I own a 04 Saturn Ion. I have been having a constant problem starting the car. When the temperature is below 40 degrees, the car won't start. All the dash lights are illuminated. So I know the battery isn't the problem. I have to wait 20 minutes before the car starts up. After doing some research. It looks like the problem is the starter switch. The grease hardens up in the cold, then the security system locks out the starter switch. I have read hundreds of complaints on message boards regarding this problem. I know GM and Saturn know of this problem also. They are saying this isn't a safety problem. I think it is. Many people are having to sit in their cars when it's below freezing, waiting twenty minutes to start their Ion's. what about parents with kids" what about if someone is trying to carjack myself" I don't have away to escape by driving off.

- Gresham, OR, USA

My 2004 Saturn Ion has been giving me trouble for around 2 years now. It's off and on. I'll drive my car to walmart or where ever and go in the store, come out and it won't start. If I give it 15-20 mins it finally starts. My dad thought it might be my battery, but that was new. We are going to try and get an ignition switch now. Hopefully that will fix it!

- Borger, TX, USA

We have a 2004 Saturn Ion that when it colds does not start. At first we thought it was the battery, but the battery is fine. Then we noticed that it only happened on cold days. If the temp was below 40 degrees F. and the car sat for several hours (mostly mornings), when you attempted to crank, the car would not start. If seems if you have a dead battery. Most of the time it would start after about 10 to 15 minutes. This is very dangerous, being stranded due to mildly cold weather. Thank god nothing bad has happened while waiting for car to crank. I have talked to several Saturn owners, and they to have the same problem. At least I live in Florida and it does not stay cold long. Saturn needs to fix this problem. Also, was told by a service person at Saturn to take a blow dryer to warm the steering column. This has been happening for a few years now.

- Apopka, FL, USA

My 2004 Saturn Ion intermittently will not start in cold weather due to a faulty ignition switch that causes the passlock vehicle theft system to engage. I then have to wait for 10 minutes in the cold for the passlock system to reset so that I can try again to start my car. Saturn is aware of this issue and has issued a technical service bulletin for it, but has yet to have issued a recall.

- Sherman Oaks, CA, USA

On cold days in the winter my Saturn Ion 2 does not start. Turn the key and nothing happens. The check engine light comes on and the car will not start for 10 minutes. I have had the ignition key replaced and that fixes it for a while. I was fixed under warranty, but they replaced the part with the same series part so now not under warranty the problem recurs.

- Verona, IL, USA

2004 Saturn Ion, in cold weather failing to start, crank or turn over. Battery, starter, and wires all checked all in working order. Find out there was a tsb # 040845005 for it and was never informed of it. Have had the problem for past two years but never took it to the dealer for that but did have it there for other service and was never advised of the issue. Due to expired warranty dealer and GM customer service are unsure if they will cover all or any of the charge to repair it. Cost is $250 first experienced last winter and in the past month this has occurred 4 times.

- Westland, MI, USA

My 2004 Saturn Ion does not start in the cold weather! it happened at least 8 times since October 2008. Today is March 3, 2009. Brought it to the dealer and they said they could not find anything wrong with it. Already changed the ignition switch which wasn't the problem to begin with!

- Islip, NY, USA

Purchased a new 2004 Saturn Ion on 9/30/03. Winter of 03-04 car failed to start in cold weather. Saturn put 2 new ignition switches in (warranty) 2004. This winter (08-09) same starting problem. Fails to start in cold temperatures because of poorly engineered ignition switch common in the Saturn Ion.

- Fremont, OH, USA

The date below is the date the issue began. I own a 2004 Saturn Ion, that began with cold start issues this winter. After looking up the issue online, I noticed it is a well known issue with these cars, yet there has been no recall. When attempting to start the car on a cold morning (or midday), the car will not turn over. It often takes 10-20 minutes of trying to get the car to engage. I called Saturn, and they offered no remedy, as my car is out of warranty (only a 4.5 year old car!) - and I cannot afford the $250 repair for the ignition switch. On December 26, 2008, I was stranded for nearly an hour and a half, and suffered frost bite and mild hypothermia.

- Rochester, NY, USA

I own a 2004 Saturn Ion quad coupe and like others, it has the cold weather fail to start problem when the temperature is below freezing. I stopped by the local Saturn garage to see what type of repair is recommend for this problem. They are quite aware of the problem with no warranty replacement. Their suggestion, if I didn't want to spend the bundle of money to have the ignition switch replaced was to carry bic lighter to warm the key. The service writer said that Saturn engineering speced the wrong temperature grease to lube the switch. Now, I the customer, have to deal with the another GM generated engineering design problem. This is a very annoying problem because I can not rely on an otherwise perfectly good running car and can't count on it for an emergency.

- Endicott, NY, USA

Car refuses to start when turning key in ignition. Passlock icon flashes on dashboard and "service vehicle" comes up on message panel. This is a cold weather starting problem due to the intermittent malfunction of the passlock circuit in the ignition (key) switch. Passlock module has been replace 3 times by dealer. Last time 2006. Saturn has a complaint file under my name, VIN, and phone number. This is an ongoing problem that happens every winter when the temperature drops below freezing. It is also a known problem, yet GM refuses to recall the cars affected. Out of warranty dealer repair runs over $ 500. Recent failure to start has happened at least 10 times since December of 2008.

- Dearborn, MI, USA

I have a 04 Saturn Ion, it does not start in the cold, it gives me so many headaches, there is over 30 pages of complaints on website with people with the same car and same problems. It seems to be a white wire in the steering column, I don't understand if so many people have the same issues why it cant be fixed. It has caused me to be late for work, college classes, and to be stuck out on a cold night by myself due to my car not starting. You have to try to start it and then leave it alone for about 15 minutes and it usually starts right up. It happens pretty much all the time but it is so random you never know when you will be stranded. I have spent money replacing batteries and everything else when none of this caused the problem.

- London, KY, USA

2004 Saturn Ion intermittently will not start. Happened one time last winter, but has progressed this winter. If you allow the car to sit for 10-12 minutes it starts right up. I called Saturn and made an appointment to leave the car with them while I visited family in Florida. I since went online and discovered that hundreds (maybe thousands) of Saturn owners have this same problem. I called Saturn service and told them what I had discovered. They made no comment but said they had replaced the ignition switch. I called a toll free number that a Saturn owner had left on an online forum and filed a formal complaint with Saturn of America. She was very polite and assured me she would call Saturn and "see what she could do for me." The next day she said they could only give me 10% off the cost of the ignition switch which amounts to $12. I called the service manager to tell him that I expected more because this is such a common problem and should actually have been a recall. I could never reach him. He was never available (as they said--gone for the day). I then emailed Saturn of charleston/huntington wv and explained. A sale person acknowledged my email and assured me she would give the email complaint to service and someone is services would contact me. Two days later and they still have not contacted me. I told the sales person that it sadden me that $240 was more important than my future business. Why should Saturn owner pay for a common problem that they have known exist" and from what I've read a new ignition is not the solution. Often it works for a year and then same problem comes back. It has been mentioned that it could be a passlock system problem or gel inside the ignition switch that ages and loses conductivity over time. Who knows" any help would be appreciated.

- Huntington, WV, USA

I have had by Ion for 4.5 years. I just had to replace the ignition switch for the 2nd time. The first time was about 3 years ago. I have about 65000 miles. It seems like this is a manufacturer defect that I should not have to keep paying to have fixed. There were no warning signs, just one morning it would not start. It would then start sporadically until I fixed the problem.

- Vancouver, WA, USA

The contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that the vehicle fails to start on cold mornings. The failure was intermittent. An indicator flashes, which signifies that the past lock system is activated and that the vehicle is being stolen; however, this is not the case. The vehicle usually starts after ten minutes. There is a tsb for this failure and the vehicle is still under warranty. The manufacturer stated that they have never been able to replicate the failure because it only occurs approximately twelve times a year or in cold weather. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 30,000.

- New Orleans , LA, USA

2004 Saturn Ion will not start in cold weather. Fighting same problem for the last two winters.(have read many others with same recurring problem).

- Micaville, NC, USA

The contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. Approximately a month and a half after the vehicle was purchased in October of 2008, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle finally started after approximately four attempts. The failure has occurred intermittently since the first incident. Also, in cold weather conditions, the vehicle would not start. The vehicle was driven to a vocational school repair shop for diagnostic testing. It was determined that the ignition switch was defective. The manufacturer stated that there was no recall relating to the failure; therefore, they were not liable for the repairs. The current mileage was 32,000 and failure mileage was 30,000.

- Keansburg, NJ, USA

2004 Saturn Ion will not start when cold out. It wouldn't even start at 20 degrees F. this has happened numerous times now.

- Channahon, IL, USA

I have a 2004 Saturn Ion. In cold weather the dielectric lubrication freezes and interferes with the security system - making the vehicle unable to start. This problem occurs approximately 50% of the time when the temperature drops below freezing - more frequently with even colder temperatures. The problem is often remedied by waiting for 10 - 30 minutes until the security system resets itself and then trying to start the vehicle again. I found a lot of complaints by consumers with the same issue by searching google. I also spoke with a Saturn dealership service department. The person I spoke with at the Saturn service department said he was very familiar with the problem and verified the diagnosis I listed above (dielectric lubrication freezing resulting the security system lockdown) but said there were no related recalls. I know three people with Saturn Ions and they all have the exact same problem. Two of the owners I know took the vehicle in to Saturn dealerships for repair and they replaced the starter, a three-hundred dollar procedure which did not fix the problem. I hope you can look into issuing a recall on this issue because based on personal sources, a Saturn dealer, and google searches, it seems to be a very common problem. Also, living in Minnesota the temperatures can get dangerously low - where being left stranded outside for 30 minutes without a heat source can result in frostbite, hypothermia, and even death. Thank you.

- St. Paul, MN, USA

My 2004 Saturn Ion will not start consistently during cold weather. I have replaced the battery already which ended up not being the problem. Then I found information all over the internet about thousands of other people who are having the same issue I am having. I should not have to spend my hard earned money on problem that was defective from the factory. I have been waiting for Saturn/GM to have some integrity on this issue, do the right thing and issue their own recall, but so for that hasn't happened yet. I have been experiencing this problem since I bought the car in 2006.

- Wichita, KS, USA