2008 SATURN ION Recalls, Complaints & Safety

No recalls found for this vehicle.

Complaint Statistics

4 total complaints 1 crashes 1 fires 1 injuries

Top Reported Components

Component	Complaints
VISIBILITY	1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	1
AIR BAGS	1
VISIBILITY/WIPER	1

Incident date: Feb 28, 2014

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 ... Read more

Incident date: Sep 22, 2013

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 ... Read more

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Feb 27, 2014

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 T... Read more

Fire

Incident date: Feb 15, 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 UNAVAILAB... Read more

NHTSA Safety Investigations — SATURN ION

Investigations opened by NHTSA into potential safety defects. These are separate from recalls and may or may not result in a recall.

EA — Closed — Model Year: 2006

Electric Power Steering Failure

On March 31, 2014, General Motors Company (GM) submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) to NHTSA describing a safety defect that may result in a sudden loss of power steering assist in approximately 1,340,447 model year (MY) 2004 through 2010 vehicles equipped with electric power steering (EPS), ... including 334,728 MY 2004 through 2007 Saturn ION vehicles that are the subject of EA11-014.GM has assigned the recall number N140115.The NHTSA recall number is 14V-153.According to the DIR, if power steering assist is lost, a message is displayed on the Driver Information Center and a chime sounds to inform the driver.GM indicated that steering control can be maintained in manual (unassisted) steering mode, but would require greater driver effort at low vehicle speeds, which could increase the risk of a crash.Sudden loss of power steering assist can occur in the subject vehicles if the system loses electrical power or whenever the system detects a fault that requires it to enter fail-safe operation mode, removing power from the EPS motor.GM?s DIR identifies three basic conditions that may result in loss of power steering assist in the recalled vehicles:power steering motor faults, torque sensor assembly faults, and power steering motor controller unit faults.GM will issue four service bulletins providing different repair procedures for recalled vehicles.Bulletin 14115 will provide repair instructions for replacing the power steering motor in MY 2004-2007 Saturn ION, 2009-2010 Chevrolet HHR (non-turbo), 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt and vehicles repaired in recall 10V-073 that received repairs prior to May 31, 2010.Bulletin 14116 will provide repair instructions for replacing the torque sensor assembly in MY 2004-2006 Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Maxx, 2005-2006 Pontiac G6 and 2008-2009 Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura vehicles built from March 1, 2008 through June 27, 2008.Bulletin 14117 will provide repair instructions for replacing the torque sensor assembly and power steering motor controller unit in MY 2008 Malibu, G6 and Aura vehicles built from February 1, 2008 through February 28, 2008.Bulletin 14118 will provide repair instructions for replacing the power steering motor controller unit in MY 2008 Malibu, G6 and Aura vehicles built from October 1, 2007 through January 31, 2008.Analysis of information from all sources identified a total of 4,787 complaints and 30,560 warranty claims related to loss of power steering assist while driving in the MY 2004 through 2007 Saturn ION vehicles, resulting in a complaint rate of 14.3 incidents per thousand vehicles and a warranty claim rate of 9.1 percent.ODI?s analysis of alleged steering related crashes identified 12 with evidence indicating the incident was related to a loss of power steering assist. Two of the crash allegations involved low-speed curb impacts and are excluded from the resume crash count.Three incidents occurred in parking lots, six occurred while turning at street intersections, and one occurred on a highway exit ramp.The crashes in parking lots or intersections all occurred at speeds less than 30 mph.The crash on the highway exit ramp involved impact into a guard rail at approximately 35 mph.Two of the crashes resulted in injuries to the drivers.This investigation is closed.All ODI complaints associated with this closing resume are listed in the attachment pages.Read more

RQ — Closed — Model Year: 2005

Electric Power Steering Failure

ODI has received 846 complaints and GM identified 3,489 reports alleging sudden loss of steering power assist in model year (MY) 2004 through 2007 Saturn Ion vehicles manufactured and sold by General Motors Corporation (GM).Sixteen of these complaints alleged that the EPS warning lamp had illuminate... Read more

PE — Closed — Model Year: 2003

WINDSHIED WIPER LINKAGE FAILURE

INVESTIGATION DISCLOSED THAT THE MANUFACTURER ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN IN AUGUST 2003, REGARDING SERVICE THAT REQUIRED REMOVAL OF THE WIPER ARMS.GM ISSUED THE BULLETIN AT THAT TIME TO ADDRESS CUSTOMER COMMENTS ON WINDSHIELD WIPER CHATTERING OR HOPPING ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD DURING WIPER OPERATION.TH... Read more

EA — Closed — Model Year: 2004

FRONT TURN SIGNAL/DRL FAILURE

THE COMBINATION FRONT TURN SIGNAL/DRL IN MY 2003 SATURN ION COUPES EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT EARLY-LIFE FAILURES DUE TO VARIOUS BULB QUALITY ISSUES DUE TO INADEQUATE DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE.THIS PROBLEM TREND APPEARS TO HAVE DISAPPEARED AFTER THE FALL OF 2003.THE CHANGE OF LEAD WIRE MATERIAL NEAR THE S... Read more

PE — Closed — Model Year: 2003

FRONT TURN SIGNAL/DRL FAILURE

ON NOVEMBER 16, 2004, GM NOTIFIED NHTSA THAT IT WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL OF 178,798 MODEL YEAR (MY) 2003 AND 2004 SATURN ION SEDAN VEHICLES FOR INOPERATIVE FRONT TURN SIGNAL/DRL BULBS.GM STATED THAT TEMPERATURES IN THE LAMP ASSEMBLY EXCEED THE MATERIAL SPECIFICATION FOR THE BULB SOCKETS AND BULB... Read more

Year	Recalls	Complaints
2008 (current)	0	4
2007	8	1,089	View
2006	7	1,537	View
2005	6	755	View
2004	11	1,124	View
2003	8	958	View

Model	Recalls	Complaints
AURA	34	2,223	View
SL	29	2,891	View
SKY	22	623	View
OUTLOOK	21	1,939	View
SC	20	379	View
SW	17	274	View
LS	16	1,885	View
SC1	13	554	View

2008 SATURN ION

Complaint Statistics

Top Reported Components

NHTSA Safety Investigations — SATURN ION

SATURN ION — All Years Overview

SATURN ION — Year by Year

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