Starter problems of the 2003 Saturn ION

2003 Saturn Ion. Consumer writes in regards to replacement parts not available to complete starter switch recall.

Wife and children riding down road when car turns itself off and looses all power. She was luckily enough to merge across 2 lanes at a coast with no brakes or power steering to bring the car to a stop. Then it took up to 30 min of sitting on the side of very busy I-16 till the security light stopped flashing and she could continue her way home with my 2 and 8 year old kids in the car. Now all the car will do is flash that passlock light after I have replaced the ignition switch,starter,battery,alternator and many fuses also following the relearn procedure each time.

The car wont start and I changed the battery and had the alternator tested and starter both passed I attempt to start the car the ignition switch clicks then stalls, security system kicks in reads "service engine soon" after about 20minutes the car starts, hear rattling noise in front suspension this is happening all the time for the past year since I bought the car.

The contact owns a 2003 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that upon entering the vehicle and attempting to start the vehicle, it failed to start. The vehicle eventually started after a couple of attempts. She took the vehicle to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The dealer informed her that she needed to replace the starter. The vehicle was repaired. She also stated that the key was getting stuck inside of the ignition which made it impossible to turn the vehicle off or remove the key from the cylinder. The vehicle was inspected for that failure and informed her that she needed to replace the ignition switch. Instead of replacing the ignition switch due to cost they opted to reprogram the key so that she could remove it no matter what gear the vehicle was in. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000. Updated 2/23/11.

Bought a 2003 Saturn Ion 2 and it will periodically lock out the ignition system so you have to wait 8-10 minutes to start the car. We have replaced, the ignition switch, starter, battery, and a few other parts to no avail. It was once in Jan. Of 2010 and then again in March, but now in June it has happened 3 times in 2 days. I read on a forum that people were having this problem in cold weather climates during winter, but hawaii is a moderate climate year round, no excuse.

2003 Saturn Ion. This car will not start in the cold weather. If the temperature is below 32 degrees f for an extended period of time, the car will stall. I have read that the difficultly may have to do with a type of lubricant on the starter, which hardens in the cold weather. The car stalls as a result, and then the pass-lock kicks in. After 8 minutes, the car may start, or one may have to wait an additional 8 minutes (or more) for the ignition switch to loosen up enough to start the engine. However, the car may stall yet again---and set off the passlock system yet again.

For the past several years I have had an issue with my 2003 Saturn Ion starting in the cold weather. I have had my starter checked along with several battery replacements, yet there has not yet been a stop to this issue. I've looked online for solutions to this issue and unfortunately no one has a solution only complaints. This seems to be an issue with thousands of Saturn Ion's and gm does not seem to feel the need to recall the vehicle. This is a safety issue as far as I am concerned. I have read about mothers and children being stranded because they are unable to start their Saturns in the cold weather and they do not have anyone in the vicinity to help them out. The car usually takes about a half hour to start after initially trying - which no car should have to do. Please get on gm/Saturn to do something about this issue.

I recently purchased a Saturn Ion 2003 and it at times doesn't start. This has happened on numerous occasions and even after replacing the starter. After about 10-15 minutes, the car starts up. I cannot have a car that could possibly leave me stranded miles from my house in the cold.

The event leading up to the failure was driving 3 miles from work to babysitters. The failure is the car refuses to turn over after turned off. This happens commonly in colder weather. Battery was replaced, starter was replaced, and then after research learned this is an ignition issue Saturn is aware of.

2003 Saturn Ion with 58,000 miles had been running fine. After a brief stop for shopping, the car would not start. It made only a clicking sound when the key was turned. This had never happened before. After about 10 minutes, it would turn over once and then nothing. After about 40 minutes, the car started. It was a cool day, but this had never happened before on even colder days. One dealer checked the battery and the starter and found nothing wrong. Another location identified the battery as low. It was replaced. But the real cause of this event is still a mystery. From other complaints, I see this is not an uncommon event in a 2003 Ion. I am very concerned, now, that it will happen again and still there will be no remedy. Are there no recalls because no one can figure out what is the cause of the problem or how to remedy it?.

Our 2003 Saturn Ion fails to start at times. Typically when this happens it is a cold morning. We replaced the battery and starter. The problem persists. Hundreds of people have cited the very same problem on car discussion sites.

I have a 2003 Saturn Ion. I have had it in 3 times to be worked on. Some days it will start some days it will not. I have had a fuse replaced, my started, and a connection to the starter. I know 2 other people who have had the same issue with the same car. Now I read this online blog and a ton of people having the same issue. My car is no longer under warranty so I will have to pay for all of these repairs.

Saturn will not start in cold weather. Starts fine in the warmth of my garage. Barely turns over then dies. Have to wait several minutes or have it jumped. Battery is fully charged and alternator is good. Starter problem or ignition problem. . Read more...

The problem has existed since I purchased the car. My car does not cold start in temperatures under 30 degrees. Many Saturn owners with same problem. Car is no longer under warranty but when it was I brought it in many times for diagnostic tests and service. Dealer replaced ignition switch twice and starter once. Problem has never been fixed. Its worse now then ever before in these cold dayton ohio winters. Now they say they need to replace the mother board for my car after doing another diagnostics test for a total of @ $500. 00. I feel Saturn is not only giving me the run around but will gladly still take my hard earned money. Please help. Im about to be a father and don't want to be stranded in the cold with my child by a company that just got millions loaned to them by our government. Not fair, please help hold them accountable for their wrongdoings.

My car will not start when it is cold. It is due to the faulty design of the ignition switch/passlock error. It happens at least three or four times a week, end every morning it is below 34 degrees. I have had a new battery, fuel filter and starter replaced in the past week. After ten to fifteen minutes it starts, but today after forty five minutes it still did not start. I went online and found that thousands of other Saturn owners have the same problem. This part needs to be recalled.

I have 2 2003 Saturn Ion's which have starter problems which both have had starters replace because of this problem that gm/Saturn continue to ignore. When you get a temperature change the cars sometimes start and sometimes don't. Saturn should recall.

We have a 2003 Saturn Ion that has experienced ignition problems over the last 2 years. We had the starter replaced by our mechanic when the problem first occurred in 2006 but have experienced the problem 12-15 times since then. We have found out that the car will start if you wait for 15 minutes or so but it is not always convenient to do so. An internet search reveals numerous Saturn owners with the same problem which has not been acknowledged by Saturn as a design or manufacturing defect. My local dealership is aware of the problem with the passlock ignition system but can only repair it for a fee.

I have been having an issue with my 2003 Saturn Ion quad coupe and after research I have concluded that these people(. . Read more...

The biggest issue is that on cold days (and sometimes not so cold) my car will just click and not start, or will start and die out. But if I keep trying to start it and let it sit for awhile and come back, it will start right up. When it does this, they check engine light usually comes on when trying to start it, but when I get it started it immediately goes off. I've had the battery, alternator and starter checked and they are fine. It only happens usually in the mornings or late at night when it's been cold.

Only when it's cold outside, my car won't start. I've replaced the starter and found out that it was not the problem. After researching my issue on the internet, I found that thousands of other people have the exact same problem as me. Since the problem is the ignition switch, and everyone that replaces it says the problem persists, I'm not going to waste money on an issue that can't be resolved unless your organization puts a recall on that part. I'm sure you've received numerous of emails regarding this problem, so the only solution would be to recall that item. Since we have given you business by purchasing your vehicles, the only thing to do is to help out your loyal customers.

I have a 2003 Ion 2 which I bought new in March 2003. Starting in Dec 2007, my car would not start up in the morning when it is cold outside. 10-15 min later I would try to start it again and it would start up like nothing was wrong. I had Saturn look at it, they stated that they "could not replicate" the problem and found nothing wrong. In January 2008, it started to happen on a daily basis, so I took it to my local mechanic who said the battery was charging fine and could not pin point a problem but suggested putting in a new starter which cost me $300. At first I thought that my problem was solved, but now in Feb 2008 ( one month later)it is not starting up in the mornings again on real cold days (0-20 degrees), but 10-15 min later, it starts right up.

On cold mornings (35 and below) my 03 Saturn Ion will not start. I turn the key and the lights come on but the engine won't turn over. The security light flashes and it tells me to "service vehicle". If I wait about 10-20 minutes the car will start. (which causes me to be late for work) I've replace the battery but cannot afford 200+ to change out the starter and/or other parts. . Read more...

During cold weather, my 2003 Saturn Ion will not start. Replaced the battery 12/07, and a diagnostic check of the starter and alternator was fine. It appears to be an ignition switch item from reading similar complaints online.

I can not provide exact dates as this has gone on for years. I bought the car in 2006. It started out, in freezing temps, the car would not start. I would have to try jumping it or wait till 10 minutes had passed and try again. This happened a lot through winter months. I eventually had to change out my starter and ignition switch back in 2012. I also have noticed the key will not turn to off completely sometimes and sometimes the key wont turn at all. This is also after changing out the switch. I am a mother of two young children and after seeing the other problems with the switch I don't feel safe driving my family down the street a block. The recall says to not drive on jarring roads, but I live in a tiny town of nothing but jarring roads. Sigh. I feel the not starting is also a safety issue because it can leave people stranded in bad weather and unable to get to where you need to go in emergencies. All anyone needs to do is search the internet about Saturn's not starting and there is hours of reading on the subject. The company knew all along. Thank you.

Everytime the weather is a bit cold, my Saturn Ion 2003 will not start. I took it to a local auto mechanic shop and they told me that it was a typical and unfair problem for the Saturn Ion owners. The also told me they do the same job on these same cars approximately 15 cars/times per week. The explanation they gave was that the ignition switch need it to be replaced. Then I took it to my Saturn dealership and they said the exact same thing: "the ignition switch needs to be replaced because it is causing the passlock (security) system to think the car is being stolen and shuts the starter off. " he also said it was really common to replace the ignition switches every winter because those kinds of cars have been having that same problem regardless what the year model they are. I also asked them how many cars (per week) they had to fix due to this same problem and they told me it varied, but it was always between 10 and 25 cars per week. Also they said that previous year the weather was so cold and the Saturn Ions were not starting, that in just a week they had 40-something cars come in to get fix for the same problem. They told they would fix it for me but I would have to pay for everything. I refused to pay because it was not my fault, and I'm assuming people are paying to for something that is not even their fault. I also called Saturn and the customer care representative at Saturn said that Saturn does not have a recommendation for this problem at this time. The last thing I did was a research on the web about this problem and I found many websites, blogs and forums that address the problem as a factory default from Saturn. I read people's comments and they all said they had the same problem with their Saturn Ions and that Saturn did want to admit it was a problem of them. It appears as if no one was to take responsibility and the ones paying for this are the customers. This is not fair.

2003 Saturn Ion. When attempting to start car on cold mornings pass lock system engages and locks car from being able to start for some period of time. Has left me stranded in cold weather several times, latest being date just below. This is not a battery or starter issue. From research I have done, this seems to be a faulty design with the starter switch, and is is apparently known to Saturn corp.

My Saturn Ion (2003) has had a lot of problems this winter with intermittent starts. I try to start the car in the morning, and it just won't crank over. I have missed work, and been stranded in the freezing cold. A recall needs to be issued on the starter switch. I have had multiple diagnostic tests done, and had the battery replaced. I cannot afford a $200 repair on something that should be replaced by Saturn. This is a case of negligence.

2003 Saturn Ion. This car will not start in the cold weather. If the temperature is below 32 degrees f for an extended period of time, the car will stall. This will be a recall item once we get together and sue Saturn for this obvious negligent behavior. This problem is well known and is continual. Perhaps when some unfortunate soul is stranded in the wilderness and dies, then the manufacturer will pay attention to this cold weather start problem. The public is well aware of the problem and so is Saturn. It would be well worth it for the corporate office to crunch the numbers and decide to recall the vehicle for this problem. I have read that the difficultly may have to do with a type of lubricant on the starter, which hardens in the cold weather. The car stalls as a result, and then the passlock kicks in. After 8 minutes, the car may start, or one may have to wait an additional 8 minutes (or more) for the ignition switch to loosen up enough to start the engine. However, the car may stall yet again---and set off the passlock system yet again. Saturn is negligent at the very least--and criminally negligent if they know of this problem---the potential dangers of it---and do nothing.

Bought vehicle in Apr. 05, Dec 06 problem starting car in cold weather late for work, dealer replaced passlock2 system Dec 06, vehicle fine until Dec 07, problem came about again, Jan 08 called dealer said to bring in for diagnostic, did so dealer said it's the body control module (bcm for short), prior to finding that out replaced starter and battery to try and fix problem. Called Saturn customer support Jan or Feb, they said the electronic failing was my fault and I had to fix problem. Sitting in the cold waiting to start my car has resulted in lose of dexterity and feeling in finger tips due to prolonged exposure to sub-zero temps trying to start car. Saturn has a bulletin #1787659 saying that if owners come in referring to their car not starting in cold weather "no crank, no start with complete power". Saturn knows of the problem and wont fix it cause they deem it "a non-safety issue".

There is an issue that affects a sensor in the ignition switch. This causes the car to lock up because it is getting a false signal that the car is being stolen. This is a known issue that affects the car's "passlock" system and I think it needs to be recalled. This happens when (1) the temperature is below 0 degrees c over night or an extended time period. (2) the only way to solve the problem is to keep replacing the ignition switch when it goes bad. Attached below is taken from another owner of the Saturn Ion. "the problem with the Ion not starting in many cases is due to a poorly designed anti theft system. The system looks for the presence of the key in the lock when the ignition key is turned. The system looks for a low resistance, but not zero ohms, and can be trained to look for a specific value. If it does not find what it is looking for, the car will not start. One solution is to change the switch. Anyone that can use a wrench and screw driver can do this. The switch costs about $30. The problem, is that they don't last too long, sometimes less than a year. A simple solution I found elsewhere, is to cut the white wire from the ignition switch while the engine is running. Leave enough length after the switch so it can be spliced back together. I did this today, it was easy, and seems to work. It does give you a service warning. Another option, is to install a bypass device that is designed for remote starters. Another option, which is simpler, and depending on where you live (I haven't tested this) is to leave the key in the ignition all the time. Use a second key to lock the doors" a short search of Saturn Ions not starting in cold weather will show thousands of people who have experienced the exact same problem. Why this issue has not been dealt with is a mystery.