RoadVitals

2006 Saturn Ion Other / unspecified Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the other system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Other / unspecified reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
8
Latest Oct 29, 2014
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
<1%
of 1,235 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
2
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2006 Saturn Ion submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 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.

Owner reports naming other

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Body & structureOther / unspecified
Filed Oct 29, 2014

A LOWES BOX TRUCK HIT MY PASSENGER SIDE AND TOOK OUT THE MIRROR AND FRONT PANELS. I'M GETTING REALLY DISGUSTED WITH GM. THEY OWE ME 696.00 FOR MY IGNITION SWITCH I HAD TO REPLACE LONG BEFORE THEY DECIDED TO RECALL ANYTHING. I JUST WANT MY MONEY BACK. THANK YOU. *TR

NHTSA ID
10651112
Incident
Oct 28, 2012
Mileage
81,000 mi
Other / unspecifiedSteeringSuspension
Filed Sep 3, 2014
Crash reported

HIGHWAY BOUNCING? UNBALANCED FEELING UNDER VEHICLE? REPLACE STRUTS ASAP!! OKAY FOR THE PAST 30,000 MILES I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING WHAT I COULD DESCRIBE AS A CONSTANT BOUNCE. THE BOUNCE HAS NOW BECOME SO VIOLENT THAT CROSSING A BRIDGE ON A HIGHWAY THE BUMP WILL INCREASE THE AGGRESSION OF THE BOUNCE TO THE POINT THAT YOU BOUNCE RIGHT OFF OF THE ROAD. I HAVE SLOWLY BEEN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT CAUSES THIS BOUNCING WOBBLE. AFTER NEW RIMS,CV-HALF SHAFTS, LUGNUTS, TIRES, STABILIZER END-LINKS, TIE-ROD ENDS, INNER TIE-ROD ENDS, AND BALL JOINTS. THE BOUNCE GOT MORE CONTROLLABLE FOR A SHORT PERIOD. NOT LONG AFTER THE NEW PARTS STARTED TO BREAK DOWN AGAIN. FINALLY DURING THE PURCHASE OF ALL OF THESE THINGS OVER AGAIN. I FIND AN INSTANCE WHERE THIS EXACT THING HAPPENED TO ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL. DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WITH THE CONSTANT BOUNCE AS ALWAYS (4 MECHANICS ---- I AM PRETTY MECHANICALLY INCLINED, BUT COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM) THIS OTHER INDIVIDUAL GOES UP ON A BRIDGE (HIGHWAY SPEEDS) AND BOUNCES STRAIGHT ACROSS AND RIGHT OFF OF THE HIGHWAY INTO THE DITCH. LUCKILY IN BOTH OF OUR CASES WE WERE ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE BEFORE HITTING ANYTHING OTHER THAN SOME TALL GRASS AND SLIDING AROUND IN THE DIRT A BIT ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. HE TAKES HIS FAMILY AND CAR TO THE NEAREST MECHANIC (THEY WERE GOING ON VACATION) AND THIS MECHANIC KNEW EXACTLY WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. RELIEVED THIS PERSON WAS THAT HE HAD FINALLY FOUND A MECHANIC THAT SOLVED THIS WRETCHED, ANNOYING, AND ODD PROBLEM I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE. THE STRUTS WERE COMPLETELY SHOT. THE CAR WAS NOT SAGGING ACCORDING TO MEASUREMENTS. BUMPS WEREN'T VIOLENT. AFTER REPLACEMENT OF THE OLD STRUTS I COULD LITERALLY PUSH THEM DOWN WITH ONE FINGER. LET GO AND WATCH AS THEY JUST RELAX IN PLACE. ANYONE EXPERIENCING A HIGHWAY BOUNCING WOBBLE LIKE SOMETHING IS UNBALANCED THEN REPLACE YOUR STRUTS!! *TR

NHTSA ID
10630276
Incident
Aug 25, 2014
Mileage
111,000 mi
Body & structureElectricalOther / unspecified
Filed Jun 27, 2014
Crash reported

I WAS DRIVING HOME EARLY ONE MORNING AND MY IGNITION HAD SHUT OFF LIKE IT HAD MANY TIMES BEFORE THIS TIME THE WEATHER CONDITIONS BEING SNOWY AND SLUSHY CAUSED ME TO GET STUCK AND THE VEHICLE WAS YANKED INTO THE DITCH. I HAD CALLED THE CLAIMS NUMBER AFTER MY CAR HAD SAT AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR ABOUT 2 MONTHS MAYBE LONGER AND THEY TOLD ME SINCE THE CLAIM WAS NOT FILED AS OF THE RECALL CAME OUT THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR IT. THERE IS NOTHING THAT GM CAN DO THEY WILL NOT REFUND ME FOR THE MONEY TO REPLACE MY RADIATOR, CONDENSER, AND COOLING FAN THAT I NEEDED REPAIRED AT THAT TIME TO MAKE MY VEHICLE RUN. I DID NOT HAVE MONEY AT THE TIME TO FIX THE COSMETIC DAMAGE IN THE FENDER AND THE BUMPER SO THAT IS STILL BROKEN. THE CLAIMS DEPARTMENT ADVISED ME SINCE IT WAS SO LONG AFTER THE ACIDENT THEY COULD NOT CHECK THE VEHICLES RECORDS TO SEE IF THE VEHICLE HAD ACTUALLY SHUT OFF. NOW THE REASON MY CAR IS SITTING AT THE DEALER SHIP IS BECAUSE THIS TIME MY CAR WAS STUCK RUNNING THE KEY IS IN THE ON POSITION AND COULDNT BE TURNED OFF. I WOULD LIKE SOME ACTION TO BE TAKEN OR SOMEONE TO CONTACT ME IN ORDER TO GET THIS TAKEN CARE OF. *TR

NHTSA ID
10606536
Incident
Feb 8, 2014
Mileage
64,000 mi
Other / unspecified
Filed Apr 13, 2011

MY 2006 SATURN ION WILL NOT START EVERY TIME I TRY TO TURN IT ON. THE BATTERY HAS BEEN REPLACED AND IS NOT THE CAUSE OF THE ISSUE BECAUSE EVERYTHING IN MY CAR STILL HAS POWER BUT THE IGNITION WILL NOT TURN OVER. I TOOK TO THE SATURN DEALERSHIP AFTER THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME SEVERAL TIMES AND I WAS TOLD THAT MY IGNITION SWITCH NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ONLINE THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL OF CAR. THIS IS A VERY INCONVENIENT PROBLEM TO HAVE WITH YOUR CAR. HAVING TO WORRY IF IT WILL START IN THE MORNING OR NOT AND THEN HOW TO GO ABOUT YOUR DAY IF IT DOES NOT START TRYING TO FIND A RIDE TO WORK OR EVEN POSSIBLY MISSING WORK BECAUSE YOUR CAR WONT START BECAUSE OF A COMMON IGNITION PROBLEM ON THE MANUFACTURERS SIDE. I FEEL THAT THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE PLACED ON THE RECALL LIST..SO THAT WE AS CONSUMERS CAN HAVE THIS VERY COMMON ISSUE FIXED WITH OUT COST TO US..SINCE WE ALREADY INVESTED MONEY INTO A VEHICLE WE EXPECT TO WORK. *TR

NHTSA ID
10395705
Incident
Apr 12, 2011
Mileage
60,800 mi
ElectricalOther / unspecified
Filed Jan 6, 2011

I AM WRITING TO INFORM YOU OF THE TROUBLES THAT I AM HAVING WITH MY 2006 SATURN ION. MY SATURN DOESN'T ALWAYS START ON THE FIRST TRY (RADIO AND LIGHTS COME ON, BUT THE ENGINE DOES NOT TURN OVER). ON MOST MORNINGS, WHENEVER I TRY TO START THE CAR, IT DOESN'T START AND AN ICON SHOWING A CAR WITH LOCK SHOWS UP ON THE DASHBOARD. HOWEVER, AFTER WAITING APPROXIMATELY 20 TO 30 MINUTES, THE CAR WILL START SOMETIMES. ON ONE OCCASION, I EVEN CALLED AAA THINKING IT WAS MY BATTERY AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE PASS-LOCK SYSTEM (THE CAR THINKS I AM TRYING TO STEAL IT). ON TUESDAY, DECEMBER 28TH, I TOOK THE CAR TO NORTH SHORE CHEVROLET OF SMITHTOWN IN ST. JAMES, NY AND WAS INFORMED THAT I NEEDED TO HAVE A NEW IGNITION INSTALLED AND THAT SHOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I PICKED THE CAR UP ON THE AFTERNOON OF WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 29TH AND DROVE HOME. HOWEVER, ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30TH, WHEN I TRIED TO START THE CAR, THE CAR WOULDN'T START. I TRIED STARTING THE CAR AT LEAST 5 TO 7 DIFFERENT TIMES FROM 8 ' 10:30AM BUT THE ENGINE WOULDN'T CRANK. FINALLY, AT AROUND 10:45 AM THE CAR STARTED, I WAITED APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES AND DROVE IT BACK TO THE NORTH SHORE CHEVROLET OF SMITHTOWN IN ST. JAMES. THE NORTH SHORE CHEVROLET OF SMITHTOWN INFORMED ME THAT EACH TIME THEY ATTEMPTED TO START THE CAR, THE CAR WOULD START; THEREFORE, THEY COULDN'T OR WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. I PICKED THE CAR UP FROM NORTH SHORE CHEVROLET OF SMITHTOWN ON MONDAY, JANUARY 3RD AND HAD NO PROBLEMS GETTING TO AND FROM WORK ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 4TH. HOWEVER, ON THE MORNING OF WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 5TH, THE CAR WOULDN'T START, ONCE AGAIN. *TR

NHTSA ID
10374925
Incident
Jan 3, 2011
Mileage
42,000 mi
ElectricalFuel systemInterior & seats+4 more
Filed Nov 1, 2010

YES A FEW MONTHS AFO I FINANCED A 2006 SATURN ION LEVEL 3 SINCE THE FIRST WEEK HAVING IT HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS INCLUDING A MAJOR GAS LEAK AND SEVERE GAS FUMES INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE CAB WHEN RUNNING AND NOT. THE DEALER HAD GIVIN ME NOTHING BUT LIES AND THE FUN AROUND AND ATTITUDE. HAD BEEN DOCUMENTED BY AN OUTSIDE MECHANIC THE CAR IN UNSAFE TO BE ON THE ROADS AND SHOULD NEVER HAVE PASSED INSPECTION WHICH THE DEALER DID. I REALLY NEED HELP. I KNOW IT'S A GOOD CHANCE IT'S A FLOOD CAR THEY SOLD ME. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID
10363599
Incident
Aug 18, 2010
Fuel systemOther / unspecified
Filed Jul 26, 2008

THE 2006 SATURN ION IGNITION LOCKED ON WITH THE CAR RUNNING IN PARK. THIS SEEMS TO BE A CHRONIC PROBLEM WITH SATURN IONS. THE VEHICLE CAN NOT BE TURNED OFF AND THE KEY CAN NOT BE REMOVED. IT GETS COMPLETELY LOCKED IN PLACE. THE VEHICLE REMAINS RUNNING, WASTING GAS AND COULD BE A SAFETY HAZARD IF SOMETHING ELSE IS HAPPENING AND THE VEHICLE MUST BE SHUT OFF QUICKLY AND CAN'T. THE ONLY WAY TO SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF IS TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY AND PULL AN IGNITION FUSE. THE KEY REMAINS LOCKED IN PLACE. I'M PUTTING THIS UNDER 'FUEL SYSTEM-OTHER' BECAUSE THE IGNITION TURNS THE FUEL SYSTEM ON AND OFF. I ORIGINALLY PARKED AND TRIED TO SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF BECAUSE I SMELLED FUEL. LUCKILY IT WAS COMING FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE AND WAS JUST IN THE AIR. BUT IT WAS SCARY TO SMELL FUEL AND NOT BE ABLE TO SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF. *TR

NHTSA ID
10235840
Incident
Jul 16, 2008
Mileage
44,300 mi
Other / unspecified
Filed Oct 27, 2005

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER PURCHASING A NEW VEHICLE THERE WAS A PRONOUNCED SCRAPING NOISE AS THOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS DRAGGING THE GROUND WHEN MAKING TURNS OR ON BUMPY ROADS. THIS OCCURRED AT ANY SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER, WHO SAID THIS PROBLEM WAS DUE TO AN AFTER MARKET TOW HITCH. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE AT THE DEALERSHIP. HE RETURNED HOME AND REMOVED THE AFTER MARKET TOW HITCH, BUT THIS DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. NO FURTHER ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN AT THIS TIME. *AK

NHTSA ID
10140971
Incident
Aug 24, 2005
Mileage
40 mi

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.

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Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .