2003 Saturn ION 3 review from North America
"Good from far, but FAR from good!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Left turn signal harness replaced (twice)
Control arm bushings collapsed.
Upper shock mount bushings failed.
Fuse for power steering blew.
Starter failed.
Engine cold start switch failed.
Auto transmission software upgrade to correct rough shifting.
Hood release seized (twice)
General comments?
Two pieces of advice I freely share with friends, but I neglected to follow myself:
1. Go Import.
2. Leave first model year of ANY car alone.
In addition to all the stuff breaking only 2.5 years into my lease, GM dropped the 5 speed auto tranny my car has and replaced it for the 2005 model year with a 4 speed auto. Good way for GM to mitigate future warranty work I presume - especially with the warantee running out on the two model years they offered it.
Motor's loud as all heck - I checked the engine compartment on an '06 (during a now-regularly scheduled breakdown) and there is now more insulation in there than Santa's outhouse. Too bad I can't get that retrofitted.
The tech guys are nice though.
Recommended reviews
| I'm not satisfied with the service department, but I like the size and performance of the car |
|
| Cute, but never again |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Model year | 2003 |
| Year of manufacture | 2003 |
| First year of ownership | 2003 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2006 |
| Engine and transmission | Automatic |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 3 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 6 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 7 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 0 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 48000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Daewoo Lanos |
| Date of Entry | 24th March, 2006 |