2003 SATURN ION Electrical System Problems

I JUST BOUGHT A 2003 SATURN ION 2 ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO. MY WIFE WOKE UP THIS MORNING TO START HER CAR AND IT WOULD NOT START. I TRIED JUMPING THE CAR AND STILL NO LUCK. THE PASSLOCK LIGHT CAME ON AND SAID SERVICE VEHICLE. SO I TOLD MY WIFE TO GET IN THE CAR AND SHIFT IT TO NEUTRAL SO WE COULD PUSH IT INTO A DIFFERENT SPOT SO SHE COULD TAKE MY TRUCK TO WORK. SHE DECIDED TO TRY AND START IT ONE LAST TIME AND IT THEN STARTED. FRUSTRATED, I WENT ON TO THE INTERNET AND SEARCH FOR ION PROBLEMS AND HAVE FOUND ABOUT 200 COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT SATURN NEEDS TO ADDRESS AND TAKE CARE!! *TR

IF THE SATURN VEHICLE IS EXPOSED TO TEMPERATURES AT OR APPROACHING 32 DEGREES F FOR SEVERAL HOURS WHEN THE ENGINE IS NOT RUNNING (USUALLY 6-10 HOURS), THEN WHEN YOU ATTEMPT TO START THE VEHICLE, THE IGNITION SWITCH CLICKS AND THE CAR STALLS. THE SECURITY SYSTEM KICKS IN. THE SECURITY LIGHT BLINKS AND THE ODOMETER SCREEN READS: 'SERVICE ENGINE SOON.' FUEL WILL NOT BE SENT TO THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WILL NOW NOT START FOR ABOUT 8-10 MINUTES AS THE SECURITY SYSTEM RESETS. AFTER 8-10 MINUTES, THE SECURITY LIGHT WILL STOP BLINKING AND THEN GO OUT. 'THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON' SCROLL LIGHT WILL STOP AND ALSO GO OUT. NOW, YOU MAY ATTEMPT TO START THE VEHICLE AGAIN. .HOWEVER, IF THE IGNITION SWITCH GREASE HAS NOT ADEQUATELY WARMED, THEN THE PROCESS WILL BEGIN AGAIN. A SIGNAL THAT THE VEHICLE WILL LIKELY START AFTER THE PRESENT 'LOCK-OUT' WILL BE WHEN THE IGNITION SEEMS...

WE OWN A 2003 SATURN ION AND THE KEY GETS STUCK IN THE IGNITION. YOU HAVE TO PRESS A RELEASE BUTTON IN THE STEERING COLUMN TO GET THE KEY OUT. IN ADDITION, THIS APPEARS TO CREATE AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE AS SOMETIMES THE CAR WON'T START. WE PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE USED AND TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP WITHIN THE 30 DAY WARRANTY PERIOD. THEY SAID THEY WERE "UNABLE TO REPLICATE" PROBLEM, UNBEKNOWNST TO US THIS WAS AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH SATURN IONS. THE "TEMPORARY FIX" IS EVEN IN THE OWNERS MANUAL. THAT'S JUST WRONG! HOW CAN A COMPANY GET AWAY WITH SELLING SUCH A DEFECTIVE PRODUCT -- AND ESPECIALLY A CAR!!! I FEEL RIPPED OFF AND SATURN SHOULD STAND BEHIND SUCH A DEFECTIVE VEHICLE ISSUE. THIS DOES CREATE A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE SOMETIMES THE CAR WON'T START LEAVING YOU STRANDED. THE DEALERSHIP WON'T EVEN OFFER TO GIVE A "FREE ESTIMATE"...

FAILURE OCCURS ONLY WHEN IT IS COLD OUTSIDE. THE CAR STARTS THEN DIES OR SOMETIMES DOESN'T START AT ALL. IT USUALLY TAKES BETWEEN 20 MIN TO SEVERAL HOURS IN THE FREEZING COLD TO GET THE CAR STARTED. SO FAR THIS WEEK IT HAS REFUSED TO START 4 TIMES 2 OF THOSE TIMES WHEN I WAS AWAY FROM HOME OR FRIENDS LEAVING ME STRANDED IN THE COLD. I WAS ONCE FOR 2 DAYS AT A COWORKERS HOUSE BECAUSE I WAS UNABLE TO GET THE CAR TO START IN THE FREEZING COLD LAST WINTER AND I LIVED 30 MILES AWAY. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS AND IT IS AN EXTREMELY COMMON PROBLEM FOR MY CAR THAT SATURN REFUSES TO RECALL. ONE DAY SOMEONE LIKE ME IS GOING TO GET STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE AND POSSIBLY FREEZE IF THEY DON'T HAVE A CELL PHONE. I'VE TAKEN MY CAR SEVERAL DIFFERENT REPAIR PLACES...

MY 2003 SATURN ION WILL NOT START IN COLD WEATHER. IT JUST MAKES A CLICKING NOISE. I HAVE HAD A NEW IGNITION INSTALLED LAST YEAR FOR A LOT OF MONEY LAST YEAR. THIS FIXED THE PROBLEM FOR THE REST OF THE WINTER, BUT AS SOON AS IT GOT COLD THIS WINTER THE PROBLEM IS BACK. IT WILL OCCUR ABOUT 1/4 OF THE TIMES IT IS PARKED OUTSIDE IN VERY COLD WEATHER (UNDER 25 F). I JUST WAIT 8 MINUTES AND TRY AGAIN. I CAN'T KEEP FIXING THIS WHEN SATURN IS AWARE THAT THIS IS A WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM. AT LEAST THE MONEY I SPENT LAST YEAR SHOULD HAVE FIXED THE ISSUE FOR GOOD. IT'S REALLY FRUSTRATING AND IF CAUGHT IN THE SEVERE COLD COULD RESULT IN A SERIOUS INJURY TO SOMEONE. *TR

I OWN A SATURN ION 2 2003 AND IT TAKES SPELLS WHERE IT WON'T START. TODAY I HAD TROUBLE. WHEN IT WON'T START THE LIGHTS AND RADIO, ETC WORK, A LIGHT COMES ON ON THE MESSAGE CENTER THAT SAYS TO SERVICE VEHICLE BUT IT WON'T TURN OVER. TODAY I LET IT SIT FOR ABOUT 10 TO 15 MIN AND IT STARTED.

MY 2003 SATURN ION HAS HAD TROUBLE STARTING. IF IT IS COLD OUTSIDE, IT WILL NOT START, BUT IF I WAIT 10-15 MINUTES IT WILL START. THE SATURN DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING STATING, "WE CAN'T FIX IT IF IT IS NOT DOING IT AT THE TIME WE ARE LOOKING AT IT." NOW THE CAR WILL NOT START AT ALL. *TR

1. MY 2003 SATURN ION IT WOULD NOT START AGAIN. THIS IS HAPPENING MORE OFTEN. I HAVE HAD IT HOOKED UP A SCAN TOOL AT OUR REPAIR SHOP IT SAID IT WAS THE SAFETY SWITCH, SOMETHING ABOUT IT HAD BEEN TAMPERED WITH. WHICH IT HAD NOT, BECAUSE I WAS RIGHT THERE ALL THE TIME. IF I WAIT A FEW MINUTES IT WILL START I HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH THIS FOR ABOUT 2 YRS NOW, IT HAS WORKED EVERY TIME. HOWEVER IT IS BECOMING MORE OFTEN AND THAT IS WHY I WAS ABLE TO GET IT HOOKED UP TO A SCAN TOOL. 2. THE FIRST 2 YRS IT MAY HAVE HAPPENED 4 TIMES. WITHIN THE LAST 3 WEEKS IT HAS HAPPENED 6 TIMES. 3. YOU JUST NEED TO WAIT, WHEN IT DECIDES TO START IT WILL. IT IS ALMOST LIKE THE COMPUTER THINKS THAT SOMEONE IS BREAKING INTO THE CAR, SO...

THE BIGGEST ISSUE IS THAT ON COLD DAYS (AND SOMETIMES NOT SO COLD) MY CAR WILL JUST CLICK AND NOT START, OR WILL START AND DIE OUT. BUT IF I KEEP TRYING TO START IT AND LET IT SIT FOR AWHILE AND COME BACK, IT WILL START RIGHT UP. WHEN IT DOES THIS, THEY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT USUALLY COMES ON WHEN TRYING TO START IT, BUT WHEN I GET IT STARTED IT IMMEDIATELY GOES OFF. I'VE HAD THE BATTERY, ALTERNATOR AND STARTER CHECKED AND THEY ARE FINE. IT ONLY HAPPENS USUALLY IN THE MORNINGS OR LATE AT NIGHT WHEN IT'S BEEN COLD. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN ION. SPORADICALLY, WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WOULD ALSO EXPERIENCE A NO START CONDITION. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH AT THE COST OF SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS. TWO YEARS LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED, BUT THE DEALER WOULD NOT ASSUME ANY RESPONSIBILITY. LASTLY, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD REPEATEDLY HOP AROUND THE WINDSHIELD. ON ONE OCCASION, THE WIPER FRACTURED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 99,000.

THE BIGGEST ISSUE IS THAT ON COLD DAYS (AND SOMETIMES NOT SO COLD) MY CAR WILL JUST CLICK AND NOT START, OR WILL START AND DIE OUT, RESULTING IN MY HAVING TO WAIT 9-10 MINUTES FOR THE PASSLOCK TO RESET AND HOPEFULLY ALLOW MY CAR TO START ON A SECOND ATTEMPT. ON SOME RARE OCCASIONS I WILL HAVE TO WAIT THROUGH THIS 9-10 MINUTE CYCLE 2 OR 3 TIMES BEFORE IT WILL START PROPERLY SO I CAN DRIVE. THE KEY STICKS IN THE IGNITION. WHILE I AM ABLE TO TURN THE ENGINE OFF, I CAN'T TURN THE CAR OFF COMPLETELY. I HAVE TO RESOLVE THIS ON AN ALMOST DAILY BASIS BY USING A SCREWDRIVER IN THE SMALL PANEL HOLE IN MY STEERING COLUMN AND MOVING A SMALL SWITCH TO RELEASE THE KEY. SINCE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE IN 2003 I HAVE HAD MORE TROUBLE WITH THIS CAR THAN ANY USED CAR...

CAR DOES NOT WANT TO START IN COLD WEATHER & RECENTLY HAS NOT WANTED TO START A FEW TIMES IN WARM WEATHER. I HAVE ONLY HAD THE CAR SINCE JANUARY & ON AVERAGE IT DOES THIS 5-10 TIMES A MONTH. IF YOU PUT THE KEY IN TO START THE CAR, IT WILL EITHER MAKE A CLICKING NOISE & WONT START OR IT WILL START THEN THE IGNITION DIES IMMEDIATELY. SERVICE ENGINE SOON SCROLL LIGHT WILL COME ON. IT USUALLY TAKES 10-30 MINUTES TO EVENTUALLY GET THE CAR STARTED. ONE TIME IN EXTREMELY COLD WEATHER IT WOULD NOT START FOR 4 DAYS. TOOK CAR TO DEALERSHIP WHERE PURCHASED & IT FAILED TO ACT UP WHILE THEY HAD IT. THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START IN COLD WEATHER. THE VEHICLE TAKES OVER ONE HOUR TO START AND THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE GMC IGNITION MODULE RECALL (NUMBER 03033-03C-06). THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 98,000.

1) TRY TO START SATURN ION 2) IT FAILED TO START 3) WAITED 10 MIN. IT STARTS. *TR

DURING COLD WEATHER, MY 2003 SATURN ION WILL NOT START. REPLACED THE BATTERY 12/07, AND A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK OF THE STARTER AND ALTERNATOR WAS FINE. IT APPEARS TO BE AN IGNITION SWITCH ITEM FROM READING SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ONLINE. *TR

MY COMPLAINT IS THAT MY CAR SHUTS OFF WHILE I'M DRIVING IT. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED I WAS LEAVING WORK AND HAD JUST MADE A RIGHT HAND TURN AND AS I WAS ACCELERATING THE CAR COMPLETELY TURNED OFF, I WAS GOING ABOUT 30 MPH WHEN IT HAPPENED. I WAS ABLE TO PULL THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT INCIDENT. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY TO HAVE THE ISSUE FIXED. I WAS TOLD THE PROBLEM WAS THE BODY CONTROL MODULE, SO IT WAS REPLACED AND I PICKED UP MY CAR. TWO WEEKS LATER I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK ON A BUSY HIGHWAY DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC AND WHILE I WAS IN THE LEFT LANE GOING 65 MPH THE CAR COMPLETELY SHUT OFF. I PUT ON MY FLASHERS AND COASTED TO A STOP, USING SOME BRAKES, BUT I COULDN'T STOP TOO SUDDENLY OR...

THIS HAPPENED THREE TIMES NOW. FIRST TIME THE DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING AND THE VEHICLE SERVICE ENGINE DISPLAY CAME ON AND ALL ELECTRICAL POWER WENT OUT. IMMEDIATELY PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. TURNED OFF THE KEY, CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD FOR SMOKE, AND CALLED DAD BECAUSE THE CAR WAS STUCK IN PARK WITH THE KEY STUCK IN THE IGNITION, AND THE WINDOWS LOCKED IN THE DOWN POSITION. CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE ,THE EXTENDED WARRANTY - NO PROBLEM, THEY WILL TOW IT TO THE NEAREST SATURN DEALER, 180+ MILES AWAY THROUGH A RAIN STORM. SEVERAL DAYS LATER HAD TO DRIVE ROUND TRIP TO RETRIEVE CAR FROM SATURN DEALER, WHO HAS REPLACED 7.5 AMP BODY CONTROL MODULE FUSE, BUT DIDN'T KNOW WHY IT BLEW OUT. GOT BACK HOME , 180+ MILES AND NO PROBLEMS. DAUGHTER ENTERED THE CAR, WENT 8 MILES, BANG SAME THING. TO REPLACE FUSE CALLED SATURN TO MAKE AN...

FOR THE PAST TWO WINTERS I'VE HAD DIFFICULTY STARTING MY CAR ON 5 SEPARATE OCCASIONS. WHEN I WENT OUT TO START IT EACH TIME IT WOULDN'T START. I WOULD WAIT ABOUT 10-15 MINUTES TO RESTART IT, AND LUCKILY IT STARTED. THIS HAS CAUSED ME TO BE LATE ON EVERY OCCASION, ALL THE WHILE BRAVING THE FREEZING COLD. *NM

I HAVE A 2003 SATURN ION. I JUST PURCHASED THIS CAR FROM THE DEALERSHIP EARLIER IN 2006. IT WORKED GREAT UNTIL THE COLD WINTER CAME. EVER SINCE THE WEATHER HAS BECOME COLD I HAVE HAD ISSUES STARTING MY CAR ALMOST DAILY. I WILL GET IN THE CAR AND TRY TO START THE ENGINE. MOST TIMES NOTHING HAPPENS...NO NOISE AT ALL. OTHER TIMES IT WILL SOUND LIKE IT'S TURNING OVER BUT WILL THEN STOP. I WILL HAVE TO WAIT ABOUT 10 MINUTES AND THEN THE CAR STARTS FINE. I WILL DRIVE TO MY LOCATION AND SHUT THE CAR OFF. IF I GET BACK IN AGAIN WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME I HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS AGAIN. I HAVE SEARCHED THE INTERNET MESSAGE BOARDS AND HAVE FOUND HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ISSUE...BUT STILL NO RECALL BY SATURN. IF THIS PROBLEM PERSISTS WITHOUT A RECALL I WILL...

I HAVE BEEN HAVING SOME ISSUES WITH CLUNKING AND GRINDING NOISES WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS OR POTHOLES OR WHILE MAKING TURNS. I TOOK MY 2003 ION 2 TO HAVE THIS CHECKED AND I FOUND OUT THAT THE PROBLEMS WAS BOTH OF MY CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS. MY CAR IS 2 MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY AND HAS ONLY 38,000 MILES ON IT, SO AT FIRST I THOUGHT THAT THIS COULD BE UNTRUE. BUT, AFTER INTERNET RESEARCH IT SEEMS THAT MANY 2003 ION DRIVERS HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM. I CALLED MY SATURN DEALER AND THEY ACTED LIKE THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM AND COULD DO NOTHING TO HELP ME OR FIX IT. MY OTHER PROBLEM WITH THE CAR, WHICH ALSO SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM, IS THAT THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. ONE DAY IT WILL BE ON, AND THE NEXT IT WILL BE FINE. *JB

THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE IN EXACTLY THIRTEEN MONTHS THE FIRST TIME WAS ON FEBRUARY 3, 2005. I ADJUSTED MY POWER DRIVERS SIDE MIRROR WHILE DRIVING HOME AT NIGHT ON HIGHWAY 61 AND HEARD A POP AND ALL MY LIGHTS INCLUDING HEADLIGHTS AND DASH LIGHTS WENT OUT . MY FOUR WAY SAFETY FLASHERS ALSO WOULD NOT WORK I WAS DRIVING IN COMPLETE DARKNESS WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 67 MPH THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED ALMOST IDENTICALLY LAST YEAR WHILE DRIVING IN TOWN APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH ADJUSTED MIRROR HEARD A POP AND ALL LIGHTS WENT OUT. LUCKILY IN BOTH INCIDENTS NO ONE HIT ME FROM BEHIND DUE TO THE FACT THEY COULDN'T SEE ME UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE. NO ONE WAS KILLED OR INJURED BUT THAT WAS JUST PURE LUCK .. LAST YEARS INCIDENT I HAD MY CAR TOWED TO SATURN AND THEY DETERMINED THAT THE BCM FUSE WAS BAD THEY REPLACED FUSE. OBVIOUSLY...

(1) HIGHWAY DRIVING (2) FOUND OUT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS NO LONGER WORKED ON ANY SETTING AFTER SOME WATER SPLASHED UP ON MY WINDSHIELD. NEARLY HAD AN ACCIDENT FROM INABILITY TO SEE. FOUND OUT AFTER I STOPPED THAT THE TRUNK RELEASE ALSO NO LONGER WORKED. (3) CONTACTED SATURN VIA EMAIL. ACTION IS PENDING. *NM

UNRESOLVE PROBLEM (7/2004 - 7/2005) VEHICLE IS UNSAFE. SUDDENLY STALLS AND STOPS WHILE ON HIGHWAY CREATING HAZARD FOR TRAFFIC FOLLOWING AT 65 MPH. RETURNED TO DEALER SEVERAL TIMES. THEY CAN NOT ISOLATE THE PROBLEM AND CAN NOT REPAIR.

WHILE DRIVING. UPON STOPPING THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER GOT OUT TO TAKE THE CHILD OUT OF THE VEHICLE WITH THE IGNITION RUNNING. THE DOORS LOCKED, AND THE CONSUMER COULD NOT GET HER CHILD OUT OF THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM STILL EXIST. *NM DOORS LOCKED AUTOMATICALLY UPON EXITING DRIVER'S SIDE. ADDITIONAL SERVICE INCLUDE, THE A/C AND HEATER FUNTION FAILED DUE TO FAULTY CONNECTION FROM SWITCH TO RESISTOR CARD, COLLAPSE OF HORN COVER CAUSING LOSS OF AIRBAG. IGNITION SWITCH FAILED. THE SIGNAL AND RUNNING LAMPS WERE INOPERATIVE. *BF

TO DATE, VEHICLE HAS HAS MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WHICH DEALER/SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN UNABLE TO RESOLVE. 10 SERVICE VISITS IN LESS THAN 6 MONTHS AND NO END IN SIGHT. PROBLEMS INCLUDE: DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS/BLINKER LIGHTS INOPPERABLE (REPAIRED 6 TIMES); OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE GUAGE MALFUNCTIONING (REPAIRED 3+ TIMES); AIR CONDITIONING INOPPERABLE AND COMPASS MALFUNCTIONING.*AK

I BOUGHT A SATURN ION IN EARLY AUGUST OF 2003. I HAVE HAD 5 SEPARATE OCCASIONS WHERE THE VEHICLE HAS STALLED OUT ON ME AND HAD NO CONTROL OF THE CAR WHAT SO EVER! THE LATEST TIME WAS AT THE INTERSTATE AT 65 MILES PER HOUR WITH AN EIGHT WHEELER TRUCK RIGHT BEHIND ME. HAD I NOT THOUGHT QUICK AND PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND RESTARTED THE CAR OR ELSE I WOULD HAVE BEEN HIT IT THE REAR BY A SEVERAL TON VEHICLE. I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED! THE ENTIRE POWER TO THE CAR DIES !! THE STEERING COLUMN LOCKS UP AND YOU THE ENTIRE CAR "SHUTS DOWN" AND YOU ARE STUCK IN FRONT OF ANOTHER CAR W/ ONLY THE PRAYER OF RESTARTING YOUR SATURN ION SO THAT YOU ARE NOT KILLED! THE FIRST PERSON I SPOKE WITH IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TOLD ME THAT HE HAD HEARD OF...

THE FRONT AND REAR TURN SIGNAL LIGHT BULBS BLEW OUT 11 TIMES. FIRST THE DEALER TOLD ME THE BULBS WERE BAD, THEN TOO MANY AMPS FOR THE TURN SIGNAL CIRCUIT. THEY DID SOME "CONVERSION" 8 MONTHS AGO AND THE BULBS BLEW OUT LESS FREQUENT BUT STILL OCCURRING. THE DRIVER FRONT BULBS BLEW 3 WEEKS AGO. THE TURN SIGNAL ALSO MALFUNCTION WHENEVER I PLUG THE CELL PHONE CHARGER INTO THE POWER OUTLET. I HAD MANY NEAR ACCIDENTS BECAUSE OF THE TURN SIGNAL.

WHEN THE CONSUMER PLUGGED DEVICES INTO THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER THE TURN SIGNAL WOULD NOT WORK. *NLM