NHTSA Complaint #10082541 — 2004 SATURN ION

I BOUGHT A SATURN ION 2 IN JANUARY SINCE THAT DAY I HAVE ONLY GOT AN AVERAGE OF 22.5 MPG THAT IS 270 MILES PER 12 GALLON TANK (AND IT STILL CONTINUES). IN MARCH AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN A BACK ROAD, IT LURCHED, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, IT BOGGED DOWN, AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE OVER 50MPH AND WAS EXTREMELY SLUGGISH, FELT LIKE I WAS DRIVING A GOLF CART. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE RECALLS ON THE FUEL FILTER AND COMPUTER SYSTEM WERE COMPLETED. THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THE CAR WAS "OPERATING AS DESIGNED" AND THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE REPEATED. JUNE 10TH, THE CAR REPEATED THE SAME PROBLEM. I TOOK IT IN AGAIN, THEY DID THE 6,000 MILE SERVICE ON IT. PER MY RECORDS, EVERYTHING "CHECKED OUT". THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE REPEATED. THE CAR WAS "OPERATING AS DESIGNED. 3 WEEKS LATER, DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, THE CAR ONCE AGAIN, LURCHED, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND WENT FROM 65  40 MPH. THANKFULLY I DID NOT GET REAR-ENDED. I EXITED THE FREEWAY, HAD TO STOP AT A LIGHT, THEN DURING A LEFT HAND TURN HAD DIFFICULTY GETTING THE CAR TO ACCELERATE. THE CAR FINALLY CORRECTED ITS PROBLEM, AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP YET AGAIN, THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THEY REPLACED MY VALVE BODY AND NOW MY CAR IS RUNNING WORSE THEN IT WAS BEFORE. I STOPPED BY THE DEALERSHIP A DAY AGO, AND TALKED TO THE MAINTENANCE MANAGER, AND HE STATED THAT HE HOPES THEY REPLACE THE CAR, SINCE THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT. THEY HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING. MY CAR IS UNSAFE TO ME AND OTHERS AROUND. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. I AM NO LONGER COMFORTABLE DRIVING MY CAR. I HAVE OPENED A CASE WITH SATURN CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE. THIS PROBLEM THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED AND AS I HAVE READ OTHERS TOO, IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE!*AK