NHTSA Complaint #10218604 — 2003 SATURN ION

WHEN IT IS VERY COLD OUTSIDE MY 2003 SATURN ION WOULD NOT START. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC WHICH SAID HE COULDN'T FIGURE IT OUT BUT WOULD REPLACE THE STARTED AND SOLENOID WHICH HAPPENED. AGAIN 2 DAYS LATER, NO START, I TOOK IT TO A DIFFERENT MECHANIC WHICH RAN TESTS ON IT AND SAID HE COULDN'T FIGURE IT OUT, BUT SINCE MY BATTERY WAS 5 YEARS OLD, MAYBE I SHOULD REPLACE THAT WHICH I DID. THEN 4 DAYS LATER, THE CARE WOULDN'T START AGAIN, AGAIN I TAKE IT TO YET ANOTHER MECHANIC WHICH RUNS A SERIES OF DIFFERENT TESTS ON IT AND SAYS EVERYTHING IS GOOD, NO EXPLANATION FOR THE NO STARTS. FINALLY AFTER MUCH FRUSTRATION I WAS ONLINE DOING SOME RESEARCH ABOUT MY CAR TO DISCOVER A NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT BOTH THE 2003-2004 SATURN ION'S HAVING THIS IGNITION START PROBLEM AND YET THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD HAVE RECALLED IT, YET HASN'T AND SO WHILE THE ION OWNER LIKE MYSELF IS STRANDED HERE AND THERE AND MISSING DAYS OF WORK DUE TO INOPERABLE ON ONE'S PURCHASED VEHICLE, AND PAYING TOWING COSTS, REPAIR BILLS, TESTING COSTS, ETC...SATURN ALL ALONG KNEW THE PROBLEM. WHEN I FINALLY CALLED SATURN AND TOLD THEM OF THE PROBLEM, TOOK THE CAR IN AND WITH HOURS, HAD A NEW IGNITION SWITCH AND LOW AND BEHOLD YEP THAT WAS THE PROBLEM TO THE TUNE OF $179.00. I THINK IF SATURN KNEW THIS WAS A PROBLEM, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED AND FIXED ON SATURN'S TAB, NOT MINE THE CONSUMER. *TR