Took my vehicle for inspection it passed safety and failed emissions ! There is no engine check light on
2004 Saturn Ion lights problems
26 complaints (3% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 60,000. 1 crash reported.
- owner complaints
- 26
- of this car's complaints
- 3%
- typical mileage
- 60,000
- crashes
- 1
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
- Turn signal14
- Turn signal: flasher unit1
- Headlights1
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 2004 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 2004 Saturn Ion owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Strong gas smell & started noticing poor gas mileage and it got worse. Then notice it is leaking gas by the rear driver side tire. Also the running lights automatically come on during the day but not at night.
The front drivers side exterior turn signal light stop functioning about 2 months or so after the bulb was replaced, now it doesn't work at all. The panel inside the car had shown me that same turn signal light had been malfunctioning for some time blinking extremely fast back to normal until it finally needed to be replaced. I can't get my safety check done because the turn signal lamp is inoperative. I wonder if a drl jumper kit needs to be added, can you please direct me? The car was in motion making a left turn on the highway.
While driving in pre-dawn hours (headlights & defrosters on), started smelling something melting or burning. Then instrument panel lights went out for a few seconds. Instrument panel lights then came back on & started flashing on & off really fast. At that same time, door locks started locking & unlocking repeatedly on their own. Burning & melting smell was getting stronger. As I was pulling over, I entered a more well-lit area and saw smoke accumulating inside car near roof & top of windshield. Shut car off immediately.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn ion. While driving 25 MPH, the turn signals failed intermittently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was unknown.
When I start my car I get a message that days power steering service vehicle. That I loose all dash lights occasionally radio and air I do not regain power steering or lights for about 5-10 minutes. I can hear a change in the engine when it is regained. Once it's done I can drive perfectly normal. My check engine light is on and off. When I turn my car off the lights are there during the fit and off when the car is on. All the codes thrown are electrical. Help!
I was driving at night on a country road when a deer ran out in front of me and the car struck it. The car sustained some front end damage and the cabin filled with smoke. The seat-belts locked up but the airbags never deployed. Now the airbag light is on and the seat-belts are locked up. It concerns me that with everything that happened that the airbag should have when off.
When I turn my car on the parking lights and front turn signals starting blinking really quick like strobing. I can turn my left turn signal on and it will blink inside hearing the normal ticking. If I turn my right turn signal on it the arrow on the inside blinks slower and makes no ticking sound.if I push on my brake the light work probably and the ticking sound on the right turn signal inside starts. If I put my emergency brake on it works properly. The strobing of the front outside parking lights stop. If I turn my parking light on and drive with them on everything works properly. I know this has something to do with the recall. It is effecting my car so bad that my radio display light blinks also. So it is getting feedback from this problem before I have a wreck. I am a single mother with 2 children.
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 saturn ion. The contact stated that while driving various speeds and when the vehicle was parked that the interior lights would not shut off. None of the warning lights illuminated on the instrumental panel. The contact also stated that the alarm shuts off intermittently at night. The vehicle was not inspected by a dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 66,000.
After 5 years my 2004 saturn ion will not start when the temperature is below +10f. There is power ( new battery ) and no fuel issue ( clean fuel system and filter ), but after 10 to 15 minutes and a couple of hesitant engine turns, it starts. No one needs an unreliable vehicle where winter temps last several months. After replacing the anti-sway bar, both headlight assemblies as well as other annoying problems ( instrument lights out, cabin fan noisy ) I will never ever buy another saturn . I took the problem ( out of warranty of course ) to saturn of rochester and was told it was a faulty ignition switch, a common problem for this make and model year. Since it is not a safety issue, no recall was issued and I would have to pay at least $275 unless "something else" came up. Being late for work ( public safety and volunteer fireman ) or my wife and children is not an option for me. Please force gm to make the recall on this ignition part for the financially stressed new york consumers. Thank you.
Questions about the 2004 Saturn Ion lights
Does the 2004 Saturn Ion have lights problems?
Owners have filed 26 complaints about the lights of the 2004 Saturn Ion, 3% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2004 Saturn Ion lights problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 60,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2004 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 2004 Saturn Ion problems
Steering 345Electrical 331Transmission 60Engine 56Airbags 52Fuel system 52Acceleration 27Visibility 20Brakes 19Suspension 19Body 16Wheels 9Driver assistance 7Tires 6Seat belts 5Locks 4Seats 2
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