Car will not start when it is cold outside. The car uses the gm passlock system. Often after several instances of waiting 10 minutes, and trying again, the car will start.
2004 Saturn Ion electrical complaints
Page 9 of 12: complaints 221 to 250 of 331, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Wont start due to passlock/ignition problems in cold weather. Have not replaced any parts yet as funds are limited.
Bought the car under warranty, no crank/no start because of faulty passlock system. Saturn "rebooted the computer" (saturns words). This was in may of 06. Strangely, the car has "died" in at least 3 driveways as though the battery was dead. I have taken the car to a garage and had the battery tested and it was fine. Recently, when the weather is cold, the car will no crank/no start and throw the passlock code. On the dash, sometimes it says service engine it may or may not reset after 10 minutes. The vehicle has become unreliable as I am never sure if I am going to get to work on time or not. I called saturn last week. Apparently saturn is aware of the problem, but since they are going to inconvenience me to drive 200 miles to the dealership and then charge me $100 to walk through the door land then another $1000 on top of that to "fix" the car' they know they are making money off their faulty equipment. I refuse to pay for it, but in the meantime my car continues to not start if it is zero degrees.
My 2004 saturn ion will not start when it is cold. This first happened last year, and I thought that the gas lines were freezing. I have put several bottles of dry gas in my tank thinking that this resolves the problem. Apparently it is a passlock security issue and my efforts of dry gas did nothing. I have been stranded countless times due to the error. This problems renders the car useless. The most recent occurrence was yesterday, but this happens way too often.
After owning my 2004 saturn ion for 8 months, it developed a random starting problem. Sometimes the car would start normally and others not at all. I replaced the battery, starter, and ignition switch. The dealership where I bought the ignition switch said it is common to need to replace the switch when the weather gets cold. After all of those new parts the problem persisted. I researched on the internet and found a forum where dozens of other ion owners where having similar problems. The only remedy that seemed to "fix" the problem was to disable the vehicles anti-theft system by cutting the proper wire from the ignition switch while the car is running. This allows the car to start every time, but also gives an error message about the disabled system. This is clearly a common problem that occurs for ion owners in cold weather.
During the colder days my passlock system deny my car to start. I or my wife will have to sit in the car for 10 minutes to be able to try it again. If it doesn't start ate the 10 minute mark we have to wait another 10 minutes. We have waited a 1/2 an hour for it to start before. I have no trust it will start at any point. We need to wait the 10 minutes nearly everytime from end of nov to feb.
I own a 2004 saturn ion. It does not start in the cold weather (around 36 degrees f and below). I have replaced the starter and two months ago I bought a new battery. My mechanic assured me the battery is top of the line and guaranteed to start in cold weather. However, it did not start yesterday in 30 degree weather. All lights turn on but car does not crank. Does not even make noise. I have researched this through various discussion boards and most of them agree that there is a faulty switch in the ignition that leaks lubricant. When the lubricant freezes, the passlock anti theft alarm does not get it's electrical signal so it activates and prohibits fuel from being used so the car does not start. I take very good care of my car, but I have spent a lot of time and money trying to figure out what is wrong in this situation. If this is the case of a faulty switch, saturn / gm should be held liable and forced to do a recall with an updated switch design. For the amount that cars cost today manufacturers should not be allowed to put out junk parts and expect consumers to sit back and take it.
I have a 2004 saturn ion which this morning would not start after I left a convenience store. It was a little hesitant in starting about a week ago. Both times were extremely cold compared to normal this time of year. This morning I figured it was a battery problem. Well after some internet research it would seem that these vehicles have problems starting in the cold and everyone else's description online describes what happened me to me perfectly. Wouldn't start, walked the mile home, called for a tow truck, got back, started right up with not problems.
My saturn 2004 ion has been breaking down since I purchased it used in 2005. They have put in 2-3 transmissions and everytime it is cold it won't start. A couple times the would start but not shift into gear! The tech's could not figure out what was wrong so my dad (who does not work on cars ) figured out it was a loose wire! They have replaced the stabilizer bar bushings at least 3 times! The cars heat and radio would just shut off and turn back on they also fixed that a couple times. My car will be paid off shortly but I will not be able to know what it is like to not have a car payment because at any moments notice my 2004 saturn ion might fall apart!!!!!
My saturn ion 2004, bought sept. 2007 from carmax, frequently does not start when it is cold outside. For example, it was about 33 degrees this morning and even when I jumped it, the car would not start. I had the same problem last winter- my first winter having this car. When the weather is warm, I do not have any problems with my car starting. I have had the battery checked and there was nothing wrong with it but I am going to get the starter checked today. I have been reading about this particular problem on various online forums. Apparently there are many other people who have the same problem but there has been no recall. As an educator, I cannot afford to pay for repairs that are not going to fix the problem, as I have read people online have already done. I cannot afford to buy a new car, and most importantly, as a teacher, I cannot afford to be late to school whenever it is cold. I am very hopeful that my efforts in making this complaint will result in a recall for the cause for this problem. Reading the online forums, it seems like the problem is with the ignition/starter. Thank you for your time and patience. Have a wonderful day!
Saturn ion will not start. Sporadically the vehicle will not start. Problem is caused by issue with ignition switch passlock system. After waiting a period of time (10 minutes?) system will start vehicle. Has been an on going issue since purchasing vehicle.
Car has not started 8 times. Saturn ion 2004. 40,000 miles. Bought it used 5 months ago. Runs fine in warm weather. Bought new battery, still wouldn't start. Bought new alternator. Still wouldn't start. Jump start it, it will start sometimes. Called saturn recall; 2nd time, they said it was a faulty wire but no one has recalled the wire. The problem: white wire in ignition switch. When it gets too cold outside, not enough volts go through white wire and car thinks someone is breaking in and will not start. Found this out on carspace.com. Other people with my same car have same problem. You have to clip the white wire then your car will run with no problem. Newer model saturns are having the same problem. Next I was going to get a new starter, but other have gotten that and starter goes out within a year. It stressful to get into a fairly new car and it not start. All lights come on but engine will not. Now I know to wait 15 minutes and then try starting car again. Why hasn't this been recalled? So here I am again leaving work tonight in the cold and seeing if it will start and if it doesn't sitting around for 15 minutes and then trying it again. It is soooo aggravating!! So again why hasn't this been recalled?
My 2004 saturn ion intermittently won't start. This began about a week ago. I took it to a local car repair shop, and they advised me that there are 2 service bulletins for my car that pertain to this problem: one is for reprogramming the body control module (bcm) and the other is for an ignition system repair. They told me to bring the car to a saturn dealer to be repaired. I plan to do so tonight. I learned that this is a very frequent problem that saturn is well aware of, but that saturn won't make this a recall because then saturn would have to pay for the diagnosis and repair. Please have gm/saturn change the 2 service bulletins (listed above) to recalls!
2004 saturn ion - won't start when cold. This looks to be a very common issue, please see http://www.carsurvey.org/viewcomments_review_73169.html or search it is all over the internet. It's a shame that this is such a prevalent problem and yet saturn does not acknowledge it as a defect that would warrant a recall. Certainly this could be considered a safety problem if someone's car would fail to start. I was stuck in my car for over an hour in negative temps and became ill afterwards.
I own a 2004 saturn ion 2. On cold mornings the car will not start leaving me stranded. This has occurred numerous time. Upon taking the car to a mechanic, the ignition switch was replaced. I've read hundreds of complaints from other saturn owners. This is an obvious safety issue saturn needs to address.
This has occurred several times before, usually when its colder out. I go to start my car and nothing happens, then a security feature lights up. My car thinks I'm stealing it, apparently. Sometimes my key won't come out of the ignition when this happens either, and I've had to get it towed and repaired. Usually after sitting there and trying to start it for a period of ten to thirty minutes, the car starts as if nothing happened, but is a huge inconvenience seeing as I've been out of town a couple of times when this has happened and it also makes me late for work. I've talked to other saturn owners and they've said they've also had this happen. I'd say that this happens about twice a month.
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 saturn ion. On several occasions, the vehicle failed to start unless she waited 15 to 20 minutes. The dealer determined that the ignition switch failed and replaced it. One year later, when trying to start the vehicle it would not start unless she waited 15 minutes after the first attempt. On december 12, 2008, the vehicle failed to start and the check engine light was illuminated. A local mechanic inspected the vehicle and stated no failure was found. The manufacturer stated that they are aware of the failure and there was no recall. The contact was later informed that the ignition switch would have to be replaced again with no guarantee that the dealer would assume the cost. The VIN was unavailable. The failure mileage was 40,000 and the current mileage was 82,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 saturn ion. In 20 degree temperature or below, the vehicle fails to start. The contact stated that it takes 20 minutes for the vehicle to start. She notified the dealer and manufacturer and they stated that the ignition switch can be replaced, but it would not correct the issue. The contact feels that the failure is unsafe and an inconvenience because she works at night while the weather is cold. The VIN was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 53,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 saturn ion. The contact stated that the vehicle would not start in cold weather. The dealer stated that the ignition and start switches were defective. The ignition switch was replaced at the owner's expense. In addition, the temperature coolant switch continued to illuminate on the instrument panel. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure mileage was 53,000 and current mileage was 69,240.
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 saturn ion. In cold weather conditions, the contact had to make several attempts to start the vehicle. The dealer stated that she needed to replace the ignition module at the cost of $300. The vehicle has not yet been repaired. The manufacturer referred her to the federal safety agency. The failure mileage was 60,000 and current mileage was 107,000.
Won't start in cold for about ten minutes. It gets worse every winter. It happens about once every day or two from december-february. Common problem. In saturns
My 2004 saturn ion has problems starting in the cold after about 10-15 minutes of trying it will start, everything such as starter battery fuel pump has been checked. My security light is on when this is happening.
Failure of a wiring harness in a front door that controls windows, mirrors and door lock. A 2004 saturn ion with 25, 106 miles had 5 broken wires in the drivers door. The left rear door has no power at the window switch. This failure is due to an inherent design flaw that forces tiny wires to bend 2 times at 90 degrees and be slammed by a door!! Think of the safety of unlocking a door in a panic situation or driving with a window down in rain, sleet, cold, etc., and a fuse is not the problem.
I purchased my vehicle in march of 2004 and have had numerous problems since. I have had the ignition switch replaced previously and now just paid $630 to have the body module replaced because the anti-theft system locks the whole car down making it impossible to start it. Initially it was thought to be a cold weather problem back when I first had the car ignition switch replaced. This recent incident is still not yet resolved because I have been having difficulty getting the keys out of the ignition once the car is turned off. It appears that the body module is still not registering that the key is in off position because the ignition switch is still faulty. I am at a loss for what to do next because I don't have money for these kind of repairs especially once every week.
In 2005 a recall was issued for the 2004 saturn ion front headlamps. I had the recalled parts replaced. For the past few months my left blinker has gone out about five times. I have replaced bulbs, had the dealer replace the sockets, and am now about to have the wiring harness replaced. The dealer said that no one else has had this problem. However, I have been researching the problem and have found hundreds of the same occurrences online and have seen other saturn ions around town with the same blinker out. I believe this problem is not normal wear and tear. I believe it is directly related to the 2005 recall.
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 saturn ion. During the winter, it takes a half an hour to get the vehicle started. The dealer replaced the starter assembly solenoid in 2007. The manufacturer stated that the failure was a factory defect. The oil that was used at the time of manufacturing prevents the electricity to connect to the starter. The manufacturer would not assist with the repair. The failure mileage was 3,200 and current mileage was 7,200.
Have to have my ignition cylinder and housing replaced in my saturn ion 3. Key will not turn to start vehicle. A new key will start the car but only works for 2 weeks. I am on my 5th key in a little over 2 months. Took car to dealership yesterday, hope to get it back tomorrow. Charge was $523, complained to saturn customer care and they brought it down to $230. So I am paying $230 to turn the key in the ignition of my 4 year old car.
I have been having a problem with the anti theft/passlock system on my saturn ion. Today is not the first time it has happen and after reading complaints from other consumers I see I am not the only one having the issue. The car will turnover but nothing will happen. All the lights come on the display as well as a service vehicle indicator. At first it would take 5 or 10 minutes to start and has progressively gotten worse. Today for example I waited a half hour for the car to start. I called the saturn dealership here in my town only to end up in a argument with the person that sold me the piece of crap. I don't know how saturn is still in business. I spent a pretty penny on the vehicle and no one wants to help. To know that a vehicle that you sell is causing so many customers so many problems and do not even want to help them resolve the issue is just pathetic to me. I am at the point of taking the car back to the dealership and taking a voluntary repo. I will never buy a car from saturn or gm again.
Ignition switch of all saturn ions are bad. It seems that the lubricant used for the internal parts is not well made and sticks to the internal parts in cold weather. When this happens, car will not start and will leave you stranded. It seems like it happens on every saturn ion yet saturn won't do anything about it. In the replacement parts the problem has not been corrected thus making this repair useful only until the next wave of cold temperatures comes along.
Car does not start when weather is very cold. Changed battery and had alternator checked. Took it in to etna battery to have checked out. Car started when it gets warmer or the sun warms up the car.
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