general problems of the 2004 Saturn ION - part 2

Driving on the freeway, at approximately 65 mph, when a chime went off. Steering immediately became difficult and I noticed that the power steering indicator light was on. I exited the freeway carefully and pulled over, turned off the car, then restarted it and the power steering came back on. Since this initial incident the problem has become more frequent. I am unable to safely drive the car and have been told it will cost over $1,000. 00 to replace a power steering motor in the steering column. Also I have discovered this to be a frequent issue for this model vehicle. With the danger involved shouldn't a recall be in order?.

2004 Saturn Ion. Consumer requests reimbursement for repairs. According to the invoice, the ignition cylinder was replaced.

Driver side door starting in June '13, I noticed my driver side window panel and door lock not working properly. The driver door lock is now not working at all July '14 and the window panel is intermittent. I'm noticing the panel is getting warm!.

The computer - bcm - failed and all it controls went off. This included lights, door locks, radio.

The contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. The contact was driving 20 mph when she began to smell burning rubber and plastic. The contact stopped the vehicle and at discovered that the power windows and power locks had become inoperable. The fuse was replaced for the windows and they began to function properly. A personal mechanic advised the contact that the new fuse would need to be removed to ensure that no electrical fires occurred. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure and current mileages were 94,500.

Went to have the ignition recall performed. Car was with gm for over a month. Picked up the car. Drove to work. Next day did not start. Called to have car towed back to gm. Gm had car for a day or so. Replace the, ignition cylinder. Hopeful that it is replaced. Concern if the power steering has an issue. Before going back to work after the cylinder was replace. Tech, forgot to set or replace the column. Steering out of place. I lifted the column back into place. Iunknowingly, I drove it from the dealer with it out of place.

When I turn my car on the parking lights and front turn signals starting blinking really quick like strobing. I can turn my left turn signal on and it will blink inside hearing the normal ticking. If I turn my right turn signal on it the arrow on the inside blinks slower and makes no ticking sound. If I push on my brake the light work probably and the ticking sound on the right turn signal inside starts. If I put my emergency brake on it works properly. The strobing of the front outside parking lights stop. If I turn my parking light on and drive with them on everything works properly. I know this has something to do with the recall. It is effecting my car so bad that my radio display light blinks also. So it is getting feedback from this problem before I have a wreck. I am a single mother with 2 children.

I was on the highway at 65 mph when the indicator light for the steering lit up and my power steering went out. I stopped and restarted my car and the power steering worked for about 5 minutes. The indicator light came on again and the steering failed. The following day my vehicle was checked out by a mechanic who diagnosed the issue as a failed eps (electronic power steering). The estimated cost of just the part is $1200. I did not ask about the cost of labor. I have started the vehicle several times since the initial inicident and sometimes the indicator light is not on and the power steering works for a few minutes. Ultimately the light comes on and the steering fails again within 5 minutes. At other times I have started the vehicle and the indicator light is on and there is no power steering. As I am the original owner of this vehicle, this is very upsetting.

Our car, 2004, Saturn Ion3, caught on fire in the driveway on it's own about 2 hours after it was driven home on 4 Nov 2011. No driver - no key in the vehicle when it caught fire. I submitted an initial request for review to gm claims along with all documentation that we had via emails and our claim was denied.

The contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that while driving 40 mph, the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was carefully maneuvered to the shoulder and shut off. Upon restart, the vehicle operated as normal. The failure had since recurred on an intermittent basis. The vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed or repaired and the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact also stated that the vehicle would intermittently experience a failure in which it would not start. Whenever the failure occurred, the contact would have to wait approximately ten minutes before the vehicle would successfully start. The failure mileage was 145,000.

The power steering is failing nearly every time the car is used. It fails within minutes after the car is started. Making turns requires a lot of effort in turning the steering wheel. The car can still be driven without the power steering, but one would hardly call it safe.

The contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that while driving various speeds and when the vehicle was parked that the interior lights would not shut off. None of the warning lights illuminated on the instrumental panel. The contact also stated that the alarm shuts off intermittently at night. The vehicle was not inspected by a dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 66,000.

I drive a 2004 Saturn Ion-2 and my power steering goes out at random times. This is the first time I have had an issue with my power steering. I feel it is a major safety concern because this issue happens at random and the car becomes incredibly hard to steer. I have done some research on this matter and many other Saturn drivers have the exact same problem as myself and I have also found that the chevy cobalt has the exact same steering column as the Saturn Ion and there has been a recall on the cobalt but not on the Ion. This baffles me because if the same mechanism is on both cars the both cars should be recalled not just one. I feel extremely unsafe on the road driving my car now because I have no indication if and when my power steering will fail. The are no events leading up to this happening and I replaced the electrical power steering fuses in hopes that the fuses were blown but this did not solve the problem. From some internet research the next step would be having the entire steering column replaced but I do not feel Saturn Ion drivers should be responsible for replacing a defect on a car that should have been recalled years ago.

There was a error message on the panel that said "power ster" , 5 seconds later the steering wheel locked on a bridge.

I own a 2004 Saturn Ion, that on random occasions does not start. Wait a few minutes and then it does. This has happened to us in both warm and cold days. It's been in for service several times and service tech's can't seem to locate the problem. When this first started, with only about 10 000 kl, the car did nothing, no lights, radio etc. , completely dead.

I just brought a 2004 Saturn Ion 2 a couple days ago. Today I got up and ready for work and my car wouldnt start. I tried several times to start the car and still nothing but the lights and radio etc come on. I was lookin for a reliable car to get me and my son back and forth being as though we have no family that lives close by;;; turns out I think I might have made a wrong decision. I have had this car less than 2 weeks now and it already is turning into a nighmare. I am hesitant on putting my son in this car because if I do get it to turn on and this happens again wat are we to do? it is freezing outside!.

Quite often, without warning, the power steering fails on my wife's 2004 Saturn Ion. Surprised at first by this failure, she has learned not to panic and to keep control of the car. Internet research has told us that gm is aware of the problem and issued recalls on other models with the same system. It is apparently an expensive fix.

My 2004 Saturn Ion wont start in cold temperatures leaving me stranded. If I lived in guam this would be no problem, but I live in calgary alberta canada and its gets to -40 celsius and only takes minutes for frost bite to settle in.

I purchased a 2004 Saturn Ion. No real problems until winter. My car won't start in the cold. I have been at stores and came out and it won't start. I give it 10 minutes exactly not a minute sooner not a minute later, it then starts. This is a safety issue. If for some reason I am out late and my car won't start and its subzero temp I can die from it. I am afraid that one day it won't start at all. This problem is becoming a big deal to me and other owners. Please fix the issue, put out a recall!!.

In cold weather (below 20f), the car refuses to start, or even try to turn over.

My car started not starting up at all. It would take about 20 minutes to start my car and the ignition would be hard to turn, and a jump would not work. I would have to go out and start my car 30 minutes before I had to leave for work and let it run. I took my car to a mechanic to change my oil and it would not start. They tried to give me a jump and I told them that do not work and explain what it does all the time and the owner check his computer under the safety recalls and he told me that it was a recall on my ignition, so I took my car to a Saturn dealer "this was in 2010" and I told them what was told to me and they told me that there was not any recalls for my car. I wrote a letter about this issue and never got a response. Now in 2013 my car cut off while driving down the street for no reason. I was just going to get my ignition fixed when I got this letter about the recall. This car was given to my son for a graduation present and I would like it to be fixed soon.

I have so many things wrong with my 2004 Saturn of course I have the cold start problem which I have had since I purchased the car(with only 7 miles on it). Anytime I drive my car over 30 miles an hour it shakes had that problem fix 2 years ago and now it is doing it again. My driver side window seal leaks when it rains. New problem don't think I've since this one yet the transmission in the windshield wiper goes out nd guess what for only $275 Saturn will replace that for you. This car is such a lemon. Clearly as I read over complaints of the single mothers like myself, the teacher or just someone who want a reliable car. This experience has taught me never by american again and do my research before buying another car. The thing I hate the most is that they seem to have to take no responsibility for this car.

During the colder days my passlock system deny my car to start. I or my wife will have to sit in the car for 10 minutes to be able to try it again. If it doesn't start ate the 10 minute mark we have to wait another 10 minutes. We have waited a 1/2 an hour for it to start before. I have no trust it will start at any point. We need to wait the 10 minutes nearly everytime from end of Nov to Feb.

I was driving on dry roads during the daytime below the speed limit, when the power steering light came on. The wheel locked, and I was unable to steer the car. I pulled to the side of the road and turned the car off and back on. It restarted without incident. 3 years later, the same event occurred without causing an accident.

Won't start in cold for about ten minutes. It gets worse every winter. It happens about once every day or two from December-February. Common problem. In Saturns.

It won't start when it is cold. I need to wait 10-15 min and try again. I see a lot of Saturn owners' are having the same problem.

I have a 04 Saturn Ion, it does not start in the cold, it gives me so many headaches, there is over 30 pages of complaints on website with people with the same car and same problems. It seems to be a white wire in the steering column, I don't understand if so many people have the same issues why it cant be fixed. It has caused me to be late for work, college classes, and to be stuck out on a cold night by myself due to my car not starting. You have to try to start it and then leave it alone for about 15 minutes and it usually starts right up. It happens pretty much all the time but it is so random you never know when you will be stranded. I have spent money replacing batteries and everything else when none of this caused the problem.

In trying to start my car in the mornings, especially when it is cold outside, it fails to start and my security system light will flash. I have been told that this is related to the passlock system, but it is not under warranty. I occurs 5 out of 7 days a week. I was told that there was nothing to be done unless I disable my security system.

Car does not start when below 35 degrees. I have to wait exactly 10 minutes then it will usually start. Power steering would occasionally turn off while driving around 50,000 to 60,000 miles and gradually worsens over time. My power steering is now completely not working and has almost caused me several minor to major accidents when it shuts off while driving either by myself or with my children. I replaced the electric power steering fuses first to see if that solved the problem only to realize its the power steering column will have to be replaced costing me $1100. I can no longer drive my car because I am not strong enough to turn the wheel with the constant failing of the power steering.

2004 Saturn Ion - won't start when cold. . Read more...

The contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. The contac stated that the key failed to remove from the ignition on several occasions. The vehicle was not diagnosed no repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign id number: 14e021000 (electrical) and had not been able to schedule an appointment. The dealer informed the contact that the part for the recall was not available. The manufacturer was also contacted and could not provide an estimated date for when the contact¿s vehicle would receive the recall repair. The approximate failure mileage was 35,000.

The contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that the vehicle fails to start on cold mornings. The failure was intermittent. An indicator flashes, which signifies that the past lock system is activated and that the vehicle is being stolen; however, this is not the case. The vehicle usually starts after ten minutes. There is a TSB for this failure and the vehicle is still under warranty. The manufacturer stated that they have never been able to replicate the failure because it only occurs approximately twelve times a year or in cold weather. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 30,000.

Saturn 2004 Ion 3 if I have the wipers and heat or a/c on at the same time as the radio the radio led lights go out when the car is moving and I am not able to read the time or radio station on the radio. If I turn the wipers off the led lights come back on. Visibility problem causes driver to take vision off road longer-no specific accident has occurred but numerous close calls have occurred as a result of what apparently is a flaw. I have taken it to the dealership numerous times and the salesman and the general manage both said that is not right but the service manage tried to tell me that is normal operating condition. A Saturn management review team person from Saturn corp. Said in a letter to me "your retail service team leader has reviewed my concern and determined that the condition is a normal characteristic of the vehicle. Since your vehicle is functioning within design specifications, we ask that you accept the diagnosis given at the time of this review. " in other words they either do not want to fix the problem or don't know how to. This problem started happening after the turn signal/drl safety recall when they installed a drl jumper kit.

Vehicle randomly won't start. More frequently during cold and/or damp weather, but not always. Vehicle will either do absolutely nothing or start to crank and stop or after repetitive tries, start and run very rough then cut out. I have lost count of the number of times this has occurred to me. In most cases I have left the disabled vehicle sitting for a day and tried again the following day to have it either start up like nothing ever happened or start, run rough and eventually smooth out. Many of these incidents have occurred in my driveway and just caused me to be late for work and inconvenienced. Twice it has left me stuck at work scrambling to find someone to pick my children up from day care. And tonight it left me stranded in the cold during the midst of an ice-storm at 11 pm. . . And again, late for work. These are not old vehicles experiencing this problem and after reading the vast complaints, it is certainly not an isolated problem. Something needs to be done, the consumer should not have to pay for an obvious manufacturer defect. I will be contacting Saturn in the morning to attempt getting it repaired.

2004 Saturn Ion this car has problems starting when it is cold outside, I am late for work alot it might take 20 minutes to start or an hour. I called the dealership and they said I I would have to pay for a diagnostic evaluation. This happens in the cooler months I can count on it. The most current being this morning yesterday morning the day before that.