10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
9 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
8 / 0
Average Mileage:
55,657 miles

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« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #69

Jun 222010

Ion 4-cyl

  • 55,059 miles
After my day of driving I pulled into my driveway at my home and put my car into the park gear and continued to remove my key--the key would not turn to off position. It had locked into place. I had to call my husband to come home and help me. He too tried. It would not turn to the off position. The only way we got the car to turn off the engine was to disconnect the battery cables. The key stayed in the on position. I had to contact the GM dealer the next morning -- I had to have my car towed to the dealership in frederick, Maryland. I was repaired and I was charged a total of $512.36 I received a recall letter today March 14, 2014 stating there is a recall 14063 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration campaign id number for this recall is 14V-047 since this has already affected my car and I have paid I am requesting reimbursement.

- Boonsboro, MD, USA

problem #68

Mar 132014

Ion

  • 94,300 miles
In regards to campaign id number 14V-047. I have been in touch with customer service twice, once on 3/13/14 and the other on 3/14/14. Both times the rep stated that a message was left at my local dealership. I also called the dealership on 3/13/14 in the evening and 3/14/14 during the day. I left messages both times. I never got a call back from the dealership. I realize there may be a high volume of calls due to the recall. But I have not been offered a solution what so ever. GM stated they would provide a loaner car in news releases and the customer service rep and the GMC dealership have done nothing to help put a loaner in place. I drive my car for work on a daily basis and do not have the means or access to another car. The bottom line is you would think that since there have been fatalities and many accidents related to this recall that it would be a priority to address my concern. I'm very dissatisfied.

- North Canton, OH, USA

problem #67

Dec 032013

Ion

  • 100,000 miles
The contact owns a 2007 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 mph, the vehicle suddenly stalled. The contact restarted the engine and the vehicle operated normally. The contact also complained that the ignition key would very easily slide out of the ignition switch, causing the engine to shut off. The vehicle was diagnosed by the dealer but not repaired. No further information was available. The manufacturer was notified but no solution was offered. The failure mileage was 100,000.

- Rhinebeck, NY, USA

problem #66

Mar 012010

Ion

  • 42,000 miles
The power cuts off when hitting a bump/jarring and car loses all automatic features--power steering, power brakes. Especially likely with heavy key chain. Has happened multiple times since I purchased the vehicle in 2009, but more in past two years. Occurs when pulling into driveways of stores, hitting pothole, etc. This is the Saturn "sister" car to the Chevy cobalt ss and of same year at that recent recall.

- Caro, MI, USA

problem #65

Feb 262014

Ion 4-cyl

  • 60,210 miles
I heard on tv that GM had recalled the Ion because of deaths associated with fires from leaking fuel modules and failing ignition switches. So, I called GM and was told that they will only fix the the ignition if it fails and the fuel module when you can show it is leaking. It seems like if they have a problem with their parts they should try to fix them prior to stalling on the freeway or having the vehicle burst into flames from leaking fuel. Am I off base here?

- Vancouver, WA, USA

problem #64

Apr 032011

Ion 4-cyl

  • 45,615 miles
I was driving down the road the engine cut out power steering went off, electricity went out. My car kept doing this until I only drive with one key in the ignition. I am worried it sounds similar to recently recalled 2005-2007 cobalts ignition.

- Sacramento, CA, USA

problem #63

Nov 102013

Ion 4-cyl

  • 65,948 miles
November 10th at 4:50 pm I left the grocery store I pulled into garage at 5pm put my car in park and the key would not move in the ignition so the car would not shut off. I opened manual to page 105-106 and tried the shift lock release and that did not work. I called dealership and their service department was already closed and were going to be closed the next day on veterans day. So I placed a call to aaa and they had to send out a lock smith to turn off the car and replace the ignition. 3 hours and $275 dollars later because aaa covers $100 of it my car was fixed. This is not a safe thing to occur in a vehicle. I googled this and saw that many others have had this issue and am very disappointed that there has been no recall on something like this.

- Los Alamitos, CA, USA

problem #62

Sep 112013

Ion

  • 117,000 miles
The contact owns a 2007 Saturn Ion. Once the vehicle was parked, the contact was unable to remove the key from the ignition. The contact drove the vehicle to the dealer and they have not repaired nor diagnosed the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the defect. The VIN was unavailable. The approximate failure mileage was 119,000.

- Sturgeon Bay, WI, USA

problem #61

Jul 012012

Ion 4-cyl

  • 30,000 miles
The key gets stuck in the ignition when turning the car (Saturn Ion 2007) off. I turn off the car and cannot get the key out of the ignition. It is happening more and more and getting more and more difficult to finally get the key to release. From reading complaints online, this is happening to a lot of Saturn owners and needs to be addressed by GM for a recall.

- Toledo, OH, USA

problem #60

Jun 252013

Ion 4-cyl

  • 144,055 miles
Early in 2013, we noted some moisture in the trunk of this vehicle. In late may, we hung a "damp rid" desiccant device in the trunk and noted that the "damp rid" device rapidly saturated with moisture and also formed clumps and/or crystals in the trunk of the auto. (the "damp rid" in the trunk was saturated within two weeks, whereas it takes a couple of months when hanging inside a closet in the house 1-888-326-7743). This week, I inserted a brand new 9 volt battery into a kidde model number kn-coeg-3 carbon monoxide/explosive gas monitor and placed the monitor in the trunk. Within 24 hours, the monitor was chirping. The peak level of gas after 24 hours in the trunk of the car was 10. (this household monitor can not discriminate the precise type of gas in this particular case). Today, I opened the trunk and cleaned everything out. The source of the moisture was clearly noted on the passenger side inside of the trunk because the interior of the trunk was actually muddy close to a one way flapper vent/valve on the passenger side. The one way valve measures around 4 inches high and 6 inches long. I am reporting this because of the proximity to the gas tank filler cap on the passenger side, 12 volt ac delco battery on the passenger side in the trunk, and auto emissions from this Saturn and other cars. Inhalation of any or all of these fumes or vapors can lead to health problems including erratic behavior, drowsiness, etc. Of course the risk of explosion and corrosion of sensitive electrical and fuel components is accelerated in damp conditions.

- Leland, NC, USA

problem #59

Jun 252013

Ion

  • 125,000 miles
The manufacturer key wont start the car without spending over 10 min. Turning the wheel back and forth and finding just the right "spot". key will come out fine, even without shutting car completely off at times. This is insane, from what I've read, there are more than enough complaints similar to this to warrant an investigation or recall. This is not only a safety feature, its just shows horrible workmanship. Already been a part of the original power steering recall before it became a recall. People need to complain, keep complaining and demand GM to take responsibility for this crap.

- Crawfordville, FL, USA

problem #58

Jun 192013

Ion

  • 65,513 miles
Had been having trouble with the key sticking and the car not turning off for a week. Today after parking I could not turn the car off at all, the key was stuck tight. I called my husband drove the car home, he couldn't turn the car off and he's a car and airplane mechanic. Finally got a hold of dealership where the service manager felt sorry for me and told me to bring the car in immediately, he could not turn the car off. They eventually were able to turn the car off, but the replacement tumbler and keys will cost me $230 because-of course-my warranty ran out. I think that GM should be responsible for the repair costs because it is a design flaw with potential serious consequences and safety issues including but not limited to someone leaving a running car in a closed garage because unlike me, they could not find a knight in shining armor or alternatively battery removal could damage the computer systems or a spark caused by uneducated removal of the battery could cause a battery explosion or electrical fire. The Saturn is not the only GM product with this problem and a brief search on google, showed that many owners are paying a wide range of repair bills for this problem.

- Sharon Hill, PA, USA

problem #57

Jun 262011

Ion 4-cyl

  • 49,200 miles
My wife left work and stopped by the store on the way home, but could not shut the car off. She drove home where the car continue to run until I disconnected the battery cable to finally disable the vehicle. I had the car towed to the dealer. The key could not be removed from the ignition switch. The ignition switch cylinder was replaced, new key coded at a cost of $396.17. Saturn customer service stated that they have had no complaints of such a nature, I have done online searches and have found thousands of the same problems. The issue continues to this day along with the seals around the doors and windows leaking. This automotive company was bailed out by the government with our tax money, only to lie to the american car buyers who purchased their flawed products. If the NHTSA does not designate this as a recall status, then it is time for us Saturn owners who were sold these flawed vehicles to unite and file a major class action suit for more money than General Motors received in the bailout of the automotive industry.

- Macon, GA, USA

problem #56

Mar 012013

Ion 4-cyl

  • 55,000 miles
The contact owns a 2007 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that the ignition failed and the key could not be released from the ignition. The failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who replaced the ignition cylinder and adjusted the gear shifter however, the failure was not corrected. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000 and the current mileage is 59,000. Updated 7/15/13

- Yucca Valley , CA, USA

problem #55

May 312009

Ion 4-cyl

  • 59,600 miles
I was unable to remove the key from the ignition switch to turn the car off. I had noted in the months leading up to this first occurrence that I was able to turn the car off, removing the key from the ignition switch, without putting the car in park first. I contacted Saturn's 800# for assistance and they had me remove a fuse from the engine to turn the car off. The car was towed to a Saturn dealership the next day, June 1st, where they had to completely replace the ignition cylinder as the key could not be removed. Then, in March 2011, I found the key had a tendency to get stuck in the ignition until, once again, I could no longer remove the key or turn the car off. Recalling removal of a fuse after the first instance, I did so again in this case until I could get it to a garage for repair. I contacted Saturn's 800# to advise them as to what had again happened, inquiring if there had been any sort of a recall. I was advised there was not. I took the car to my own garage for repair and they had to completely replace the ignition cylinder & switch. However, they were able to dislodge the key this time. The vehicle mileage at the time of repair was 120462. Now, in March 2013, I am once again finding the key having a tendency to stick. I can get the car to turn off, but the locking mechanism will not disengage the door locks. Unless the door locks disengage, I cannot get the key out of the ignition. On occasion, I've been having to restart the car multiple times before the locking mechanism will disengage the door locks allowing me to remove the key. My current mileage is approximately 165,000.

- Clayton, NC, USA

problem #54

Oct 112012

Ion

  • 112,000 miles
We bought a 2007 Saturn Ion for my daughter's first car about a year and a half ago. Several months ago she was coming home from school traveling down interstate 5 going about 65 miles an hour when all of a sudden her power steering shut off and jerked, causing her to almost hit the car in the next lane. Now every time she drives her car, about 12 or so minutes in, the power steering will shut off again. If you shut the car off and restart it, it's fine for a while, until it shuts off again. It does this every time she drives, without fail. She's scared to drive her car long distances, fearing that it will turn off again and cause an accident. Upon researching I discovered many other complaints describing exactly the same results with 2007 Saturn Ions. I'm afraid that, being a new driver, my daughter's safety, and the safety of others, is in jeopardy.

- Stockton, CA, USA

problem #53

Oct 022012

Ion 4-cyl

  • 120,000 miles
The key to this vehicle is stuck in the ignition and will not turn off. This vehicle had this ignition replaced due to a similar issue in 2010 by a GM dealer in ourisman Chevrolet Buick (703) 329-1300 1800 old richmond highway, alexandria, va 22303-1856. The original part became defected for the same issue and I had to pay over $700 to have the part replaced. Now, the same issue has occurred. The key is stuck in the ignition and unable to turn off the car. I contacted General Motors (Saturn) at 1-800-553-6600 to report the problem and they are aware this has been happening. However, the is no recall to correct this measure. To turn the car off you have to disconnect the wires or replace the part for another $900. If GM (Saturn) is aware of the problem a recall should be posted to all owners of the Saturn Ion and reimbursement should be provided for owners who had paid to have the part replaced.

- Greenbelt, MD, USA

problem #52

Sep 202010

Ion

  • 70,000 miles
While trying to switch ignition to off, the ignition switch would get stuck at power on position. Part was replaced by mechanic, saying "this part always fails in GM vehicles after 5 years". the new part started to get stuck at the same position a year later and it takes multiple tries to get it shut off completely.

- Hopkins, MN, USA

problem #51

Sep 302012

Ion

  • 65,000 miles
The key would get stuck in the ignition not allowing me to get out of the vehicle unless I manually unlocked the doors. This was happening for about a year or more intermittently. Then one day I could not get the car to turn off because the key would not turn. After about a 5-10 second time frame, the ignition would unlock allowing me to turn the car off and remove the key. This occurred intermittently for a couple of days then when I was on vacation, the key would not come out at all while the car was still running. I was left with having to temporarily unplug the battery and the fuse so the car would turn off. The mechanic I took the car to while on vacation showed me how to do this and was able to get the key out of the ignition. I had the car towed to a mechanic once I arrived home because the car would not start at all at this point, the mechanic informed me the ignition lock was bad, and apparently GM had been aware of the problem and offered no recall but did re-design the internal components of the ignition lock.

- Galt, CA, USA

problem #50

Jul 232012

Ion

  • 86,000 miles
The contact owns a 2007 Saturn Ion. While parked, the key failed to release from the ignition switch after several attempts. The vehicle was diagnosed by a certified mechanic who stated that the ignition switch would need to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 86,000.

- Decatur, GA, USA

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