NHTSA — Power Train: Axle Assembly Problems

CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2005 Ion still had power steering issues and a defective ignition switch leftover from previous model years, but hey – at least Saturn improved some of its safety rating to marginal, right? Baby steps.

If you had to buy a Saturn Ion – and I would question why anyone would even consider it – I suppose the 2005 could be considered the best of a bad bunch? I mean, GM did finally get rid of that awful VTi transmission, and both the power steering problems and ignition switch defect that plagued owners were recalled. The problem is they waited 10 years to recall the ignition and let over 30,000 warranty claims get filed before they bothered to fix the power steering. So you kind of have to wonder, is GM making these fixes to keep owners safe or just to keep government lawyers from taking all their money? You be the judge.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
0 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.

2005 Saturn Ion drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2005 Saturn Ion Owner Comments

problem #1

Dec 222007

Ion 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles

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

Passenger front wheel of a 2005 Saturn Ion 3, still under factory warranty with 27,000 miles, locked up on Dec 22, 2007 causing a single car collision. An ase certified mechanic looked the car over after having it towed to my residence and saw that the spindle was broken, but there was no sign of other damage to the vehicle that would cause enough force to break the spindle. His opinion is that the spindle (cast aluminum) was over-tightened at the dealership and had a defect/hairline crack that finally failed. The failure happened at 60 miles per hour, causing the vehicle to slam into the guardrail, then spin into a ditch. When the spindle failed and the vehicle pulled sharply to the right, I attempted to hit the brakes which went to the floor and did nothing. Insurance has refused to cover the damage, and declared the damage a manufacturer defect.

- Crewe, VA, USA

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