Latches/locks/linkage Problems of Saturn ION

I recently experienced a malfunctioning door latch actuator. On two separate occasions, driver was trapped in the car because neither the interior or exterior door handle would actuate the door latch, opening the door. Exterior, interior manual, interior power and remote power locks were repeatedly actuated to no avail. Eventually, the door finally opened after using a hangar through the window cavity to bump one of the linkage arms. If there were an accident, this could pose a serious threat to a successful evacuation.

See all problems of the 2006 Saturn ION 🔎.

Ignition stuck in "on" position, can't remove key.

2006 Saturn Ion 2, the key stuck in the ignition switch, in the run position. I could not shut the car off. I had to disengage the fuse from the ignition assembly to shut the car off. This problem, after much on-line research, is an issue with Saturns from 2005-2007. Most individuals who posted thier issues online noted that the repair, through the dealer, was in excess of $500. 00. In addition, most individuals noted that they experienced the same problem, six months or more after replacing the the ignition lock cylinder, through thier dealership. Mechanics are noting that the assembly is faulty, in that each time the key is turned small bits of metal from the key are flaking off into the assembly, causing it to lock up, typically in the on position. Thankfully, for me, this incident occurred close to home. This vehicle is not under warranty and the repair will take replacement of the ignition lock assembly. This is something I will be doing myself, as I do not have the funds to take the vehicle to a dealership for repair. Given the number of complaints listed on-line through edmonds and other consumer complaint sites, I feel that Saturn/gm should be taking responsibility for the faulty parts and a recall should be issued. This poor engineering should not be an out of pocket expense for any consumer.

I have a 2006 Saturn Ion 3 that I purchased from a Saturn dealership in 2009. Today the car would not turn off. There was not a warning or any signs. The car was working 100% as normal, until it was not. For the third time today I turned the car on and drove to a destination. When I arrived at my destination I turned my car off. I went in to the store I was at to get an oil change. They pulled my car into the garage and the ignition would not turn off. The key was not able to be removed from the ignition switch (tumbler). The car would not turn off. I can not get the car to turn off without opening the engine compartment and then removing the #19 fuse from the engine fuse box. Then in order to kill the electrical system I have to disconnect the battery terminals. This is a problem that occurs every time I plug the fuse/battey back up. I did some research and found that while there are 100's of online complaints (that I read) and while some service departments acknowledge it as a known issue, gm has not issued a recall. I am about to dish out $500 for repairs that I believe should be covered under a recall. Do you have any suggestions for me?.

Passlock malfunction due to faulty ignition switch causes no crank and activation of 10 minute relearn sequence. Only happens when temperatures are below 40 degrees. Has always happened ever since I bought the car January 3rd, 2009. Frequency of occurrence has increased, and I'm scared that it will cause a crash if I happen to stall in traffic. The remedy to this situation has been discussed in numerous technical forums on the internet - all of which point to replacement of the ignition switch. The cause is thought to be excessive grease applied to the internals of the switch. I think gm should recall the affected units exhibiting this problem and provide no cost replacement of the ignition switch. This is not a new problem. Thousands of owners have been experiencing this aggravating and sometimes dangerous technical fault. Gm is ignoring the issue and offering Saturn owners absolutely no assistance to correct this serious problem. If gm does not act, the law of averages says that eventually someone may be injured or killed as a result of this malfunction. Please help us. This isn't fair at all.

See all problems of the 2005 Saturn ION 🔎.

The contact owns a 2007 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that both the driver side and rear passenger side door locks failed. The doors would unlock while the contact was driving. The vehicle was taken to a local repair shop where the contact was informed that the latch mechanism needed to be replaced. The contact called the manufacturer who offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

See all problems of the 2007 Saturn ION 🔎.

We have a Saturn Ion 2006 which is now experiencing ignition issues. First the car would not stop running (hazard!) in my driveway. This was due to the key being stuck in the on position in the ignition! we had to allow it to run out of gas prior to finding the emergency key release that Saturn has noted. Now the car will not even start and when I called the customer service line, the response was hardly comforting. Looking online it appears that there are numerous complaints logging this issue. It appears that there are quite a few people that would like to pursue a class action lawsuit against Saturn/gm as there have been absolutely no investigations, recalls, or even an acknowledgement of said issue. This is the first time the ignition has caused us issues, but looking at the online complaints, it won't be the last. When will it be investigated? will it be investigated after an accident happens perhaps with my 2 children in the car? will it be classified as an urgent issue then? see how many people have had the issue below via the link embedded. . Read more...

Vehicle was unable to be shut off, key was stuck in the ignition, I unhooked the battery and the vehicle was still running. This same vehicle had a recall on the fuel pump module and was leaking gas, had this occurred at the same time it would have been very unsafe for the car to have been running the entire time with a gas leak. Fortunately I had just repaired the fuel pump module 1 week prior to this issue with the ignition.

Yes a few months afo I financed a 2006 Saturn Ion level 3 since the first week having it have had nothing but problems including a major gas leak and severe gas fumes inside and outside the cab when running and not. The dealer had givin me nothing but lies and the fun around and attitude. Had been documented by an outside mechanic the car in unsafe to be on the roads and should never have passed inspection which the dealer did. I really need help. I know it's a good chance it's a flood car they sold me. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

My 2007 Saturn Ion's ignition lock cylinder is broken. Apparently this is a very common problem with Saturns, and fixing the problem once is not a guarantee that it will not need to be replaced again. When I arrived home, my car would not turn off. The key would not turn back, however, we could completely remove the key, and we could turn the key to the on position. My husband was able to turn off the car by pulling a fuse from the under the hood of the car after a little bit of research and a lot of wasted gas. We purchased a new ignition lock cylinder from the closest dealership, but that did not resolve the problem. We have now learned we also need to replace the ignition starter switch. There is no reason that this many Saturns should be having the exact same problem. . Read more...

I have a 2003 Saturn Ion. The key "jammed" in the "on" position leaving the car running. To shut it off you have to raise the hood, pull a fuse, then go to the trunk and disconnect the battery. This is a major issue for me because the car is driven by a college, female. Gas stations, convenience stores and small children left in car, etc. . . Are a problem, because the car is running. I have replaced the shifter, and now the ignition ($463) plus tax for a lock cylinder !.

See all problems of the 2003 Saturn ION 🔎.

Key becomes stuck in ignition - owner unable to turn vehicle off. Had to pull the fuse in order to shut the vehicle off and tow.

I drive a 2007 Saturn Ion, and from what I can tell online this is a huge problem that gm has and it has not been resolved or recalled. I got home from work and went to turn the key off and it would not turn off. The key was stuck. I have talked to several gm dealers and they all say it's a well known problem but still expect me to pay around 500 dollars to fix it. I would understand if this was normal wear and tear but it's not. This is something that is defective and known about. Gm either made these intentionally this way to scam in money or really screwed up and should fix it. This could of gone a lot differently what if the car would of locked up while driving and locked out the steering wheel? something needs to be done about this and I don't know if it is all Saturns or just the Ion model but it seems to be something that has gone on for sometime. As tax payers we bailed them out of financial problems and this is how we are repaid and treated. Please make gm do a recall on the Saturn ignitions immediately. I have a 10 month old and stuff like this scares me.

Could not turn the car off, the key was stuck in the on position with the car still running, had to pull the spark plugs out to turn off the car and disconnect the battery to keep from draining due to being in the on position. The ignition lock cylinder was bound in the housing. Dealer replaced the ignition cylinder and housing, I don't know if they still have the old part.

In ambient temperature of 29 degrees, my vehicle would not start. Passlock light was blinking for 10 minutes and then stopped. After that, I was able to start the car. This has happened before.

The contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. On April 14, 2009, while driving approximately 30 mph, the vehicle shut off without warning and the door lock system failed. The vehicle previously experienced electrical failures and trunk failure. The dealer replaced the trunk stopper. The vehicle was taken to a repair shop for a diagnosis. The current and failure mileages were 50,000.

See all problems of the 2004 Saturn ION 🔎.

There are no events leading up to the failure. From everything I've read from other Saturn Ion owners this is a frequent and seemingly random problem. At any given time if it is cold outside the car won't start. Everything lights up, the engine turns over and catches, only to stall. Upon repeated attempts to start the car there will be no response whatsoever. The engine does not turn over. After waiting several minutes it will eventually start. This problem has occurred 4 times in the last month; twice causing me to be late for particularly important engagements. Upon reporting the problem to the Saturn dealership where I bought the car I was told that they have many complaints of the same problem, but that their staff haven't been able to resolve it. This has been their general attitude towards several issues I've had with my car. I took it to another garage and they can't find a thing wrong with it. Saturn seems to be turning a blind eye to a problem that is clearly the result of a poor design somewhere on their part. I have also had to replace control arm bushings when I was at about 80 000 km, and now need to replace struts. I am hesitant to do this though, as the general consensus among Saturn Ion owners is that bushings and struts are in perpetual need of replacement on these cars. After replacing the parts most people find that they have to make the same repairs again within 2 years. Further problems I have with my car are: trunk will not open with key, replaced wires on both front turn signals and one headlight, key would not release from ignition, erratic transmission behavior (I was told that this is a common problem and that I just have to deal with it), seat belt guides broken (front, both sides), rear seat belt "female" component falls into crevice in seat, paint peeling from front bumper without being chipped prior, and a faulty cruise control switch. Every single one of these problems has turned up again and again in the Ion owners community.

2nd occurrence - unable to move key of running vehicle from "run" to off. Had to remove fuse and disconnect battery to stop car. Still unable to remove key - dealer has to replace lock cylinder parts. Would not have been able to stop engine in the event of an emergency situation.

Failure of a wiring harness in a front door that controls windows, mirrors and door lock. A 2004 Saturn Ion with 25, 106 miles had 5 broken wires in the drivers door. The left rear door has no power at the window switch. This failure is due to an inherent design flaw that forces tiny wires to bend 2 times at 90 degrees and be slammed by a door!! think of the safety of unlocking a door in a panic situation or driving with a window down in rain, sleet, cold, etc. , and a fuse is not the problem.

Problems with 2007 Saturn Ion ignition cylinder and park/lock interface. Vehicle frequently can not be turned off. Park/lock interface will not unlock door, when ignition turned off. Key cannot be removed from ignition.

Saturn Ion 2006 brand new had three days when cruise control would not engage. Phoned dealer was told to stop and restart to fix problem. Did not change. Steering wheel began to lob side to side. Took to dealership was told after diagnosis it was body mount. Power steering prompt appeared after repair wwhile driving expressway power steering ceased working causing me to almost wreck. Will not start until 10 minute delay. Cannot drive anyway with manual steering. This problem is electrical. Door locks will not open or lock properly. Car is very dangerous and will not allow anyone to drive it.