2005 Saturn Ion Brakes Problems

MY CAR HAS BEEN DRIVING FINE AND ONE DAY THE SECURITY LIGHT AND A FEW OTHER WARNING LIGHTS WENT ON AS WELL AS "TRAC OFF" CAME UP ON THE SCREEN. MY GAS GAUGE ALSO WENT DOWN TO ZERO (EVEN THOUGH I HAD A FULL TANK.) THE CAR STILL RAN FINE AND NO CODES CAME UP SO I WAS TOLD TO REPLACE THE ALTERNATOR. I REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR AND NOW MY CAR WILL START BUT I HAVE TO WAIT 5 MINUTES BEFORE IT WILL LET ME PUT IT IN GEAR. EVERYTHING TURNS OFF AND WARNING LIGHTS COME ON AS THE CAR "WARMS UP?" AFTER 5 MINUTES IT WILL LET ME PUT IT IN GEAR BUT WARNING LIGHTS ABS, BRAKE, AND AIRBAG WILL STILL BE ON. IF I RESTART THE CAR THEN, THE LIGHTS GO OFF. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS GOING ON! *TR

NHTSA ID

10653255

Incident

Nov 15, 2013

Mileage

168,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SWAY ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE ANTI-LOCK SYSTEM WAS FAULTY AND THE REAR BRAKES SHOES WERE WORN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 19,000.

NHTSA ID

10652718

Incident

Nov 5, 2006

Mileage

19,000 mi

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

NHTSA ID

10627670

Incident

Aug 1, 2013

Mileage

90,000 mi

I BELIEVE THAT THE POWER STEERING ISSUE (RECALLED RECENTLY AND RECEIVED LETTER) CAUSED MY VEHICLE TO BE VERY HARD TO CONTROL ON A DOWNSLOPE HILL AT 12 MPH COMING UP TO RED LIGHT. MY CAR WENT FROM THE RIGHT LANE TO THE LEFT LAND OF 4 LANE STREET AND I HIT CAR IN FRONT OF ME. NOW, HAVING RECEIVED INFORMATION TODAY ABOUT THE POWER STEERING RECALL, I HAVE AN APPT. AT MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP TO CHECK ON THE ALIGNMENT/SUSPENSION AND THE PIECE OF METAL THAT I BELIEVE TO BE BRAKE PAD THAT A FEW HOURS LATER SHOT OUT AND HIT CAR NEXT TO ME IN A PARKING LOT WHEN I APPLIED BRAKES AND TURNED OFF VEHICLE IGNITION. I WILL KNOW MORE OF WHAT HAPPENED ONCE DEALERSHJP RUNS DIAGNOSTICS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10625771

Incident

Mar 3, 2014

Mileage

17,000 mi

RE: BRAKE TRANSMISSION SHIFT INTERLOCK (BTSI) SOLENOID. THE KEY WOULD GET STUCK IN IGNITION AND NOT RELEASE, OR I WOULD BE UNABLE TO TURN THE CAR ON AFTER INSERTING THE KEY. NOTE: A COUPLE OF TIMES I COULD NOT TURN OFF THE CAR, WHICH IS A SAFETY HAZARD. I HAD TO FORCE THE KEY TO TURN THE IGNITION CYLINDER TO THE OFF POSITION OVER SEVERAL MINUTES. I HAVE REPLACED IGNITION SWITCH 3 TIMES AND IGNITION HOUSING TWICE SINCE BUYING MY SATURN ION NEW IN 2005. THEREFORE, I AM NOW ON MY FOURTH IGNITION SWITCH SINCE THE CAR WAS MANUFACTURED. I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IGNITION SWITCHES HAVE BEEN FOUND DEFECTIVE IN CERTAIN GM CAR MODELS AND YEARS AND A RECALL IS IN PLACE. HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THAT IGNITION PROBLEMS IN GM SATURN IONS ARE ADDITIONALLY COMPLICATED BY BTSI SOLENOID AND SWITCH FAILURE. IN ADDITION TO REPLACING THE IGNITION SWITCH AND HOUSING, I HAVE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE BTSI SOLENOID AND SWITCH TWICE (MAY 2010, 50,263 MI; FEB 2013, 84,715 MI) DUE TO THE PART'S FAILURE IN ORDER TO FULLY ADDRESS THE IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEMS OF MY SATURN ION. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THE ADDITIONAL ISSUE OF BTSI SOLENOID AND SWITCH FAILURE AS BEING A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN THE OVERALL IGNITION SAFETY PROBLEMS OF GM SATURN IONS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10577599

Incident

May 6, 2010

Mileage

50,263 mi

PASSENGER FRONT WHEEL OF A 2005 SATURN ION 3, STILL UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY WITH 27,000 MILES, LOCKED UP ON DEC 22, 2007 CAUSING A SINGLE CAR COLLISION. AN ASE CERTIFIED MECHANIC LOOKED THE CAR OVER AFTER HAVING IT TOWED TO MY RESIDENCE AND SAW THAT THE SPINDLE WAS BROKEN, BUT THERE WAS NO SIGN OF OTHER DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE THAT WOULD CAUSE ENOUGH FORCE TO BREAK THE SPINDLE. HIS OPINION IS THAT THE SPINDLE (CAST ALUMINUM) WAS OVER-TIGHTENED AT THE DEALERSHIP AND HAD A DEFECT/HAIRLINE CRACK THAT FINALLY FAILED. THE FAILURE HAPPENED AT 60 MILES PER HOUR, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SLAM INTO THE GUARDRAIL, THEN SPIN INTO A DITCH. WHEN THE SPINDLE FAILED AND THE VEHICLE PULLED SHARPLY TO THE RIGHT, I ATTEMPTED TO HIT THE BRAKES WHICH WENT TO THE FLOOR AND DID NOTHING. INSURANCE HAS REFUSED TO COVER THE DAMAGE, AND DECLARED THE DAMAGE A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10212680

Incident

Dec 22, 2007

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 60 MPH, DOWN AN ICY HILL THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE BRAKES DID NOT RESPOND. THE VEHICLE COASTED TO A STOP AND WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS PERFORMED, WHICH DETERMINED THERE WAS NO FAILURE ASSOCIATED WITH THE VEHICLE. WHILE DRIVING OFF THE LOT, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AGAIN. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN ALERTED. UPDATED 05/22/06

NHTSA ID

10154418

Incident

Apr 3, 2006

Mileage

30,000 mi

I WAS DRIVING MY 2005 SATURN ION2 AND THE BRAKES TOTALLY FAILED WHEN I DEPRESSED THE CLUTCH ON MY 5 SPEED TRANSMISSION. AFTER TAKING IT IN FOR SERVICE THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE SLAVE CYLINDER WAS LEAKING AND ALLOWED AIR INTO THE BRAKE SYSTEM BECAUSE THE BRAKES AND CLUTCH HAVE A SHARED HYDRAULIC FLUID RESERVOIR. I COULDN'T DOWNSHIFT BECAUSE THE CLUTCH FAILED AND I COULDN'T BRAKE BECAUSE THE BRAKES FAILED. THE WARNING SYSTEM FAILED BECAUSE THERE WAS STILL SOME FLUID IN THE SHARED RESERVOIR. THE WARNING LIGHT GOES ON WHEN THE SYSTEM IS OUT OF FLUID NOT WHEN IT IS RUNNING LOW. SCARY STUFF... I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED OR KILLED OTHERS. LUCKY FOR ME I WAS NOT GOING HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND/OR ON A BUSY STREET. I WAS ABLE TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP...*NM

NHTSA ID

10151235

Incident

Feb 8, 2006

Mileage

7,700 mi

I PURCHASED A 3005 SATURN ION COUPE 3 5/31/05 WITH IN THE PAST 7 MONTHS,THE CAR HAS BEEN BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP 5 TIMES. THE DAY AFTER I PICKED UP THE VEHICLE, I NOTICED A THUMPING NOISE IN THE BACK. AFTER BRINGING BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP, I WAS TOLD THAT THE REAR ROTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THIS DID NOT FIX THE NOISE. MY SECOND TRIP THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT I NEEDED NEW REAR BRAKE DRUMS. BECAUSE THEY WERE WARPED (FUTURE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE SALES MANAGER INDICATED THAT THIS WAS COMPLETELY NORMAL, THAT IF THE CAR SITS FOR A FEW WEEKS WITHOUT BEING DRIVEN, THE DRUMS WILL WARP, WHICH LEADS ME TO THINK THAT SATURN SHOULD RE THINK THE QUALITY OF PARTS THEY USE.) SINCE THAT TIME, I HAVE BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR A DEFECTIVE RADIO (WHICH WAS REPLACED) A DRIVERS WINDOW THAT WOULDN'T GO DOWN (MOTOR REPLACED) AND THE CRUISE CONTROL NOT WORKING (AFTER 2 TIMES, IT WAS REPLACED). I FINALLY WAS ABLE TO SPEAK WITH THE AREA MANAGER LAST WEEK AFTER I CALLED SATURN CUSTOMER SERVICE TO LOG A COMPLAINT FOR THE SECOND TIME. HE OFFERED ME FREE BASIC MAINTENANCE (OIL CHANGES, TIRE ROTATIONS) FOR 2 YEARS. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT ANYONE AT SATURN HAD OFFERED TO DO ANYTHING FOR MY TIME/INCONVENIENCE. VERY POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE/SATISFACTION. *NM

NHTSA ID

10147177

Incident

Jun 1, 2005