Anti-theft Controller Problems of Saturn ION - part 1

On some cold days, the car will not start. This is an intermittent problem. The lights, radio, etc. Will turn on when the key is turned, but the car will not start and the anti-theft indicator light will blink. You have to wait anywhere from 10-30 minutes for the anti-theft system to reset to allow the vehicle to start. I only have this problem on cold days. This has happened multiple times and we've contacted gm twice, but they say they have never heard of any complaints.

See all problems of the 2006 Saturn ION 🔎.

The contact owns a 2005 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that vehicle could not be started during colder weather due to the anti-theft sensor. The contact stated that the vehicle would have to sit at least twenty minutes after starting in order for the vehicle to reset. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to diagnose the failure. The dealer advised the contact to have the vehicle towed when the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified who stated that the dealer could not repair the vehicle until properly diagnosed. The failure mileage was 83,000.

See all problems of the 2005 Saturn ION 🔎.

Vehicle will start intermittently on cold and/or damp mornings. Online research has shown the cause to be a defective body control module (bcm; a component of the factory-installed anti-theft system), confirmed by an experienced automotive technician. Said technician has stated to complainant that vehicle may be subject to recall due to defective bcm; however, according to NHTSA, this vehicle is under recall only for exterior lighting issues (NHTSA campaign id #09e012000). Complainant requests detailed recall information for this specific part (bcm), for this specific make and model of vehicle (listed above). If no such recall exists, complainant requests a recall be initiated.

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion 2. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 mph, the engine stalled without warning. The vehicle was merged to the side of the road and after waiting ten minutes the vehicle restarted. The failure occurred sporadically. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who stated the faulty anti theft pass lock would need to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was unavailable.

The contact owns a 2007 Saturn Ion. The keys became wedged in the ignition switch and the contact could not shut the engine off. The battery was disconnected in order to shut off the engine and the vehicle was towed to the dealer. The dealer could not correct the failure. This was the second time the failure occurred. The failure mileage was 41,297 and the current was unknown.

See all problems of the 2007 Saturn ION 🔎.

Car intermittenly wont start. If you stall this car and you are sitting at a stop light, there is a good chance that you wont be able to start this car right away. This could create a dangerous situation. Dealer recommended replacing the ignition switch. Worked for about a week then the same problems started again. This problem is all over the internet. Seems to have something to do with the anti-theft device on the car.

Car won't start when the temp is below 20 f, have to wait 10 min for anti theft to reset and then try again. Some times have to try 3 or 4 times. Dealer say it's a know problem and I have to replace the ignition switch at my expense.

See all problems of the 2003 Saturn ION 🔎.

Car will not start when it is very cold out! key will turn, radio etc. Will work, but anti-theft system cuts off fuel. Many, many people have same problem, on Saturn Ion 2, numerous years! the oil/grease used in ignition freezes! Saturn knows of this problem, but is turning a blind eye!.

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that the vehicle would not start due to the ignition pass lock security feature. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was informed that the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 50,000 and the current mileage was 62,000.

I couldn't start my car. I had it jumped and the problem went away. I got a new battery thinking this would fix everything, which it did not. I came to learn it was not the battery, but the passlock system. It is a safety issue for the following reason: when this happens I'm required to sit for ten minutes to wait for it to clear out the passlock system. This happened the other night at midnight, which is a very dangerous situation to be in a parking lot with no one else around. After a little research I find that many people have experienced this. Seems unfair that Saturn is aware of this costly issue and is not being held responsible for the cost of fixing it. Especially since I've read that some people have the same issue after they've spent $300+ to get it fixed.

See all problems of the 2004 Saturn ION 🔎.

I own a 2004 Saturn Ion. For the past two years when the temperature is below 36 degrees the vehicle fails to start. The ignition locks me out until the anti theft device resets and I can try again. After reading about many others expensive solutions to this issue without resolve or recall by gm, I have bought a small electrical heater to set on my floor board on the drivers side of the vehicle. This warms up the ignition inside the car and it starts right up. Until I found this solution I was late to work, late for appointments and once stranded in frigid temperatures.

The contact owns a 2005 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the key became stuck in the ignition and the vehicle was unable to be started. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where it was diagnosed that the ignition switch and the anti-theft system needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000 and the current mileage was 80,000.

Saturn Ion 2004 will not start in cold weather. The symptoms is sporadic and unpredictable and linked to faulty security module (anti-theft) which disables the car in cold weather. This is a well known problem documented in various forums as well as well known to Saturn dealers. Yet gm did not make a recall on this issue for more than 5 years. I have had this problem since 2005 and advised the dealers and Saturn customer service several times with no success.

Steering wheel will not lock. When taking key out of ignition, and opening driver door, it chimes very fast, as if key was still in ignition or lights have been left on. It's as if the key was never removed at all, which means the anti-theft device probably does not engage and the ignition could easily be manipulated and started without the key. I have not contacted my dealer because the car is no longer under warranty and I do not have the money to pay for such a repair. However, I will be turning the car over to gmac once the smartbuy period is up. I also had a problem with the window falling off the track; I had this fixed while under warranty, but at 35,500 miles and I don't drive it that much.

Car will not start in cold weather (approximately 30 degrees or lower). Initial attempt at starting puts car into anti-theft mode, and you must wait about 10 minutes to try again with no guarantee the same thing won't happen again.

Saturn Ion has trouble starting when the weather is cold. It is the pass lock anti-theft system that so many other people are having troubles with. Saturn dealer will not admit to any problem.

Car will not start when all components are good. Faulty anti theft device.

The contact owns a 2003 Saturn Ion level 2 (na). The contact noticed that the vehicle would not start intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who performed a diagnostic test which concluded that the ignition switch and pass lock needed to be repaired. The contact did not inform the manufacturer. The dealer was repairing the ignition switch and the anti theft device system. The current mileage was approximately 66,000. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

I have 2006 Saturn Ion 3 and there is something going on with the passlock which delay the time of my car starting I have to wait 10 minutes before I could get my car to start.

Faulty design in the ignition switch. The switch leaks lubricant onto the wires of the ignition system. In cold temperatures this lubricant freezes and prevents the electrical signal needed by the passlock anti-theft system from being received by the bcm (body control module). When this signal isn't received the anti-theft system kicks in. It then shuts off the fuel delivery system for a default period of 10 minutes or sometimes longer for up to an hour. This has caused numerous failures with the driver being stranded in cold temperatures. There's numerous documentation in regards to this problem online for several years and Saturn is taking no responsibility to try and remedy this problem, except to charge unreasonable prices to fix. In addition, according to many reviews online this problem resurfaces at a later date. . .

Ignition switch recognition began to deteriorate. When trying to start the car, the anti-theft would come on. I would have to wait hours. This would happen in cold and rainy weather. Key would get locked in ignition with accessories on and not go off. Battery would die. When jumping the car the key would still be locked in the on position and begin turning on and off violently and rapidly until key was able to be removed. Car blew fuse while driving on highway. Max speed reduced to 30 mph. When turning on key would be 1/2 recognized and lights/electric would flicker on and off violently and fuses/computer had to be replaced/reset. Car did the light/electrical issue while on and driving, key would not come out of ignition. Car was towed by palmetto chevy in conway SC, who despite recall and vehicle history refuse to fix the car or give loaner as stated on website. I have been calling since 2008 about the issue. Gm says take it to a dealership but I have to pay for issues. Car has been towed on Tuesday 3/11/14 to palmetto chevy, after they told me they would pick it up but were a no show on Monday 3/10/14. Again, they refuse to do the recall. Stating they find nothing wrong with the ignition.

This is the second complaint I have filed on my 2006 Saturn Ion. I have been tracking a problem I have been having with it not starting in the morning. The problem is with the passlock system that allows fuel to pass to the engine, a so called anti theft deterrent. This morning I sat in my car in the driveway for 30 minutes waiting for the system to reset itself. Looking at various websites, gm has had this problem repeatedly for quite some time. I have contacted Saturn corporation, received assistance from a customer service rep, taken my car to the nearest dealership (70 miles away) and the dealership "can't duplicate the problem" and says they have "never heard of this problem before". I took over 20 pages of documentation with me showing thousands of gm customers that are experiencing this same problem. The dealership wouldn't even look at the paperwork. Something needs to be done about this issue. My car is only 2 years old. I was sold a defective product, gm knows the passlock system does not work properly but continues to treat their customers like they are idiots. It is dangerous to be stranded in a car that will not start with children in the car and ridiculous to have a car dictate when it will start.

My Saturn Ion 03 will not start up in early morning cold temperature. The ignition sends no signal to the anti-theft system that shuts off fuel to the car. It takes, on average, twenty minutes for the car to actually start. I noticed the problem one year ago during the winter months. At first, I speculated it was the battery, coolant/anti-freeze fluid, low gas but all checked out fine. After researching recalls and Saturn Ion problems I found that it was the anti-theft system that was triggering the problem.

The contact owns a 2003 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start until after numerous attempts. The failure would only recur during colder weather. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection where the ignition switch assembly was replaced and the anti-theft security system was re-wired. The failure continued after the repairs were performed. The manufacturer was notified of the defect. The approximate failure mileage was 15,000.

Car will not start, due to pass-lock being initiated.

I purchased my vehicle in March of 2004 and have had numerous problems since. I have had the ignition switch replaced previously and now just paid $630 to have the body module replaced because the anti-theft system locks the whole car down making it impossible to start it. Initially it was thought to be a cold weather problem back when I first had the car ignition switch replaced. This recent incident is still not yet resolved because I have been having difficulty getting the keys out of the ignition once the car is turned off. It appears that the body module is still not registering that the key is in off position because the ignition switch is still faulty. I am at a loss for what to do next because I don't have money for these kind of repairs especially once every week.

I have been having a problem with the anti theft/passlock system on my Saturn Ion. Today is not the first time it has happen and after reading complaints from other consumers I see I am not the only one having the issue. The car will turnover but nothing will happen. All the lights come on the display as well as a service vehicle indicator. At first it would take 5 or 10 minutes to start and has progressively gotten worse. Today for example I waited a half hour for the car to start. I called the Saturn dealership here in my town only to end up in a argument with the person that sold me the piece of crap. I dont know how Saturn is still in business. I spent a pretty penny on the vehicle and no one wants to help. To know that a vehicle that you sell is causing so many customers so many problems and do not even want to help them resolve the issue is just pathetic to me. I am at the point of taking the car back to the dealership and taking a voluntary repo. I will never buy a car from Saturn or gm again.

Purchased an 03 Saturn Ion may 17, 2008. May 28 ignition locked up and would not turn past the accessory setting. In researching the problem have seen hundreds of postings for this problem. It appears anti theft system is defective and suddenly locks up preventing the start of the car. Cannot locate any information on how to fix the problem, people seem to just be replacing the ignition lock every couple of months. Saturn has not issued a recall to correct the problem. This is an issue that is well known to anyone associated with Saturn and I feel should have been disclosed on carfax or verbally by the Saturn dealer who sold me the car. I would not have purchased a car with a chronic defect that will leave my child and myself stranded on a regular basis.

Ignition problem - engine won't start, passlock prevents ignition. I live in texas and it's rarely that cold in the mornings, every time this has happened to me it has been a cold wet blustery day but not freezing. Car acts like the battery is dead, but frequent manipulation of the passlock remote will eventually clear the problem. This has left me stranded several times, and if Saturn knows about the problem, and hasn't done anything about it in the 5 years that it has been occurring, then they should be held criminally negligent. They should be made to correct the problem with the ignition and the passlock system, and replace or repair the control module at no cost. My door locks no longer work, and in speaking to other owners I can expect a downward spiral of electrical failures in the coming months.

On several occassion while it has been cold out, my vehicle would not start. As a matter of fact the vehicle would not even attempt to roll over. The only way I could seem to resolve the situation was by "jump starting" my Saturn with another vehicle. This has happened so many times in the winter that I finally got sick of it and parked the Saturn and drove a different vehicle. I am so sick of my car that I am ready to sell it. I recently found out about this site. After reading the first 20 some results and seen that everyone was having the same issue I was. I can not believe that there is not a recall on this part. I read other complaints too and am glad that I have not ran into their problem yet. If Saturn does not fix this problem really soon, I will sell my car and I will never buy a Saturn again. They are really making a bad product that they will eventually never sell again. After all these complaints, why has nothing been done to recall the problem. To anyone who reads this, never buy a Saturn. It is not just the Ion. I have heard several other issues with other vehicles.

My Saturn Ion 2003 does not start when the temperature drops and especially when it is coupled with it getting a bit humid. If I have an emergency on a cold, wet morning I will have to call a taxi. Something is clearly wrong in the design of the car itself -- in the security system interfacing with the starter/ignition is a guess. Saturn will not admit to their design flaw and/or shoddy workmanship! my car is not reliable at all!! I have brought it to two mechanics and the dealer. The dealer, after throwing it on the computer, said that there was absolutely nothing wrong with this car and charged me $70 for absolutely no help. Please help. Saturn needs to recall this model and fix their design problem. My first two Saturns were gems that drove and drove - needing little care. This one is simply one big design mistake . . . And my last Saturn. It simply will not start.

Our 2003 Saturn Ion has a permanent default, in that it will not start in cold weather. And the term "cold" is relative. Saturn told us the ignition switch is faulty. Thus, we paid an excess of $200 to rectify the problem. However, this "solution" lasted only a little over one year. Now, Saturn tells us that though we have the updated ignition switch, it still causes the same no-start problem, and we need a $575 (plus tax) body control module. We had to pay $104. 54 for Saturn to tell us this. Obviously, this is a problem caused by the manufacturer , which is leaving many people stranded morning, noon, and night in various locations around the country. The problem should be immediately rectified through a recall.

Car will not start in cold weather. Must wait between 5 and 10 minutes after each start attempt. Posted bulletins relate the problem to a faulty passlock switch/ignition switch.

This is the third time I've had to push this Saturn into the street to get our other drivers off to work. The first time it was only a few months old and was towed to the dealer. They said my floormats were too thick and not genuine Saturn parts and caused it not to start(no kidding, they said this). A few weeks later it once again failed to turn over. Another tow to the dealer and this time they re-coded the key and ignition switch. Several times over the past few years it has failed to start. If I wait 20 minutes, the anti theft module re-sets and it will start. This morning I slipped on ice while pushing it into the street and fell. My back is killing me right now and I'm very angry. This is an obvious problem that Saturn is ignoring. No self respecting thief would steal a Saturn in the first place. I see no need for an anti-theft device on this awful car.

My 2004 Ion won't start. The problem started in November with cold weather, but has occurred when it was not cold out and has gotten progressively worse until I can't start it at all and its because of the passlock security system. I have read probably more than a hundred complaints from others about this problem. Saturn obviously doesn't care about people's safety. What is the point of a car payment when you can't drive the car or leave in an emergency? I used to be able to wait ten minutes for the passlock to deactivate, although it might take several tries of doing this before I ever got anywhere, but now nothing. The car is ok otherwise. Mechanics don't know what to do.