Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | |||||
| 03-00-89-033 | 02/01/2008 | 030089033J | 10021114 | Trailer, recreational and disabled vehicle towing information. *kb updated 08-15-07. *kb updated 10/09/07. *nj updated 4/3/08. *nj | 03/05/2007 |
| 4014 | 10021074 | Parts update - timing chain tensioner design change. *kb | 03/01/2007 | ||
| 3119 | 01/01/2004 | 10010010 | No selection fir saturn when programming a saturn vehilcle. *sc | 11/03/2004 | |
| 040089012 | 04/01/2004 | 10006520 | Saturn field product reminder- vehicle fix it right the first time issues, parts restriction information and technical bulletins released in january, february, and march 2004. *mr | 05/05/2004 | |
| 030089025 | 09/01/2003 | 10004402 | Clarification of labor codes used for reprogramming vehicle controllers. various models including the 2004 l-series. *tt | 12/05/2003 | |
| 030089032 | 12/01/2004 | 030089033A | 10003912 | Recreational and disabled vehicle towing information. *tt | 11/06/2003 |
| 030089033A | 09/01/2005 | 030089033B | 10003910 | Trailer, recreational and disabled vehicle towing information. *tt *sc | 11/06/2003 |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | |||
| 02/04/2013 | |||
| I was driving on the interstate at 65 mph and the power steering light came on and the steering wheel clicked and became stiff. there was no prior indication that anything was wrong. i could no longer turn right and left turns were almost impossible. the brakes started having trouble as well. i almost got in accident because the right side was not working. then when i made it to a spot and turned the car on and off it was working again. then about 30 min later it did the same thing again. i had some check the fluid and it was fine and so was the belt. also, my left indicator will not work. i have taken it to the dealer and several mechanics and it keeps melting the socket. | |||
| 09/29/2012 | 150000 | ||
| When starting the saturn on a cold morning, the ignition fails to start the car. i get a service message. after waiting about 10 minutes the car will start as if the security was resetting itself. i've read several complaints of this problem on the internet. gm will not own up to a faulty product that leaves saturn owners completely stranded. this problem occurs at random times, even on warm days. a recall must be approved for this massive safety problem. it's a safety concern because in an emergency the cars shouldn't have to sit for an additional ten minutes or stall out in unsafe areas. the problem seems to correct itself after this ignition switch inside of the steering column has been replaced based on hundreds of testaments. i have replaced my stater and battery beofre realizing the problem was a faulty ignition switch that numerous other saturn owners have had the unpleasant experience of dealing with. | |||
| 09/27/2012 | 24220 | ||
| Traveling on an interstate at 65 mph we heard a tone indicating something was wrong, steering became difficult and we noticed that the power steering indicator light was on. the power steering was gone and it became very hard to steer and was unable to quickly maneuver. we pulled over, turned off the car and then restarted it and the power steering came back on. same thing happened again after traveling a few miles. we were able to get home and now the power steering shuts down every few minutes. car is unsafe on public roads in regards to being able to make quick maneuvers and could lead to accidents and injuries. clearly a manufacturing problem not normal wear and tear. chev. & pont. cars with same equipment and complaints were recalled. saturns should be also. there is an open action number of ea11014. | |||
| 03/15/2011 | 80000 | ||
| The ignition would not engage could not start the car and replaced the entire system at 400.00 cost. less than a year later, the key now will not come out of the ignition and the car will not turn off. i disconnected the battery and it still would not turn off. after more than 30 minutes, and the engine overheating we were able to pull enough fuses to shut the engine off. they say i have to replace the same system again. i have heard that this is a reoccurring problem with this car and i can't get any answers from gm. i can not afford to replace this system again at a cost of 400.00 please help me with | |||
| 11/04/2011 | 110000 | ||
| Our car, 2004, saturn ion3, caught on fire in the driveway on it's own about 2 hours after it was driven home on 4 nov 2011. no driver - no key in the vehicle when it caught fire. i submitted an initial request for review to gm claims along with all documentation that we had via emails and our claim was denied. | |||
| 03/15/2011 | 80000 | ||
| The ignition would not engage could not start the car and replaced the entire system at 400.00 cost. less than a year later, the key now will not come out of the ignition and the car will not turn off. i disconnected the battery and it still would not turn off. after more than 30 minutes, and the engine overheating we were able to pull enough fuses to shut the engine off. they say i have to replace the same system again. i have heard that this is a reoccurring problem with this car and i can't get any answers from gm. i can not afford to replace this system again at a cost of 400.00 please help me with | |||
| 11/04/2011 | 110000 | ||
| Our car, 2004, saturn ion3, caught on fire in the driveway on it's own about 2 hours after it was driven home on 4 nov 2011. no driver - no key in the vehicle when it caught fire. i submitted an initial request for review to gm claims along with all documentation that we had via emails and our claim was denied. | |||
| 03/15/2011 | 80000 | ||
| The ignition would not engage could not start the car and replaced the entire system at 400.00 cost. less than a year later, the key now will not come out of the ignition and the car will not turn off. i disconnected the battery and it still would not turn off. after more than 30 minutes, and the engine overheating we were able to pull enough fuses to shut the engine off. they say i have to replace the same system again. i have heard that this is a reoccurring problem with this car and i can't get any answers from gm. i can not afford to replace this system again at a cost of 400.00 please help me with | |||
| 11/04/2011 | 110000 | ||
| Our car, 2004, saturn ion3, caught on fire in the driveway on it's own about 2 hours after it was driven home on 4 nov 2011. no driver - no key in the vehicle when it caught fire. i submitted an initial request for review to gm claims along with all documentation that we had via emails and our claim was denied. | |||
| 08/26/2012 | 155300 | ||
| For the second time the ignition lock cylinder broke. today we unable to turn off the engine. we had to remove fuses to kill the engine and disconnect the battery. the first time it happened we were stuck in the grocery store parking lot because the key would not turn to start. in both cases we had to break the ignition lock in order to remove the lock cylinder. with the cylinder removed we can use a screw driver to start the car. the screw is much more reliable. | |||
| 02/15/2012 | 110000 | ||
| Below a certain temperature if the car is not warm or the ignition is not warm when trying to start the vehicle; the anti theft system turns on. once the anti theft system is on i cannot start the vehicle for at least 15 minutes. usually making me late for something. i have had this replaced and would like compensation if possible. | |||
| 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. | |||
| 09/13/2011 | 96000 | ||
| Key stuck in the ignition. car would not start. a new key had to be cut. | |||
| 01/12/2011 | |||
| Without notice, the car will not start. the car will start and run like it was designed too, but after the car has been turned off, there have been instants where the car will not start again. the battery is not dead, all the lights, gauges and horn will work, but no power goes to the starter. after a extended period of time, ten minutes or more, the car will start. this is a random condition, there are no warning signs of when it will not start. i have been told that there is either a glitch in the security program or there is a problem with the grease in the started switch. | |||
| 12/15/2010 | 60000 | ||
| I own a 2004 saturn ion2. at first, i only had a problem with my car randomly not starting. if i would wait for any ungiven length of time, it would magically start. now, my key has been stuck in the ignition for two weeks. (still stuck) i went to a saturn dealer today and was told that the problem could be the cylinoid, the housing unit, or even both. i was told that the key may have worn down, or a part in the housing may have scratched the inner surface of the housing causing the key to be stuck in the ignition. i live in florida, so the cold weather isn't a factor here. i cannot believe that there has not been a recall for this problem. i have two young kids who ride with me everyday, and i fear that we will get stranded in god only knows where. if my car is stolen because the key is always in the ignition, if it gets stolen, will my insurance even pay for my loss??? i thought saturn was supposed to be very good with problems involving their automobiles. i guess that idea only applied to their commercials. | |||
| 11/22/2010 | 90215 | ||
| I live in minnesota when the temp drops below 30 degrees my 2004 saturn ion2 wont start. this just started happening last winter, i had no problems before that. i bought a new battery last winter. i took my car to the saturn dealer they could not find anything wrong. usually it takes from 15minutes to half a hour for car to start. but today was different went out to start my car because the temp was 28degrees this morning i tried to start my car for over a hour i was almost late for work still no start. then i tried starting my car when i got off work still no start. i spoke with a coworker she had the same problem she replaced battery, starter, and alternator and her does not start when it rains. why is there nothing being done to solve this problem. even though the car was sold by saturn it has gm parts. something is seriously wrong and something needs to be done to correct this | |||
| 10/10/2010 | 40000 | ||
| Can't remove key from switch saturn ion 04 car will not turn off nor can you remove the key had to pull the fuse under the hood and disconnect the battery in order to shut car off. | |||
| 09/18/2010 | 55000 | ||
| The car will not start when it is cold or moist out. this is with a brand new battery. but, if you wait 15 to 20 minutes it will start without a problem. | |||
| 02/27/2010 | 66000 | ||
| I own a 2004 saturn ion, that on random occasions does not start. wait a few minutes and then it does. this has happened to us in both warm and cold days. it's been in for service several times and service techs can't seem to locate the problem. when this first started, with only about 10 000 kl, the car did nothing, no lights, radio etc., completely dead | |||
| 04/19/2010 | 123000 | ||
| Driving down the road car shuts off, i was going 20mhp the road was straight came to a right hand bend in the road and car was off no abs, no pwr ster, there were cars sitting at the stop sign. luckily i was able to get the car stopped. to get the car started i had to put in park turn key off then turn key over and it starts right up. this is now the the 2nd time this has happened. first time sitting at a red light car was running light turned green gave it the gas mid way through intersection car shut off again and drifted to side of the road with a bunch of cars honking. i thought i needed a tune up and that was 3months ago. that happened untill two days ago. car shuts off while driving with warning, if i was going any faster i would have hit the back end of the car that was stopped @ a stop sign. 2004 saturn ion 2.2l i have not done anything with this part do to no income right now. | |||
| 04/01/2010 | 45000 | ||
| My 2004 saturn ion2 randomly won't start. it's generally happens in the morning. i insert my key, the interior/ exterior lights come on, and then i turn the key. the engine will not crank and will not make any noise. i try numerous times to start it, but it won't crank over. then, between 10-30 minutes later, it will start. multiple mechanics are unable to diagnose the problem. i suspect that it has something to do with the passlock system and one of the wires malfunctioning. | |||
| 03/29/2010 | 90000 | ||
| I have a 2004 saturn ion and on yesterday my car would not turn off. although i could still remove the keys from the ignition, the car would still not turn off. in 2009, i received a recall letter informing me about the recall on my electronic transmission. i don | |||
| 01/26/2010 | 43472 | 4 | |
| In cold weather(temp under 32f), my wife's saturn will not start. this is the fourth time this season. when trying to start the car, nothing happens. she has light, radio but turning the key everything goes dark and no turn over of the engine. i checked online and found the a lot of other people are having the same problem. the part seems to be the ignition switch has a problem with the passlock. i called the dealer and he even said the same thing about people having this problem. *tw | |||
| 10/04/2009 | 42000 | 4 | |
| On four different occasions while driving my 2004 saturn ion on the highway, after hitting an unusual bump or dips in the road, i?ve experience a complete shutdown of the car?s systems, including loss of power, loss of steering and any ability to accelerate, brake or navigate the car. the car slows to a complete stop. from my past experience i've learned that the car will need to come to a complete stop and then shifted into park. the car key will then physically need tp be removed and reinsert the key to get the vehicle restarted. (trying to start the car without removing the key will not work.) on all occasions this has presented an extremely dangerous situation as other cars traveling on the highway at speeds of 55-75 mph are forced to maneuver around my stalled vehicle, which does not even have the power or control to be pull off to the side of the road. the car was taken to the saturn dealership on october 17, 2007 after the first 3 incidents, however diagnostic tests could not identify or replicate the problem. the dealership adjusted a fuse box in the under carriage of the car. but could not neither assure me the problem was resolved, or would not happen again. the situation recurred recently on oct 4, 2009 while on interstate 95. the severity of the situation could have easily resulted in a fatal accident as i sat stranded in the fast-lane of the highway. the car is presently at another saturn dealership where they again say they are unable to identify or replicate the problem. i am no longer confident in the safety of this vehicle and seek the nhtsa assistance in resolving the matter. *tr | |||
| 12/02/2006 | 45000 | 1 | |
| I am the owner of a 2004 saturn ion 3. i have now had it for three winters in which i have had starting problems every winter. i have replaced the battery all three winters, to find that was not the problem. after many reading many blogs and websites i have found that saturn uses an ignition switch that freezes in the cold. saturn also does not claim to this issue. we have taken our car to the local dealership with this problem, but no mechanic knew what the problem was. i live in a place that is known for cold winters so i know now (especially after reading complaints about this on the net) that the mechanics have to be aware of this situation with the cars. my husband has replaced the ignition switch to find that it did not help (obviously if we are using the same freezing part)! this is not listed as a recall, because it is not a safety issue. i am sorry, but if i get stuck out at a rest stop on some highway by myself or with my young child in below 30 degrees, that becomes safety issue to me!!! another safety issue that has presented itself in the ion is my seat belts. they do not lock or retract. there has been no tampering or changing of anything that would cause this to happen. *tr | |||