Intermittent starting problem, car sounds like it is starting then doesnt, I wait ten minutes then it will start. Ignition switch problem
2003 Saturn Ion electrical complaints
Page 6 of 14: complaints 131 to 160 of 383, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Yet another complaint on the faulty ignition switch on the saturn ion. Since it appears hundreds of thousands of people are having this same problem, and gm is aware of this problem why has there not been a recall?? Car will not start when cold, key gets stuck in ignition. Gm what is the deal???
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. The contact stated that the vehicle would experience difficulty starting and would need numerous attempts before successfully starting. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the park and neutral position switch was replaced. The failure began to recur approximately eighteen months later. The vehicle was not taken to be repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
In very cold weather the car will not start.
The car's headlights and instrument lights shut off. Warning lights such as "check engine", "ABS", and "theft lock" all came on after parking the car. The horn would not shut off, I had to disconnect the battery to get horn to stop. Attempted to start the following morning and while reconnecting the battery the horn came on again and the listed above lights stayed on. Car has been unreliable and unsafe to drive!!!
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. The contact stated the ignition key became stuck in the ignition switch. The contact took the vehicle to a dealer who replaced the ignition switch. A week after the vehicle was repaired the key became stuck in the ignition. The contact called the manufacturer who stated due to the vehicle not being covered by a warranty there was nothing they could do. The contact noticed numerous complaints regarding the faulty ignition switch on various models associated with the same manufacturer. The contact stated the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The failure mileage was 109,000.
2003 saturn ion . Consumer writes in regards to vehicle recall issues *tgw the consumer stated the vehicle was purchased new and she was never informed of a recall regarding the body control module which she was having problems with. The consumer stated the problem first started when the driver side window dropped when she closed the door. Then it would not stay up. Then half of the dash went black. The next window would go up and down on its own with no contact of any type. Then the controls to the electric windows stopped working completely and the electronic lock/opening device would not open the doors any longer or lock the trunk. The consumer was informed she would have to pay for a diagnostic test. The consumer also stated there was also a problem with the transmission. The vehicle did not react to being in park, so therefore, she had difficulty removing the keys from the ignition. The o2 sensor and the ignition switch had to be replaced. The consumer stated the transmission was never properly replaced. On one occasion, the vehicle stalled and the steering locked up.
Randomly, my 2003 saturn ion-3 refuses to start due to the widely known yet unresolved ignition switch passlock problem. The occurrences have steadily increased in frequency over the last couple of years. The potential safety consequences of this prevalent issue are being overlooked, and it should be formally investigated. Additionally, it raises concerns about faultiness in other critical components. The repair costs are unfair to us consumers for this admittedly faulty part; it should be handled by recall.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion ii. While the contact was driving approximately 45 MPH, the engine stalled and the passlock warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel intermittently. The engine restarted after waiting twenty minutes. The failure continued to occur. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they detected that the fuse box was loose. The technician tightened the bolts that secured the fuse box. The failure persisted and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer four times for the similar failure. The dealer recommended that the ignition switch be replaced to resolve the problem. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Having problems with turning off car. Alot of the time my key won't be able to turn car off all the way so my key gets stuck. I will have to wait maybe 10 minutes before I will hear a click and finally turn it off.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. The contact stated that the vehicle would not start immediately and it took approximately five attempts to start the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic but there were no diagnostic codes displayed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact called the manufacturer who offered no assistance. The current mileage was 70,165. The failure mileage was approximately 69,500.
The issue is in connection with a 2003 saturn ion. Recently, while driving, there appears to be a click coming from the front left side of the car, most likely coming from the fuse box. Immediately following the click, there is three dings followed by a message on the dash "pwr str". After this has occurred, the vehicle loses its power steering abilities, causing significant more force to be used when operating the vehicle. Typically this is fine when on a straight road but often this is not the case as I drive on roads with sharp curves leading to the risk of significant danger if I was to lose power steering while taking one of these turns. If the car is turned off while in motion and then turned on again the power steering does begin to work again although often the events occur again and the car loses power steering.
2003 saturn ion-3 purchased new began not starting in 2009. After waiting approximately 10-15 minutes the car starts up. Took the car to a repair shop where a diagnostic test was done and they could not find a problem and could not reproduce the car not starting. Went on-line and discovered numerous complaints from other saturn ion owners regarding this exact problem. Wrote a letter and sent copies of these same complaints to gm in january 2009. A service rep. Called me saying they had no recalls for this problem and nothing could be done about it by gm. Starting having many more incidents of the car not starting in 2010, but waiting the 10-15 minutes and the car then starting. Sent an e-mail to gm regarding this issue. Again a service rep. Called and said due to the age of the car I should take it to an authorized dealer and the repair, if they could find it, was my responsibility. This issue can be quite serious since you cannot start your vehicle and are left sitting there in conditions that could be dangerous (very cold weather, late at night, etc.) lately this situation has happened 6-8 times in two weeks. It would certainly help if gm knows about this situation and would issue a recall.
2003 saturn ion ignition switch broke; became inoperative & cost $600.00 to repair & could have been accident causal.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. When the contact attempted to start the vehicle it failed to start. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technicians stated that the ignition switch needed to be replaced. The failure happened intermittently and does not allow the contact to turn the vehicle on for approximately forty five minutes. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion level 2 (na). The contact noticed that the vehicle would not start intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who performed a diagnostic test which concluded that the ignition switch and pass lock needed to be repaired. The contact did not inform the manufacturer. The dealer was repairing the ignition switch and the anti theft device system. The current mileage was approximately 66,000. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. The contact noticed that the key would remain stuck in the ignition when the vehicle was shut off. Both the dealer and manufacturer were notified who was aware of the issue but did not offer any additional assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The current mileage was approximately 60,000. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. The contact stated that upon entering the vehicle and attempting to start the vehicle, it failed to start. The vehicle eventually started after several attempts. She took the vehicle to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The dealer informed her that she needed to replace the starter. The vehicle was repaired. She also stated that the key was getting stuck inside of the ignition which made it impossible to turn the vehicle off or remove the key from the cylinder. The vehicle was inspected for that failure and informed her that she needed to replace the ignition switch. Instead of replacing the ignition switch due to cost they opted to reprogram the key so that she could remove it no matter what gear the vehicle was in. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000. Updated 2/23/11 *cn according to the service invoice, the vehicle needed a new shifter which was causing the key to become stuck in the ignition. Updated 06/20/11
2003 saturn ion tends to not want to start every winter! It has to do with the ignition switch freezing up. It will happen randomly in the winter 2-3 times a week. It is pretty bad when your car lets you sitting for 22 min. With a baby when its 22 degrees outside!!!
2003 ion saturn will not start on cold mornings. This started 2010 in january. I have taken to firestone to fix. Wasn't cold enough. Car started. Now weather is colder and car will not start. Service engine light comes on. Then nothing. I have noticed several complaints of this same type that I am having. My car only has 60,000 miles. New battery put in jan 2010. Car mechanic said cannot determine problem until car won't start for them. Very frustrating. This is really the only problem I have had with my 2003 saturn ion. Wanted to keep car for a long time. After the weather gets warmer during the day, car will start right up. Recall???
Failure to start in cold weather, and key sticking in ignition.
2003 saturn ion ignition switch. I can't get my key out of the ignition after I have parked the car and turned my key to the off position. I often have to sit in my car for up to 10minutes before it will release and let me have my key. When I am able to get my key out of the ignition my car with ding.. Like the sound it makes when you leave your lights on, and it will not let me lock my car using my power locks. I have taken it to a gm dealership and they have said that it is the faulty ignition switch seen recurrently in saturn's cars. Even getting the ignition switch replaced I was back to where I first started about a week later. This is dangerous and needs to be recalled!!! I can't believe that after all these years that this still to this day has not been recalled... This is absolutely ridiculous!
Vehicle was taken to authorized saturn dealer, 2003 saturn ion had continuous high engine idle after being driven at highway speeds. If vehicle was shut off the power control module(PCM) computer reset it self. Saturn dealer serviced the vehicle by re-programming the PCM( 10/21/10) as per a issued service bulletin of 4/2004 . This did not work. Then they advised a spring in throttle body (engine) was bad and replaced spring ( 10/28/10). This also did not work, engine still has high idle and I bought the vehicle back on 11/2/10 to the service dealer.. Service dealer then hooked up car to computer and has ser tech drive vehicle for over 25 miles, 2 times ; and thenfound another problem. They indicated that the power control module computer had a short and caused a burned out component in the computer. Since the saturn is no longer being produces, the computer which must be replaced is on back order; and unknown when part will arrive. The saturn service dealer ( ingersoll auto in danbury ct) advised that the vehicle should not be driven as it was a safety hazard, since the computer controls not only the engine but the ABS braking system. At this time unknown when a part will arrive as it is on back order. In searching the internet I found numerous complaints from person who also had problems with the power control module computer. I believe that gm/saturn has had full knowledge of the problem and should have taken care of this problem prior; and as other owners of saturns are having this serious problem then gm should be making replacement parts for this computer more available to saturn owners. Ingersoll auto in danbury ct has advised me that they do notknow when the replacement computer will be available as there is no part available in the entire USA. Part will have to be made by gm and unknown when this will happen. So my 2003 saturn ion must be left at the dealer until a replacement computer is sent by gm , so my car can be repaired.
2003 saturn ion, this is the second ignition switch to be replaced in this car. On this occasion the key will not release from the switch. This appears to be a major problem with saturns..why no recall?
2003 saturn ion3 wont start wait 10min and it will start.... I was at a children's hospital and was there with my child when we went to leave the car was in the garage for 4 days. We got in turned the car over and nothing but service engine. @ hours away from home with a sick child that just got released called my husband to come help he traveled 2 hrs to come to me when we went back to the car after sitting at the hospital waiting it started just fine. First time it had every done that to me. But now it has done it several times. I have been at the grocery store at the drs. Trying to leave home to get to work and at work when it has done it. I will try to start it and it tells me service engine and then 10min -20 min I go back to the car and it starts. I shouldn't have to deal with this nor should I have to pay to fix this when I see so many other people with the problem. This is a defect from the company that needs fixed. What happens if someone is on the side of the highway fixing a flat or something and this happens to them.
I have a 2003 saturn ion. The key "jammed" in the "on" position leaving the car running. To shut it off you have to raise the hood, pull a fuse, then go to the trunk and disconnect the battery. This is a major issue for me because the car is driven by a college, female. Gas stations, convenience stores and small children left in car, etc... Are a problem, because the car is running. I have replaced the shifter, and now the ignition ($463) plus tax for a lock cylinder !
The car wont start and I changed the battery and had the alternator tested and starter both passed I attempt to start the car the ignition switch clicks then stalls, security system kicks in reads "service engine soon" after about 20minutes the car starts, hear rattling noise in front suspension this is happening all the time for the past year since I bought the car.
Bought a 2003 saturn ion 2 and it will periodically lock out the ignition system so you have to wait 8-10 minutes to start the car. We have replaced, the ignition switch, starter, battery, and a few other parts to no avail. It was once in jan. Of 2010 and then again in march, but now in june it has happened 3 times in 2 days. I read on a forum that people were having this problem in cold weather climates during winter, but hawaii is a moderate climate year round, no excuse.
I am really getting tired of this part breaking and gm needs to find a fix and recall this car and solve the problem. I found 44 pages of the same complaint on this same car on this website: (http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/saturn_ignition_lock.html) I own a 2003 saturn ion sedan. My ignition is stuck in the on position. The only way I can shut my car off is to pull the fuse to the ECM. The key does not turn in any direction and will pull out of the socket with the car running. I have had this ignition part changed 4 times already. The first two times was under warranty and the key would pull out with car running, the second two times I had to pay for. The last two times it would not let me start the car because of the key not being able to turn. This is the first time it won't let me turn it off. I know this is an older car, but this is too much... [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
2003 saturn ion. September 09. Drove car. Parked. Could not get key out of ignition. Waited 10 minutes. Key came out. Had ignition switch replaced at saturn dealer. Next week the same thing happened. Had ignition switch replaced again.(at my expense). Key continues to intermittently stick in the ignition. I can not get out of my car until I get the key out. Look at the website and read all the complaints about this problem. Http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/saturn_ignition_lock_p5.html no wonder gm closed out the saturn line. Just as bad as toyota. The mechanics at the saturn dealership knew about this problem, but they offered no permanent fix. This is why I don't trust american made cars.
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