EVERYTIME THE WEATHER IS A BIT COLD, MY SATURN ION 2003 WILL NOT START. I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL AUTO MECHANIC SHOP AND THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS A TYPICAL AND UNFAIR PROBLEM FOR THE SATURN ION OWNERS. THE ALSO TOLD ME THEY DO THE SAME JOB ON THESE SAME CARS APPROXIMATELY 15 CARS/TIMES PER WEEK. THE EXPLANATION THEY GAVE WAS THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH NEED IT TO BE REPLACED. THEN I TOOK IT TO MY SATURN DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THE EXACT SAME THING: "THE IGNITION SWITCH NEEDS TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE IT IS CAUSING THE PASSLOCK (SECURITY) SYSTEM TO THINK THE CAR IS BEING STOLEN AND SHUTS THE STARTER OFF." HE ALSO SAID IT WAS REALLY COMMON TO REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCHES EVERY WINTER BECAUSE THOSE KINDS OF CARS HAVE BEEN HAVING THAT SAME PROBLEM REGARDLESS WHAT THE YEAR MODEL THEY ARE. I ALSO ASKED THEM HOW MANY CARS (PER WEEK) THEY HAD TO FIX DUE TO THIS SAME PROBLEM AND THEY TOLD ME IT VARIED, BUT IT WAS ALWAYS BETWEEN 10 AND 25 CARS PER WEEK. ALSO THEY SAID THAT PREVIOUS YEAR THE WEATHER WAS SO COLD AND THE SATURN IONS WERE NOT STARTING, THAT IN JUST A WEEK THEY HAD 40-SOMETHING CARS COME IN TO GET FIX FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THEY TOLD THEY WOULD FIX IT FOR ME BUT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR EVERYTHING. I REFUSED TO PAY BECAUSE IT WAS NOT MY FAULT, AND I'M ASSUMING PEOPLE ARE PAYING TO FOR SOMETHING THAT IS NOT EVEN THEIR FAULT. I ALSO CALLED SATURN AND THE CUSTOMER CARE REPRESENTATIVE AT SATURN SAID THAT SATURN DOES NOT HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FOR THIS PROBLEM AT THIS TIME. THE LAST THING I DID WAS A RESEARCH ON THE WEB ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND I FOUND MANY WEBSITES, BLOGS AND FORUMS THAT ADDRESS THE PROBLEM AS A FACTORY DEFAULT FROM SATURN. I READ PEOPLE'S COMMENTS AND THEY ALL SAID THEY HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR SATURN IONS AND THAT SATURN DID WANT TO ADMIT IT WAS A PROBLEM OF THEM. IT APPEARS AS IF NO ONE WAS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND THE ONES PAYING FOR THIS ARE THE CUSTOMERS. THIS IS NOT FAIR. *TR
2007
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN OVERPOWERING ODOR OF GASOLINE PRESENT INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE FUEL PUMP WAS FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED HIM THAT HIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 12V459000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP). THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED FOR THE FUEL PUMP. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 103,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 104,000. THE CONSUMER STATED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER HE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, HE STARTED HAVING PROBLEM PERIODICALLY WHEN HE APPLIED THE BRAKE. THE BRAKES WOULD VIBRATE STRONGLY AND HE WOULD HAVE TO PRESS THE FOOT BRAKE DOWN ALL THE WAY TO GET THE VEHICLE TO STOP. THERE WOULD BE A BRIEF DELAY IN THE BRAKES WORKING. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG. LATER IN JUNE 2008, HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALER TO ASSIST WITH THE PROBLEM. THEY WERE UNABLE T FIND A PROBLEM AS WELL. HE CONTINUED TO HAVE PROBLEMS PERIODICALLY WITH THE BRAKES. A YEAR LATER, THE POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING. THE CHIMES AND WARNING LIGHTS WOULD COME ON, AND THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD LOCK UP. IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO MAKE TURNS; ESPECIALLY PARKING. THE CONSUMER STATED HE HAD TO MANUALLY STEER THE VEHICLE. THE ONLY SOLUTION WAS TO TURN OFF THE VEHICLE, AND THE LIGHT WOULD GO OUT. THE PROBLEM WENT ON FOR SEVERAL YEARS, UNTIL THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A LETTER FROM SATURN STATING THE WARRANTY COVERAGE HAD BEEN EXTENDED DUE TO PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING. THE POWER STEERING WAS FINALLY FIXED. UPDATED 11/08/12 UPDATED 11/26/12 *CN UPDATED 12/3/2012 *JS
