Ignition Switch problems of the 2006 Saturn ION - part 2

Ignition key cylinder failure: the key would turn but not advance beyond "run" to start the engine. After replacing the key cylinder the ignition key works but the ignition switch passlock system would not engage; Saturn was faulted with the ease of theft of their vehicles prompting their initiation of the failure-prone passlock system. This owner works in high risk/dangerous area on a federal facility. Fortunately this time the incident occurred at home after driving from that facility. We noted there are many hundreds of complaints filed against gm for this defect, many with personal/property risk as noted here, but nothing has been done. If this recurs with personal damage we guarantee there will be a significant class action suit filed against gm which is likely to be highly successful; we are seeking the advice of our attorneys. We will not divulge any other such or related information at this time. We additionally noted to date nothing has been done by gm to correct this problem, vis-a-vis in a recall or refund for time/material/labor or personal time lost, other than to discontinue the Saturn brand. It has been difficult to find suitable service of any kind, mainly because gm dealers refuse to work on Saturns: "we hate those cars". At this point the reprogramming feature of the dysfunctional passlock system does not work. The vehicle will have to be towed 39 miles to a dealership.

I have a 2006 Saturn Ion-2. Every morning when I get in my car and I go to start it doesn't start and the passlock light comes on. When I called Saturn the said it is my ignition switch. The problem I have is that this has been happening to all varieties of Saturn models, including ones before 2006. I have read many reviews and hundreds of people have the same exact problem with their Saturn. If Saturn or gm sees this happening how come this has not been declared as a recall? I would like Saturn to fix the issue since the bad thing is they know about it and if you are out of warranty you are paying for a problem Saturn should have recalled, but instead they make money off the problem.

2006 Saturn Ion. Consumer received repairs due to recall and is seeking reimbursement. The ignition cylinder and ignition switch were replaced on April 6, 2012. On August 8, 2012, the ignition lock ad ignition housing were replaced.

While driving the car will automatically shut off. I can be on the freeway at 55 miles and the car will just die. I can be at a stop light and the car will die. I have taken it in and twice they said they found nothing however the problem still exsist. I thought that with the recall repair of the ignition switch it might help but it hasn't and my key still gets stuck in the ignition at times and I don't even have anything hanging on the key only the remote. Basically once you feel the car losing power and all dash lights show up, you need to restart the car to proceed. Very dangerous especially on the road.

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that the key would not release from the ignition switch. The contact had to restart and shut the vehicle off constantly in order for the key to be removed. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer to have the ignition switch replaced but the repair did not remedy the issue. The contact did not take the vehicle to another dealer or local mechanic. The failure mileage was 96,000. The VIN was not available. VIN not available.

Upon parking and attempting to exit the vehicle, I can not get the key out of the ignition switch. It is stuck in the accessory position. If left for a period of time it will usually come out. But if left in the vehicle for an extended period of time in the stuck accessory position, the battery is drained due to the systems that are still left on. This is a persistent problem. I have not taken the vehicle to a dealer for repair or diagnosis. Reading the complaints on this website convinces me that this is a general problem with Saturn Ions. This vehicle has already been part of the fuel pump replacement recall.

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion2. The contact stated the key became stuck in the ignition. The contact had to disconnect the battery in order to turn the vehicle off. The key remained stuck in the ignition although the vehicle was turned off. The dealer stated a cylinder in the ignition switch caused the failure to occur. The VIN was unknown. The failure and current mileage was 161,000.

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that she was unable to shut the vehicle off or remove the key from the ignition. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where they disconnected the battery to shut the vehicle off. Approximately six months later, the vehicle was shut off and the contact was unable to remove the key from the ignition. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the ignition switch would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000.

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that the key could not be removed from the ignition. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostics where the technician advised that the ignition switch would have to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 52,000.

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. While parked, the contact attempted to turn the ignition off; however, the she was unable to turn the key in the ignition switch. The contact was in the process of notifying both the dealer and manufacturer for assistance regarding the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,961.

Key stuck in ignition switch in the run position of 2006 Saturn Ion, 40,000 miles, could not safely turn off vehicle.

2006 Saturn Ion. Consumer writes in regards to ignition switch recall notice repairs. The consumer stated the key would not turn, to shut the vehicle off.

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle the key would not turn in order to shut the vehicle off. The contact drove the vehicle to the nearest dealer who removed a fuse to the fuel injector and shut the vehicle off. The dealer also replaced the ignition switch cylinder which made it impossible for the vehicle to shut off. The contact had not called the manufacturer when the complaint was filed. The contact was concerned that there was not a NHTSA recall related to the ignition switch for his year, make and model vehicle. The failure mileage was 26,166.

Ignition switch failed. Key would not turn off vehicle.

I have a 2006 Saturn Ion. Engine won't turn off. Problem with ignition switch. Have to undo fuse and unhook battery in the trunk. Can't turn the key to start the car but can't turn it off with the key. Can't afford to get it fixed. It's been alot of complaints online with the same problem with the same car.

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that when he attempted to turn the vehicle off, it would not turn off when the key was turned and the key was unable to be removed from the ignition. The contact had to unhook the battery to turn the vehicle off. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the ignition switch was replaced. The failure continued. The vehicle was at the dealer at the time of the complaint. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.

While I was driving the ignition switch on my 2006 Saturn Ion suddenly turned to the off position causing the car's engine to stop running. This happened twice within a 2 day period. I took the car to the dealer and they replaced the ignition switch. Cost was $200.

When turning ignition off sometimes the switch sticks and does not go into the lock position. The engine does stop. Also the electronic door locks do not release and I have to manually press the unlock switch on the door to release them. Some things that I have tried are restarting the engine, changing transmission from "park" to "drive" and back to "park". This works sometimes and then if not I wait for some period of time and wait to hear the doors unlock on their on at which time I am able to place the switch in the "lock" position and remove the key. This time is from a few seconds to a few minutes and there is no consistency. The dealer has replaced the ignition switch for ~$660. 00 and it appeared to help for a couple of days but never resolved the issue. This car has less than 9000 miles on it and this problem started around 6000 miles. I believe that this problem should be classified as a "recall" as owners are unable to safely lock their cars. Your prompt response to this problem will be most welcome. Thank you.

I had to have the ignition switch cylinder replaced on my 2006 Saturn Ion because the car could not be turn off. While at the dealer I found out that one of the other had the same problem with his Saturn vue. Talking to the service writer he told me that this was a common problem with these two model of cars. I new something was up when I got charge for 1. 5hrs labor when it took less then 40min to take the car replace the part and return it to me. When try to talk to various people at Saturn and gm all they waited to say that it was 7 month out of warranty and I did not care about that I wanted to talk about not being able to turn the car off and that I thought it was a safety problem. Being from charleston, SC and two people that had the same problem and the service writer comment and the time it took to replace, to me this is probably a bigger problem then just two cars and that Saturn should be doing a recall on this. I have working on cars in the past and the car being a manual I was able to stall the car and then disconnect the battery. What I did not have that knowledge or it was an automatic. The gm person did not want to talk about that he just wanted to say it was 7 month out of warranty. I thin that Saturn/gm should be forced to recall these car and fix the problem. Thank you.

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that he had been experiencing a recurring failure with the ignition switch. The key would intermittently become stuck in the ignition switch and the vehicle would not turn off without repeated attempts at removing the key. The contact also stated that during the winter the vehicle intermittently would not start without repeated attempts. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was in the process of being inspected at the time of the complaint. The contact also stated that while driving at approximately 25 mph and attempting to make a turn, the steering wheel locked and a power steering service light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact pulled over and restarted the vehicle; upon restart, the vehicle functioned normal. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership where the contact was informed there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. The failure continued to occur and the vehicle was taken back to an authorized dealer where an unknown service was performed on the vehicle. The failure had not occurred since the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000. The current mileage was approximately 71,000.

2006 Saturn Ion never wrecked ignition switch stopped working correctly, and the key got stuck in the ignition resulting in having the car left running until the car was cut off by pulling the cables off of the battery posts. Was told the ignition switch was rusted and the spring in the switch had broken and had gone bad by a mechanic and had to have the ignition switch replaced and key recoded.

2006 Saturn Ion. In August 2009 I went to turn off my car and the key would not come out of the ignition switch. After several minutes of trying the key came out of the switch, but the car was still on. Very dangerous for a car to be able to left running with no key in it. Took to the Saturn dealership who told me that even though this was a common problem, I would have to pay $370 for cost of parts and labor. Less than 3 months after being fixed, my key is starting to stick in the ignition again and this problem will probably repeat itself again soon.

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. The contact attempted to turn the ignition switch to the off position, but the ignition failed to turn off. The engine continued to operate. Roadside assistance was called to her residence and the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The technician stated that the ignition kept freezing up and caused the failure. The repair consisted of reprogramming the computerized system and replacing the ignition. The failure mileage was 37,000 and current mileage was 37,800.

Vehicle's engine shut off while operating, however electrical remains on. Usually happens going over speed bumps at low speeds. Had to turn off and restart engine to operate. Incident occurred 2 times in 2009. Didn't give much thought until it started to recur in 2012. Has happened 3-4 times since. Also key gets stuck when trying to shut vehicle off. The key getting stuck when trying to shut off has occurred almost daily for the past 4 months. Didn't realize the incidents were related until I heard about the Saturn recall on ignition switches and heard about similar problems.

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. The ignition switch failed and the contact has been unable to remove the keys for six months. The dealer stated that it would cost $800 to replace the switch and to disconnect another switch under the steering wheel when ever she drove the vehicle. The vehicle began to stall while driving; however, the dealer stated that they are unable to duplicate the failure unless the check engine light is illuminated. The check engine light was not illuminated prior to the engine stalling. The failure mileage was 68,000.

I purchased a 2006 Saturn Ion which intermittently (about once a week) does not start. . Read more...

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that the key failed to release from the ignition switch. The failure occurred on numerous occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, who recommended the replacement of the shifter. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 35,000.

Ignition switch locked up in the run position could not turn vehicle off.

I have a 2006 Saturn Ion-2. Every morning when I get in my car and I go to start it doesn't start and the passlock light comes on. When I called Saturn the said it is my ignition switch. The problem I have is that this has been happening to all varieties of Saturn models, including ones before 2006. I have read many reviews and hundreds of people have the same exact problem with their Saturn. If Saturn or gm sees this happening how come this has not been declared as a recall? I would like Saturn to fix the issue since the bad thing is they know about it and if you are out of warranty you are paying for a problem Saturn should have recalled, but instead they make money off the problem.

I have 2006 Saturn Ion 4 door and my complaint about this vehicle is the car wouldn't cut off you have to practically drive it until it runs out of gas for it to shut off. This is very very dangerous you can not turn this car off at all. I contacted the dealer which provided an estimate charging me to repair this problem. It is unfair this is a complaint they told me has happened numerous times. Why sell this car and don't warn the customer about this ahead of time? they told me they weren't going to pay for this if I wanted it fixed I must pay for a warranty which expires at 36,000 miles I am sorry for you but the warranty has expired and the lady that called me was so rude! that is wrong,wrong, wrong please help resolve this matter ASAP please I need your help.

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. The contact noticed that the vehicle would intermittently fail to start after the first attempt. The vehicle would turn over without power. After waiting approximately ten minutes for the security system to reset, the vehicle would successfully start. After attempting to restart the vehicle after it stalled or was turned off, it would occasionally not function properly until waiting ten minutes for the security to activate. The contact stated that the ignition switch was faulty. The dealer replaced the ignition switch at the contact's expense, which remedied the issue according to a TSB. He called the manufacturer to inquire about reimbursement and they referred him to NHTSA. The manufacturer stated that they could not provide reimbursement due to the extended warranty. The current mileage was approximately 65,000 and failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

In November 2007 my 2006 Saturn Ion began having problems with the ignition. I could not start the car or turn the key. The dealership said that the ignition switch was bad, and I had to pay to replace it. Now in June 2008, the key is stuck in the on position, and I can't turn the car off. Now Saturn says that its the lock cylinder housing, which is not covered, and wants to charge me over $500 to replace. However I see that there are hundreds of complaints of the same problem, and Saturn is not doing anything to fix the problem.

Was driving at a slow speed off an off ramp when my car felt like it stalled and it turned off which I thought it was another cat who hit me because there was no other explanation at the time. It set me in a spin and the car hit the wall but the air bag didn't go off. I ended up in the hospital with an injured back and head. Could it have been the faulty ignition? my car kept stalling after the body repair. I took the car into the dealership in dumber of the same year and my car was diagnosed with a faulty ignition switch. This is not the only incident but thankfully I was just injured and I still have my life.

Key cannot be removed from ignition after car is turned off. Have returned to the dealership 4 times for this problem. Each time they lubricate the system but it does not fix the problem. It began less than 6 months after we purchased the vehicle and still persists today. We cannot take any more time off from work to take it into the shop to be told they will not replace the ignition system or the transmission/gear shift mechanism that may be the actual problem. In addition, in the first 18 months we've owned the vehicle, the air conditioning coolant has run out and they cannot locate the leak, and the sunroof broke. Finally, on one occasion the car went over a bump at approximately 30 mph and the electrical system acted as though the car had a wreck, cutting the motor and showing the airbag had deployed when it had not. After a few minutes, the car started up just fine with no adverse affects. The dealer says they've never heard of such a thing and can't think of how/why it happened.

My husband came home and went to turn the car off and the key would not budge. The car was still running and the key was stuck in the ignition. I called on-star from my car and he got a roadside assistant on the phone and I was told that my car needed to be towed to the dealership. A tow truck driver came out and could not disable the car and had to tow the car, while it was running, to the dealership. We researched this problem online and found that it was fairly common in our vehicle. We were told the next day by the dealership that the ignition switch and housing unit needed replaced. I called gm corporate to ask if this was a recall and/or if someone was looking into this problem and all I was told was that was not a safety issue. I was livid and will never deal with gm again for such a lousy response. I have two young children and what if I would have been stranded with them in the car while it was running. Tell me that is not a safety issue. I do have the old parts.