RoadVitals

2008 Saturn Ion

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints 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.
4
Latest Jul 24, 2015
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
2
1 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 4 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2008 Saturn Ion, most frequently naming the visibility, airbags and electrical categories. 152 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Visibility250.0%
  • Airbags125.0%
  • Electrical125.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Visibility
Filed Jul 24, 2015

MY WIPERS FAILED. I COULD HEAR THE WIPER MOTOR RUNNING, BUT THE TRANSMISSION AND LINKAGE HAD FAILED. I TOOK MY CAR TO A MECHANIC WHO FIXED THE ISSUE, BUT IT HAPPENED AGAIN ABOUT A YEAR LATER. I CAN GRAB A WIPER ARM AND MANUALLY MOVE THE WIPERS. BOTH WIPERS MOVE WHEN I MOVE ONE ARM. MY MECHANIC SAID THAT THE PROBLEM WAS WITH BOTH THE WIPER LINKAGE (WHICH HAS A PLASTIC PIECE THAT IS PRONE TO FAILURE) AND THE WIPER TRANSMISSION FAILING.

NHTSA ID
10736177
Incident
Feb 28, 2014
Mileage
73,130 mi
Airbags
Filed Jul 21, 2014
Crash reported1 injury reported

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2008 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN HEAD ON CRASH BUT THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED UNKNOWN INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 82,200.

NHTSA ID
10615155
Incident
Sep 22, 2013
Mileage
82,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Feb 27, 2014
Fire reported

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE DRIVER WAS ATTEMPTING TO CLOSE THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE WINDOW WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT SMOKE WAS EMITTING FROM THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR CONTROL PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 75,000.

NHTSA ID
10566353
Incident
Feb 27, 2014
Mileage
75,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Feb 18, 2011

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE FRONT WINDSHIELD HAD CRACKED. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED OR INSPECTED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE UNKNOWN. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID
10383292
Incident
Feb 15, 2011

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

13598

New Vehicle Monitoring Programs Section in IVH

PIC5650M

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have an intermittent no crank, no start, or start stall concern with the security light coming on. Technician may find Diagnostic Trouble Codes B3055, B3060, B3935, C0750, C0755, C0760, C0765, and/or C0775.

PIP5601C

This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic assistance from TAC.

PIT5074R

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.

PIT5074R

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.

PIT5074R

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Saturn Ion by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2008Viewing400—
20078767256.9
20061,2356255.7
20055735257.1
200489810460.5
20037577560.7

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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.