2003 Saturn ION from North America - Comments

I work at goodyear as a service advisor. My cousin called me to come look at her car for a no start condition at times and when car did start at times the theft light (light with the picture of the lock) would blink while the car is running. I was reading on here about the same issues so I took the car to saturn and the guy there told me they do about 40 cars a week when it is cold for the same problem. They charged me 136.00 complete for the repairs. Switch is 37.00 and the rest was labor.

I have a 2003 ion2 with the no start no crank problem. I got the best information from this site. the dealer did not share any information on the TSB. I decided to clean the ignition switch with LPS electro contact cleaner. Then I lubricated the ignition switch with Sea Foam Deep Creep a penetrant and lubricant. The ion has started the last three days since I did this. It has been between 10 above to 5 below. I left the car outside for 12 hours when it was 5 below to test it and it started fine. I think this may help a lot of ion owners with this problem.

I too have the same exact problems as everyone else, and so does my friend. I drive a 2003 Ion and he drives a 2004 Ion. I'm from Michigan where it has been freezing cold the last few weeks and I have had problems starting my car at least once a day for two weeks. It's the same thing... eventually after a few minutes it starts up, but it takes on average 15-20 minutes to start. I finally dropped it off at the dealer yesterday because I can't risk my car not starting anymore, I haven't heard back from them yet today, but now I'm worried. After reading everyone else's comments I definitly am going to act on this issue.

Saturn ION 2003. I thought I was the only one with this ignition problem, until I did a search for a replacement part. I've been troubleshooting this problem for a year now. And I finally pin pointed this issue to the relay/switch a few months ago. Thanks for this forum. I will let you all know if I find a better fix or replacement.

Does any body know where this Ignition switch/relay is located?

I had this same issue with my 2004 ION. Went to start it heard a click and noticed service vehicle on the dashboard. It got pretty cold in Chicago last night, but I have had the car start in weather just as cold. This is very frustrating and needs to be addressed by Saturn.

I bought a 2004 saturn ion new from the dealer. at around 39k miles I have had this problem 4 times now. I just spoke to a cutomer care representative at saturn, she took my complaint and mentioned that there were others like me, but offered NO information about a fix "saturn does not have a recommendation at this time". I also posted a complaint at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/ I would like to try the sea foam thing, but want to know how they put the lubricant in there!

Anyway --- this sucks! I would rather pay $200 to fix it for good than paying more to trade in and get a nissan versa!

I have a 2003 Saturn Ion that has 56,000 miles on it. The starting problem started for me 2 years ago in Colorado, but when I had the battery jumped, it always started back up. Last winter I had no problems. I am back in Michigan now (much colder than Colorado), and have had MANY problems with my car starting. I took it to a local repair shop, where the repairman said my battery needed to be replaced. I replaced the battery, and it didn't help at all. Finally, today, the guy informed me that I need a new starter switch. $170. I called my local Saturn dealer, to make sure I wasn't being ripped-off, then got on the web to do some research. I am furious that a recall has not been issued. My local dealership said that they have had AT LEAST 15 Ions in with the same problem. He encouraged me to call Saturn Corporate, which I did, and the lady told me that they couldn't do anything to help me because it wasn't being fixed at a Saturn location. I am so mad. I cannot afford this repair! Apparently, someone from Saturn is supposed to be calling me back tomorrow to talk to me. I'll believe it when it happens. In the meantime, I am going to http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/ to file a complaint. Maybe if we all get together we can have the recall issued. Stranded and FREEZING in MI.

I have been having this same problem for the last year or so. I love my ion3. From the start it has been one of the best vehicles I have ever owned. However, this seems to be an ongoing issue with this model, and it seems Saturn refuses to acknowledge any issue at all. I will try all suggestions on this forum and some of my own. I will be filing a complaint also. Thanks for your time. Also freezing in MI.

I have been having ignition problems with my 2003 Saturn Ion recently and found this forum by searching on-line. I also posted a complaint with the Office of Defects Investigation after finding information about it here. I was wondering if anyone has heard anything about any pending investigations on this problem? Are there any current legal cases against Saturn for their apparent negligence? I have not yet contacted Saturn nor sought any legal counsel, but am considering doing so.

Update on the 5th Feb 2007, 10:35 entry: I opened a case with Saturn customer service and after a few days they called and agreed to cover the entire cost of the repair and some of the towing charge! I stated that one of the failures occurred under warranty (although I didn't take it in at the time) so that may have helped. My confidence in Saturn has been restored and I just may trade this Ion for another model Saturn.

-Waiting in Wisconsin.

I have a 2006 Ion 3 Sedan and I am having numerous problems with it. I have a little over 48K miles on it and having problems with the A/C unit and lines, a rattling in the front end to which I feel that the problems lies within the ball joint or the lower control arm, and the biggest one, I SMELL SOMETHING BURNING WHEN A LOAD IS ON THE MOTOR! i.e. when going up a mountain or a long grade. No one seems to know what it is, but someone DID tell me that it was electrical. Uncertainty of a wire against the block or radiator somewhere or the possibility that the coils in the alternator are burning. I have taken it to the dealer a few times with the same complaints of the burning smell, but always turned out to be something I didn't want to hear or it was something totally different from the original diagnosis. All of these things have been documented, but have not been remedied simply because I cannot afford to keep taking it in to have them looked at and then told, "Well we would have to do a further diagnosis and tear down to find the cause." Which, in turn, will lead to more financial debt and no remedies. At this point in time, I love my Saturn, but I will never buy another one due to lack of competence. I know it may sound harsh, but I feel that I have gotten a lemon, but cannot prove this because so many things are going bad under 50,000 miles. Do not know where to run for answers because I keep getting the "run-around"

I have a 2003 ion and it will start due to this ignition switch. I feared that this was the problem since the car would start and then shut down with a warning on the dash to service the car.

It gets cold here in Ontario Canada so lets correct this problem you Saturn people. My wife cannot have this problem in cold weather she is not very strong person.

The car has only 80,000 km on odometer. We lease this car. I am a Honda person myself and I thought I would try a north Amercian car this time. That was a mistake. if Saturn repairs the car at no charge great, if not,we are back to a Honda.

I have just taken my 2003 Saturn Ion 2 into my dealership to have it looked at for the same problem that you all are having, and they told me that I have to have some sort of computer realignment done. Thank God I didn't have to pay for the diagnostic. They told me I would, but I refused, this is not our fault! I'm tired of getting the run around, does anyone actually know of any class action lawsuit going on against the company? They actually told me that they would pay for half, gee thanks, but it's not my fault, HALF? Please post a response. Good luck to you all.

-Stressed Saturn Owner in OH.

2003 Saturn Ion2 92000km. In the last month the car has twice failed to start. Battery and charge system OK. Insert key, turn and turn again and wait. Eventually it starts, but stops as if a module is turning it off. Then repeat and everything is OK, no diagnostic warning or indication of any kind.

Spoke to two Saturn dealers in Ontario. One dealer said "Unfortunately I don't feel our technicians here would be able to resolve your problem to your satisfaction."

The second dealer said "in regards to the no start concern it may be a problem within either the ignition switch or battery or there may be a different component causing it".

I advised them that the rpm increases 200 rpm during gear change and the fuel economy has lowered from an average of 13km/ltr to 9km/ltr. This all seems to have happened at the same time.

Earlier I had written to the Canadian CEO for Saturn and in reply the company misrepresented itself to me. With a company under this type of leadership, a customer must only work in writing, never believe anything these people say over the phone. If its not in writing, these folk will never admit to saying it.

I would like to point out that during the second world war they didn't put lubricants on guns, they don't put liquid lubricants on some aircraft parts and clocks have never been lubricated. This is a common engineering principle, one of which for a professional there is no excuse. Additionally, lubricants can be temperature adjustable, such as 5W30 for example which changes viscosity. Lubricants do change viscosity with time, but it takes a long time so I am somewhat amazed that such a problem actually exists.

As much as I like my Saturn, Saturn itself suffers from very bad engineering. Some of the obvious locations to observe a total disregard for material strengths is in the trunk. They placed a hole in the centre of the load bearing fiberboard and left it unsupported. The trunk floor on any Saturn Ions will sag. It's a mathematical certainty. Another example is the vents. The vents are retained by a few thousands of an inch of plastic where a good engineer would have used large axle diameters where there is no reason not to, Saturn used the smallest possible diameters where there was no reason to take the risk. It was therefor intentional. I would suggest they have employed engineers who have a gripe with management and unfortunately, where the executive officers are out to lunch, the customer and ultimately the company will suffer to the penalty of the investors who allow such bad management to take hold and infest the company with second rate employees.

I sympathise with Saturn owners completely. What was once a great company, with great customer service, appears to be on the way to ruin because of some garbage that has taken hold in the executive of this manufacturer.