NHTSA — Electrical System Problems

2006 Saturn Ion (Page 1 of 16)

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CarComplaints.com Notes: When it comes to the 2006 Ion, the biggest questions are: what big problem is going to pop up next? And how long until GM chooses to address it?

The 2006 Ion has a defective ignition switch that gave owners fits. Their keys would get stuck in the ignition, the engine wouldn’t shut off or in some cases it would shut off at the most dangerous time. The ignition was eventually recalled as part of one of the largest recalls of all-time , but it took GM 10 years to do it. Then there’s this car’s temperamental power steering which is prone to stop working randomly while driving. It too was eventually recalled, even if GM took their sweet time about it.

Lastly, it turns out a car built with plastic doors, fenders and bumpers – while fun for a game of “shopping cart bocce” – is horrible for safety.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
12 / 2
Injuries / Deaths:
8 / 1
Average Mileage:
56,186 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.

2006 Saturn Ion electrical problems

electrical problem

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2006 Saturn Ion Owner Comments (Page 1 of 16)

problem #309

Dec 092019

Ion

  • 90,000 miles

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

The contact owned a 2006 Saturn Ion. The contact stated while driving at 50 mph and there was a stopped vehicle in the middle of the road, in order to avoid crashing the contact veered to the right lane but crashed into the rear of a truck. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was not filed. The contact sustained neck, shoulder, arm, and chest injuries that required medical attention. The vehicle was not drivable and was towed to an impound lot. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The contact was relating the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 14V047000 (Air bags, Electrical system). The manufacturer had been informed of the failure and informed the contact to file for the class action lawsuit. The failure mileage was 90,000.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #308

Feb 242021

Ion

  • 154,123 miles
The rpms jump around and the A/C makes noise and lights flicker at times. The car will just stall in the middle of an intersection or when I'm turning onto another road. It's quite scary with children in the car. My main concern is a large SUV put it in reverse and hit the front of my car before ending up on the hood near the windshield. She was going pretty fast and pushed my car pretty far but no airbag! then on a separate occasion I was doing 55 miles when a large animal darted out in front of me. My front end and radiator and front end were shot. Even split my passenger side dash open and had to be towed off but no airbags!! exactly how do I have to be going for me to have protection"??"

- Irvington, AL, USA

problem #307

Jul 202020

Ion

  • 109,000 miles
Still having ign. Key problems not turning and can not remove, an electronic steering system light come on when starting and hard to steer. Both problems are intermittent and dealer can't repair unless they see

- Frederick, MD, USA

problem #306

Jul 012019

Ion

  • 68,804 miles

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

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that after the vehicle was park, the contact was unable to remove the key from the ignition. The contact mentioned the vehicle needed to be restarted or the steering wheel needed to be turned to remove the key from the ignition. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 14E021000 (electrical system) however, the remedy failed to fix the vehicle. The approximate failure mileage was 68,804

- Aliquippa, PA, USA

problem #305

Jul 262019

Ion

  • 72,401 miles
Key gets stuck in ignition and car won't start. Unable to retrieve key from ignition switch. Vehicle was stationary.

- Rhome, TX, USA

problem #304

May 222019

Ion

  • 244,000 miles
I was driving on interstate 10 in san antonio Texas in 5 P.M. traffic when my car lost power steering control lights blink in the dash and I had to pull over to the side of the road I was on the left side shoulder for 2 hours waiting for a tow truck same problem happened in 2014 when the car was recalled for the power steering issue and fixed for free in 2014

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #303

Jan 142019

Ion

  • miles

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

Key ignition locked up key won't turn at all and there's a recall on it and took it to dealer ship for them to fix it and there wanting to charge me to fix it and there suppose to do it for free sense it's a recall

- Oakdale, TN, USA

problem #302

Jun 112015

Ion

  • 80,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. When the vehicle was turned off and the key was removed from the ignition switch, a beeping sound was heard. The contact had to close the doors in order for the beeping sound to stop. The contact stated that the driver's side door failed to lock with the remote. The contact had to manually lock the driver's side door. The failures occurred without warning. The dealer (O'rielly Chevrolet Inc., 6160 E broadway blvd, tucson, AZ 85711) was contacted and stated that the contact had to pay to have the vehicle diagnosed. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted at 800-553-6000 and stated that they could not do anything. The contact was advised to call NHTSA. A case number was not provided. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

- Tucson, AZ, USA

problem #301

Nov 202017

Ion

  • 122,000 miles
The key gets stuck in the ignition and will not come out. This happens when the vehicle is parked. The auto parts store told us not to buy an ignition switch. They said we needed to check on the recall for this Saturn. How do we find out if all recalls for this car have been repaired?

- Jacksonville, FL, USA

problem #300

Sep 182017

Ion

  • 65,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. While driving various speeds, the vehicle suddenly shut off. Occasionally, the key would become stuck in the ignition switch. The vehicle was taken to classic GMC/Buick in montgomery, al where it was diagnosed that the ignition switch was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact indicated that the ignition switch was replaced in 2014 per an unknown recall. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 65,000.

- Casselberry, FL, USA

problem #299

Aug 282017

Ion

  • 221,000 miles

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

The vehicle stalled and slowed but engine did not stop approaching an intersection on a town road. Days later it stalled again on a town road. The check engine light came on and another light flashed. In both cases stopping the engine and turning it back on remedied the issue and cleared the lights. While in motion on a country highway the passenger airbag light began flashing from on and off although there was only my pocketbook in the passenger seat. Removing the bag did not solve the issue. Stopping and turning off the ignition cleared the problem.the car lost power again on an interstate highway. I managed to get to the shoulder turned off the engine and the problem solved. The car began chiming instead of ticking when the left turn signal was on when the vehicle was exiting from a highway. The seat belt light came on at that time as well. The airbag light has remained on for several days now. This last occurrence was yesterday August 8, 2017. I am afraid that the car may stall while in a dangerous situation.

- Newburgh, NY, USA

problem #298

Jul 172017

Ion

  • 124,000 miles
I've had my car in the shop twice for the ignition switch. One of the times GM paid for it due to a recall within months the car was back into passlock light coming on car stalling while in movement key stuck in ignition have to wiggle it to get it back into the turn off position. This last time as of today the car will not run you have trouble getting the key out of a lock the passlock is showing on the car dashboard.

- Shiremanstown, PA, USA

problem #297

May 292017

Ion

  • 84,170 miles
While driving the ignition shuts off killing power to the steering and brakes

- Hamburg, NY, USA

problem #296

Nov 212016

Ion

  • 83,000 miles
Previously fixed recall has failed. Ignition does not work properly. Car remains running after key is removed. Key gets stuck in ignition.

- Fort Campbell, KY, USA

problem #295

Oct 052014

Ion

  • 51,000 miles
When you turn the ignition key to the off position sometimes you can not remove the key and when you can not remove the key you can not open the doors because it has automatic door locks when you put the car in gear to move. When this happens you must restart the car until the ignition releases the key, which puts undo wear and tear on the starter and system. I have taken it to a shop three times to have it repaired but they say they can not find any problem. So they kept the car a week to try to find the problem. I just learned that the shop I am taking it to has all the appearance of a dealership but they are not a dealership.

- Aulander, NC, USA

problem #294

May 012014

Ion

  • 107,500 miles
In April 2014, I took my car to john bowman Chevrolet in clarkston, Michigan for the recall notice 14063, ignition switch. Since the installation of the new ignition switch I am not able to place the car in park, turn the engine off and remove the key. The key will not remove from the ignition. I must repeatedly restart the vehicle until I am able to remove it.

- Ortonville, MI, USA

problem #293

Apr 112006

Ion

  • 70,000 miles
The gas tank line leaking gas

- Lubbock, TX, USA

problem #292

Jun 022015

Ion

  • 84,023 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. While driving 30 mph and making a left or right turn, the steering wheel seized. The contact coasted over to the side of the road and was then driven to the contact's residence. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the igniton switch was replaced from a previous NHTSA notification; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 84,023.

- Alhambra, CA, USA

problem #291

Jan 052016

Ion

  • 107,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. After having the vehicle repaired according to NHTSA campaign number: 09V419000 (fuel system, gasoline), the engine stalled and the check engine light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The failure recurred several times. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.

- Fairburn, GA, USA

problem #290

Jan 012015

Ion

  • 69,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn and the power steering warning light illuminated. The contact also stated that the ignition switch had to be wiggled several times to be able to start the engine. The manufacturer advised that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number 14V153000 (steering). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 69,000.

- Shreveport, LA, USA

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