Periodically the saturn will lunge fwd will stopped or even driving the rpms spike while driving. Breaks will not stop this issue. I've put my car in the ditch to miss major wrecks ..this has been going on for yrs. Also the losing power when turning has happened but not as much as the accelerator sticking. Bought a new car just for my kids to be in they aren't allowed in the death trap saturn. Wish someone would investigate these problems because they keep getting worse as the yrs go by. Have had the vehicle since it was new..would even be willing to show anyone these problems if they would sit in this death warrant.
2003 Saturn Ion transmission complaints
Page 2 of 3: complaints 11 to 40 of 55, newest first, as owners wrote them.
On 4 separate occasions (different dates, most recent were 1-26-2014 & 2-19-2014) engine revved and car accelerated by itself without gas pedal depressed. Most serious occurrence, car accelerated, brakes had no effect (pushed to the floor), ran red light, went off road, slammed transmission into park to stop. Shut off car, then started it again, and it ran normal. Took car to mechanic. No computer codes. Nothing mechanical was found to be wrong. This is an extremely serious safety issue due to the inevitability of a collision with something or someone.
I am not sure if the power train is the transmission, but this car will downshift on its own, causing it to loose speed incredibly fast almost to the point of stopping. I found out there was a recall on this transmission, but gm now says there was not. Even though when I first called, the gentleman that answered said that the symptoms fit the recall stats. When I was able to talk with the person that was handling the claim, she said it was past 8 years, and they could not fix the recalled problem. I have had more than one garage, and transmission company tell me that this transmission is on a recall, just by checking the VIN #. Gm now refuses to fix it and denies saying it was on recall. The auto dealer I bought it from says they can't do anything about it, even though they have sold other saturns, same year. I spoke with the girl there that "enters the vins into the system to see if there is a recall on the car"...and she knew nothing about this car, although it has 4 other recalls listed for this year and model. Other important facts, I first called a local saturn dealer, and they blew me off saying it was just "stuck" (the transmission) I kept driving it thinking I was wrong it was stuck like they said, whatever that meant. It got worse, I ended up calling gm as referred to by many garages and auto parts stores, and they acknowledged the recall on tranny, then flipped it around . While driving this car whether it is on the highway or a street, it will suddenly almost stop without hitting the breaks, as it will downshift on its own. This almost caused more than one accident. The car cannot be driven, I was never told about this problem when I bought the car.
2003 saturn ion. Consumer writes in regards to transmission problems and seeks vehicle reimbursement. *smd the consumer stated when he backed the vehicle out of the garage, and put the gear in drive, the vehicle would not go forward. The consumer backed the vehicle back in to the garage. The next day he tried it, and the vehicle went forward. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but they were unable to find a problem. From september 2012, until january 2013, the consumer had problems with the vehicle going forward. Each time, it would work again after letting the vehicle sit for awhile. Then on february 23, 2013, the vehicle would not go into reverse. After letting the vehicle sit for about four hours, the shifting worked. After driving three blocks, the vehicle stopped and the shifting went out again. The vehicle was towed to an auto repair shop. The repair shop informed the consumer the transmission had failed and the parts alone would cost $3,982.58.
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.
My saturn ion has developed a transmission problem and I called gm and received a special request number and 48 hours later was contacted and after answering a few questions I was told that my car did not qualify for anything. The reason they gave was because the car has a salvage title. I had the car inspected by the state of mn and now have a prior salvage title. The damage to the car was cosmetic and has nothing to do with the poor transmission that gm sold to the public. Since then I have heard nothing but bad news stories about this transmission--someone needs to be accountable.
I was traveling approximately 40 MPH when the power steering lamp came on and the power steering failed. After pulling to the side of the road, and turning the vehicle off, I restarted the vehicle and the power steering was restored for about 20 minutes. The days following this, I encountered several power steering failures until I had the power steering box replaced on may 10, 2011. I researched the internet and found many other 2003 saturn ion's owners had experienced the same failure. I contacted a gm representative and asked for reimbursement. I was told that there was no recall for the power steering for my year and make of car. I had also complained about my transmission because I had declined repairs on my power steering. Winegarden pontiac informed me that they would not further check the cause of transmission problems because the power steering failure presented a safety concern. I had the power steering box replaced at a cost of $537.94 minus the $127.00 diagnosis fee! I strongly feel that a recall should be in place for the power steering failure, and all who had the problem corrected out of pocket, should be reimbursed at gm's expense. The power steering failure has contributed to an accident in houston texas! I would not like to have human life lost before this problem is given serious consideration! Updated 06/08/11
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
Was stopped at a red light; when it turned green, car did not accelerate. Had to be pushed off to side of road; turned car off, then re-started it. It drove a short distance, then had no power, but was able to coast safely to side of road. Car was towed to gas station. Mechanic checked fluid level was good and did not have burnt smell. Tried to start car again - made low winding noise and would not go into gear. When gas pedal was pressed, the speedometer moved. Mechanic said it needs new transmission. Car has 90,000 miles.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. While accelerating onto a highway at 40 MPH, the vehicle began to abnormally decelerate without warning. The vehicle was towed to a local repair facility where a diagnostic test indicated the transmission would need to be replaced. The manufacturer advised they would get back with the contact to determine if any assistance would be provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 74,085.
Transmission failure. There was a safety alert letter issued november of 2009 for 2003 saturn ion owners with stipulations claiming that the car had to be in service for 5 years or less to be able to have the part repaired at no cost. No one falls under this criteria considering that this alert was sent out in november of 2009, refer to safety alert #09280. My car has 55,000 miles on it and a transmission is not an expense that a saturn customer should have to be paying in my opinion. They do offer a 50% off deal where they take care of half the cost. It's a $5000 job and half is $2500, still a very high cost for a problem that should have been considered a recall. I have only had this car for 2 years and to have this problem on a car that I have a car payment on. Please assist the saturn owners in finding out how this did not become a recall. So many people are having this issue and it seems unfair to have to pay more money for a defect in the saturn ion and vue's transmission. Thank you for your time and help in this matter.
I was at a stop sign and my clutch pedal disconnected from its socket just as I was about to begin driving.
I was driving my 2003 saturn ion2 with 4 cyl and vti transmission with 71,000 miles to work and it felt like it went into neutral and then slowed to a stop. I was almost rear-ended and was stranded on a busy highway. It turns out my vti transmission is defective, there is a class action law suit against gm for it, and it is following the settlement before it has been ruled upon by the judge. They are covering 75% of the repair because I am the second owner. If I was the original owner, they would have covered 100%. I purchased the car from the dealer where it was originally sold and it was a certified used car. I was having transmission noises after I bought the car and in requesting the service records, I found out that the previous owner had transmission problems and work was done for them. I brought the car in and they also did a repair on my transmission (this was prior to it having 36,000 miles and was still covered under the factory warranty). I'm trying to figure out why there has not been a recall on this transmission when all you have to do is do a google search for saturn vti transmission problems and you will find thousands of people that have had problems. The 75% repair still leaves me paying $1,150 and my car is worth very little because all the car companies know about the problem, which has devalued the car. The worst part of this is that they are putting in the very same defective transmission and again the google search reveals they go bad again and again and again. Can the federal safety agency please help me and the thousands of other saturn owners with this problem? This transmission needs to be recalled.
Does not crank, does not start in cold weather & leaves you stranded.
2003 saturn transmission failed to work properly with around 69000 and saturn refused to honor my warranty on my car.
Failed transmission.
While driving my 2003 saturn ion 3 the motor will stall out and loose power while driving it seems like the transmission slips and a new one was put in and it still does the same thing. While driving on highway it does this.
2003 saturn ion iii disengages in the middle of traffic as if gears have slipped into neutral at speeds from between 20 and 60 MPH, so that there is no forward movement suddenly and then re-engages. Almost rear-ended several times also car will not start if turned off for a short time and key locks in ignition. Gears were re-calibrated and ignition replaced, but problems continue.
Will driving down the road the transmission in my saturn ion lvl 3 slips and I have to let my foot off the gas and then kick the gas pedal for it to go into gear. It does this all the time when I am driving it. Also when I go to park the car, I put it in park and pull up the emergency brake and I go to remove the key and it will only go as far as acc mode. It will not release. I have to wait 20 to 30 minutes until it releases automatically. I have read online this is a known problem with saturns and I have been told that they will not fix it. It does this almost every single day.
Since we purchased this vehicle brand new in 2003, the transmission has slipped occasionally upon normal acceleration. We brought this to the attention of the dealership at our regular maintenance appointments, and they told us that this was the normal functioning of the transmission. Fast-foward 3 yrs, 40,000 miles, and the problem has become a threat to the safety of those driving in and around the vehicle. When attempting to make a turn out of a parking lot onto a major road, the car rolled down the hill into the road, but it would not move any farther once on a flat surface. I am lucky that no one was coming too close or fast behind me, or my vehicle would have been a sudden, unavoidable roadblock for sure. This also happened while I was attempting to make a left hand turn with heavy oncoming traffic. People were somehow able to avoid my car, although it was a major hazard to safety. These were terrifying experiences, and I immediately dropped my car off at the dealership that night (I happened to be down the road from the dealer when these events occurred). According to the dealership, the transmission fluid was very dark, fluid pump severely damaged, and the 2nd gear clutch and coast assembly "burned up". The transmission, pump, gears, clutches, and torque converter were replaced at a cost of $1250, which they claimed was a great deal for us, as this was claimed to be a $5500 job. I appreciate their efforts and attempt to rectify the situation, however I am still disappointed in the lack of quality control, and the apparent lack of research and development in the engineering of this vehicle. No one expects to need to replace a transmission in a car with 40,000 miles. My life was put at risk because of a manufacturing error in this vehicle, and I hope that the the federal safety agency takes the necessary actions to prevent more lives from being put at risk or lost due to this error.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 30 MPH the vehicle revved at a high rate followed by a sudden decrease. The vehicle was seen by an independent repair shop. The mechanic performed a diagnostic and road tested which indicated a new transmission was needed. The mechanic replaced the automatic transmission and rebuilt the torque converter, which corrected the problem. The contact insisted that the transmission was defective from the factory. The vehicle was 3 years old. The contact had the transmission replaced. Had to pay out-of-pocket expenses in the amount of $2,136.00. Updated on 05/18/2006. *ak updated 06/15/06.
This has happened twice in exactly thirteen months the first time was on february 3, 2005. I adjusted my power drivers side mirror while driving home at night on highway 61 and heard a pop and all my lights including headlights and dash lights went out . My four way safety flashers also would not work I was driving in complete darkness while traveling approximately 67 MPH this incident occurred almost identically last year while driving in town approximately 25 MPH adjusted mirror heard a pop and all lights went out. Luckily in both incidents no one hit me from behind due to the fact they couldn't see me until it was too late. No one was killed or injured but that was just pure luck .. Last years incident I had my car towed to saturn and they determined that the bcm fuse was bad they replaced fuse. Obviously they did not get to the root of the problem you would think you can adjust your power mirror without having all lights shut off including dash lights .. Once you put the vehicle into park you cannot turn it off completely the key will only go as far as the accessory position and cannot be removed. The engine will run you just can't move the vehicle. Somehow I do not think they corrected the problem entirely when they replaced the fuse. It seems to me you should not blow a bcm fuse every thirteen months exactly to the day. It is such a potentially fatal problem the consequences are terrifying. My 2003 saturn ion-3 can not be the only car out there with this happening especially twice in thirteen months.
I have a 2003 saturn ion that is having shifting problems. The car has 52,000 miles on it, and it is out of warranty, my daughter originally had the car, and drove it, without me knowing she was having problems with it shifting. Also there seems to be a vibration in the front end. I am taking it in for evaluation. I have had it in several times for the transmission, but they couldn't find anything wrong. I don't understand gm not doing something about these transmission problems. Also the seat belt locks and you can't get out of it. This is a real safety issue and I hope the address it. You literally have to crawl out of the belt.
2003 ion has had blower fan, clutch switch, cylinder cable hood latch, brake light bulb, wiper module all replaced with in months apart from each other. *ts the rotors were warped and the tail lamp failed.
Dt: the consumer stated transmission has never worked properly. The vehicle has been to the dealership multiple times, they stated could duplicate the problem. The problem was duplicated once, and the transmission module was replaced. The consumer has gone through 1-800- my- lemon, and since that, the dealership was not willing to help her anymore. The manufacturer was contacted, and they also claim ed it could not be t be duplicated, so they could not help. There have been multiple things wrong with the vehicle; the gas gauge and other things. The consumer did have the work orders and could send in that information. The transmission would go up to high rpms. It would jerk, and almost shut off. It happed on straight roads as well as hills.
Driver noticed that the transmission would down shift on its own. Driver took vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that transmission was adjusted on more than one occasion. However, driver informed the mechanic that the problem still occurred, and had not been resolved. *ak the consumer stated that the engine takes 2-5 minutes for it to idle down from 2500 RPM's. The consumer stated that the defoster on the passenger side failed. The consumer stated that the hood would not always close properly.
Almost from day one, the traction control does not turn off. The dealer says they hooked up a computer to see if it turned off and they said it does, but, as soon as I left the dealer, I hit the button to turn off the traction control and I spun the tires and the traction control kicked on and the car had no power pulling out into traffic. Yet the dealer says there is nothing wrong.
While on local interstate highway, the saturn ion 3 quad coupe automatic transmission began to slip. The rpms reached about 6,000 while trying to maintain the speed and pull over to the right. After a brief full stop (while in drive), the transmission engaged properly and did not slip. Upon taking the next exit, the car was placed into park and was idling. Exiting the vehicle, there was a strong burning smell which was quite similar to a clutch slipping in a manual transmission. No fluids were seen dripping and there was no cosmetic damage. The car would not return to drive. Despite pressing the brake as required, the car was 'locked' into park. A strange click was heard from the area near the trunk release button. This was different from the normal click that is heard when the brake is depressed in park. He vehicle was shut off and then restarted. The car would properly enter drive and the abnormal click was not present.the local saturn dealer replaced the "input" and "output" filters in the transmission per direction of saturn corporation. Transmission has not slipped again since this repair.
Transmission: while driving 25 MPH vehicle froze. Consumer could not go backward or forward. She had this problem several times in the past. Contacted the dealer, but the problem still exists.
The transmission on my saturn ion quad coupe intermittently disengages or fails to engage when I step on the gas. This is dangerous because if it does not engage while I am pulling into traffic I could be hurt. I took it to the dealer and they said they could not duplicate the concern, but acknowledged there was a problem with these transmissions and a "fix" would be out sometime in the future. I had previously received on owner notification letter re this issue (implying that the transmissions would be replaced if there was a problem.) when I called the company to discuss my concerns, the dealer's response that nothing could be done, and the owner notification letter contents, the response was essentially that if the dealer cannot duplicate the concern, there is no problem--essentially, they said something bad has to happen before they will take action, and the dealer doesn't have time to drive the car until they can duplicate the concern. I think it's wrong and they should fix the problem. This happens at least 2x per day, never in the same place, no rhyme or reason to it.
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