The front end bushings were squeaking and have been lubricated and then finally replaced.
The steering made a rubbing noise and has been lubricated twice.
Ignition switch failed on a very cold morning and needed to be replaced.
Clutch switch was poorly adjusted, causing intermittent starting problems.
Car had blown several turn signal bulbs which has now been corrected under a vehicle recall.
There is wind noise coming in from the left side of the car at highway speeds.
Other than the price, there is very little to be excited about with this car.
I can live with all the little flaws because I only purchased an Ion 1 and knew that I was basically getting what I paid for. I would be very upset if I had spent more money and purchased an Ion 2 or Ion 3 and had all these problems.
That is VERY rude... some of us are completley happy with our GM products.
I agree with the above commenter. People like to float the notion around that GM supposedly makes bad cars, thinking that it is some kind of accepted fact in the automotive world, which is beyond question. Obviously, this reviewer is entitled to his or her opinion (hence, the purpose of this site), but I disagree. GM has had their problems, but so have all the car companies. I would not buy GM products (which are now all I buy) if I thought they were poorly made. But I have seen tremendous strides made in GM products in the past decade, to the degree that they can hold their own against, and in many cases surpass, everyone's beloved imports. GM knows what they are up against, but they can/do also set standards in their own right. I guess I am guilty too, of wanting to support the American economy... there are a few of us left.
All the best.
RUDE? Sorry, but just stating what I know and feel from my experiences so far. But really, it's not very polite to SHOUT either, is it? I'm very happy that you have GM products that you are satisfied with.. Perhaps you can share your experience on what the good ones are (but also include any problems that you have had) so the rest of us are educated on what the good ones are? I come from Oshawa, ON where our plants build the most GM products in North America. Like the second commenter, I also like to support the local economy, so my last 5 vehicles have all been GM products including the Saturn Ion and an SL2, an Alero and 2 GMC Safari mini vans.As the second commenter also noted, ALL vehicles (domestic and import) have their share of problems, and I agree. Of all these vehicles, I have been "happiest' with the Safaris, even though with my current one I've had to replace Oil Cooler Lines, Intake Manifold Gaskets and Power Window Motors with only 70,000 Km on the van (Pretty major mechanical work for such low mileage?). Over all though, these vehicles are poorly designed, use cheap interior parts, and have very poor tolerances as far as overall quality in fit and finish. That's not slander, or a generalization, its just fact. My biggest concern though is with GM's small car market (the vehicles that I have driven everyday to work for the last 15 years). Why does GM need to design, engineer and produce so many multiple products that are all basically the same and all end up below par? Case in point: the current Saturn Ion, Chevrolet Cobalt and Optra and Pontiac Pursuit. Or historically, the Cavalier/Sunfire or Corsica/Tempest. Instead of having so many average or below average products, why not just have one or two high quality products and concentrate ALL your efforts into them? Not that I'm endorsing them, but that is how import manufactures do it - less products with more emphasis on the few products that they make. Unfortunately, we all know the downside of that - it results in a higher vehicle price, which is why GM had found so much success with the Cavalier/Sunfires.
So, again sorry to offend - that wasn't the intent. However, I stand by the review of my Ion - it's a terrible vehicle that I would never recommend - with design problems that GM is not correcting (and are now using the same platform for the Cobalt and Pursuit). However - being the North American and GM Oshawa supporter that I am, I think I'll move up for my next vehicle and try a Buick Regal because I'm sick of the small car quality. So how about it, those of you that are happy with your GMs? Is the Regal a car I'll be happy with?
Cheers!
Second commenter here:
Thank you for your detailed response. You obviously put a lot of thought into your post, and have clearly articulated your opinion. As you correctly picked up on, your subject line hit a nerve with me, albeit I was not the commenter who SHOUTED. Reading your thoughts behind your review though, I can see that you are not deserved of being characterized the way I implied by my comment. I thought your review might have been based purely on preconceived notions, with no real thought put into it. Obviously, this does not apply in your case, so I apologize if I offended you.
To answer your question (s), I do base my beliefs on personal experience with GM, and cars in general. My experiences with GM have by far been mostly positive, but I would be naive to say that the company has not had its share of problems. I work as an electrical engineer now, but I was formerly (until 1997) a GM factory trained/certified technician. In that position, I saw the good and the bad first hand.
I have owned many cars, which have been a mix of GM and non-GM. With the GM's, I experienced two inexcusable defects resulting from poor design (I am telling you everything, as you requested). The first problem was a very prominent problem on GM vehicles (which should have been caught and corrected) throughout the 1980's and into the 1990's. GM alternators were garbage, and I had to replace the alternator on every GM car I owned up until (not including) my current one. The alternator defect/problem has now finally been corrected.
From working at the dealership, I basically new that the alternators were faulty going into my purchases, and that I would have to replace them. The alternators going bad were really the only problem I ever had with any of my GM vehicles, until I bought the absolute disaster vehicle of my life, a '93 Saturn SL2.
Like clockwork, the SL2 alternator blew. If that was the only problem the car ever had, I would have been made in the shade. But, to my surprise that I did not know at the time, the 1.9L engine in the SL's had notoriously bad rings, and were oil guzzlers. Believe me, you are dealing with someone here, who meticulously maintains their cars, and drives very easy, so the engine problems were not remotely my fault.
The 1.9L Saturn engine defect (not the new 2.2L ECOTEC, which is a fantastic engine... more on that later) is now a well-known problem. The fact that GM could have let that happen, by any standards, was inexcusable. Believe it or not, I actually swore off GM for several years after that, even to the extent of going over to the dark side, and buying a Nissan.
Needless to say, I eventually came back, but I will never forget my experience with that SL2. I reviewed it accordingly on this site, because I do not want GM to ever forget what they did to customers like me by letting that disaster of a car go to market. I hope for your sake, you had much better luck with your SL2 than I had with mine.
I returned to buying GM, because I saw that they were taking bad models and components (the Saturn SL series, the faulty alternators of days gone by, etc.) off the market, and once again starting to make quality a priority. With the exception of the 1.9 Saturn I4, and some mishaps here and there that were the exception, not the rule, the engines have typically always been quality. The dealership I worked at was a Buick dealership, and we used to see 3.8L V6's, 3.3L V6's, 2.5L (Iron Duke) I4's, and 5.0 and 5.7L V8's routinely roll in with 200K+ miles, running like brand new. GM was, and remains an industry leader in electronic fuel injection, and was far ahead of most other car companies for many years. With the exception of the mid to late 1990's 4.3L motors (which had faulty fuel system designs, but the problem was realized and quickly eradicated), the injection systems were seamless from the late 1980's, up through and including today. They run great.
That 3.8 V6, which you are considering for your Regal purchase, is probably as close to bullet proof in an engine as you can get. I would encourage you to go for that one, without reservation. We used to get the old Circa 80's Supercharged Regal Grand Nationals in the dealership with over 200K miles, running (and often times looking) like they just rolled out of the showroom. It was unbelievable how nice those things sounded too, considering they were V6's.
The 4.3L V6 engines themselves, which you are familiar with in your Safari's, are legendary for their durability. I had one in an S10, which I sold at 150K miles, running like a top, with the compression of a brand new engine. My brother worked for a delivery company with a fleet of S10's, an overwhelming majority of which had over 200K and some 300K miles on the original engines. They were all beaten unmercifully, and all ran great. My brother now works as a police officer, and many of the old LT1 Caprice's are still on the road, running great with 200K+ miles of police service.
The GM vehicle I drive now is a '03 Chevrolet Cavalier. It is a very basic car, but that is the way I like to have it... nice and simple. Like your ION, my Cavalier has the new ECOTEC engine. This engine is a refined machine. It has undergone more durability testing than any other engine GM has ever produced. The engine is/was a joint effort between GM and its corporate partners Saab and Opel. The engine is has great power to displacement characteristics, is a smooth runner, and is built to endure the long haul. The ECOTEC on my Cavalier actually came with a stainless steel exhaust, which is typically unheard of in small cars. In my view, touches like that are a testament to GM's renewed commitment to quality.
You mentioned that some of the body panels might be poor fitting (which I actually have not noticed on my Cavalier), but do not forget that those body panels are two sided thick galvanized steel. I think few people would argue that the sheet metal on North American cars is superior to that of imports. I view it as a trade-off, and would by far opt for the better sheet metal. The internal/mechanical tolerances of the drive components (engine, trans, etc.) are what I feel are a lot more important. Those, I believe, are right on, as is evidenced by the GM drivelines achieving such high mileage, and my own measurement of many of those tolerances in my former days as a technician.
What I am afraid is going to be GM's downfall, which I share your sentiments on, is their business strategy of having so many divisions (Chevy, Pontiac, Saturn, etc.). The models are essentially similar (although the Saturn Ion having plastic body panels is very unique, and in that respect I would substantially differentiate it from the Colbalt). They would be so much more profitable if they dropped some divisions, and just focused on just a few models, and hitting those out of the park.
GM, I believe, has some great products out this model year, all of which I feel very well engineered, and will good long term reliability. There is not any model they are offering now, that I feel I would not be able to trust. GM has made some mistakes, but I believe they have learned from them. The auto industry today is just too competitive to have it any other way. If GM had a good business strategy, they would be unstoppable, but I am afraid I am not too optimistic about the company in that respect.
So, that's basically the abridged version of how I arrived at my comments, and my general thoughts on GM. I guess I am a certified car enthusiast (or nut) for writing all this. But, I felt you deserved me to clarify my remarks, since you graciously clarified yours. Good luck with your car related endeavors, I would again encourage you to take a look at that Regal. It is a solid machine.
To the second commenter: A Nissan? (GASP) - Just kidding. Thanks for the detailed comment. It was very informative. I actually like the Chevy Impala, but my wife likes the Regal. Both are great Oshawa products, although a little more than I'm used to spending on the vehicle that I just drive to work (and bigger than I need too). My SL2 was a disaster also (Perhaps I should add a review on it also?) The alternator did go which didn't bother me too much. However, the engine was self destructing with only 100,000 km on it. I replaced the timing chain, also with the bushings and?hydraulic adjuster? that is involved with it, which was a very costly job. The car also got better gas mileage than it did oil mileage <grin>. It had the motorized seat belts which drove my crazy and took forever to operate in the -30 degree weather. So why did I buy another Saturn? 2 things - incentives ($3500 off) and 0% financing for 48 months. Of course, all in the hopes that Saturn had straighted itself out and built a better car. Yikes - I don't know! I hope you're right about the 2.2 Ecotech, it seems to be the only thing in the car without problems right now. Every oil change (5000 km intervals) I have to leave the car with the dealer to also perform some type of warranty work. The front end suspension and the steering have been a disaster. At least everything is still covered, but I'm scared of the point where this car comes off of warranty!
Anyway - thanks again for all your experience and information. I will certainly be giving the Regal a look (and probably an Impala too) for my next vehicle.
Best Regards!
I have to agree with this comment. I too am the very disappointed and angry owner of a 2003 Saturn Ion 3. To say I have had problems is an understatement. I don't believe the car has ever worked right. The car has been plagued with front end problems from the start. It has been serviced approx 10 times for that alone. The starter had to be replaced. Water got in through the intake manifold and cost me $3000 to repair. Expert opinion says they are too low on this car. Right now the front bearings are gone. I have had the brakes replaced twice on the front within a 6 month time frame. The car has refused to start on several occasions. The gear shifting is crazy the car labours going up hills and sticks going down hills. Extremely slow on take off. Has been towed on three occasions for various problems. The car has only 70,000 km and is used to go back and forth to work, city driving. Customer service is a joke if I hear "there is nothing we can do for you" one more time... well you get my drift.
I bought this car for peace of mind and have not gotten what I paid for. I have no faith in GM products anymore and will be looking elsewhere for my next purchase.
I agree... and am so happy that I'm not alone. I just replaced my front end bushings and ignition starter on my 2003 Ion 2 and I'm just mad because it's not even three years old yet. The customer service guy at the dealership told me they've had a lot of problems with the ignition starters, and I'm surprised there isn't a recall. If there is, I'd like my $150 back. Also, not sure why the front end bushings died. But I'm pretty sure that's an issue as well.
I have a Ion 2,2003 and I also had some of the same issue with bulb being replace on a regular base, my other concern is low oil, and having to put oil between oil changes. My question is if anyone else my be having the same problem.
I have a 2003 Saturn ION 1. I did have to replace the driver's side turning signal on the front of the car several times, but the one I have now has been good for some time. I have also had problems with the ignition on cold mornings.
The first time the car wouldn't start I took it in to the service department to have it checked out and they said that they couldn't find anything wrong with the car. But after reading this I am glad that I'm not alone. Now, I at least have an idea of what the problem is. Thanks to all that posted.
Besides these problems I have not had any problems. I have about 81,000 miles on my ION and I recently bought a 2006 V6 Saturn Vue. I love the V6 engine!!!
I own an '05 Ion 2 with about 45,000 km. I have had the car since new, but this past 6 months or so I have had squeaking noises coming from the front end. The noise worsens in cold weather. Does anyone know the remedy? Do I have to have the bushings replaced? Also, I have noticed that the ignition switch sometimes refuses to turn when I insert the key. Any advice? Are these things covered by the warranty?
General Motors as you call it has had their problems,,, Grand Ams and the likes have front end problems, transmission problems, Intake manifold problems, electrical problems, ect.
(I owned one)
Saturn's have had oil consumption problems which the manufactures refused to fix or aknowledge. Concidering that a quart of oil consumption per 1000 statue miles is acceptable. what a joke,,, who ever heard of that, my mechanic is still laughing at me.
(I owned one)
I have followed all recommended maintence schedule on all vehicles, only to find engineering problems on all. contacts to the company, they state that you have to replace either engine or tear it down. with 85,000 miles, I find that rather bold with only 85,000 miles on the car.
Here is a good one for you,,,, I went to the saturn dealer because my car was eating 1 quart of oil every other day, and smoking like the dickens... Saturn of Lancaster, Pennsylvania:::: Here is what they told me the problem was... The oxygen sensors were causing the problem, valve cover gasket was leaking a little bit. so I left with a 1,000.00 and some bill with the car still smoking like the dickens out of the lot. (I was not very happy)
I took the car then to saturn of harrisburg, and they told me to get the car off the lot because everytime they started the engine, It smoked out there building. They did offer to replace the engine at a cost to me of 4,000.00 USD
Gee Thanks Saturn,,, You lost me as a customer.. Excuse me if I am Rude.
Help! I love my 2003 Saturn ion. However, buying it used, less than 3 months ago, I have no manual. With 47K miles, my flywheel is now found to be missing teeth. The shop said my connect wires were cut (?). The cost $750 parts & labor. Shouldn't this be covered under the power-train warranty offered.
My 2003 Ion is an okay car, though I had all the same problems as the original poster: squeaky bushings that I had to go in like 5 times for (eventually replaced), bad ignition switch. The Ion though is a very good-looking car for the money (vaguely Euro-ish) and it's got more power that you'd think. I pulled an overloaded U-Haul cross country twice and had no problems other than bad gas mileage.
I own a 2004 Ion 3 Quad coupe that replaced my 98 SL2. I got this car at a great deal and I have loved it ever since. The one thing I think people are missing here is that the Ion is a half breed GM/Saturn Car. In 2007 all Saturn's as we know them will be gone and Saturn will officially be a true GM company. Like ever car maker they have their share of problems and problem cars, that's why most states have lemon laws. I'm sad to see Saturn (the people's car company) be done away with for financial reasons. I will miss them and will continue to drive and enjoy my true Saturn.
<<I own a 2004 Ion 3 Quad coupe that replaced my 98 SL2. I got this car at a great deal and I have loved it ever since. The one thing I think people are missing here is that the Ion is a half breed GM/Saturn Car. In 2007 all Saturn's as we know them will be gone and Saturn will officially be a true GM company. Like ever car maker they have their share of problems and problem cars, that's why most states have lemon laws. I'm sad to see Saturn (the people's car company) be done away with for financial reasons. I will miss them and will continue to drive and enjoy my true Saturn.>>
Saturn's problems were 100% self inflicted. Here GM had a rabid customer base that was truly a cult (in a good way!) in America and what did GM do? Cut off funding for Saturn!
So Saturn just languished with mediocre products that no one wanted. Now, as you point out, they are turning into a pseudo-European company as most of the vehicles are foreign knockoffs. Plus, the list prices have skyrocketed. $30K for a Saturn Sky? Please.