Owner-reported complaints naming the airbag system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2005 Saturn Ion submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 34 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 34, in the owner's own words
Hello I am reaching out to complain about Courtesy Chevrolet - San Diego. I’ve been trying to get my car serviced in order to fIx the recalls. Unfortunately I have not been successful. I called the dealer to make an appointment but the dealer told me that the car has been discontinued and they can’t find the parts. The suggested to call somewhere else.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2005 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO A TREE. DURING THE CRASH THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED BUT NO AIR BAGS HAD DEPLOYED. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED AN INJURED NECK AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSIPITAL. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN AT THE SCENE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED AWAY. THE MANUFACTURER AND LOCAL DEALER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE INCIDENT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 174,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN ION. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO A BUILDING AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2005 SATURN ION. WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE GUARD RAIL. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED HEAD INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.
AFTER OWNING THIS CAR FOR A FEW YEARS NOW AND BECOMING HIGHLY INVOLVED IN THE FORUMS. I'VE LEARNED THAT IT'S A COMMON ISSUE FOR THE CLOCK SPRING TO BREAK. WHEN IT DOES, IT CUTS POWER PERMANENTLY TO THE DRIVER AIR BAG, AND CRUISE CONTROL UNTIL REPAIRED. THIS IS A BIG SAFETY CONCERN AS NO POWER TO THE AIRBAG WOULD RESULT IN MORE SERIOUS INJURY OR POSSIBLY DEATH. *TR
I WAS DRIVING MY CAR AND A DEER RAN OUT IN FRONT OF ME, I WAS ABLE TO MISS THAT ONE BUT ANOTHER ONE CAME OUT AND I HIT IT. IT HIT SO HARD AND MY STEERING WAS HARD LIKE A CAR WITHOUT POWER STEERING AND THE BRAKES WERE LIKE THAT TOO. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY NOR DID THE SAFETY BELTS CATCH ME AND MY GRANDDAUGHTER. IT DID $3500.00 WORTH OF DAMAGE TO MY CAR AND MY HEAD SLAMMED UP AGAINST THE DRIVER WINDOW, MY GRANDDAUGHTER WAS IN HER CARSEAT BUT I HAD IT IN THE FRONT SEAT SO IT RELEASED THE CARSEAT. SHE HAD BRUISES AND A BLACK EYE, AND NOW 3 YEARS LATER, THAT SAME EYE IS CAUSING HER PROBLEMS SEEING. EVERYDAY I FEEL SO BAD BECAUSE SHE WAS IN MY SATURN THAT NIGHT. PEOPLE ASKED ME OVER AND OVER WHAT ABOUT YOUR AIRBAGS, ETC. I NEVER KNEW WHAT TO SAY UNTIL I STARTED GETTING THE RECALLS AND REALIZED WHAT GM HAD KNOWN ALL ALONG ABOUT MY IGNITION. THIS YEAR MY CAR GOT STUCK IN THE RUN POSITION AND I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THEY WERE GONE FOR THE DAY. I UNHOOKED THE BATTERY CABLES AND THE CAR STILL WOULD NOT TURN OFF. FINALLY AFTER TOTAL DISGUST, ALL OF A SUDDEN THE ANTIFREEZE OVERFLOW TANK LID POPPED OFF AND SHOT ANTIFREEZE EVERYWHERE, IT JUST BARELY MISSED MY GRANDDAUGHTER AND MYSELF. THE DEALERSHIP COYLE CHEVROLET OF CLARSKVILLE IN CAME AND PICKED UP THE CAR, AND IN THE PROCESS RIPPED THE WIND SHIELD FOR THE SUNROOF OFF, AND CALLED ME TO TELL ME MY CAR NOW HAD A NOISE IN THE LOWER END OF THE ENGINE AND IT WOULD BE $600.00 AND UP. THEY TEST DROVE IT, AND TOLD ME THERE WAS NO ANTIFREEZE IN IT. I HAD ALREADY TOLD THEM WHAT HAPPENED. GM AND COYLE BOTH SAY SORRY THE IGNITION IS THE ORIGINAL REASON FOR THE ENGINE THAT IS NOW LOCKED UP AFTER I WAS TOLD I HAD TO COME GET IT OR I WOULD BE CHARGED A STORAGE FEE LOCKED UP ON ME ON THE EXPRESSWAY HOME. THAT WAS IN SEPTEMBER AND I STILL HAVE NOTHING AND THEY WON'T HELP. *TR
2005 SATURN ION. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO IGNITION SWITCH RECALL. *SMD THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE TO COMPLETE THE RECALL. ALSO, THE CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, AND THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *JB
MY SON WAS DRIVING AND THE TRUCK IN FRONT OF HIM STOPPED SUDDENLY. HE HIT THE BRAKES AND FELT THE STEERING LOCK UP, BRAKES LOCKED AND HE COULDN'T STOP. HIT THE TRUCK HARD ENOUGH TO CRACK THE CORE SUPPORT IN THE SATURN BUT THE AIR BAG DO NOT EXPAND. HE WAS NOT INJURED BUT THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE IF YOU CAN HIT ANOTHER CAR ENOUGH TO CRACK THE STEEL FRAME BUT NO AIRBAG WAS DEPLOYED. *TR
2005 SATURN ION. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE THEFT REMOTE FOR EACH KEY. *SMD THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER, THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE THE SECOND REMOTE FOR FREE, BECAUSE IT WAS NOT A PART OF THE RECALL.
2005 SATURN ION. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO THE IGNITION SWITCH RECALL AND SEEKS REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPAIRS. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED AFTER THE RECALL WAS PERFORMED, THE SHIFTER HAD TO BE REPLACED, BECAUSE THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH. *JB
2006 SATURN ION. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO REIMBURSEMENT REQUEST INFORMATION. *SMD
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY FAILED TO RELEASE FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS. IN ADDITION, THE ABS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY. THE FAILURES OCCURRED AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 14V047000 (AIR BAG, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE WAS NOT RECTIFIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000.
2005 SATURN ION. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO IGNITION SWITCH RECALL AND SEEKS REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPAIRS. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED SHE WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE KEY GETTING STUCK IN THE IGNITION, LONG BEFORE THE RECALL WAS ISSUED. *JB
MY AIRBAG LIGHT HAS STAYED ON. MY IGNITION KEY FAILS TO COME OUT. I HAVE TO STALL CAR OUT EVERY TIME I PARK. AND UNPLUG STEERING COLUMN FROM BATTERY. *TR
2005 SATURN ION. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO CONCERNS ABOUT IGNITION SWITCH RECALL. *SMD
IN MARCH 2014 WE NOTICED THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS STAYING ON AND THE CRUISE CONTROL AND HORN HAD STOPPED WORKING, I ASSUME THE AIR BAG WOULD NOT HAVE WORKED. AFTER CHECKING ONLINE I FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH SATURN IONS AND THE SIR COIL NEEDED REPLACING. ON 4/10/2014 WE TOOK THE VEHICLE IN TO HAVE THE SIR COIL REPLACED, WE PICKED IT UP ON 4/11/2014. ON 4/12/2014 LESS THAN HALF A MILE FROM OUR HOUSE THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. WE BROUGHT THE CAR BACK HOME AND PARKED IT UNTIL WE COULD TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO REPLACED THE SIR COIL. ON 4/15/2014 WHILE DRIVING THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT 3 TIMES, THE FIRST TIME WE WERE PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC ON A BUSY ROAD AND ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT WHEN IT WENT OUT IN MID TURN. THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THAT THE WORK THEY DID REPLACING THE SIR COIL WOULD NOT HAVE CAUSED THE POWER STEERING PROBLEM THAT IT NOW HAS. *TR
2005 SATURN ION. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE IGNITION SWITCH RECALL NOTICE AND REPAIRS. *SMD IN SEPTEMBER 2008, THE SES LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE IGNITION COIL. IN JUNE 2011, THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED. IN MAY 2012, THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS STICKING, AND THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY, THE IGNITION SWITCH AND TUMBLER WERE REPLACED. *JB
2005 SATURN ION. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO IGNITION SWITCH RECALL NOTICE AND SEEKS REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPAIRS. *SMD ACCORDING TO THE INVOICE, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE TECHNICIAN FOUND A BLOWN AMP IGNITION FUSE, BARE WIRES AT THE IGNITION SWITCH AND THE IGNITION WAS INTERNALLY SHORTED OUT. *JB
2005 SATURN ION. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO AIR BAG MALFUNCTION AND FAULTY IGNITION PROBLEMS. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED HE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. HE ALSO HAS PAPERWORK FOR THE IGNITION PROBLEMS HE EXPERIENCED. *JB
2005 SATURN ION. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO IGNITION RECALL. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. ON 3 OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING IN MAY 2013, THE CONSUMER WAS LOCKED INSIDE THE VEHICLE DUE TO KNOW ELECTRICAL POWER. THE IGNITION WAS REPLACED AND THE BLACK BOX WAS RE-BOOTED. THE CONSUMER HAS SINCE TRADED THE VEHICLE. *JB
MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING TO WORK THROUGH A WINTRY MIX PRECIPITATION WHEN SHE LOST CONTROL, WAS TURNED TO THE RIGHT INTO A GUARDRAIL, WHICH HEAVILY DAMAGED THE FRONT END AND CAUSED HER TO SPIN COMING TO A STOP ON THE ROAD. THE DAMAGE SEEMS LIKE IT SHOULD HAVE CAUSED AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT, BUT THE AIRBAG DID NOT, AND SHE STRUCK HER HEAD ON THE STEERING WHEEL. SHE FELT AS THOUGH SHE HIT A PATCH OF SLUSH THAT PUSHED HER TO THE RIGHT. THE VEHICLE IS A TOTAL LOSS AND IN CUSTODY OF MY INSURER. THE FOLLOWING DAY I RECEIVED IN THE MAIL THE GM RECALL 14063 (14V-047). MY CONCERN IS THAT IS FAILURE OF THE IGNITION SWITCH, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO STOP TURNING AND THE AIRBAG TO DISABLE COULD HAVE CAUSED THE LOSS OF CONTROL, AND THE SUBSEQUENT MINOR NECK INJURY, AND THE TOTAL LOSS OF AN OTHERWISE SOUND VEHICLE. MY INSURER WAS GIVEN THE RECALL INFORMATION AND AFTER REVIEW DECIDED I SHOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH A CLAIM AGAINST THE MANUFACTURER, AND THIS AVENUE IS DETAILED ON PAGE TWO OF MY RECALL MAILING. THANK YOU. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AND BLINKING. THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF BUT AFTER RESTARTING THE VEHICLE, THE WARNING LIGHT CONTINUED TO ILLUMINATE AND BLINK. THE FAILURE RECURRED WITH OR WITHOUT A PASSENGER SEATED IN THE PASSENGER'S SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,106. *TR
WE BOUGHT OUR 2005 SATURN ION USED SEPT. 4, 2012,(87,812) BEFORE EVEN COULD TAKE OFF LOT THEY HAD TO INSTALL AN IGNITION CYLINDER AND CUT NEW KEY, AND THE THROTTLE WAS STUCK COULD PRESS ALL THE WAY TO FLOOR, AND WOULD ONLY GET UP TO ABOUT 20MPH. THIS WAS ALSO FIXED. (OR SO WE THOUGHT). SINCE OUR PURCHASE, WE STILL HAVE TROUBLE WITH THE KEY GETTING STUCK, IT NOT TURNING OFF WITH CAR STILL RUNNING, OR THE CAR WON'T START, IT HAPPENS SO MUCH THAT OUR DAUGHTER WHO DRIVES IT JUST FIGURES THAT'S THEY WAY IT'S SUPPOSE TO BE, BECAUSE WHEN TAKE BACK TO DEALER EITHER IT WON'T DO IT FOR THEM OR DOESN'T DO IT FOR A MONTH OR SO. NOW THE WARRANTY HAS RAN OUT SO IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN THEY TOLD US WE HAD TO TAKE CARE OF, WELL IT HAPPENED AGAIN TODAY, SHE PARKED WOULD NOT SHUT OFF, CALLED DEALERSHIP, THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING BECAUSE GM HASN'T GIVEN THEM RECALL YET! WAS IN ACCIDENT ON JAN. 2, 2014 FRONT END AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY! NOT SURE WHY NOT!!! THIS JULY WAS COMING HOME AND DRIVING DOWN ROAD CAR JUST SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 30MPH AND HAD TO MANUALLY TRY TO GET CAR OFF ROAD WITHOUT HURTING CAR OR ANYONE ELSE'S CAR, AFTER SOMETIME GOT CAR TO START AGAIN AND GOT IT HOME, CALLED DEALERSHIP THEIR RESPONSE IF HAPPENS AGAIN BRING IT IN. AND STILL TO THIS DATE SOMETIMES HER THROTTLE WILL STICK, AS A PARENT I'M HOLDING MY BREATH EVERY TIME SHE LEAVES OUR DRIVE IN THIS VEHICLE. PLEASE HELP SOON. *TR
MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING MY 05 SATURN ION 2 QUAD COUPE HOME FROM WORK ON THE INTERSTATE.TRAFFIC STOPPED , CAME TO COMPLETE STOP VEHICLE BEHIND DID NOT BRAKE AND REAR ENDED MY VEHICLE AT ROUGHLY 50+ MPH CAUSING HIM TO HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE IN TURN CAUSING A 6 VEHICLE ACCIDENT. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY CAUSING HIS HEAD TO HIT THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE DRIVER SEAT BROKE IN HALF WITH HIM IN IT LANDING ON THE BACK SEAT. *TR
TRAVELLING ON 580EB IN TRAFFIC. CAME TO A STOP, VEHICLE BEHIND ME DID NOT. HE WAS TRAVELLING AT APPROX 50MPH AND DEMOLISHED MY VEHICLE. MY AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE DRIVER SEAT BENT BACK TO FULLY RECLINED POSITION. I SUSTAINED NECK AND UPPER BACK INJURIES. *TR
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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