Tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn ion. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the instrument panel and automatic door locks failed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the starter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 137,000.
2004 Saturn Ion: doors won't lock, open or latch
7 of the 898 complaints about the 2004 Saturn Ion describe doors won't lock, open or latch.
- owner complaints
- 7
- of this car's complaints
- 1%
- typical mileage
- 70,559
- recalls
- 0
Is there a fix? 1 service bulletin covers this area of the car. See below
Doors won't lock, open or latch by model year
What owners say
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.
The computer - bcm - failed and all it controls went off. This included lights, door locks, radio.
Driver side door starting in june '13, I noticed my driver side window panel and door lock not working properly. The driver door lock is now not working at all july '14 and the window panel is intermittent. I'm noticing the panel is getting warm!
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 saturn ion. On april 14, 2009, while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle shut off without warning and the door lock system failed. The vehicle previously experienced electrical failures and trunk failure. The dealer replaced the trunk stopper. The vehicle was taken to a repair shop for a diagnosis. The current and failure mileages were 50,000.
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.
Dt*: the contact stated the door locks developed dust and the door would not close. While driving the rear door came open. The contact stated a bungy cord was used to keep the door from opening again while driving. The contact then cleaned off heavy dust from the locks to fix the problem. The vehicle had not been to a service dealer. Updated 12/28/2006 - the consumer began having problems with the car shortly after it was purchased. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who claimed there was nothing they could do. The dealer replaced the door seals but that did not help
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2004 Saturn Ion door locks
Is doors won't lock, open or latch a common problem on the 2004 Saturn Ion?
7 of 898 owner complaints about the 2004 Saturn Ion (1%) mention doors won't lock, open or latch. 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 0 recalls and 1 service bulletin 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 14Fuel pump 9Jerking 9Warning lights 9Grinding brakes 8Transmission failure 8Tire blowout 7Headlights 6Adaptive cruise 5Brake failure 5Fire or smoke 5Hesitation 5Slipping 5
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