Tl* the contact owns a 2006 saturn ion. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact managed the vehicle to the shoulder and realized that the power steering had also failed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and the current mileage was 48,000. Updated 7/31/12 *cn the consumer stated the vehicle suddenly lost power steering at a high speed of 65 MPH. It was difficult to turn off the road, but he managed to do so. It occurred again at slower speeds, too. The consumer stated he read online that stopping the vehicle, and turning it off would re-activate the power steering for awhile. The dealer replaced the power steering motor free of charge. Updated 08/01/12
2006 Saturn Ion engine complaints
Page 3 of 4: complaints 41 to 70 of 71, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Bought my saturn ion 2 2006 in 2005 obviously brand new and was talked into purchasing a $1500 bumper to bumper warranty. I immediately had problems but was told by saturn mechanics nothing was wrong with my car. In 2009 as I was getting home the key got stuck in the ignition and wouldn't turn off, I couldn't turn off the car at all. I was lucky that the dealership was open and able to unplug the battery. They fixed it but the warranty wouldn't pay, so I paid out of pocket to fix it. Well, last sunday it happened again, in 105 degree heat. I had no where to take it since dealerships are closed sundays. My car ran for over 5 hours because no one could figure out how to unplug the battery. Only a professional knows how to turn off the car safely, yet many people risked turning it off. I am sure some people would find it easy to turn off the car by disconnecting the battery but still it not safe. My car was so hot no one could touch it, I was afraid it was going to start on fire. This is a very common problem and needs to be investigated and recalled. We have to be able to turn off an engine. Please investigate this issue, saturn nor gm will take responsibility for this defect, even though when you google saturn ion 2 2006 all the reviews say the same thing about the ignition cylinder.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 saturn ion. The contact stated that the power steering warning light illuminated and the steering wheel seized. The contact also stated that the vehicle would sporadically stall without warning. The vehicle returned to normal operation when it was restarted after the failures. The vehicle was not taken to have the failures diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. The failure mileage was 86,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 saturn ion. The contact was driving 40 MPH when the power steering failed and the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer a total of four times but they were unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the problem. The VIN was not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 120,000 and the current mileage was 135,000.
Driving with traffic, the car dies and the steering gets very hard to turn then battery light comes on. Car will restart with no further problems. This will happen at least once a week. Took to the dealer they fixed the gas tank leak and other recall parts. This continues to happen almost caused several accidents. Do not know if it is the steering or electrical. It doesn't matter what speed your going or if your going straight or turning. Please look into this problem. I have had the battery checked the thermostat, checked the fuse box checked. The dealer checked and fixed the other 3 things from recall as stated. The ignition sometimes gets stuck when the steering goes out you can not get the key to do anything until you turn the steering wheel that has no power then you can restart the car. Also the car heat gauge never goes above half way so car is not over heating.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 saturn ion. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH the front driver's side window dropped down into the door panel, causing the door to swing open. The vehicle was pulled over and shut off. After repeated attempts the door was shut, but would not reopen. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed the window detached from its track. The vehicle was in the process of being repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but offered no assistance. The contact also stated that the vehicle was experiencing recurring failures in which the check engine light would constantly illuminate on the instrument panel and the key would intermittently become stuck in the ignition. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they were unable to diagnose the failure in regards to the check engine light. In regards to the key becoming stuck in the ignition, no repairs were performed. The failure and current mileages were 69,080. Updated 08/31/2011 *ln
I have had my 2006 saturn ion for 3 years. And also I have 2 children within the past year it has been to the dealership 3times to try and figure out why while driving both the check engine lights come on and the car begins spitting and sputtering.. Making all sorts of racket with no power you are forced to try and get off the rd. Safely with no powersteering. They can not find anything wrong with it.. And also I am always told that they don't service saturns even though they are the ones that sold it. This happens with not warning I have been stranded with my 2 girls multiple times. Once we were traveling 60mph on the interstate and it happened with big rigs all around.. I thank god that we didn't get hurt. Also for the past 2 years they have been trying to figure out why when you turn the car off you hear lots of clicking noises and the car will not completely turn off.. They replaced the starter switch because that was under recall but it has made no difference still can not get the keys out have to sit there and wait for it to stop clicking and turn the key on and off multiple times to get it out.. After doing some research online a lot of people have the same problems I don't think this is a safe car at all. Contacted saturn company numerous times and have gotten no where... Definitely waste of my hard earned money...
Tl*the contact owns a 2006 saturn ion. The contact stated that initially the vehicle would not start. But, after approximately ten minutes of repeated attempts, the contact was able to get the vehicle started. The failure occurred intermittently. The contact also stated the vehicle would intermittently stall while driving at any speed. After stalling, the contact was able to successfully restart the vehicle and continue driving. The vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed and was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were unknown. Updated 03/22/11*lj updated 11/16/11.
2006 saturn ion redline 32,000 miles had a loud rattling noise coming from the front passenger side of car at idle. Took the car into a mechanic which informed me that the timing belt and gears were shot and that he was surprised that it didn't fly apart on my way into the shop. The repairs will cost approx $1100. This should not happen at only 32k miles and could have resulted in an accident had it not been caught in time.
Tl*the contact owns a 2006 saturn ion. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a local repair shop for a failure with the driver side door and when the mechanic attempted to turn the engine off, it would not shut off. The mechanic had to disconnect the battery which shut down the fuel system and computer system. The mechanic reprogrammed the computer, key code pass system, replaced the ignition and the driver side door motor. The ignition repair did not correct the problem. The contact called the manufacturer and filed a complaint. The failure mileage was 74,612 and the current mileage was approximately 75,000. Updated 03/24/11*lj updated 12/30/11
When I first got my 2006 saturn ion, I was the first and only owner bought it from the saturn dealership with less than a 50 miles on the car. Before 30 days of owning the automobile it quit on me in the middle of busy intersection endangering myself and my children. I took it to the dealership where they have claimed to fix the ignition switch on the automobile, several weeks later the same problem occurred they then replaced the key. Then months later my alarm started going off spontaneously, the battery went dead on the automobile which I have replaced 3 times, the ignition switch went out again I had to replace that myself out of pocket in march of 2009. Still after replacing the battery, getting the ignition switch fixed twice, and having the electrical parts looked at the car still continues to have the same problems. If I get gas why the car is not cranked it will not crank back up for hours!!! It will go dead while I'm driving on a freeway does this all the time! This saturn ion has caused me nothing but money and problems since I've had it I purchased a additional warranty on the automobile when I bought it and they refuse to replace or fix any of the work on the automobile when I only have gotten my car serviced with saturn they do all of my oil changes, and maintenance and charge me a arm and leg to maintain the maintenance on the automobile. I have had to pay so much money on this automobile for maintenance that should not even be a issue at this time my car doesn't even have 84k on it yet. The engine seems to shake when the car sits still, the car quits if the engine is not running when you get fuel, the car quits at red lights, the car power steering gets real hard to turn when you try to turn the steering wheel, the saturn ion is definitely a dud! You can smell gas sometimes coming from this automobile, and the battery is in the trunk of the car...so when it drains my battery goes go dead. The defects on this automobile will kill someone one day.
Timing chain bracket fails causing damage to the timing chain. Saturn knows of this problem and is stocking parts in anticipation of the occurance. I was told this by the service repairman.
On july 21, 2010, we were operating a 2006 saturn ion driving on a busy highway when the engine simply died as we were stopped at a stop light and angled down toward railroad tracks. Luckily, I was able to get into the turn lane and restart the car and avoided any incident. We went to dinner and, after dinner, stopped to fill the gas tank. Upon returning home, we pulled into the garage and scarily, the key would not turn so that we could kill the engine! After various maneuvers and reading online about over 400 other instances of this occurring, I finally removed fuse #16 and removed the negative cable off the batttery.after reading further, I noted that the engine dying at random could easily be related to the ignition switch. I contacted a locksmith this morning who worked and worked on trying to remove the lock cylinder and he could not. Now I am waiting on a tow truck to come get the car and replace the lock cylinder and possibly the ignition switch. Had this been my mother or anyone else's mother for that fact, they would have had to have sat in the garage or driveway until the car ran out of gas. This is utterly ridiculous that there are over 400 complaints on the internet and gm is doing nothing about recalling cars for this issue. I was very lucky that I was able to get into the turn lane and get stopped and restarted without causing serious injury to myself or anyone else and very lucky to have the internet to be able to stop the car's engine. Please do something about this as it is a serious problem.
I own a 2006 saturn ion. My car is at 80,000 but since this started a few months ago I would say 74,000 miles was the occurrence. The car was running rougher and rougher. I knew the sound to be an exhaust leak. I had my mechanic look and he just checked the hoses, and saw nothing. I kept driving with it. I started getting bad headaches, and slightly nauseous when I drove long distances. I travel 400 miles roundtrip when I visit family out of town at least once a month. I also noticed the odor of exhaust in the cabin when I started my car. I cracked my windows when I drove and when I had a chance my mechanic found I had a cracked exhaust manifold. He said he has seen the same crack in the same place on the same gm engine 2.2l 4cyl about 6 times this year already. Chevy has it on cobalt I think. He said it is probably a factory defect since it is wearing thin in the same place. Considering my car was poisoning me for months I think this qualifies as a safety concern and should be investigated. I knew the sound and warning signs because of past experience. It is a danger to the majority of drivers, because they don't.
I have a 2006 saturn ion on with 43,000 miles (a well-maintained vehicle at that). The problem (a common one from everything I've read/heard): recently, I was unable to shut my vehicle off; that's correct... I could not turn my car off. The key was locked in the ignition with the vehicle running. After several hours, my husband and I were able to determine the best course of action (get it to a dealer, disconnect the fuel pump fuse and battery, and spend $451 to have the ignition cylinder completely replaced; the mechanic said it was defective). Not being able to shut off a vehicle is a major safety concern (for so many reasons); you can't simply leave a vehicle running, and you certainly can't leave a running vehicle unattended (although some people probably have...how dangerous is that?).
Driving down the road at about 35 MPH I hit a bump (frost heave) and the entire vehicle shut down. No engine, no electrical systems. The vehicle became difficult to steer and the brakes did not operate as well as when the vehicle was running. I forced the car to the side of the road, turned the key off and back on again and restarted the car.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 saturn ion purchased used in march 2008. She stated upon attempting to shut the vehicle off, the key became stuck in the ignition and would not budge. The vehicle was towed to a local saturn dealer where the ignition housing was replaced to correct the failure, at the owner's expense. Within a few months, the failure occurred a second time. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where they found the same part had failed a second time. The manufacturer would only assist with the replacement costs of the parts but not for labor, due to the parts having a two month warranty. There were no recalls for the failure. The failure mileage was 35,000 and current mileages was 40,000.
My power steering has gone out about 5 times while driving. It does not start working until the car is turned off and started again. It's extremely scary dangerous. The first time I thought it was a fluke, the second time I decided I needed to take it to get fixed and the power steering went out 3 more times before I could get it in.
I got an oil change by my normal repair shop and when I got the car back from them the car failed to start properly. I had to start the car 3 times before it would turn on and stay running. For the following week afterwards, it did the same thing, failing to start and requiring at least 2 attempts to get the car running. After about a week, my girlfriend got her first glimpse of the problem and I started noticing difficulty turning the key to shut the car off. I took the car back to the repair shop. They asked me if knew the key was stuck. I told them I did, but I didn't understand fully what they meant until they finished the work they thought was causing the problem. They thought it was a dirty throttle causing the car not to be able to start and remain running. When I got the car back, I drove it home and found out that I couldn't turn the key at all. So my car was no longer able to shut off. I went to a saturn dealership and the tech was very familiar with the problem, but advised me the car is out of warranty and would not be covered. I then took it back to the repair shop to have them repair it. I was told everything with the ignition would have to be replaced, totaling $519. Researching shortly online I found a 33 page complaint forum on consumer affairs with others having problems with the same car. Car make : saturn car model: ion 2.
2006 saturn ion. Engine shuts off while driving regardless of speed or outside temperature. This past sunday, I was on the freeway and the engine shut off while my car was making a slight right merging onto a new freeway. If it wasn't for my fathers advice ,my quick actions and aware drivers around me, I would have flown off the freeway. I have taken my car to many shops and not one can find the problem nor fix it. No recalls so far have been issued and as far as saturn is concerned, no other car has had this issue. Being a pregnant woman, this makes me extremely nervous and in fear to drive my car. I have called many saturn dealerships that have all taken this issue lightly. This issue first occurred in january of 2009 and not again until august of 2009 and has happened about once a week since then. No engine signs are issued or is there anything leading up to the issue. The car just basically shuts off as if the key was being turned. The battery stays so I know that is not the issue. I am in fear of my safety as well as the safety of other drivers.
Tl*the contact owns a 2006 saturn ion. The ignition switch failed and the contact has been unable to remove the keys for six months. The dealer stated that it would cost $800 to replace the switch and to disconnect another switch under the steering wheel when ever she drove the vehicle. The vehicle began to stall while driving; however, the dealer stated that they are unable to duplicate the failure unless the check engine light is illuminated. The check engine light was not illuminated prior to the engine stalling. The failure mileage was 68,000.
Moved car after guests left on the 4th of july. The engine would not turn off. Took the vehicle to the dealer and they seemed to be very familiar with problem. After researching the problem online, I realized I am not the only owner with this problem. I was told a part had to be ordered and the car would be ready tomorrow. I am debating on canceling service tomorrow to have this matter further reviewed. I am interested to find out if owners are reimbursed for expenses once a part is recalled. This is a very inconvenient $500 expense.
The timing chain on my 2006 saturn ion is needing replaced. From what I have read this is a problem that saturn has known about for quite sometime, but has never recalled. I am laid off from my job and cannot afford to get it fixed. Something should be done if problems are known about these cars.
Tl*the contact owns a 2006 saturn ion. While attempting to mildly turn the steering column to the right, the vehicle continued to drift forward. When she depressed the brake pedal at 25 MPH, the vehicle failed to stop. The dealer could not duplicate the failure, produce error codes from the diagnostic, or provide a remedy. Later, the contact started the vehicle and noticed that the check engine warning indicator was illuminated on the instrument control panel. The failure and current mileages were 33,000.
Saturn ion 2006 69k miles - ignition key stuck in on position. Cannot turn car off. Internet search reveals hundreds of people affected by this flaw in the ignition lock. Dealership wants 500 to fix.
My 2006 saturn ion fails to start. Lights, radio, etc come on but will not turnover. This morning after waiting 15 minutes and turning the key off/off multiple times, it finally started. Other times this has happened I have waited anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes before the car will start. This happens weekly and I am a single women and I am afraid I will eventually be stranded. I have taken my car to a local mechanic, he could not get it to fail. I took it home and it happened the next day. When I called him he told me he thought it may be an ignition problem.
Tl*the contact owns a 2006 saturn ion. While driving 75 MPH, the cruise control stopped working. The power steering, battery, and coolant warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact also noticed that the vehicle would no longer accelerate. The vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. The contact did not notice any differences beforehand. The current and failure mileages were 51,000. Updated 10/16/08 *bf the consumer also stated the key became stuck in the ignition. Updated 10/21/08.
I bought my 2006 ion brand new with only 10 miles on it now the car is at 27k miles and now it has a clunking noise in the front suspension, I have taken in to dealer many times they have replaced 1) intermediate shaft 2) lower control arm rear bushing 3) catalytic converter 4) steering rack: and on top of all this it has been 8 months and my car is still not fixed. The dealer told me they don't know what it is. I have done some research found tsb's for this both of which they have supposedly already done.
Every now and then my key felt 'rough' in the ignition. On 7/4/2008 I got in the car (it was parked on a steep incline) and the key would not turn over. My first thought was that my steering wheel wasn't locked, but even after turning that (it never did seem to lock), the key still wouldn't budge. It eventually turned over. Between 7/4/2008 and 7/8/2008 this problem occurred almost every single time I started my car. The only times where it wasn't severe were when I was parked on a completely level surface such as a garage. I called the saturn dealer and took my car into be serviced. The entire ignition lock cylinder had to be replaced. My key still feels 'odd' and I do not have faith that this problem is resolved. My car has 27,140 miles and will turn three on november 7, 2008. This is in addition to having my starter replaced in early january 2008. In december 2008 the car lost all power and died while decelerating on an exit ramp after driving 30 miles straight.
Tl*the contact owns a 2006 saturn ion. The engine would not shut off when the contact attempted to turn off the vehicle. The key was stuck in the ignition and unable to be removed. A warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The battery was immediately disconnected and the vehicle was driven to the authorized dealer the following day. The mechanic replaced the ignition. Recently, the contact attempted to start the vehicle, but the engine would not turn over. A warning light was illuminated prior to this failure. The vehicle is being towed to an authorized dealer. The VIN was unavailable. The failure mileage was 8,000 and current mileage was 40,000.
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