NHTSA — Electrical System: Ignition: Switch Problems

2003 Saturn Ion (Page 4 of 4)

CarComplaints.com Seal Of This Might Hurt

CarComplaints.com Notes: The Saturn Ion was a compact bundle of hurt wrapped up in a cheap, plastic shell. With so many defective components and a safety rating that a bicycle would be ashamed of, it’s a blessing this car only lasted five model years.

The 2003 (and 2004) Ion was cursed with GM’s flawed attempt at a continuously variable transmission, known as the VTi. It had such a high failure rate that a class-action lawsuit was filed against GM, eventually prompting a settlement and a warranty extension. GM discontinued the VTi for the 2005 model year – surprise, surprise.

The 2003 Ion was also part of one of the largest and most controversial recalls of all-time. A defective ignition switch in millions of GM vehicles could accidentally turn the car off and disable important safety components like the power steering and airbags. The problem resulted in at least 13 deaths, but what made it worse was that GM knew about the issue for 10 years before doing anything about it.

So was the transmission warranty extended? Yeah. Was the ignition switch recalled? Eventually. Is this car safe to drive? Not really. Honestly, you’re better off looking elsewhere.

3.4

definitely annoying
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
38,878 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2003 Saturn Ion electrical problems

electrical problem

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2003 Saturn Ion Owner Comments (Page 4 of 4)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #8

Jan 082007

Ion 4-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 71,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

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: www.autoweb.com/content/research/forums/index.cfm/action/posts/fid/5610 for more complaints.

- Baraboo, WI, USA

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problem #7

Nov 242006

Ion

  • Automatic transmission
  • 33,000 miles
2003 Saturn Ion will not start when it is cold. I am seeing alot of people posting on different forums with the same issue. Is anything going to be done about this?

- Tavares, FL, USA

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problem #6

Dec 052006

Ion 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
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.

- Boise, ID, USA

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problem #5

Dec 022006

Ion 4-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 45,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I have a 2003 Saturn Ion-3 and it will not start below 40 degrees, this is a ridiculous problem. There is a thread about this problem at : www.autosite.com/content/research/forums/index.cfm/action/posts/fid/5610 there are many people with this problem and so far nothing has been done, I am just hoping I can sell this car asap because it has been quite a problem.

- Grapevine, TX, USA

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problem #4

Nov 262006

Ion 4-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 70,000 miles
The vehicle would intermittently not start. This mostly occurred in below freezing temperature conditions but would also occur in above 70 degree temperatures. The vehicle also stalled while being driven and could immediately be restarted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who replaced the ignition switch.

- Sullivan, MO, USA

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problem #3

Nov 292006

Ion 6-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 54,000 miles
: the contact stated the vehicle would not start right away in cooler weather, for at least 15 minutes. Through internet research, the contact believed the problem was the ignition switch. An appointment had been scheduled with a service dealer and the manufacturer was notified.

- Stillwater, MN, USA

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problem #2

Nov 302004

Ion 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 33,000 miles
: the contact stated while driving on the freeway between 50-60 mph, the vehicle lost all electrical power. There is no warning when this occurs and the steering wheel also locks up. The vehicle is pulled over and restarted. The dealership replaced the ignition switch and fuel pump. The contact has been out of the country since the repair, last year; the vehicle has not been driven since repairs were made.

- Pico Rivera, CA, USA

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problem #1

Jan 122005

Ion 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 56,000 miles
Over the past 2 and 1/2 weeks we have had a problem starting our 2003 Saturn Ion. The car would not start leading one to believe there was a problem with the battery. Then a few hours later the car started and the service engine light came and went very quickly. A week later, the same thing happened and the car started up again later with no problem. A few days later the same thing happened. The local Saturn service tech advised us that this problem has been seen with other Ions and that the ignition switch would have to be replaced.

- Long Branch, NJ, USA

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