Tl* the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. While the vehicle was being inspected at the dealer, the mechanic discovered that the turn signals failed. The dealer stated that the vehicle was previously repaired according to the federal safety agency campaign number: 04v547000 (exterior lighting), but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 167,000.
2003 Saturn Ion lights problems
31 complaints (4% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 27,000. 3 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 31
- of this car's complaints
- 4%
- typical mileage
- 27,000
- crashes
- 3
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
- Turn signal13
- Headlights5
- Turn signal: flasher unit3
- Brake lights2
- Turn signal: switch1
- Headlights: high/low beam dimmer switch1
- Back up lights1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Saturn Ion lights problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2003 Saturn Ion lights
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
Exterior lighting: turn signal
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- If a front turn signal lamp is inoperative, others may react more slowly to a turning vehicle and a crash could occur.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 04V547000 · Recall details
Related investigations
Front turn signal/drl failure
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 assembly of the subject vehicles.warranty claims on the subject vehicles do not indicate an increasing trend over time.warranty claim rate of subject vehicles (excluding early my 2003 claims) is not significantly higher than other gm vehicles that use combination turn signal/drls.a safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time.further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will take further action if warranted by the circumstances.see attached summary report.
EA04035
Front turn signal/drl failure
On november 16, 2004, gm notified the federal safety agency 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 the federal safety agency recall no. 04v547 for details.the bulbs for the turn signal/drl in the saturn ion sedan and ion coupe are identical in design and made by the same supplier.but the turn signal/drl sockets, wiring and housing are different in design for the sedan and coupe, and were made by different suppliers.gm's data shows a lower operating temperature for the coupe's lamp assembly that does not exceed the material specification for the bulb socket and the bulb base sleeve.complaint and warranty rate is also lower for the coupe.however, gm's warranty data shows a continuing trend for the coupe.this preliminary evaluation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea04-035) for further investigation of the my 2003 and 2004 saturn ion coupe vehicles.
PE04061
What 2003 Saturn Ion owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. The contact stated that the front driver side turning indicator failed to illuminate. The vehicle was taken to a dealer. The technician was unable to find a failure. No repairs were made to the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000. Updated 7/16/15*cn updated 10/12/2017
Saturn ion 2 model year 2003 was serviced for 2004 turn signal recall back in 2005; in the past 16 months I have had the driver side turn signal bulb changed 4 times because it stops working, and have changed it 2 more times before the most recent series of incidents. As of today I changed it a 5th time and it still does not work. This is a hazardous condition particularly since it fails repeatedly. Now I have been told that the body control module might have a problem may need to be replaced. This is an issue for hundreds of saturn owners; the recall should have fixed the re-occurence of the original problem but has not.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. The contact stated that the turn signals were defective and were inoperable. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer for a diagnostic test which proved a defective body control module that needed to be replaced. The contact did not have the body control module replaced. The failure mileage was 140,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. While driving at speeds of 40 MPH, the brake lights failed. The contact was stopped by a police officer due to the failure. The failure would occur intermittently. The contact believed the federal safety agency campaign id number 05v245000 (exterior lighting: brake lights) contributed to the failure of the vehicle. A complaint was filed with the manufacturer and there were no repairs made to the vehicle. The failure mileage was 65,000 and the current mileage was 80,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. The contact called the manufacturer to have her vehicle repaired according to the federal safety agency campaign id number 04v547000. She was informed that her vehicle was included in the recall, but it could not be repaired because the warranty expired. The current and failure mileages were 126,000.
Failure of gm to notify me of 3 recalls on 2003 saturn ion. It is possible that this work has already been done, but I cannot tell at this time and would like this problem investigated. Recalls are: the federal safety agency campaign id number: 04v547000 the federal safety agency campaign id number: 04v003000
I was drove my car home one night and the headlights were working fine. I went in the house changed and got ready to leave again when I turned on my headlights they did not come on. Thought maybe it was the bulbs that went out but the bright lights worked. Had the bulbs check they were fine, I also checked the fuses to make sure that was burnt out. After a week the lights still were not working took it to a car mechanic and the analysis showed some sensor. He replaced the sensor and it did not fix the problem my low beam headlights are still not working.
When it rains or snows, my driver seat and floor gets wet. There are no water stains around the sun roof nor is there any water damage on the drivers' door. In new england, the car is non-functional in the winter and spring because of this problem. I have taken it to the local saturn dealership and they have refused to fix it. 2) I have had to replace my front turn signals 3 times in 1.5 years. I am almost convinced it is a socket problem and not a lightbulb problem. 3) I have had to replace the brakes and rotors twice within a 12 month period. In that time. I have only driven 17,000 miles. Once is understandable. Twice is expensive and ridiculous.
I purchased this car from saturn of bellevue (wa) in october of 2005. I am experiencing a problem with my passenger side front blinker. It does not operate. My back one flashes quickly. It is not the bulb. When I took apart the headlight to look at it, it started working. Seemed like a loose connection. That was a temporary fix, now the problem is back again. I found a recall campaign about this issue. The federal safety agency campaign id number: 04v547000. I am thoroughly disgusted that saturn expects its customers to pay $92 for a diagnostic on a recall issue. It seems quite obvious that the recall work was not done properly.
Questions about the 2003 Saturn Ion lights
Does the 2003 Saturn Ion have lights problems?
Owners have filed 31 complaints about the lights of the 2003 Saturn Ion, 4% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2003 Saturn Ion lights problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 27,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Saturn Ion lights?
Yes, 1 recall: 04V547000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Saturn Ion have the most lights problems?
The Saturn Ion model years with the most lights complaints are 2003 (31 complaints), 2005 (31 complaints) and 2004 (26 complaints).
Other 2003 Saturn Ion problems
Electrical 383Steering 139Engine 79Transmission 55Airbags 49Acceleration 38Visibility 38Fuel system 34Body 19Brakes 11Locks 10Suspension 9Seat belts 7Tires 5Driver assistance 4Seats 3Wheels 2
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