While driving at 69 MPH, consumer hit a raccoon and damaged the underbody, radiator ,and the front end.
2003 Saturn Ion engine complaints
Page 4 of 4: complaints 71 to 79 of 79, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Consumer complained about intermittent stalling. It occurred almost every other week. Consumer stated vehicle was driven approximately 350 miles per week. Took vehicle back to dealership on 3 separate occasions, but dealer could not resolve the problem.
There was an egg smell within the cabin and on the outside of the vehicle. The smell was worse when the heat was on. The smell made the occupants nauseous and sick. The dealership was unable to identify what caused the smell but has given a lot of scenarios.
Within 1 week of purchasing vehicle, engine light was coming on and car would shake. Brought in to dealer and they ran a diagnostic test which determined nothing was wrong. Within 2 days engine light continued to come on, sometimes staying on steady and sometimes blinking. Vehicle will start to shake and will not accelerate. When going down hills (even small ones) vehicle will suddenly feel like the brakes have been put on and vehicle jerks forward. The car feels like it's about to stall out when trying to accelerate. When opening the trunk it was very hot and you could not put your hand down in it. Called dealer to make another service appt. This week.
March 22, 2003 I purchased an saturn ion 3. Within the 1st the week there was problems starting the car. The car was in for service 2 times in 2 weeks. Finally the engine light started flashing (3rd time). Supposedly the car was fixed. 3 days later the dealer's service department called me at saturn corp.'s request to immediately return the car as the engine could blow up. The engine had a cracked cylinder which caused coolant to leak into the engine with about 650 miles. Also, another saturn ion with 2500 miles was sitting in the dealer's lot with a cracked cylinder in the engine. I was released from the sale on april 17, 2003. I took a 2nd saturn ion 3 on april 17, 2003. This car has jerky steering problems coming out of turns and sever transmission problems. The car kicks when turning on the ignition, engine gets racketing when put into reverse, when changing gears - kicks, slides, and will surge, and bounce through gears between 30 MPH to above 70 MPH. The service manager said, "all the ions drive this way. There's nothing wrong with the car". This car has been in for service 4 times. Each time the car is returned worse than the time before.
Engine light appeared on instrumental panel, vehicle was taken to the dealer, and they could not duplicate the problem. The following day manufacturer called the consumer not to drive the vehicle at all. Dealer kept the vehicle for 3 weeks.
Vehicle stalled while on the highway causing the steering wheel to lock up. *mr the vehicle would lock up as if it was turned off. After the vehicle was received back from repair, it had become difficult to gain speed, and shift gears automatically(especially problematic when in lower speeds), and would randomly begin to shake. *scc
New saturn ion 2003 stalls while driving down highway, steering column locks up, must stop suddenly to restart and gain control of car.
Dear administrator: I purchased a 2003 saturn ion 2 on december 28, 2002. I reported to both the saturn corporation and the dealership that sold me the vehicle that the vehicle wasn't safe after driving the vehicle for 80 miles. The dealer agreed to fix the vehicle, so I took the vehicle in and the dealership on 4 seperate occasions , two of which the dealer refused to accept my vehicle. On january 10, not two weeks after the purchase of the vehicle, saturn kept the vehicle for nearly one week. After the loan was approved on the vehicle, the dealership returned the vehicle to me and said the vehicle was free of defects. After nearly being killed in the vehicle twice because the vehicle stalled on the freeway when I attempted to accelerate, I took the vehicle to the saturn dealership in cerritos, california. The dealership where I purchased vehicle refused to honor my warranty, refused to accept the vehicle and told me that they would not accept the vehicle. I had 1,200 miles on car and I had not had the vehicle in my possession for 30 day because the vehicle had been in this dealership's auto repair shop for 5 days. When I was nearly killed in the vehicle for the last time, I was forced to have the defective vehicle towed and left at the dealership. Saturn refused me tow service on this vehicle, although I have purchased tow service. Saturn is now in possession of the vehicle and has been since february 1, 2003. The saturn of cerritos, manager, mr. Vance threatened me on february 1, 2003, and told me that I returned the vehicle that saturn would return the vehicle to americredit, the company that financed the car and would have my credit ruined - if I did not keep the defective vehicle. The saturn corporation manager, donna lansfield, also threatened me and in an unprofessional, threatening manner attempted to force me to retrieve saturn's defective vehicle that nearly killed me twice now.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2003 Saturn Ion?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history