Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules. 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. 12 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
2006 SATURN ION. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO DEFECTIVE SHIFTER SWITCH SAFETY RECALL. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT TO TO TURN OFF. THE CONSUMER HAD TO JIGGLE THE KEY TO GET THE VEHICLE TO POWER OFF. THIS OCCURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. REPAIR ATTEMPTS HAVE BEEN MADE BUT, THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND REIMBURSED THE CONSUMER FOR THE REPAIR.
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
I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO TURN OFF MY IGNITION OR REMOVE MY KEY TWO SEPARATE TIMES. NOT ONLY THAT MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT AND WAS ONLY ABLE TO BE FIXED BY THE DEALERSHIP. MOST RECENTLY ALONG WITH THE KEY IGNITION PROBLEM, THERE IS A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. THE FIRST TIME THE IGNITION WAS FIXED IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY BUT THIS TIME IT IS NOT. I HAVE READ SEVERAL BLOGS OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FROM SUFFERING CONSUMERS. *TR
2006 SATURN ION-3 AUTOMATIC 2.4L 1. POWER STEERING: POWER STEERING GOES OUT NEARLY EVERY TIME I DRIVE THE VEHICLE. SATURN DEALERSHIP CHANGED A SENSOR I THE STEERING COLUMN, BUT PROBLEM PERSISTS. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS TO BE DRIVING IN THE CITY WITHOUT POWER STEERING. 2. IGNITION: CAR REFUSES TO START WHEN TEMPERATURE IS BELOW 15-20 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. I HAVE BEEN STRANDED IN BELOW FREEZING WEATHER FOR ALMOST AN HOUR BECAUSE OF THIS COMMON SATURN FAILURE. *TR
DING ON DASHBOARD AND POWER STEERING GOES OUT. WHEN FIRST OCCURRED, I COULD DRIVE ABOUT 20-30 MINUTES BEFORE IT HAPPENED AGAIN. NOW IT HAPPENS AS SOON AS I GET INTO CAR. *TR
I HAVE A 2006 SATURN ION WITH 35,000 MILES, BOUGHT NEW IN OCTOBER 2005 AND ONLY SERVICED AT SATURN. IT SLIPS WHEN PUT INTO REVERSE. THE DEALER COULD REPLICATE THE PROBLEM MANUALLY BUT COULD NOT GET A TROUBLE CODE. ALTHOUGH A SERVICE BULLETIN WAS ISSUED, THE DEALER WILL DO NOTHING UNTIL AND UNLESS IT WILL GENERATE A CODE, AND SAYS THEY WILL NOT REPAIR IT UNDER WARRANTY. I CALLED SATURN CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY TOLD ME THE SAME THING. THEY ALSO WILL NOT SELL ME A GM EXTENDED WARRANTY BECAUSE IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY ON LENGTH OF TIME. I AM TOLD TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE IT UNTIL IT GETS BAD ENOUGH THAT IT WILL PRODUCE A TROUBLE CODE. BY THAT TIME IT WILL UNDOUBTEDLY NO LONGER BE CLOSE TO THE WARRANTY MILEAGE AND IT WILL PROBABLY COST AS MUCH AS THE CAR IS WORTH TO REPAIR IT. SINCE IT HAS LESS THAN 36,000 MILES, I WANT IT REPAIRED NOW AT NO COST. *TR
A WEEK AGO, I SUBMITTED A COMPLAINT ABOUT LOSING REVERSE IN MY TRANSMISSION. I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT THE DEALER REPLACED MY TRANSMISSION FREE OF CHARGE OR LABOR COSTS. I APPLAUD JAY WOLFE SATURN OF TIFFANY SPRINGS, MISSOURI. FOR TAKING THIS CORRECTIVE ACTION. *TR
I GOT IN MY CAR TO GO TO WORK ON MONDAY MARCH 16, 2008. THE CAR STARTED. WHEN I PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE TO BACK OUT OF MY GARAGE, THE DOORS LOCKED BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT GO BACKWARD. THE CAR IS NOW AT THE DEALERS FOR TROUBLE SHOOTING. *TR
MY AUTOMATIC SATURN ION WITH 61K MILES AND NO SIGNS OF A PROBLEM, ON ITS OWN DOWNSHIFTED FROM ABOUT 65MILES TO 30 MILES. ONCE I MOVED IT OVER ONE LANE TO THE EMERGENCY LANE THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD IN ANY GEAR. THE ANALYSIS WAS THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS COMPLETELY GONE. I BELIEVE IT IS A BAD DESIGN FOR A CAR TO GIVE NO WARNINGS AND THEN DOWNSHIFT ON IT OWN. WITH THE CAR STOPPING SO ABRUPTLY, IF MY FAMILY AND I HAD BEEN ON THE INTERSTATE WE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED OR SEVERELY INJURED IN AN ACCIDENT. I CONTACTED SATURN DIRECTLY CONCERNING THIS MATTER. *TR
I HAVE A 2006 SATURN ION 2 WITH A MANUAL TRANSMISSION. I HAD TROUBLE WITH THE CAR NOT GOING INTO FIRST GEAR FROM NEUTRAL AND NOT GOING INTO OTHER GEARS WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHER SPEEDS. I WOULD HAVE TO SHUT THE CAR OFF BEFORE I COULD GET IT TO GO IN GEAR. I WOULD THEN HAVE TO LET IT SIT FOR A FEW MINUTES BEFORE I COULD GET IT TO START BACK UP BECAUSE IT WOULD LURCH FORWARD AND SHAKE REALLY BAD THEN SHUT OFF IF YOU TRIED TO START IT RIGHT BACK UP. I WAS TRYING TO GO OUT OF TOWN JULY 31, 2006. I WAS AT A RED LIGHT AND THE CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO FIRST GEAR FROM NEUTRAL. I FINALLY HAD TO SHUT THE CAR OFF TO GET IT TO GO INTO FIRST GEAR. WHEN I TRIED TO START THE CAR, IT LURCHED FORWARD, SHOOK REALLY BAD, AND SHUT BACK OFF. IT REPEATEDLY DID THIS. I HAD TO LET THE CAR SIT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD AT THE RED LIGHT FOR SEVERAL MINUTES BEFORE I COULD START THE CAR. I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO GET IT OUT OF THE ROAD HEADING TO A GAS STATION. IT SHUT OFF AGAIN, AND WE HAD TO PUSH THE CAR THROUGH THE PARKING LOT WHERE WE WAITED ON A TOW TRUCK. THE SATURN DEALERSHIP IN SAVANNAH, GA HAS NOT HELPED ME AT ALL. THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THEY WOULD NOT WORK ON MY CAR AT ALL UNTIL THE PROBLEM HAPPENED TO ONE OF THEIR TECHS. IT DID NOT MATTER THAT I WAS PAYING FOR A BRAND NEW CAR WITH AN EXTENDED WARRANTY AND HAD EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM. THE CORPORATE OFFICE IN SPRINGHILL, TN SIDED WITH THE DEALERSHIP. I AM STILL PROCEEDING WITH THE LEMON LAW PROCESS ALMOST A YEAR LATER. ON JULY 25, 2007, I WILL BE ATTENDING MY SECOND ARBITRATION HEARING. I AM STILL PAYING FOR A CAR I CANNOT USE AS WELL AS FULL COVERAGE INSURANCE. THEY ALSO REFUSE TO PAY FOR ALL OF MY RENTAL BILL EVEN THOUGH MY EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERED RENTALS AND I NEEDED A WAY TO WORK. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SATURN ION. AT 30 MPH THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DRAG AND WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT GEARS, BUT THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DECELERATE MORE. THE VEHICLE COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE FOR MORE THAN 10 MINUTES BEFORE THE ENGINE IGNITED. DURING THIS TIME, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO MAKE A GRINDING NOISE. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AND REMAINED AT THE DEALER. THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWO DAYS AFTER THE PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE.*AK
KEY CANNOT BE REMOVED FROM IGNITION AFTER CAR IS TURNED OFF. HAVE RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP 4 TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM. EACH TIME THEY LUBRICATE THE SYSTEM BUT IT DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. IT BEGAN LESS THAN 6 MONTHS AFTER WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND STILL PERSISTS TODAY. WE CANNOT TAKE ANY MORE TIME OFF FROM WORK TO TAKE IT INTO THE SHOP TO BE TOLD THEY WILL NOT REPLACE THE IGNITION SYSTEM OR THE TRANSMISSION/GEAR SHIFT MECHANISM THAT MAY BE THE ACTUAL PROBLEM. IN ADDITION, IN THE FIRST 18 MONTHS WE'VE OWNED THE VEHICLE, THE AIR CONDITIONING COOLANT HAS RUN OUT AND THEY CANNOT LOCATE THE LEAK, AND THE SUNROOF BROKE. FINALLY, ON ONE OCCASION THE CAR WENT OVER A BUMP AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH AND THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM ACTED AS THOUGH THE CAR HAD A WRECK, CUTTING THE MOTOR AND SHOWING THE AIRBAG HAD DEPLOYED WHEN IT HAD NOT. AFTER A FEW MINUTES, THE CAR STARTED UP JUST FINE WITH NO ADVERSE AFFECTS. THE DEALER SAYS THEY'VE NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING AND CAN'T THINK OF HOW/WHY IT HAPPENED. *JB
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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