2005 Saturn ION Reviews - Page 7 of 7

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24th Jun 2005, 16:58

Interesting that the computer is scheduled to tell you to change the oil every 5k. The dealer I was at when I test drove an Ion told me that it measured the viscosity of the oil, and when it became to thick then you needed to change the oil. He also told me that the prices on new Saturns are non-negotiable.

28th Jun 2005, 08:45

Actually, both descriptions of the oil life monitor are incorrect. The computer monitors several engine parameters such as number of cold starts, trip duration, ambient and engine operating temperature, and many others. It does not monitor oil viscosity, and it is not set to alert at a given mileage. It is correct that the computer algorithms that calculate oil life are for traditional (non-synthetic) oil, so synthetics most likely have more life beyond the monitor. The monitor illuminates at approximately 10% oil life remaining.

This is the same oil life monitor used in many GM cars and is described both online and in your owner's manual.

7th Sep 2005, 14:50

I have had three "part failures" on my 2005 Ion, which I've only had 8 months. It only has 5800 miles on it. The last two were within the same week and it appears that the service on the 2nd problem should have fixed everything but didn't. I literally had the same malfunction within 10 minutes of picking up the "fixed" car. This is my 4th Saturn and the first one with problems that I thought were uncommon given this company's reputation. The dealership's response to my questions about why this is happening to a relatively new car are that they don't know and this is what the warranty is for. I am not sure I will be buying another Saturn.

3rd Jan 2006, 22:58

You should check with you local dealer. I was told they only honor the engine for life program if you have you oil changed every 3,000 miles.

26th Jan 2006, 09:12

Your check engine light could be coming on because your gas cap isn't sealed tight enough. Mine kept doing that and the service department suggested this and it works! Stupid feature, but easy fix.

2005 Saturn ION Ion 1 2.2 from North America

Model year	2005
Year of manufacture	2005
First year of ownership	2005
Most recent year of ownership	2005
Engine and transmission	2.2 Automatic
Performance marks	8 / 10
Reliability marks	9 / 10
Comfort marks	10 / 10
Dealer Service marks	10 / 10
Running Costs (higher is cheaper)	6 / 10
Overall marks (average of all marks)	8.6 / 10
Distance when acquired	10 kilometres
Most recent distance	4700 kilometres
Previous car	Saturn Ford Tempo

Summary:

Great car for the money

Faults:

Trunk ajar warning not coming up on message center, other than that nothing has gone wrong with this car so far (touch wood)

General Comments:

We are really please with this car, it rides nice and handles well for the type of car that it is. Acceleration is more than adequate.

The engine maybe a little noisy when accelerating, but it is a pleasant throaty sound not unlike a sports car.

Headroom and shoulder room is excellent.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 11th April, 2005

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2005 Saturn ION from North America

Model year	2005
Year of manufacture	2005
First year of ownership	2005
Most recent year of ownership	2005
Engine and transmission	Automatic
Performance marks	2 / 10
Reliability marks	4 / 10
Comfort marks	7 / 10
Dealer Service marks	8 / 10
Running Costs (higher is cheaper)	7 / 10
Overall marks (average of all marks)	5.6 / 10
Distance when acquired	21 miles
Most recent distance	700 miles
Previous car	Chevrolet Cavalier

Summary:

I am very dissatisfied with the quality of this car!

Faults:

The key got stuck in the ignition.

The service engine light came on.

The cruise control stopped working twice.

General Comments:

I have had this car for a little over 2 weeks and have already had 4 problems with it. I purchased it brand new. Less than a week after I picked it up, I was driving to a meeting. When I pulled into my parking spot I shut the car off and the key would not come out of the ignition. I called my father to try and he also couldn't get it out. I ended up leaving it in there while I attended my meeting and then drove it home. After fighting with it for 20 min I was finally able to remove the key.

The following day I went on a hour and a half road trip with a friend. Halfway to our destination, the service engine light came on. It stayed on until the following evening.

At this point I took the car in for service. They said it was a bad sensor and they had to adjust the shifter to ensure the key would come out. They had to keep it overnight and I was given a loaner.

A few days after this happened, a friend was asking about the buttons on my steering wheel. I told her it was the cruise control and proceeded to show her how it works. Much to my surprise, it didn't work.

I was back at the dealership last night and they fixed the cruise. I tested it as I was leaving and it seemed to be working. However this morning I tried it again and it didn't work. I am not happy with this car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 30th March, 2005

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14th May 2005, 20:24

My 2003 Ion, 42,000 miles, has had some four occasions wherein I parked and couldn't remove the key. However, the Owner's Manual provided a methodology that works!

26th Jun 2005, 11:41

That's pretty messed up when the owners manual describes a way to work around a consistent and known problem.