The contact owns a 2003 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that occasionally the key failed to turn while in the ignition. The vehicle was slow to start. The contact had to avoid bumps in the roadway while driving. The lock symbol was displayed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Numbers: 14V171000 (Electrical System) and 14V047000 (Air Bags, Electrical System); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who declined to service the recall repairs due to an insurance issue. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact called another unknown local dealer, who informed the contact to place the vehicle in park(P) and restart the vehicle, and the symbol turned off. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a claim and informed the contact that a technician would be sent to the residence, but the technician failed to show up. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
2003 Saturn Ion airbags problems
49 complaints (6% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 80,000. 25 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 49
- of this car's complaints
- 6%
- typical mileage
- 80,000
- crashes
- 25
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
- Frontal7
- Frontal: sensor/control module2
- Side/window1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Saturn Ion airbags problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2003 Saturn Ion airbags
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
Air bags
- What is wrong
- 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 been used as service replacement parts on other vehicles, and as a result GM will be recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, Saturn Sky, and Pontiac G5 and Solstice, and 2008-2011 Chevrolet HHR vehicles. The part numbers for the service parts are 10392423 (a/k/a ACDelco D1461F), 10392737, 15857948, 15854953, 15896640, and 25846762. This expansion represents an additional 823,788 vehicles.
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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. GMs recall number for the vehicles that may have received the replacement parts is 14092. Note: Until the recall repairs have been performed, it is very important that customers remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the vehicle key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. Always wear your seatbelt.
Recall number 14V047000 · Recall details
What 2003 Saturn Ion owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl* the contact owned a 2003 saturn ion. The contact stated that while driving at 10 MPH, another vehicle in the opposite direction drove head first into his vehicle. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. A police report was filed at the scene. The contact and his son were treated for injuries at the scene and were transported to a local hospital. The contact was treated for chest, neck and back injuries. The contact 's son sustained injuries to his neck and his back. The whereabouts of the other driver were unknown. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to an independent tow yard. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 138,000.
Driving on staight on the highway hit a bump in the road my car started spinning out of control steering wheel locked up which made my driver side crash into a cement wall, my airbags did not deploy even thought the car hit the wall so hard that it cracked my radiator, my car then shut off then turned back on
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. While driving at various speeds, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact had to apply force to the steering wheel in order to steer the vehicle. The failure recurred on numerous occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and repaired per a recall. After the repairs, while driving at various speeds, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to accelerate. The air bag and check engine warning lights illuminated. The manufacturer was not notified of the failures. The recall specifics were unknown. The failure mileage was 141,000. Updated 10/19/16*lj
My horn stopped working. It never worked well, except from the button on the key holder. I complained to the dealer more than once when saturn was still in business. I was always told that my hands were not strong enough to make the horn work. One service person even told me to try it by wrapping both hands around where the horn is located and pressing as hard as I could. I went to a gm dealer yesterday to find out why the horn quit working altogether and also because there are times when the key will not come out of the ignition. I have replaced the ignition twice - once at my expense and once after the recall. Gm will provide the cost of replacing the gear shift. According to the dealer that is why the key won't release from the ignition. However, they want $1,000 to fix the horn because they said it is part of the airbag so the airbag has to be replaced too. I have done some internet research and find that there are other saturn owners who have the horn problem and some have had accidents and the airbag did not deploy. This does not sound right to me. It sounds like there is more going on with the defects than just a faulty ignition. I am afraid to drive my car. I can't afford another car. I can't really afford the $1,000 but am really concerned about not having a working horn and am more concerned that the airbag might not deploy.
Tl* the contact owned a 2003 saturn ion. While driving 40 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to respond. The brake failure caused the contact's vehicle to crash into the rear of another vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. The driver sustained injuries to the knees, which did not require medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact felt that the crash was related to the federal safety agency campaign number: 14v047000 (air bags, electrical system). The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 14v047000 (air bags, electrical system) and the federal safety agency campaign number: 14v171000 (electrical system ) however, the parts to do the repairs was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
I don't feel safe in this vehicle, I have experience how dangerous it could be if the ignition switch does malfunction. I fear for my safety and my families safety the air bags does not work and there is electrical issues with the windows. I don't know why geico insurance didn't find this car not to be an safety issue?
On may 21st 2014 fidelity fleet and finance in portland or knowing sold me a 2003 saturn ion which is involved in the gm ignition recall. When asked if the vehicle was part of the recall the response was clearly represented as the car is not part of the recall and it was safe and mechanically sound. The dealership uses deceptive practices and sells unsafe vehicles including those linked to deaths and thousands of injuries. The dealership has also failed to register the vehicle in over 70 days since the purchase.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the engine stalled and the vehicle crashed into a curb. The airbags did not deploy however, the contact was not injured. The vehicle was not able to restart. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000. Updated 10/2/14*cn the consumer stated the driver received an injury to the head. The vehicle has not been fully repaired. Updated 3/6/2015
Questions about the 2003 Saturn Ion airbags
Does the 2003 Saturn Ion have airbags problems?
Owners have filed 49 complaints about the airbags of the 2003 Saturn Ion, 6% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2003 Saturn Ion airbags problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 80,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Saturn Ion airbags?
Yes, 1 recall: 14V047000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Saturn Ion have bad airbags?
The Saturn Ion model years with the most airbags complaints are 2007 (65 complaints), 2006 (61 complaints) and 2004 (52 complaints).
Other 2003 Saturn Ion problems
Electrical 383Steering 139Engine 79Transmission 55Acceleration 38Visibility 38Fuel system 34Lights 31Body 19Brakes 11Locks 10Suspension 9Seat belts 7Tires 5Driver assistance 4Seats 3Wheels 2
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