2004 Saturn ION ion 2 from North America - Comments

I have had this car for 4 months, and the check engine light comes off and on at about every 30 km.

I put 5.5 of synthetic oil in at 4894 kms and when I reached 8800 kms it was time for another oil change.

And finally the kicker is the darn thing stalled on me when I stopped at a traffic light and wouldn't start again for 10 minutes. And please note this is an automatic not a manual transmission.

My car has been in the service department at Saturn several times and they tell me they have no idea what is wrong with it. It could be that I got the lemon, but they have done nothing to keep my business for the future.

As far as the oil needing to be changed so soon after the last, I was told that the oil should be black because it is cleaning the engine. Well what exactly needs to cleaned on a car with only 9000 km on it.

Your "Change oil soon" light is schedule to come up every 5000 km. Even if you use synthetic oil, the computer doesn't know this, it just knows the mileage done since the last oil change. If the synthetic oil is supposed to last longer, all you have to do is reset the computer (that is done form inside the fuse box in the engine compartment). For the engine cleaning part, every engine, even new, has a little bit of blow-by (when piston compress air and fuel mixture a little goes by the rings on the pistons, they are not 100% leak safe) plus your engine is in it's critical time of "grinding" since every parts are new and tightly fitted. Follow the maintenance schedule and you'll have a car that will last you a long time.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

My last oil change was 2/20/2006 32,647 today 35,000 3/30/2006 and the the oil stick was completely dry

no oil at all in my car the reason I got it check today is due to a noise I heard on the way home from work I thoght it was the snow tires, they are loud tires any way the guy at the gas station check my tiers all good then I lifted the hood and he asked if he could check the oil sure go ahead

no oil at all NONE what the... so now I'm PO'ed and nervouse to drive my car the guy put two qourts in for me I don't get paid till tomarrow where i'll have to put a lot more oil in the car?

Any one else have either oil leaks?

Or has the dealership forgot to do an oil change?

How in less than 30 day's my oil stick is dry?

Could this car be a lemon (other issues like rattling, bent rims) let me know if you have further info

thanks.

The first thing I would do would be to have an independent (not the dealer) shop look to make sure that your oil plug, etc. is put on correctly.

I had my oil changed once at this questionable Jiffy Lube that friends had recommended (I was new to the area). Found out when I went to sell the car six months later that they had substituted another plug that did not fit the car (don't ask me why) and the car had a perpetual oil leak.