was a possibility that it was the transmission and that saturn had extended the warranty on certain transmissions mine included . when i asked if there had been a recall was told no. also, i was told i should have the car back by friday 6/29/07. later that day i was informed that it was the vti trnsmission and parts needed to be ordered. i should have my car back on friday, 6/29/07. on friday i was told that the transmision was going to need to be completely replaced and the part had been ordered. i would get the car back on 7/2/07, week since it had been brought in i was told that the parts had not arrived ,and that i would have the car back on thursday since wednesday. today thursday 7/5/07 i have now been told the car was not ready, and that it may not be ready tomorrow. why not recall cars affected. *ak | |||
| 10/09/2005 | 56000 | 2 | 10/01/2004 |
| Saturn ion 2004. two major defects. i purchased the car new in october 2004. in october 2005, the transmission failed, and required complete replacement. saturn stated there had been many concerns about the transmission, so replaced it for free. (minus my incurred costs of travel). second major defect: may 2006, a cylinder head cracked. saturn has agreed to replace the cylinder head, but i have to pay for $800.00 of the repairs. a 2 year old vehicle should not have these two major defects. the car currently has 79k miles. i know that replacing the cylinder head will get the car running again, but it will never be the same...and i still owe 10,000 dollars on the car. thank you for your consideration. *nm | |||
| 09/01/2004 | 10 | 05/20/2004 | |
| Multiple episodes with this car of sudden acceleration especially when putting car into drive or reverse. roadside assistance has had to start car for me 2 times. another time the car stalled while idling 4 times within 30 minute drive. tonight the car lost power completely while i was driving. i see multiple complaints on this page for the same problem. saturn has not been able to find any problems on their computer. i would like to fight this with the lemon law but i am so afraid to drive this car now that i want to just get rid of it as soon as possible. *jb | |||
| 11/23/2005 | 8 | 03/22/2005 | |
| 2004 ion 3 quad purchased new in 2004 currently have 18k miles on it. so far we have had to replace front stabilizer bushing, heater blower motor and windshield wipers. all have been under warranty. the electric steering still doesn't seem correct. sometimes the car pulls when you rapidly accelerate and is very touchy. i did read that gm made some changes to the electric steering for 2005 ion, but dealership will not (says can not) make the changes to the 2004. now we have the loss of power problem. has done it when car is cold and hot, usually when accelerating, but once just driving 35 mph. it's not a stall just like a loss of power. car doesn't shake or jerk. almost like you took your foot off the gas for a second. i've taken it back to the dealer once for this and the dealer response is the same as others have reported no computer codes, could not reproduce, no problem found. it's at the shop now because the check engine light came on 12/2 and we again complained that the car lost power after picking it up the last time. the last time it failed my wife was taking off from a red light and the guy behind almost hit her when the saturn lost power. loosing faith in saturn's engineering. *nm | |||
| 06/07/2005 | 27539 | 300 | 09/29/2003 |
| I first took my 2004 saturn 3 ion quad coupe to the dealer with a transmission problem. as i would accelerate the car would lose speed. i never knew when this was going to happen. it happens at any speed. at the time of my first complaint there was 27,539. i now have 33,020 and finally after 3 months and 12 trips to the dealer they are putting in a new transmission. every trip to the dealer resulted in my being told that the computer said nothing was wrong with my car. they kept the car for a week while their manager drove it to work and home everyday and he said the car never acted up on him. i left the dealership and 2 miles down the road it started acting up. i had to call the saturn customer service numerous times about the problem. i wrote them 2 letters and finally when i sent them lemon law papers and told them they could buy it back they decided that i needed a new transmission. in the 3 months trying to get this problem fixed saturn replaced the cruise control switch, the input/output speed sensor and cover gasket, then they replaced the cover assembly, variable drive and driven pulley a and now the whole transmission is being replace. it is now in the shop for who knows how long and then it will be for sale. *nm | |||
| 03/26/2005 | 3400 | 1 | 03/17/2004 |
| Dt: consumer states that vehicle does not accelerate from a stopped position. at different times it could take approximately 10-15 seconds to go. this occurs mostly while the vehicle is stopped, and happened once when vehicle was going. consumer took vehicle to saturn dealer, and was told nothing they could do unless they could duplicate the action. *ak *jb | |||
| 05/13/2005 | 35700 | 1 | 02/23/2004 |
| During braking, when gears should be downshifting, my automatic saturn ion 3 rpms would seem to be racing upwards by several 1000's. i complained on 2 prior occassions to dealer who could not duplicate the problem. on 05/13/05 i was backing out of my garage, car seemed to lurch backwards. when i put it in drive it the rpms raced above 3000. it lurched me out of my driveway and into the road. put in reverse and was able to stop and park. turned ignition off and restarted. in park car was idling at 3500 rpms. restarted several times with same result. called roadside assistance b/c car is still under warranty. tow guy had to brake entire time he was loading car onto steep incline of truck bed b/c he said car was quickly moving forward and up on it's own. waited w/ service people at saturn to make sure they could duplicate the problem. they did. replaced the throttle position sensor. complained harshly b/c this was 3rd time in. car had to be towed in march b/c it wouldn't start in the a.m. tow guy couldn't start either. of course saturn could not duplicate that problem either and stated that it was probably the cold weather. don't live in alaska... march in south carolina does not warrant a 1 yr old, garage kept car not starting. dealership stated they could not duplicate problem of not starting or of rpms and they did nothing. saturn made efforts, after the may incident, to compensate. will update when all details are worked out. | |||
| 08/16/2004 | 5 | ||
| Transmission slips gears when driving down hill. consumer does not have to depress the accelerator or brake pedal. vehicle will just slow down to 10 mph. while driving up the hill vehicle will accelerate up to 25 mph. *ak | |||
| 01/25/2004 | 2 | ||
| I bought my 04 ion2 in january of last year. about one month after my purchase i noticed that my car would downshift while braking downhills, which would cause the rpms to accelerate extremely high. the car would the jerk itself back into the gear it was suppose to be in. this went on for months and is still occuring. i have brought my car to saturn of springfield countless times. at one point i was in there mutliple times in one week. not only did is accelerate going downhill but it won't shift into the next gear going up hill, and to top it off when i enter the highway the car wont shift into 5 gear when i am accelerating, i have to remove my foot from the gas pedal to allow the car to shift. saturn has told me countless times that there is nothing wrong with my car. i only average about 16 miles to the gallon no matter if it is the highway or city. i have gotten to the point were saturn calls me the next day after every service call. oh and i just had to have my postive battery cable replaced because it wouldn't stay attached to the battery which would't allow the car to start.*ak | |||
| 09/03/2004 | 50 | 5 | |
| Received first saturn ion 04 and within one week of purchase car was displaying clear signs of either an electrical or computer problem. was replaced with a second ion o4. noticed a strange clunking sound. brought car in at 3600 miles, and it was transmission mounts, wheel bearings, axels, and break rotors. car was returned with a broken piece in the interior, and smelling of burning plastic. i believe that this car is defective, and saturn refuses to do anything other than make repairs under warranty. i think that i should be issued a refund, due to faulty construction. *nm | |||
| 08/28/2004 | 48 | 2 | |
| Vehicle was purchased brand new and had transmission replaced. there had been a leak in the transmission , and grinding sound when vehicle was cold . consumer stated that dealership was doing nothing to help with this problem. consumer did not feel safe driving, fearing that the vehicle will shut down. *ak | |||
| 03/10/2004 | 2674 | 3 | |
| I bought a saturn ion 2 in january since that day i have only got an average of 22.5 mpg that is 270 miles per 12 gallon tank (and it still continues). in march as i was driving down a back road, it lurched, the check engine light came on, it bogged down, and would not accelerate over 50mph and was extremely sluggish, felt like i was driving a golf cart. i had it towed to the dealer. the recalls on the fuel filter and computer system were completed. the dealer informed me that the car was operating as designed and the problem could not be repeated. june 10th, the car repeated the same problem. i took it in again, they did the 6,000 mile service on it. per my records, everything checked out. the problem could not be repeated. the car was operating as designed . 3 weeks later, driving on the freeway, the car once again, lurched, the check engine light came on, and went from 65 40 mph. thankfully i did not get rear-ended. i exited the freeway, had to stop at a light, then during a left hand turn had difficulty getting the car to accelerate. the car finally corrected its problem, and i was able to drive home. i took the car to the dealership yet again, they could not replicate the problem. they replaced my valve body and now my car is running worse then it was before. i stopped by the dealership a day ago, and talked to the maintenance manager, and he stated that he hopes they replace the car, since there is nothing they can do about it. they have tried everything. my car is unsafe to me and others around. it is a safety issue. i am no longer comfortable driving my car. i have opened a case with saturn customer assistance. this problem that i have experienced and as i have read others too, is extremely unsafe!*ak | |||
| 06/20/2004 | 22960 | 12 | 10/31/2003 |
| While accelerating, the vehicle down shifted. the consumer was able to maintain control of the vehicle and drove it to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic informed the consumer that the transmission chip needed to be replaced. the problem recurred and was taken back to the dealer four times. the mechanic was unable to duplicate the problem. *jb on numerous occasions the vehicle did not shift properly. the vehicle would feel as if the transmission was slipping. the rpm would go up but the vehicle did not accelerate and no problem would be found by the service dealer. the consumer had almost experienced 2 rear end collisions and 1 broadside collision. *sc *jb | |||
| 07/04/2004 | 7100 | 1 | 12/31/2003 |
| We own a 2004 saturn ion3 quad coupe, it has a different transmission then the others. we bought the vehicle on december 31, 2003. it had 91 miles on it. we noticed the transmission seemed to hesitate a little going from first into second. when we took it in for it's first oil change in march, we asked them to look at the transmission. they reported back that it was normal for a 4 cylinder to act the way it was. assuming they knew what they were talking about we left it at that. we took it in again for paint damage they had caused when they had the vehicle for the oil change, and again asked them to look at the transmission (only about a week later). they again reported they test drove and it was fine. now this past week for it's second oil change on tuesday, june 29th, we again asked them because it seemed to have gotten worse. they again reported it was normal operation. not a week after that report on sunday, july 4th amidst out 4th of july celebration we drove a block and a half from home and turned a corner onto the main road. when i went to accelerate the car revved and didn't switch into second gear. it fought to go faster in first gear, but never switched. we noticed immediately and tried parking and again moving into drive, thinking maybe it had dropped itself into neutral. again the same thing, we slowly turned the corner and putted our way back down the block to the driveway at 5 miles an hour so as not to further damage the engine due to transmission failure. the car currently has 7000 miles on it and a transmission that doesn't work. we meet with the dealership today to discuss retribution. *nm | |||
| 02/03/2004 | 3000 | 1 | 10/06/2003 |
| Vti transmission causes sudden vehicle deceleration. *ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM) | |||
| 07/21/2005 | 13400 | 2 | 07/27/2004 |
| While driving approximately 65-70 mph on an interstate, my vehicle just died - no warning. this was the second time it had happened. there is no power & must be pulled off the road & restarted. this is a very dangerous condition - rapid deceleration on a congested highway could be fatal. when i took it to the dealer, they told me nothing showed up on the computer, therefore nothing was wrong with the car. talking to the saturn customer service rep returned the same response. i am very afraid to drive this vehicle, it is a very hazardous condition and the car is only one year old. it is a 2004 saturn ion. the dealer refuses to replace anything because nothing is wrong. *jb | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY | |||
| 03/04/2004 | 1500 | 1 | 01/12/2004 |
| When i accelerate on highway the car does not pick up speed, it bucks then pushes itself. the engine is very loud. sounds like grinding or whirring. they have had to calibrate the vehicle 2 times in the 3 months i have had this car. it is in the shop again today. (3rd time). *ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - CLUTCH ASSEMBLY | |||
| 04/19/2007 | 25000 | 2 | 09/09/2005 |
| It is becoming apparent that the clutch master cylinder on the 2.2l and 2.4l saturn ion is defective. there have been many complaints about this on multiple forums across the internet. i personally have had mine replaced once and it needs replaced again. my fear is that i will be driving and that it will go out completely and not allow me to shift, possibly causing an accident. *jb | |||
| POWER TRAIN - CLUTCH ASSEMBLY - PEDAL/LINKAGE | |||
| 05/15/2007 | 32062 | 1 | 11/01/2004 |
| The failure was to the arm that held the clutch pedal in place on the 2004 saturn ion redline. the part broke and the clutch was completely inoperable ,as such the car was rendered inoperable. 5 minutes earlier i was on a major highway doing 60 mph at which speed i could have lost all control of the car and caused a major accident in which lives may have been lost. the deal offered to replace the plastic arm with another plastic arm. the part that replaced mine had a different part number than on the original car, i was not sure if this was just a new part number or if the part had been replaced due to previous incidents. if there was any history on this part i was not able to gain the information from the dealer, who was very unwilling to comply. the damaged part was not returned to me because they claimed they had to return all parts covered under warranty to the manufacturer. *ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION | |||
| 08/24/2006 | 21000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 saturn ion. while driving approximately 25-30 mph the vehicle lost power steering. she stated the vehicle became very difficult to steer and she has to hold on to the shifter and the steering wheel. the contact stated her vehicle was manual. the contact has taken the vehicle to three local mechanics and they advised her that the steering column needs replacing and has referred her to the dealer. the vehicle has not been taken to an authorized dealer for this failure. the contact stated the failure was intermittent at first but know she has no power steering. she also stated while driving the vehicle locks into gear and she can not shift out of gear. the contact stated this failure happened at 9,000 miles. the vehicle was taken to the dealer thirty seven times for this failure and they have replace wires but the failure continues. the dealer has never did a diagnostic because the contact will not pay $500.00 for the cost of the diagnostic. the failure mileage was 21,000 and the current mileage was 83,000. vwb | |||
| 08/08/2009 | 72000 | 1 | |
| Transaxle grinding/whining noise in 3rd or 4th gear, excessive engagement or disengagement effort while shifting into 3rd or 4th gear, will not shift into either 3rd or 4th gear. *tr | |||
| 07/20/2007 | 59751 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 saturn ion. the clutch pedal on the vehicle has a retainer that does not have the proper durability. after a few months, the retainer detaches and causes the clutch pedal to raise upwards. as a result, the driver is unable to properly switch gears fast enough. when the failure first occurred on july 20, 2007, the dealer replaced the cylinder axulator, master clutch, the entire clutch pedal, and the retainer. the repair lasted for 15 months. recently, while attempting to switch gears at 15 mph, the contact noticed that the clutch had once again lost the retainer and caused the pedal to raise. the contact was unable to determine where the clutch was located, which nearly caused a crash. he called the dealer and was informed that the vehicle could not be repaired for free because it was no longer under warranty. the contact believes that this is a safety issue that the manufacturer should be responsible for repairing. he called the manufacturer directly and they refused to make any repairs. the vehicle currently has not been repaired. the failure mileage was 59,751 and current mileage was 80,210. | |||
| 12/28/2004 | 1 | ||
| While driving the car locks up and is impossible to shift in and out of gear. this usually happens in 3rd, 4th and 5th gear. the car has to shut of for a period of time and it usually will unlock the system. i have been stranded on the interstate with my two young children in the car, unable to get to safety because i cannot shift into a lower gear to move off the road. this car is a death trap, and saturn refuses to fix it, even though i brought it in under the original warranty. this problem has been occuring for nearly 4 years now. *tr | |||
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION - COLUMN SHIFT ASSEMBLY | |||
| 08/20/2005 | 13200 | 1 | 04/20/2004 |
| Shifter knob in 04'saturn ion redline fell off the column while shifting 1-2. occurred in a parking lot, able to stop vehicle. all gears locked out due to reverse lockout, was able to replace knob by hand and unlock gears. also have had cap on shifter knob repeatedly fall off while driving, to no consequence other than inconvenience. *nm | |||
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION - FLOOR SHIFT ASSEMBLY | |||
| 08/29/2005 | 17160 | 1 | 10/13/2004 |
| I have a 2004 saturn ion red line with a manual transmission (only transmission offered). i was shifting from first to second gear, in traffic, and the entire shift knob assembly came off in my hand. the knob fell to the driver's side floor, causing me to look down. i was able to stop the vehicle in time to avoid the car in front of me. the vehicle is then difficult to shift, and the pull up for reverse feature was very difficult. there are a number of complaints on http://www.saturnfans.com. the fix is to epoxy the knob back onto the shifter bar as it is a press fit design (no mechanical lock or fasteners).*jb | |||