2003 SATURN ION Electrical Systemignitionswitch Problems

CAR ROUTINELY WILL NOT START IN COLD WEATHER DUE TO FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH. A NEW IGNITION SWITCH MUST BE INSTALLED AND IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. *JB

IN COLD TEMPERATURES MY 2003 SATURN ION 2 WOULD NOT START. ALL OF MY LIGHTS WOULD COME ON BUT WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO START THE CAR THE SECURITY LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND I WOULD BE LOCKED OUT OF STARTING MY CAR FOR THE NEXT 8-10 MINUTES DUE TO A FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT I PURCHASED IT FROM AND CODES B2930 B3033 WERE FOUND IN THE SYSTEM. THE IGNITION SWITCH SN 10392423 WAS REPLACED. THE OLD PART WAS KEPT BY SATURN. *JB

FREQUENT INABILITY TO START VEHICLE DUE TO IGNITION CYLINDER WEAR. SATURN CLAIMS SECURITY SYSTEM IS ACTIVATED DUE TO INTERNAL IGNITION SWITCH NOT BEING ABLE TO "READ" CHIP IN SATURN VEHICLE KEY. FAILURE OF SUCH PROCESS RESULTS IN OPERATOR OF VEHICLE HAVING TO WAIT UNTIL SECURITY SYSTEM "RESETS" (10-15 MINS.) SATURN WILL NOT HONOR THE FACT THAT THIS MAY BE A DESIGN FLAW, AND HOLDS OWNER RESPONSIBLE FOR $200 REPAIR. THIS OWNER IS JUST GLAD THE STEERING WHEEL HASN'T FALLEN OFF THE DASHBOARD YET. GOOD CAR ! *JB

INTERMITTENTLY, CAR WILL NOT START IN COLD WEATHER. NO CRANK OR START. AFTER 10 MINUTES, CAR SOMETIMES STARTS WITH ANOTHER KEY. CAR EVENTUALLY STARTS, BUT REQUIRES 10 MINUTE PAUSE BETWEEN EACH ATTEMPT FOR SECURITY LOCK-OUT TO BE BYPASSED. *NM

SATURN ION COLD START PROBLEM**CC THE CONSUMER STATED THE IGNITION SWITCH CLICKED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE SECURITY SYSTEM WILL ACTIVATE, AND A SECURITY LIGHT WOULD BLINK AND THE ODOMETER SCREENS WOULD READ SERVICE ENGINE SOON. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RE-START FOR 8-10 MINUTES AS THE SECURITY SYSTEM RESETS. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE GREASE IN THE IGNITION SWITCH IS FREEZING AND/OR HARDENING SO THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH CAN NOT ENGAGE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE IGNITION SWITCH AND GREASE SHOULD BE RECALLED. *JB

CAR WILL NOT START IN THE COLD WEATHER. THEN I GET A SERVICE ENGINE MESSAGE AND THE SECURITY LIGHT FLASHES. THE CAR WILL NOT START FOR 10 MINUTES AFTER. HOWEVER, THE CAR ALWAYS STARTS WHEN IT IS NOT COLD. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE LAST THREE WEEKS. *NM

MY 2003 SATURN ION FAILS TO START IN COLD WEATHER BECAUSE THE IGNITION SWITCH DOES NOT PROPERLY READ THE KEY AND THE PASSLOCK SYSTEM LOCKS OUT THE IGNITION. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE AND IN MARCH 2006 GM ISSUED A TECHNICAL BULLETIN IDENTIFYING THE IGNITION SWITCH AS THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM. SATURN HOWEVER REFUSES TO CORRECT THIS DEFECT WITH MY VEHICLE. AS THIS FAILURE ONLY OCCURS IN COLD WEATHER IT IS A SAFETY CONCERN OF MINE AS I WORK LATE HOURS AND I RELY ON MY VEHICLE STARTING SO THAT I CAN TURN ON THE HEAT. SITTING IN THE FREEZING COLD IN A VEHICLE THAT HAS AN IDENTIFIED DEFECTIVE PART THAT WILL NOT START IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE. THE SATURN DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD DO NOTHING FOR ME BECAUSE A RECALL HAS NOT BEEN ORDERED. AS SATURN WILL NOT STEP UP AND TAKE CARE...

I HAVE A 2003 SATURN ION WHICH I PURCHASED NEW FROM THE DEALER. WHEN IT GETS COLD OUTSIDE (USUALLY AT OR BELOW 32 DEGREES) THE CAR INTERMITTENTLY FAILS TO START. THE PASSLOCK SYSTEM ACTIVATES, PREVENTING THE CAR FROM STARTING, BECAUSE THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILS TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE PROPER KEY IS IN THE IGNITION. GM HAS ISSUED A TECHNICAL ADVISORY (# 04-08-45-005D) DATED 15 MAR 2006 IDENTIFYING THE IGNITION SWITCH AS THE CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. THE SATURN DEALERSHIP CONFIRMED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS THE CAUSE OF THE PASSLOCK MALFUNCTION ON MY CAR AND INFORMED ME THAT IT WOULD COST $250.00 TO REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH. IN PERFORMANCE OF MY DUTIES AS A FEDERAL OFFICER I RELY ON MY VEHICLE TO START WHEN I NEED IT TO. I AM OFTEN DISPATCHED TO REMOTE AREAS IN INCLEMENT WEATHER TO ASSIST THE PUBLIC. WAITING 10-30 MINUTES FOR THE PASSLOCK SYSTEM TO...

I HAVE A 2003 SATURN ION WHICH I PURCHASED NEW FROM THE DEALER. WHEN IT GETS COLD OUTSIDE (USUALLY AT OR BELOW 32 DEGREES) THE CAR INTERMITTENTLY FAILS TO START. THE PASSLOCK SYSTEM ACTIVATES, PREVENTING THE CAR FROM STARTING, BECAUSE THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILS TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE PROPER KEY IS IN THE IGNITION. GM HAS ISSUED A TECHNICAL ADVISORY (# 04-08-45-005D) DATED 15 MAR 2006 IDENTIFYING THE IGNITION SWITCH AS THE CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. THE SATURN DEALERSHIP CONFIRMED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS THE CAUSE OF THE PASSLOCK MALFUNCTION ON MY CAR AND INFORMED ME THAT IT WOULD COST $250.00 TO REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH. IN PERFORMANCE OF MY DUTIES AS A FEDERAL OFFICER I RELY ON MY VEHICLE TO START WHEN I NEED IT TO. I AM OFTEN DISPATCHED TO REMOTE AREAS IN INCLEMENT WEATHER TO ASSIST THE PUBLIC. HAVING A VEHICLE THAT WILL NOT START BECAUSE...

WILL DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD THE TRANSMISSION IN MY SATURN ION LVL 3 SLIPS AND I HAVE TO LET MY FOOT OFF THE GAS AND THEN KICK THE GAS PEDAL FOR IT TO GO INTO GEAR. IT DOES THIS ALL THE TIME WHEN I AM DRIVING IT. ALSO WHEN I GO TO PARK THE CAR, I PUT IT IN PARK AND PULL UP THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND I GO TO REMOVE THE KEY AND IT WILL ONLY GO AS FAR AS ACC MODE. IT WILL NOT RELEASE. I HAVE TO WAIT 20 TO 30 MINUTES UNTIL IT RELEASES AUTOMATICALLY. I HAVE READ ONLINE THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH SATURNS AND I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THEY WILL NOT FIX IT. IT DOES THIS ALMOST EVERY SINGLE DAY. *NM

THE FIRST TIME THE IGNITION SWITCH "PASSLOCK" SENSOR WENT OUT ON MY 2003 SATURN ION II, IT WAS NEAR ZERO DEGREES OUTSIDE, MY 2 MONTH OLD SON WAS ALONG, AND I WAS STUCK ON THE ROAD FOR SEVERAL MINUTES TRYING TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM IS APPARENTLY THAT A SENSOR THAT CONTROLS THE GAS FLOW STOPPED WORKING PROPERLY AND THE CAR DIED. I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. WHEN TRYING TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, IT INITIALLY DID NOTHING. I WAITED SEVERAL MINUTES, CALLED FOR MY SON TO BE PICKED UP, THEN TRIED AGAIN. AFTER ABOUT 15 MINUTES IT STARTED WITHOUT A PROBLEM. I LEARNED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS FAULTY AND HAD A FAULTY "PASSLOCK" SENSOR. APPARENTLY, WHEN THE IGNITION IS TOO COLD, THE GREASE BEGINS TO HARDEN, CAUSING THE SWITCH TO BE UNABLE TO MAKE PROPER CONTACT. THIS MAKES THE CAR THINK SOMEONE...

2003 SATURN ION WILL NOT START WHEN IT IS COLD. I AM SEEING ALOT OF PEOPLE POSTING ON DIFFERENT FORUMS WITH THE SAME ISSUE. IS ANYTHING GOING TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS? *NM

I OWN A SATURN ION II 2003 AND EVERY MORNING THAT IT IS COLD IT WILL NOT START. AFTER GETTING A NEW BATTERY, WHICH IS WHAT THE DEALERSHIP ADVISED ME TO DO, IT STILL WILL NOT START ON COLD MORNINGS. THERE ARE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS OUT THERE ABOUT THIS ISSUE IN 03 TO LATE 04 MODELS REGARDING THE REPLACEMENT SWITCH NOT TURNING IN COLD WEATHER. THESE VEHICLES NEED TO BE RECALLED. *NM

I HAVE A 2003 SATURN ION-3 AND IT WILL NOT START BELOW 40 DEGREES, THIS IS A RIDICULOUS PROBLEM. THERE IS A THREAD ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AT : HTTP://WWW.AUTOSITE.COM/CONTENT/RESEARCH/FORUMS/INDEX.CFM/ACTION/POSTS/FID/5610 THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WITH THIS PROBLEM AND SO FAR NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE, I AM JUST HOPING I CAN SELL THIS CAR ASAP BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN QUITE A PROBLEM. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START RIGHT AWAY IN COOLER WEATHER, FOR AT LEAST 15 MINUTES. THROUGH INTERNET RESEARCH, THE CONTACT BELIEVED THE PROBLEM WAS THE IGNITION SWITCH. AN APPOINTMENT HAD BEEN SCHEDULED WITH A SERVICE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED.

THE VEHICLE WOULD INTERMITTENTLY NOT START. THIS MOSTLY OCCURRED IN BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS BUT WOULD ALSO OCCUR IN ABOVE 70 DEGREE TEMPERATURES. THE VEHICLE ALSO STALLED WHILE BEING DRIVEN AND COULD IMMEDIATELY BE RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY BETWEEN 50-60 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST ALL ELECTRICAL POWER. THERE IS NO WARNING WHEN THIS OCCURS AND THE STEERING WHEEL ALSO LOCKS UP. THE VEHICLE IS PULLED OVER AND RESTARTED. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH AND FUEL PUMP. THE CONTACT HAS BEEN OUT OF THE COUNTRY SINCE THE REPAIR, LAST YEAR; THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN SINCE REPAIRS WERE MADE.

OVER THE PAST 2 AND 1/2 WEEKS WE HAVE HAD A PROBLEM STARTING OUR 2003 SATURN ION. THE CAR WOULD NOT START LEADING ONE TO BELIEVE THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE BATTERY. THEN A FEW HOURS LATER THE CAR STARTED AND THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME AND WENT VERY QUICKLY. A WEEK LATER, THE SAME THING HAPPENED AND THE CAR STARTED UP AGAIN LATER WITH NO PROBLEM. A FEW DAYS LATER THE SAME THING HAPPENED. THE LOCAL SATURN SERVICE TECH ADVISED US THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN SEEN WITH OTHER IONS AND THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. *NM