The fuel pump is leaking, gm refuses to fix it because the VIN isn't associated with the recall, but the same year make and model of my car says it has a recall for the fuel system and pump.
2004 Saturn Ion: fuel pump failure
9 of the 898 complaints about the 2004 Saturn Ion describe fuel pump failure.
- owner complaints
- 9
- of this car's complaints
- 1%
- typical mileage
- 85,000
- recalls
- 2
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls for this area of the car. See below
Fuel pump failure by model year
What owners say
It looks like my car is leaking fuel. Don't know if it's the fuel injector line or fuel pump but I know there is a recall for this on my car but it's not showing up on my VIN number
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn ion. While driving 50 MPH, the vehicle began leaking a tremendous amount of fuel under the driver side. The contact pulled the vehicle over and noticed that the leak stopped. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump and the fuel line were severely corroded. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 101,000.
Any time the fuel pump is running, fuel is leaking from the top of the tank a running down on the drivers side just in front of the rear tire. Leaves about 12" puddle on the ground after running 10 to 30 seconds.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn ion. The contact stated that there was a strong odor of fumes coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, who diagnosed that the fuel pump needed to be replaced due to an internal failure with the fuel pump module. The VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign numbers: 04v003000 (fuel system, gasoline), 12v459000 (fuel system, gasoline) and 09v419000 (fuel system, gasoline). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 57,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn ion. The contact smelled a strong fuel odor near the vehicle. The dealer stated that the seals around the fuel pump and the fuel pump itself needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer stated that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign numbers: 04v003000 (fuel system, gasoline), 04v281000 (fuel system), and 09v419000 (fuel system, gasoline). The VIN was unavailable. The approximate failure mileage was 64,654.
The portion of the fuel lines near the fuel pump, which is hidden by a flexible cover underneath car, was discovered to be severely rusted nearly to the point of leaking, requiring fuel line replacement. In contrast, the portion of the fuel lines exposed underneath car was still in pristine condition. (car has been garaged at night since delivery.) service manager said that recently they have been finding many saturn ions with this condition. Although gm has issued a recall for fuel pump leaks, the problem often is instead the fuel line has rusted through and is leaking. This problem would not be expected, and thus appears to be due to a saturn design or manufacturing defect. Because of the prevalence and significant safety issue, the service manager expects gm will eventually issue a recall for the fuel line problem. Because the portion of the fuel line subject to severe rusting is hidden behind the flexible cover underneath the car and not the exposed section, it is likely to be noticed only after leaking occurs, resulting in a fire hazard. A recall appears desirable to inspect particularly the hidden portion of the fuel lines near the fuel pump and replace them if needed. Although a manufacturer must provide a remedy to safety-related defect a no cost to the owner, in this instance gm refuses to pay for the fuel line replacement unless the federal safety agency compels them to issue a recall.
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.
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 saturn ion. The contact took her vehicle to the service station for routine maintenance. The fuel gauge was not monitoring the fuel, and was indicating that the fuel tank was empty. The fuel sensor was repaired. When the mechanic replaced the fuel sensor, he discovered that the gas pump was corroded and needed to be replaced because it was a fire hazard. The repair of the fuel pump, including diagnostic parts and labor was $900. Saturn customer service department stated that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign id number 04v281000 (fuel system, other:delivery:fuel pump). The contact has pictures. The current and failure mileages were 23,800. Updated 06/17/08. *lj updated 06/16/08
Related recalls
Fuel system, other: delivery: fuel pump
- What is wrong
- Certain vehicles equipped with supercharged 2.0l 4-cylinder (lsj) engine were built with a fuel feed pipe that could crack and leak fuel near the fuel rail. If fuel leaks from the fuel feed pipe, there would be a noticeable fuel odor around the vehicle.
- Risk
- Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the fuel feed pipe assembly. Owner notification began on june 9, 2004. Owners should contact saturn at 1‑800‑972‑8876.
Recall number 04V281000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline
- What is wrong
- Certain passenger vehicles equipped with 2.2l 4-cylinder (l61) engines were built with a fuel filter that could corrode prematurely on the exterior surface.
- Risk
- If corrosion on the exterior surface of the fuel filter progresses to the point of creating a hole in the shell, fuel droplets could form and drop to the ground. If an ignition source is present, a fire could result.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the fuel filter assembly. Owner notification began on december 30, 2003. Owners should contact saturn at 1‑800‑972‑8876.
Recall number 04V003000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2004 Saturn Ion fuel pump
Is fuel pump failure a common problem on the 2004 Saturn Ion?
9 of 898 owner complaints about the 2004 Saturn Ion (1%) mention fuel pump failure. The model year with the most reports is 2006.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2004 Saturn Ion?
There are 2 recalls and 0 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2004 Saturn Ion
Won't start 168Power steering loss 116Stalling 41Loss of power 39No deployment 25Wipers 19Fuel leak 18Steering lock-up 17Engine failure 15Fuel smell 15Check engine light 14Jerking 9Warning lights 9Grinding brakes 8Transmission failure 8Door locks 7Tire blowout 7Headlights 6Adaptive cruise 5Brake failure 5Fire or smoke 5Hesitation 5Slipping 5
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