Car Will Not Start problems of the 2003 Saturn ION - part 1

Ignition faulty, car will not start or release key from ignition. Has shut off while driving in the past 6 months.

Tl-the contact owns a 2003 Saturn Ion. The contact received recall NHTSA campaign number: 14v047000 (air bags, electrical system) and NHTSA campaign number: 14v171000 (electrical system). The contact stated that the vehicle was remedied by dealer. The contact stated that while driving approxiametely 45 mph all power to vehicle seized, as a result the vehicle lost power steering. The contact stated that she cut the vehicle off and the vehicle would not start. The vehicle was towed to the contacts home. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 162603. Mc.

The contact owns a 2003 Saturn Ion. The contact stated when the key was placed in the ignition the theft system activated and the engine failed to start. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer stated that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number 03v231000 (electrical system). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 142,710.

The contact owns a 2003 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that the vehicle would not start immediately and it took approximately five attempts to start the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic but there were no diagnostic codes displayed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact called the manufacturer who offered no assistance. The current mileage was 70,165. The failure mileage was approximately 69,500.

Yet another complaint on the faulty ignition switch on the Saturn Ion. Since it appears hundreds of thousands of people are having this same problem, and gm is aware of this problem why has there not been a recall?? car will not start when cold, key gets stuck in ignition. Gm what is the deal???.

2003 Saturn Ion coupe will not start in cold humid weather.

Car will not start in cold weather. This began 3 months ago at the beginning of the winter season, unfortunately the first day of a new job. This happened a number of times until I was let go for showing up late to work (apparently, a car that problematic was inconceivable). I had the battery replaced, but that didn't help. This happens sporadically, but mostly in the early morning or late evening when it's coldest outside. This past week alone, my car wouldn't start 3 times. I've done some research on the internet and have found hundreds of complaints of the same problem in Saturn Ion's (2003-2006 models). Some complaints have suggested it's the ignition, the passlock key, or an electrical issue, and my mechanic is looking into the fuel pump. The problem is that the diagnostic doesn't read a problem if the car is starting, which seems to be the case by the time the mechanic's shop opens (weather conditions are fairly good in southern California on most days). The other day, my car had stalled while driving in heavy rain conditions, thankfully on a small residential street, because it did not want to restart. It took 10 minutes to get the car going again. You can imagine how disastrous this situation could have been while driving on the freeway or busy city road. This is an extremely dangerous issue that must be taken seriously by gm. I have also made complaints to the ftc & to Saturn. From what I've read online, replacing the part doesn't even help because all of these Ion parts are faulty. Please see to it that consumers are protected. Thank you.

2003 Saturn Ion will not start due to the passlock timing me out. It has left me stranded too many times and yesterday I had to wait 3 hrs for my car to start. I have read reports of other consumers having the same issue and wanted to file a written complaint.

I'm having the same issues that a lot of Ion owners are having. Car will not start when it is cold and the passlock system kicks in. Once this kicks in you have to leave the key in the accessories position for 10 minutes, passlock will then shut off and you can retry. If it does not start you have to wait another 10 minutes to try and start. Supposedly this is because of grease that is in the ignition switch. This grease freezes up when cold. It does seem to help if you warm up the ignition switch with a hair dryer or lighter. I don't know why gm does not recall this. They are passing their screw up onto the consumer. This problem has left many people stranded. It is just a matter of time till some one is in a really bad situation because of this. 'sorry your having a heart attack maybe I can start the car in another 10 minutes'. I wouldn't be surprised if someone froze to death because of this. At the very least I know people have missed many hours of work. Anyways, I am going to replace the ignition switch to see if this works. I already bought a remote start which bypasses the passlock when remote start but no one will install this on a manual car.

Whenever the temperature is significantly below freezing my 2003 Saturn Ion will not start. I sat in the car and tried to start the engine for over 20 minutes this morning before giving up and calling off the interview I was supposed to go to. It is not a battery issue, as the battery is completely charged. This issue has occurred roughly 15 times in the past two years, often leaving me stranded without a way to get home.

The contact owns a used 2003 Saturn Ion which was purchased in 2008. In cold temperatures, the vehicle would not start. The vehicle was taken to her local repair shop, and the fuel injector was replaced. There were no recalls for the failure. Two weeks later, in cold and raining temperatures the vehicle would not start. No further repairs were made to the vehicle to date. The failure and current mileages were 82,221. Updated 02/03/10 the consumer stated the grease in the ignition switch is freezing and/or hardening so that the ignition switch will not engage. The consumer believed the vehicle should be recalled so the ignition switch and grease can be replaced. Updated 02/11/10.

The contact owns a 2003 Saturn Ion. During cold weather the vehicle failed to start since there is a defect in the ignition switch. The vehicle resets to a security mode as if it has been stolen. The dealer advised the contact to replace the switch; however, they would use the defective switch when they repair the vehicle. The failure mileage was 70,000.

The contact owns a 2003 Saturn Ion. When the contact attempted to start the vehicle it failed to start. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technicians stated that the ignition switch needed to be replaced. The failure happened intermittently and does not allow the contact to turn the vehicle on for approximately forty five minutes. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000.

2003 Saturn Ion will not start due to faulty parts used by manufacturer.

2003 Saturn Ion. The car runs perfectly fine however I have been left stranded on several occasions due to a malfunction involving the ignition switch. Most of the time involves me being late for work but twice I was left in potentially dangerous situations. Once trying to leave a sporting event late night in downtown cleveland the car wouldn't start, turned the key and nothing. Tried several times finally after 20 minutes of that the car started right up. Another time with my 85 year old mom (who has alzheimer's) after buying gas the same thing and it terrified my mom. I have since learned that Saturn is aware of this defect and that problems similar to mine are very common and very frustrating to Saturn owners who are forced to pay nearly $300. 00 for a new ignition switch only to have the problem reoccur a few moths later. Saturn admits that the problem is worse in cold weather. If people are stranded in frigid weather unable to start the engine and have heat, especially if there is an elderly person or child in the car, serious injuries could definitely occur.

I would like to know why Saturn has not been forced to do a recall with all of the problems with the ignition on Ions not working at certain times. I have researched this on the internet and it is clearly a design issue. I am often stranded because the car will not start.

I have a 2003 Saturn that will not start when it gets cold, this has happen since I have had the car. This can be very frustrating and costly when I miss hours from work or trying to get my child to school. I have seen several complaints regarding this issue. Is there anyone willing to do anything. Why should we continue to suffer for trusting a product with your name on it for reliable transportation. Karen.

This fall I went to start my 2005 Saturn Ion s2 it would not start. I had the ignition switched replaced. Now in January, I am having the same problems with the car not starting. I have researched and determined that this is not a problem that can be fixed permanently because the part is bad from Saturn. I do not want to keep spending $200. 00 whenever I have this problem.

I have a 2003 Saturn Ion that I bought used in 2006. When the weather is 32 degrees or lower the vehicle will not start. I thought that it may just be my battery but the battery was fine. After doing a google search I was able to read though about 150 cases where people with this same vehicle had problems starting the vehicle in cold weather. This really concerns me because this is a common problem with this vehicle and there is no recall for this reason. After doing research on this matter I found the problem to be a faulty ignition switch that was installed from the factory. This vehicle should have had a recall for this problem, with so many complaints of the problem. I have a four month old baby and to be out in the cold with a vehicle that wont start because of a manufacture problem is really sad. I think that you should really look into this matter with this vehicle. Every day I cant start my vehicle because of the cold weather. Please help me in this matter. Also google this problem and you will see many cases of this same problem.

Car will not start in temperatures near 32 degrees or less. Ignition switch and battery have already been replaced. Car starts to crank then stalls out and service light comes on. Must wait 10-15 minutes to try again. If lucky it will start on 2nd try, otherwise 3rd. This has been going on for past 3 weeks when temps dropped.

Saturn Ion 2003 car would not start.

My 2003 Saturn Ion 2 will not start in the winter when the temperature is below 32 degrees. This can happen at least once a week all winter long. It can take anywhere from 10 minutes to one hour for my car to start again. I took it to a mechanic who could not find what the problem was and charged me $80 for nothing. This has been happening for three winters and has gotten worse each winter. It has caused me to miss work and be late for work several times.

Faulty ignition switch. Car will not start for 10-15 minutes when its cold outside. Battery replaced and it did not help.

I just bought a 2003 Saturn Ion 2 about 2 weeks ago. My wife woke up this morning to start her car and it would not start. I tried jumping the car and still no luck. The passlock light came on and said service vehicle. So I told my wife to get in the car and shift it to neutral so we could push it into a different spot so she could take my truck to work. She decided to try and start it one last time and it then started. Frustrated, I went on to the internet and search for Ion problems and have found about 200 complaints about the same problem. This is a problem that Saturn needs to address and take care!!.

On July 5, 2008 I purchased a 2003 Saturn Ion from carmax for the cost of $10,998. It apparently passed the rigorous carmax certified quality inspection. In November 2008 (4 months later) the Saturn would not start due to the cold weather. I took this into carmax and they replaced my battery at my cost. Again in January 2009 (1 month later) it still would not start in the morning. They performed a diagnostic test and could not duplicate. This morning now February 2009 it did not start again in the morning resulting in a problem getting my daughter to school. It is undoubtedly an issue that needs to be addressed by Saturn. After reading all these complaints about the car not starting under cold weather conditions I am perplexed as to why Saturn is not doing anything about this. This is my first experience with a Saturn and most likely my last.

My 2003 Saturn Ion will not start in cold weather. It just makes a clicking noise. I have had a new ignition installed last year for a lot of money last year. This fixed the problem for the rest of the winter, but as soon as it got cold this winter the problem is back. It will occur about 1/4 of the times it is parked outside in very cold weather (under 25 f). I just wait 8 minutes and try again. I can't keep fixing this when Saturn is aware that this is a wide spread problem. At least the money I spent last year should have fixed the issue for good. It's really frustrating and if caught in the severe cold could result in a serious injury to someone.

My 2003 Saturn Ion has had trouble starting. If it is cold outside, it will not start, but if I wait 10-15 minutes it will start. The Saturn dealership refused to do anything stating, "we can't fix it if it is not doing it at the time we are looking at it. " now the car will not start at all.

My 2003 Saturn Ion 2 has had nothing but problems. The first thing I have experienced has been a problem with the car not starting on very cold day below 32 degrees. I had the ignition switch replaced last year as recommended by the dealership. Since the weather has gotten cold here in indiana I have begun to have the same problem. The car just will not start on very cold days again below 32 degrees.

The contact owns a 2003 Saturn Ion l3. The contact stated that the vehicle would not start. The contact placed the key into the ignition and the engine did not start, but the service vehicle light illuminated on the instrument. The contact stated that they had to wait several minutes to get the vehicle to start. The contact stated that the key also became stuck in the ignition. The contact spoke with the manufacturer in regard to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 42,000 and the current mileage was 55,000. Updated 4/24/13 the consumer stated the vehicle needs a new wire harness for the alarm system and a new ignition lock tumbler with the dielectric grease in it. This failure across more often when cold. Upon making short errands, the vehicle must be left running in order to avoid sitting for 10 minutes. Updated 06/3/2013.

2003 Saturn Ion iii disengages in the middle of traffic as if gears have slipped into neutral at speeds from between 20 and 60 mph, so that there is no forward movement suddenly and then re-engages. Almost rear-ended several times also car will not start if turned off for a short time and key locks in ignition. Gears were re-calibrated and ignition replaced, but problems continue.

Car will not start in cold weather. (below 32f) this has been a problem the last 2 years on a 2003 Saturn Ion 3. After reading all the comments here. . . Read more...

Car will not start when it is cold outside.

Car will not start when below freezing. . . . .

I have been having a problem with my car not starting. The first issue began when I started my car and the passlock symbol was flashing all the way home from the store. When I got home and turned the car off and tried restarting it, it wouldn't start. After looking at my owners manual and reading about passlock I went outside and tried starting it and it started right up. A little less than a week later I was out running an errand and made a quick stop for maybe 5 minutes, when I got back to the car it would not start. I tried a few more times and was starting to panic when it started again. I took it to a mechanic and he couldn't get the car to replicate the problem but recommended finding my other key for the car and start using that. The car was fine for another week and while I was picking up my kids from school the passlock light came on again and blinked all the way home. Once again, I tried to start after we got home and nothing, I went out about 10 minutes later and it was fine. Yesterday I needed to run an errand and sure enough I went outside to leave and the stupid car wouldn't start again. I went inside and waited 10 minutes, came back outside and it started right up. I am a mother with 3 kids and I have a husband who does not drive. I have only one car and I cannot have it be unreliable. I get nervous every time I have to go somewhere. This is unacceptable and it seems like there are many Saturn owners who are just as frustrated as me and something needs to be done about it, at no cost to the owners. This is not wear and tear!!!.

My car has failed to start several times in the last week. It seems to be related to the ignition switch and the type of lubricant used in it and it's reaction in cold weather. After doing a ton of research, I have found thousands of people that have complained of the exact same issue. This seems to be a recurring problem that needs to be a recall.