KnownCarProblems2004 Saturn Ion Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 898 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 Saturn Ion, most often about the steering (38% of complaints, typically around 86,000 miles). It is the 2nd most complained-about Ion model year since 2000 and has 8 recalls.
Most common 2004 Saturn Ion problems
Steering
345 complaints · 38%Half of these problems showed up before 86,000 miles. Parts named most often: electric power assist system, column, hydraulic power assist system, column locking.
My power-steering keeps going out on my 2004 Saturn Ion. The message center beeps and then the steering goes out. Turn the car off and then back on and steering works.
I purchased my 2004 Saturn Ion last june and the weekend after I drove it off the lot, the power steering went out. My stepfather looked at it and replaced the fuse for the power steering. It did not happen again until 5 months ago. At this point my warranty was over and the dealership would not fix it. The power…
Electrical
331 complaints · 37%Half of these problems showed up before 53,500 miles. Parts named most often: ignition, 12v/24v/48v battery, starter assembly, wiring.
Prior to purchasing my '04 Saturn Ion I read all the reviews and customer complaints. One of the biggest complaints I came across was that the vehicle would not start in cold weather. I assumed that since I lived in florida and it seemed most of the complaints where from other states where they get freezing…
2004 Saturn Ion, refuses to start in cold weather - mainly after an overnight park in sub-freezing temperatures...wait 10 minutes, and it starts.
Transmission
60 complaints · 7%Half of these problems showed up before 64,000 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission, manual transmission, clutch assembly, axle assembly.
The contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that it was difficult to remove the key from the ignition after the gear was put into park. The vehicle was taken to a dealer. The technician diagnosed that the shift module was defective. The vehicle was repaired. The failure recurred. The manufacturer was made…
2004 Saturn Ion vti transmission failure, pulling out of a fast food drive thru at a slow rate of speed, hundreds of miles from home. It has been a known issue that this transmission was a poorly made gm product; Saturn was aware of it, gm has been aware. Recalls should have been made, but instead they are allowed to…
Engine
56 complaints · 6%Half of these problems showed up before 82,000 miles. Parts named most often: engine, exhaust system, cooling system.
Tl contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. The contact started the ignition; however, the engine failed to start after several attempts. The previous day the vehicle was used to jump start another vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing. The technician stated that the engine needed to be…
I have taken this car in several times for the same reason... Idle sticks then it shuts down completely or it will just cut off while I'm driving it. The Saturn repair shop couldn't find anything wrong. I paid for this 3 times and gave up. I've also had my ignition repaired already so this recall does me no good. I've…
Air bags
52 complaints · 6%Half of these problems showed up before 55,000 miles. Parts named most often: frontal.
The contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that when attempting to drive the vehicle, it would not start on multiple occasions. The contact waited for a brief moment and the vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle would not start at random. The battery was replaced due to the ignition problem with the…
The contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that while at a complete stop, another vehicle crashed into the contact's rear. The air bags failed to deploy. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted about the…
Fuel system
52 complaints · 6%Half of these problems showed up before 102,500 miles. Parts named most often: storage, delivery.
Fuel leak. Changing fuel line and hopefully that fix works. Same thing currently happening on our 2006 Saturn VIN []. Frustrating reading all the years of complaints with limited recalls. Dangerous problem. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
The contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. While driving 50 MPH, the vehicle began leaking a tremendous amount of fuel under the driver side. The contact pulled the vehicle over and noticed that the leak stopped. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump and the fuel line were severely…
Speed control
27 complaints · 3%Half of these problems showed up before 93,000 miles. Parts named most often: accelerator pedal, cruise control, linkages.
When entering a highway and gathering speed, I removed my foot from the gas pedal and the car continued to accelerate. I applied the brakes but the car reached 85mph. I hit the gas pedal and the vehicle began to decelerate. I pulled off the road and turned off the vehicle. I restarted the vehicle and drove home (10…
The contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic stop, the vehicle erroneously accelerated as the contact had the brakes applied. The vehicle was able to be driven to a private mechanic where the failure could not be replicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was…
Lights
26 complaints · 3%Half of these problems showed up before 60,000 miles. Parts named most often: turn signal, headlights.
In 2005 a recall was issued for the 2004 Saturn Ion front headlamps. I had the recalled parts replaced. For the past few months my left blinker has gone out about five times. I have replaced bulbs, had the dealer replace the sockets, and am now about to have the wiring harness replaced. The dealer said that no one…
Tl contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that while driving various speeds and when the vehicle was parked that the interior lights would not shut off. None of the warning lights illuminated on the instrumental panel. The contact also stated that the alarm shuts off intermittently at night. The vehicle…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2004 Saturn Ion recalls
Electrical: ignition
Risk: If the key can be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "off" position, the vehicle could roll away: (a) for an automatic transmission, if the transmission is not in the "park" position; or (b) for a manual transmission, if the parking brake is not engaged and the transmission is not in the "reverse" position. This potential for rollaway increases the risk for a crash and occupant or pedestrian injuries.
Fix: General motors will notify owners, and for vehicles that were built with the defective ignition cylinder and have not previously had the ignition cylinder replaced with the redesigned part, dealers will replace the ignition cylinder and cut and, if necessary, re-learn two ignition/door keys for each vehicle. For vehicles that were built with the redesigned ignition cylinder or had the ignition cylinder replaced with the redesigned part, dealers will cut and, if necessary, re-learn two ignition/door keys for each vehicle. The recall began on april 18, 2014. Chevrolet owners may contact general
Full defect summary
General motors llc (gm) is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 chevrolet cobalt, 2006-2011 chevrolet hhr, 2007-2010 pontiac g5, 2006-2010 pontiac solstice, 2003-2007 saturn ion, and 2007-2010 saturn sky vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the key can be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "off" position.
Steering: electric power assist system
Risk: If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Gm will notify owners, and dealers will perform one of four bulletins. Parts are not currently available. Gm expects to send an interim notification around may 28, 2014. When parts are available, owners will be mailed a second letter to come in to have the applicable bulletin applied. Bulletin 14115 covers model year 2004-2007 saturn ion, 2009-2010 chevrolet hhr and 2010 chevrolet cobalts. Dealers will replace the eps motor. Bulletin 14116 covers model year 2004-2006 chevrolet malibu and malibu maxx, 2005-2006 pontiac g6 and 2008-2009 chevrolet malibu, pontiac g6 and saturn aura built from mar
Full defect summary
General motors llc (gm) is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 and 2008-2009 chevrolet malibu, 2004-2006 malibu maxx, 2009-2010 hhr (non-turbo), 2010 cobalt, 2008-2009 saturn aura and 2004-2007 ion, and 2005-2009 pontiac g6. In the affected vehicles, there may be a sudden loss of electric power steering (eps) assist that could occur at any time while driving.
Air bags
Risk: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Gm will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. An interim notification was issued to owners of 2007 and earlier models on march 10, 2014, informing them of the safety defect. Owners of 2008 and later vehicles will be mailed an interim letter on april 21, 2014. All affected owners will receive another letter once parts are available. The recall began on april 18, 2014. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, pontiac at 1-800-762-2737 or saturn at 1-800-553-6000. Gm's number for the initial recall is 13454 and 14063 for the expansion. Gmâs recall nu
Full defect summary
This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General motors llc (gm) notified the agency on february 10, 2014 that they are recalling 619,122 model year 2005-2007 chevrolet cobalt, and 2007 pontiac g5 vehicles. On february 25, 2014, gm increased the recall to include an additional 748,024 model year 2006-2007 chevrolet hhr and pontiac solstice vehicles and 2003-2007 saturn ion vehicles and 2007 saturn sky vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine. On march 27, 2014, gm notified the agency that the defective ignition switches may have be
Lights: turn signal
Risk: If a front turn signal lamp is inoperative, others may react more slowly to a turning vehicle and a crash could occur.
Fix: Dealers will replace the drl/turn signal bulb on both the left and right front side and inspect for and add a drl jumper kit if not present. The recall began november 17, 2004. Owners should contact saturn at 1-800-972-8876.
Full defect summary
Certain passenger vehicles have a condition in which the turn signal lamp and daytime running lamp (drl) on either front side can stop working because of loss of contact between the bulb and socket.
Fuel system: fuel pump
Risk: Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel feed pipe assembly. Owner notification began on june 9, 2004. Owners should contact saturn at 1-800-972-8876.
Full defect summary
Certain vehicles equipped with supercharged 2.0l 4-cylinder (lsj) engine were built with a fuel feed pipe that could crack and leak fuel near the fuel rail. If fuel leaks from the fuel feed pipe, there would be a noticeable fuel odor around the vehicle.
Body and structure: bumpers
Risk: Long term durability of the joint may be reduced and separation of the bumper from the frame on the passenger's side of the vehicle may result, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: All vehicles are still in dealer's possessions.
Full defect summary
On certain passenger vehicles, some welds between the passenger's side motor rail and the front bumper bracket do not meet engineering specifications.
Visibility and wipers: power window devices and controls
Risk: If unsupervised children are left unattended in the vehicle and operate the power windows or sunroof, there is an increased risk of injury to the child.
Fix: Dealers will upgrade the body control module (BCM) calibration. Owner notification began on december 30, 2003. Owners should contact saturn at 1-800-972-8876.
Full defect summary
Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 118, "power-operated window, partition, and roof panel systems." the power windows and/or sunroof may be operable after the ignition has been turned to the "off" position and the front passenger door is opened.
Fuel system: fuel system, gasoline
Risk: If corrosion on the exterior surface of the fuel filter progresses to the point of creating a hole in the shell, fuel droplets could form and drop to the ground. If an ignition source is present, a fire could result.
Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel filter assembly. Owner notification began on december 30, 2003. Owners should contact saturn at 1-800-972-8876.
Full defect summary
Certain passenger vehicles equipped with 2.2l 4-cylinder (l61) engines were built with a fuel filter that could corrode prematurely on the exterior surface.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Electric power steering failure
Summary
On march 31, 2014, general motors company (gm) submitted a defect information report (dir) to NHTSA describing a safety defect that may result in a sudden loss of power steering assist in approximately 1,340,447 model year (my) 2004 through 2010 vehicles equipped with electric power steering (eps), including 334,728 my 2004 through 2007 saturn ion vehicles that are the subject of ea11-014.gm has assigned the recall number n140115.the NHTSA recall number is 14v-153.according to the dir, if power steering assist is lost, a message is displayed on the driver information center and a chime sounds to inform the driver.gm indicated that steering control can be maintained in manual (unassisted) ste
Electric power steering failure
Summary
Odi has received 846 complaints and gm identified 3,489 reports alleging sudden loss of steering power assist in model year (my) 2004 through 2007 saturn ion vehicles manufactured and sold by general motors corporation (gm).sixteen of these complaints alleged that the eps warning lamp had illuminated before or during the loss of steering assist and the increased steering effort contributed to a crash. Two of the gm crash claims indicated that the driver was injured in the crash. In a previous preliminary evaluation pe10-005, odi investigated the sudden loss of power steering assist in my 2005 through 2010 chevrolet cobalt vehicles. In may 2011, in response to an odi information request lette
Front turn signal/drl failure
Summary
The combination front turn signal/drl in my 2003 saturn ion coupes experienced significant early-life failures due to various bulb quality issues due to inadequate design and manufacture.this problem trend appears to have disappeared after the fall of 2003.the change of lead wire material near the start of my 2004 vehicle production appears to have reduced the failure rate for my 2004 saturn ion coupes.although operating temperatures in the subject vehicles' lamp assemblies are below the socket material maximum temperature specification, they are only slightly below the specification.in december 2004, gm reduced the voltage to the lamp assembly in order to reduce the temperature in the assem
Front turn signal/drl failure
Summary
On november 16, 2004, gm notified NHTSA that it will conduct a safety recall of 178,798 model year (my) 2003 and 2004 saturn ion sedan vehicles for inoperative front turn signal/drl bulbs.gm stated that temperatures in the lamp assembly exceed the material specification for the bulb sockets and bulb base sleeves, which cause deformation.the deformed sockets can cause loss of bulb and socket contact.the deformed sleeves can cause stress cracks to form on the bulb that can lead to premature bulb failure.the recall remedy is to replace the front turn signal/drl bulbs and inspect for voltage-reducing jumper (which reduces temperature in lamp assembly) and add if not present.see NHTSA recall no.
Questions about the 2004 Saturn Ion
- What are the most common problems with the 2004 Saturn Ion?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: steering (345 complaints, typically around 86,000 miles); electrical (331 complaints, typically around 53,500 miles); transmission (60 complaints, typically around 64,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2004 Saturn Ion have?
- 8 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from April 10, 2014 (electrical). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2004 a bad year for the Saturn Ion?
- It is the 2nd most complained-about Ion model year since 2000, with 898 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.