I bought my Saturn 2001 SC1 five ears ago with only 35,000 miles on it. At first it worked well. But these past few years, I have had nothing but transmission problems. As I am writing this, I will be having my third transmission problem. After reading all the complaints, it looks like I am not the only one!

I have had this car (2005 Ion) for about 2 years now and I like it; however, the ignition is very temperamental and sometimes I have to fiddle and finesse with the ignition so I can remove the key. It hasn’t screwed me so far, but I know it’s only a matter of time before it probably will. GM needs to recognize this problem and should have it recalled. Another fellow who wrote a review said to use part number 20869121 instead of the OEM part, which is the same piece of junk that’s in it now and will only give you the same problem.

I was running errands yesterday, no problems. Went out last night and when I came home, I could not shut my car off or get the key out of the ignition. Tried to remove a fuse for engine, no luck. Disconnected the battery, no luck. Called roadside assistance from AARP, finally came out about 1:00 am. He did something under the hood and the car did shut off. At least I didnt have to sit up all night till I ran out of gas (3/4 tank full). I just had the gas leak fixed, which was a recall. I had to put out $700 and wait to get reimbursed. Which I had to return to the people I borrowed it from. If this is an on-going problem, I will have to get rid of the car. I am single and 61 and cannot afford to get stuck somewhere with this nightmare.

I just got a 5 speed and you wont have any of these problems. Look on Craigslist. Every Saturn Vue is being sold because the trans went out, same with Mazda. Im looking for a used Saturn. Theres no way Im buying an automatic.

I have a 2008 Saturn Outlook and have had nothing but problems. I know that my warranty has expired but for a 3-year old truck with 70k miles, why is the airbag light going on? Also, the trunk wont open, the stability and stabilizer track is acting up and GM has nothing to say about this. How can one help me address this issue? I am expected to pay for the repairs; I dont think I should.

This is the fifth time a transmission has gone out on our 2004 Saturn Ion that we purchased brand new. The last one was a year and six months ago. They now refuse to fix it, only offering $5000 off a new GM vehicle if we surrender the car. Not only can we not afford a new car, but why would we want to purchase another GM vehicle when we have to fight them every time we need them to fix their mistake? We cannot trade in the vehicle for a used car because we cant get anything out of it with a broken transmission. Thats not fair for us since we didnt install the faulty variable transmission in all these vehicles. We suggested what we feel is fair: them buying the Saturn back with the Kelly Blue Book value. They refuse. They say they will not fix the car because it will continue to break (which again is their fault) and will only offer $5000 off so they can still make a profit out of us. We have had to fight them tooth and nail every time we needed the transmission fixed. All they care about is money. They have no problem selling faulty vehicles and then they dont stand behind them.

I had my car fixed when recalled. Yesterday my car would not start and the key is stuck in the ignition. I charged the battery got key out. Today car is dead again. I just bought new battery early this year. I am afraid to go out as even though repaired the key gets stuck and battery dies. It is like ignition never shuts car off completely! I want a new replacement car. This thing has been to shop way too many times.

I purchased a 2003 Saturn Vue in 2009. Regretfully, I did not do my homework before purchasing. The transmission went out along with the transfer case. I paid $4976.23 for a new tranny and a rebuilt transfer case. The car has lost significant MPGs and will not shift correctly since the new install. It has greatly reduced power at take-off and there is screeching/clunking noise when turning left. GM dealership told me I need a new front differential now, a cost of $5,400. This car is a disgrace. I am still making payments on it. I have paid more in repairs then I have on my monthly payments. Is there any advice on reimbursement for all these expense? Do I have recourse?

I have been battling the same issue with the ignition lock - I cant get the keys to come out immediately. I had the ignition lock cylinder and the ignition switch both replaced but still my keys are getting stuck in the ignition. This is making me so angry because Im still making payments on a 2005 Saturn Ion where I’ve got an extreme case of anger developing because of the manufacturing malfunction.

We have a 2003 Saturn L200. We have noticed a gas smell for several weeks now and had it checked out and found out it has a manufactured defect in the fuel pump. There have been several complaints and Saturn has not dealt with this issue. I went online and there were a lot of complaints about this issue. I want something done about this. We are spending hundreds of dollars replacing this and I am not the only one going through this. It started in the 2002 model and has continued on to the 2003 model and Saturn does know about this.

Like everyone else, my key got stuck in the ignition and would not turn off. I had to unplug the battery and take the fuse out to get my car off. I would also like to be involved in a class action suit against GM because I dont believe that we should be responsible for their faulty parts not working. I should not have to worry about if my car will turn off or not. That should be recalled and corrected.

The ignition problem is continuing with more problems than GM knows. There should be a recall because it is an ongoing problem with the 07 Ions. I just paid $400 for the repairs on my 07 for the ignition replacement and GM should be footing the bill. It is happening all too often and most people will not report it.

We have a 2001 Saturn 4-dr sedan L-300. Although pleased with the car on the whole, we have recently been experiencing electrical problems that no one seems to be able to fix. When it is raining, the dash lights begin to flicker. This would lead you to believe that there is some kind of short in the wiring caused by the higher humidity; but to this day no one has been able to fix it. Any ideas?

I have a 2003 Saturn Vue originally purchased new by my parents. Ive have began having problems getting the ignition switch out of the locked position. After noticing my one and only key was severely worn and may be causing the problem. Called a local GM dealer who informed me to make a new key would cost $20 and $65 for the dealer to access the key code online. I have never had to pay to get my vehicles key code after supplying proper ID of ownership. Neither my parents or I ever received an amended handbook notifying us of additional fees for key code access. Geesh, I pay less to use the internet for 3 months.

I had same problem which turned fatal for some people. Electrical problems from alarm randomly going off while driving, interior lights coming on, stalling out completely while driving. Cost me a fortune to repair. Got rid of it. I have had 6 Saturns since 1990 and from a family of GM employees. In my opinion, and firsthand experience, GM mismanaged Saturn, essentially killing it either out of sheer incompetence or intentional neglect. [I mean, what company copies the same exact cars the Saturn made and advertises them but ignores the marketing for Saturn?] So what was once proudly touted as a 97% American-made car, was now in 2004, a car with parts from all over the world. Coincidence? I think not. It opened in 1990 as the site for Saturn manufacturing and continued through March 2004 as the sole manufacturing plant overseen by the Saturn subsidiary. After the United Auto Workers ratified a new contract in March 2004, the plant became part of General Motors... Wikipedia, accessed 3/13/2015. I own a Saturn Aura 2007 [its an American built Opel Vectra GMs German brand that always has been superior]. I will run it into the ground but then never buy another GM car again. Mismanagement should not be rewarded.

My 2003 VUE (3.0) hit the 100K threshold a few months back. I noticed increasing delay in starting, so decided to change out plugs with iridium ones. Ran great following new plug job. Shortly thereafter, I noticed a few trouble codes causing my Check Engine light to come on. First was for Cam Shaft Position Sensor, and second was for low temp sensor. After ruling out fuses, faulty connectors, etc., I decided to replace the Cam Sensor (easy), and thermostat (especially since it had never been done). When I finally finished the job, the car wouldnt start (turned over though). I pulled my hair out for weeks looking for reason for not starting. Had mobile mechanic come out, and could only tell me it sounded like compression loss and/or timing problem. Finally had it towed to shop. Their diagnosis was a skipped timing belt (4 teeth), which caused a few valves to bend etc, etc... Now I am looking at $3000 to $3500 to fix the problem (I hope). I replaced the water pump and timing belt a few ago and drove it without a problem until what I thought was routing thermostat replacement - boy was I wrong. The cost to repair is about $2K less than getting a rebuilt engine, but is still at that grey point between getting work done or not. The optimist in me is hoping for another 100K miles after all is said and done. Not too happy with GM at the moment. Parts cost an arm and leg since Saturn is no longer produced. Hope it works out in the end.

2006 Saturn Ion got to work and could not shut my car off. I work at a jail so I could not go in and go on the internet to find the closest Saturn dealer, which I find out later is an hour away in Stockton. I took it to the first auto repair I found and it cost almost $700.00 to get it fixed. I am submitting my bill to Saturn, with a formal complaint to get this reimbursed. I see lots and lots of this happening and it should be a recall.

We have had numerous problems with our 2006 Saturn Vue, which all started with having to roll over extra payments from a 2005 Vue that we had multiple problems with. The first major issue we had was the torque converter, where they said they could never recreate the incident so couldnt help us.They finally replaced it (before the recall came out) and at that time, they also replaced the ignition because of the problems we were having trying to turn the key to start the car. We’re unsure if they actually replaced it or not.Now, we are once again having ignition problems and we are out of warranty. The GM dealership wants to charge me $80 for the ignition tumbler and $60 per key to recode them. That is with me installing it by the way.

I own a 2009 Saturn Outlook XR with approximately 84000 miles on the vehicle. The transmission has failed on the vehicle, and the warranty was for five years or 100,000 miles. My local dealer has said the five years are up and they will not give me any consideration for repairs and want over four thousand dollars to repair it. When the towing company placed the vehicle on the roll back, the operator made the statement that he averages quite a few of these a week! This vehicle has had at least six recalls on major issues, water pump, power steering, power tailgate, seat belts, and etc. I can assure you this will be the last GM vehicle that I will ever buy. I have talked to two transmission shops in town and have been told that this transmission has had issues from the very start, and GM has been working on correcting the problem with the transmission. I was told GM has made three changes in the last twenty-four months to correct the problems with this transmission. Thanks GM, for keeping your customers updated on a defective transmission.

I am furious to find out that GM knew all along about the ignition problems with some of their cars. We bought our daughter a 2003 Saturn Ion in 2004. In less than 2 years the problems with the ignition started. It was a nightmare! She lived 800 miles away and dealt with the car not starting constantly. Sometimes the car would start then shut off and not start again for 15 or 20 mins or longer. The car died on the interstate!!! She could have gotten hit by another car! She had to call the police and they pushed her off the road onto a side road and she waited for AAA to come and haul her car over 100 miles back to her house. This all happened at night. She took the car to mechanic after mechanic to dealership after dealership trying to figure out what the fix was. Finally, a friends boyfriend did some research on the web and saw all the complaints and figured out to take the fob off. That did help but she still had problems with battery needing charged, the battery was being run down even though the car was off. A lot of electric issues. When I read about all the horrible accidents it makes me sick to think these families should not have had to suffer these losses and what could have happened to my daughter. Shameful.

I own a Saturn Ion level 2, and today, my car got stuck in the on position. I could not get the key out or shut the car off. I had to take the neg wire from battery to shut things down, but the key is still in the ignition switch. What is going to be done for all of us that owns this car? And in this economy where it is sink or swim, eat or die, now we all have to worry about this problem which is very costly. Who is going to help us all out? There are a whole lot of people with the same problem, so obviously, there is a major problem here with our cars. Someone has to take some action for us. Who is going to help us? Do I have to keep putting the neg wire back on just to drive, take it off to shut it off? Come on. Someone somewhere must be in position to take this problem on because like myself and others, we are all spent out and cannot keep paying for a problem that is a problem with the manufacturing of this car! So, can anyone tell me where to start and how to fix this bucket of plastic? Class action suit. seems to me, should happen but they are no longer in business, so who do you sue? Not to mention, I still owe 2 years of payments on this car. Wow! They said it is the ignition lock cylinder but it comes with no key. So how the heck do you start your car if you get a new one? Does anyone know what to do? Help!

My 3 vehicles were on the recall list. I currently have the Chevrolet and the other two cars were sold. During the first year of purchasing these vehicles, I incurred problems with each of them. The vehicles would sporadically start/stall on me and my son. We both experienced being stranded at work, in parking lots or while running errands. My son worked late hours and in the City of Detroit. He had to sit and wait for my husband to come from Commerce Township to W. 8 Mile-Detroit. Needless to say, those occurrences were frightening and very unsafe. On a number of occasions, my husband had to jump start the both of us.We replaced 3 batteries and that did not fix the problem. After towing the vehicles from repair shops to the dealership, the service dept. told me, the 2002 Oldsmobile Alero needed an ignition switch/cylinder and new key fob. The car worked fine after that. Then, I had to replace the ignition switch on the 2008 Saturn LS. The 2005 Chevrolet Impala was serviced upon the recall notice. My complaint is, I spent money for ignitions on both vehicles before the recall and General Motors denied my claim for reimbursement. There should be a class action suit for customers who experienced the same circumstance.

My key gets stuck in my Saturn Ion ignition switch. It turns as far back that the car turns off but that the radio is still on. This problem has caused my battery to die a few times but for the most part, it is just a pain to remember to go back for my key before bed. Sometimes it will come out within seconds; other times, it is several hours. As I read on this site and a few others, it is a big issue. I wish they would issue a recall. Just the other day, I received a letter about a recall on the power steering. Hopefully, they will have one for this too!

In 2006, I purchased a new 2006 Saturn Ion. I loved it at the time, but since then have had numerous problems. It is a lemon. I had to have the ignition system replaced because my key would get stuck in it every time I turned the car off. It is now doing this again. I have had the entire computer system replaced twice because all the gauges went hay wire while driving and wouldnt stop. Recently this has started happening again. Two years ago, my automatic windows stopped rolling down, then suddenly started working again for about 2 months, and now dont work. Talk about fun when going through a drive through and having to open your door because your windows dont work. My cigarette lighter fuse has to be replaced about once every 3 months because it shorts out. Last week I was adjusting my rear view mirror and it just fell off. It didnt come unglued from the window, but the ball and socket joint somehow broke and cant be fixed except by ordering a completely new mirror because for some reason you cant order that one little plastic part that broke. For the last year my gas gauge has been completely inaccurate. After filling up completely it says I only have 1/2 tank of gas and after driving for 20 minutes my gauge is on empty. So I have to rely on my low fuel message to come on, which Im sure wont be long before that breaks as well. The only good thing is that I havent had any engine trouble...yet.

When I got home in my 2007 Saturn Ion, I couldnt turn the ignition off. I had to pull the ignition fuse to turn the engine off and disconnect the battery cable. After browsing the Internet, this seems to be a common problem which Saturn has not addressed.

I wanted to reply to Patricia of Signal Mountain, TN on June 25, 2014 specifically. Unfortunately the dealer and auto body shop you visited seem to be unaware of this particular issue that has affected many saturn customers. I bought a 2003 saturn ion brand new and 6 months later had my first issue with the car not starting. It wasnt a dead battery, or any other issue. It just would not start. I could go try again an hour later and the car would start.My ignition switch was replaced twice under warranty and it needs to be fixed again. The problem is something in the faulty wiring that trips a security message in the computer of the car that will not allow it to start. I recommend that you look it up online (google, youtube, saturnfans.com). There are countless pages dedicated to the exact issue your daughter is having. When you get a grasp of what the issue is, speak to a trusted mechanic. Let him know what you found out and I am sure they will be able to help. The solution is often as easy as a $25 ignition switch replacement.

As some have rightly noted, RUN from GM vehicles!! I purchased a 2008 Saturn Outlook, and it has been plagued with problems - overheating, water pump failure, power steering pump leak, cv joints, struts, oil leaks, stabilitrak sensor failure, engine (sensors going out), transaxle leak, master brake cylinder failure, etc. Most of the problems occurred within 5 years of ownership. I decided to buy American and purchased a Saturn because of word of mouth reviews about the brand. Worst mistake ever!!! GM refuses to own the issues with this vehicle and declare it a lemon. I had to purchase another vehicle - a foreign one this time - because of its unreliability. Pre-owned buyers beware - DO NOT BUY THIS VEHICLE!!! A vehicle I thought I could have for 10 years is just a piece of crap.

My wifes 2008 Saturn Vue has 65000 miles on it. Less than a year out of warranty and without warning, the transmission started to slip. I was told by the transmission repair shop that the transmission would need to be repaired at a cost of $3000.00. The shop said there is a snap ring in these transmissions that is a common point of failure. I would estimate this is a $20.00 part at best. Why would GM continue to put cars on the market when they know there are issues with them? It appears this issue has been know about since at least 2005 and continues to 2010 based on my internet research. I feel GM has a responsibility to current Saturn owners and should recall these vehicles and make all those that have already failed eligible for restitution. I have been a lifelong GM owner but I have to say this one may be my last. If you are thinking about buying GM, I say stay away from them.

I’ve been waiting for an ECM computer for my 2001 Saturn lw300 for almost a year. My car has been in for repair waiting on this part since last February 2011. I was told that GM has to have an order for 50 before they would manufacture them. I can’t get a response from GM. I’ve been told that you have to have a new one because it has to be programmed for my VIN number. It’s too good of a car to just let it go. What should I do? Thank you.

I have a 2005 Saturn; the ignition will not shut off. I have read all the other reports on here, and feel something should be done about this on going problem. My wife called me at work telling me that she could not turn the key to shut the car off. I had to call a friend; have him come over and pull the fuse, and disconnect the battery. Now we are short one car until I can fix this.

My mother purchased a 2007 Ion and has had problems with the ignition --trying to get the key out of it! She took it to the GM dealer and they said nothing was wrong. She has 3,500 miles only on it and it is not covered under warranty now because of the years. Still, the problem is going on. GM should be made responsible for the repairs! What can be done?

I will NEVER purchase another GM vehicle. I have a 2009 Saturn Vue with 58,100 miles that has a bad timing chain. I saw online that there has been issues with timing chains in the past. When calling, I was directed to a call center overseas. Then I asked to be directed to someone in the states and was on hold for over 45 minutes. Bottom line....nothing GM will do.

Our 2009 Saturn Outlook ONLY has 53,000 miles on it. The 100,000 mile warranty was up because we have just barely had our vehicle 5 years. We have taken it to the same dealer for the life of the car, and taken very good care of it. I was driving to work the other day and my power steering and transmission completely went out. I almost lost control of the vehicle several times. It started when I was at a stoplight, when I pressed the gas to accelerate once it turned green, then my car lurched forward but only revved up. I made it work and then it wouldnt go in reverse at all!. I had it towed to a trusted mechanic. He told us it was indeed the transmission and power-steering but also that the rack and pinion broke. We had our car to the dealer several times for the whining noise to be fixed but they only ever told me they didnt hear the noise. I called GM, who told us to have it towed to a certified GM dealer and that the power steering should have been under a special coverage warranty. Turns out GM was sued and lost in court because of the power steering. The dealer then refused to diagnose my car without us paying them a $1,000 up front. I told them it had already been diagnosed, and if this was covered under their special warranty, then why on earth should I have to pay this large amount of money up front. The service manager told me he did NOT believe that our problem was covered under this special warranty and that the transmission doesnt go out because of the power steering. He said one doesnt have anything to do with the other. Well funny, then how they both went out at the exact same time. I went round and round with both the dealer and GM and neither of them want to take responsibility for what has happened. Especially considering we have documented proof (the dealer has it in their computers) that we had our car to them multiple times to have THIS exact issue fixed. I believe it is time to get another law suit started. GM needs to fix their faulty vehicles BEFORE someone gets severely hurt or dies! We had it towed a 3rd time to be taken care of by our mechanic since the dealer refused to diagnose our vehicle. Do not ever trust GM or their Certified dealers, all they care about is lining their pockets.

I financed a used car (2009 Saturn Vue) on the evening of 2/22/13. On 2/23/13 early afternoon, as I was driving with family members, the car caught on fire. A young lady pulled up next to me and told me that I had fire falling from underneath my car. We immediately pulled over, jumped out, and called 911. The firemen came, put the fire out and did an investigation for their report. They said it looked electrical, but couldnt say for sure. I had the car towed back to the dealer. They were closed on that Saturday so I had to wait until Monday to talk to someone. They do not want to take accountability. They stated that they had to treat this as a new car sale and I had to file an insurance claim. I told them that I hadnt even had the car 24 hours, that I want my downpayment back and the contract cancelled so that I can go and get another car elsewhere. An inspector went out (from my insurance company) and also said it looked electrical, but he could not say that that was the definite cause of the fire. The dealership wants me to go through with the claim. They offered to pay my insurance deductible, but thats it. The sales manager went on and on about how the Saturn Vue was the best used car that they had on the lot and how superior their service inspections are, etc. That is all the more reason for me to be concerned. Them offering to pay a $500 deductible does nothing for my insurance going up, my inability to be able to trade that car in down the line since it had a fire. And since the root cause of the problem could not be found, there is nothing to keep it from happening again. I want my down payment ($1500) back and I want to go elsewhere and get another vehicle as soon as possible. I am currently without a car. I spoke with the salesperson and the sales manager. I was told that the general manager would call me and he did not, nor did the owner. I should not be held accountable for their car catching on fire in less than 24 hours. I drove home from the dealership Friday night, to my cousins funeral on Saturday morning and the car caught on fire while I was driving in the funeral procession early Saturday afternoon.

I have the same problem. I just had the recall from GM done on my 03 Saturn Ion today. They replaced the switch and ignition lock cylinder because of cars going dead because the ignition switch turned off easily with a little weight on the key ring. Accidents occurred and they were sued. This was not for and did not fix the problem of the key not turning all the way off without reaching underneath and pressing the solenoid plunger which feels like a switch (They said nothing when replacing the new switch if this ever happened then). I did not inform them of the problem either.I just found a fairly new video on YouTube that concerns this very problem. Watch the video. Long story short, the shifter micro-switch is not engaging either because of a bad switch or a bad placement fit of the switch to where the plunger of the switch is not being depressed as to close the switch and therefore allow voltage to be applied to the ignition switch solenoid, freeing the cylinder to turn off. The YouTube video title is Saturn Ion key ignition stuck wont come out (solved) manual override & troubleshoot . Search for: video ** by Danroxye01. He made a later one to better explain with audio of what he found out.

I bought my Saturn Aura from a used dealership and couldnt have been happier with my choice. Ive had it for 3 years, just replaced the starter for the first time, gas is wonderful, smooth ride, wonderful seat warmers!!!! I absolutely love my car. The seats are that comfortable so it is great for long trips. I have lower back pain and have absolutely no problems with seats at all. I love the seat warmers, they heat up fairly quickly and its not just the seat it is the back as well. Super cozy for when it is cold outside. So the car sits kind of low and Im short so seeing over the dashboard can be an issue however not in this car, with the electric seat settings I can sit all the way up height wise and it brings me in closer so I can reach the pedals at the same time. I can even angle the seat some for my comfort. Several settings easy to adjust to what you like. The sunroof is absolutely amazing! I havent had any issues with leaks or mechanical. It is so wonderful to have the sunroof open and the windows down on a summers day. Gas mileage is pretty great too, it usually takes about 25-30 to fill up when gas is 2.25 The leather seats are genuine and very smooth. Feels and looks very high end. Very big windshield with huge view! I like to see out across a big windshield and boy this car is full view thankfully! I have owned it for 3 years now. The only thing that could improve would be to bring the car back and add back massagers to the seats. The plastic covers on the inside break off real easily too. Other than that like the old saying is whats not broke dont fix it and why should you.

2006 Saturn Ion, Manual transmission - Slow engine light came on with the regular engine light just after the car passed the 80,000 mile mark. It had been running perfectly, a/c blowing beautifully. Now best mechanic in town cant figure out what is wrong. Sensors are running numbers that dont jive. Had already had the recall work done at the dealer. Was it a bad tank of gas? Its not the catalytic converter. Loved this car, but its scary reading about all of the problems that folks have and now my car maybe cant even be fixed. What is GM going to do with its lemons?

Timing chain tensioner failure on my Saturn 2000 LS1. The timing chain tensioner failed and caused the timing chain to break. This happened at 94,200 miles on the odometer. The date was Nov. 23, 2011. The car was inoperable.

I fell in love with the Saturn VUEs when they first came out with them in 2000. I wanted one so bad. In 2002, I was in an accident in my 1995 Saturn Sedan with a tractor trailer. After 2 years of lawyers fees, I had enough settlement left over to buy a 2003 Saturn VUE. It was exactly what I was looking for, the color & all. I didnt care about the size of the motor. I was excited to be able to buy the car I wanted. Last year, I started hearing a noise coming from the motor that turned out to be the timing chain. Just recently, I had to take it off the road to keep it from blowing the motor. The 1995 Saturn was just taken off the road a couple weeks before with shot piston rings after 135k miles. We are now down to borrowing my father-in-laws truck, leaving us with no vehicle for me to take my kids to their doctors appointment while my husband is at work. I have to drum up $700.00 to replace a timing chain that Saturn knew had problems way back when.I understand that Saturn is out of business, but they are still repaired by GM parts. With all the complaints that I have been reading, you would think that GM would figure out in the long run that it would probably be cheaper to fix the problems rather than wait for the government to finally force a law suit causing more money to be paid out.I still love my Saturn VUE even though the transmission will most likely go out yet. But I have had this car for 6.5 years now & this is the first major problem I have had with it. Many others of you have had major problems from the start. I just want mine fixed. I just dont feel I should be responsible to pay for the problem GM knew was there.

Christmas Day 2014 will go down as a bummer day. Car had just passed 100,600 miles just in the past few days. Well, Christmas Morning my 2008 Aura XE V6, which had never really given me any problems with the exception of some minor problems with all the door lock and some other minor problems, decided to have transmission problems and stopped working. I was driving and all of a sudden found a strange noise and immediately parked the car. I at least made it to my brothers house and was able unloaded the Christmas presents. But when I tried to back up the transmission would not function, any gear I put it in, and it did not work. Eventually I was able to get assistance from family, and was able to get it into neutral and push the car down the driveway. At this point no engine light had come on or any warning of a problem at all. The car would not change gears normally. I then was able to park the car for a bit and then find someone to follow me to the dealer in Southern California. The Authorized Saturn Service Provider I have taken the car to for years. They called me back two days later and came back with a $3800 price tag for a new transmission replacement option. I was given by my brother a note that he had read of a recall on a Saturn Cabling problem with a transmission, but when I put my VIN number on the GM Site to check for recalls it did not appear. Well, my alternatives are slim to none, when it comes to the replacement as I have investigated other places to do the work and they tell me that there is a part that needs replacing and it alone is $1200.00 all by itself. I have always been a strong supporter of Saturn products in the past. Have had 3 Saturn vehicles over the years and have held them for at least 4-5 years each. This one was a doozy. I just want to let anyone out their know that if you have similar problems it is a costly one and probably not worth fixing. I plan on seeing if there are any other remedies I can pursue with whatever agency regulates car mfg. A very disappointed Saturn owner. Also, I cant believe this was not a safety concern for V6 vehicles.

I bought my Ion with cash a year ago. The first time I drove it through the canyon, I tried using the cruise control. It took several attempts but eventually it set. Unfortunately hitting the brake or engaging the clutch did not disengage the cruise control. Turning it off also did nothing. The best I could do is put it in neutral and let the RPSMs scream until eventually the cruise control disengaged. After this, several times while driving in town, in the city, with the cruise control button switched off, my car would engage the cruise control and begin to accelerate and I was unable to disengage it again but managed to avoid any accidents. I finally disconnected the battery to erase the memory and clear out any previous cruise control settings. Still cannot find anyone that can solve this mystery. My current problem is this: I was on the freeway when my car began to squeal much like the sound of a belt. The motor ran ok and I actually made it home and the car cut out in the driveway and will not start. I turned the key and it makes a very bizarre sound I have never heard before. Anyone w/ anything?

I had heard in the original Saturn series of bad engines, but I had acquired a 2005 which is a later series. I had a wait and see attitude about it, it reached 142,000 miles before the transmission slipped. The mechanics had told me that it would cost about $600 just to open it up and assess the problem...not including any repairs. At that point it would have cost nearly what the car was worth at that point. Before that there were few repair problems.

I have a 2006 Saturn Ion, which up until the past 6 months Ive enjoyed owning. It refuses to start about once every 20th (or so) attempt. When it finally does start, I cant figure out why since I hadnt done anything different than I had done previously at least a few times. Unreliable! Too bad, I really enjoyed this ride.

My 2006 Saturn Ion with only 43,500 miles on it would not start because of not being able to turn the key. I had to be towed to the GM dealer. They replaced the ignition housing and cylinder at the cost of $413.00. Its still acting up somewhat when I try to turn the key, it seem to stick somewhat. I just hope it keeps starting the car. After reading all the complaints about the same problem, I think its about time there was a recall on this problem. I am going to call the consumer affairs department of Saturn at 1-800-553-6000, I found this number online. I hope everyone who reads this also calls this same number.

I have a 2007 Ion and it has been the best car I have ever owned. I have not had a minutes trouble out of it. I am so sad that they quit making Saturns. From the salesman to the service department it was the best experience ever. I have 96,000 miles. I bought it with 7 miles on it. There has been a recall on it but it was taken care of in an expeditious manner. I heard in the news media that there may be an airbag issue but I have not received a letter. I have had three Saturns.

My 2005 Saturn Ion wont start. There is no problem with my car. It has new battery, starter, alternator. It drove just fine the night before. It snowed then in the morning it wont start. The engine lights come on and the radio and inside light but the engine wont click or make a sound of any kind. Its just not right for them to make cars with such horrible defects. I actual have had another bad experience with this car. I came out of Walmart and opened my car and started it. Was about to drive off when I realized it wasnt my car but instead the one next to it. I got out so fast. Embarrassed I called Saturn to complain and was told that its rare but happens. Dont worry because it probably was made at the same facility but rare chance to meet up again. I didnt think too hard on it and drove off. Saturn should be sued for the problems their cars have created for us. I now have a car that doesnt run and when called in to complain was told to contact BBB and leave complaint in which I did. I was also informed Saturn no longer makes cars and that complaints dont hurt GM as they dont affect them. We should start a lawsuit.

I ransomed my 2005 Saturn Ion this morning from the local Chevy dealers service department. For the second time in less than 18 months, I had to have the ignition lock cylinder, etc. replaced. The problem was identical to others previously listed on this site. The key was stuck in the on position with the car running. I had to disconnect the battery and stall (manual transmission) the engine. In each occurrence, the repair cost well in excess of four hundred dollars. Add the rental car, and the cost approaches a thousand dollars for the two repairs. On a positive note, I see that the dealer used the replacement lock cylinder 20869121 that Frank of Toronto, ON recommended. Although I dont have access to the actual technical service bulletins, I found one listed for Saturn Ion entitled 05-08-49-006 FEB 05 Ignition Switch - Key Hard to Insert/Wont Rotate and another 05-02-35-007A OCT 06 Ignition - Inadvertent Turning of Ignition Lock Cylinder. The cashier this morning said that the problem is related to too much weight on the key ring. I dont think the three keys on my ring qualify. Rather, I think it is the quality of the genuine GM parts.

The transmission in my 2008 Saturn aura just went out about 2 weeks ago. My sister was driving it and it just would not start back up in the middle of Detroit traffic. It only has 80,000 miles on it and of course the warranty just expired about 9 months ago. All of us who are having the same problems should get together and create a class action suit against GM. This repair cost is in excess of $3700.00 according to the GM dealership. I do not have that kind of money to spend, in particular on a vehicle that only has 80, 000 miles on the transmission. Please email me ** and lets do this!

I have been having the same issues as the rest of you with my 2004 Saturn Ion. I did have the key wont turn off the car problem after just a couple of years and got it fixed, supposedly something to do with the starter. It started doing it again not too long after it was fixed. It has continued to do it off and on. Key is stuck, wont turn car off. I play with the steering wheel and shift stick until it goes back into place and key will turn. Now today, it started letting me slip the key out of the ignition after I thought it was turned off, but car isnt off and now the doors are locked. The button to open the doors wont work. Literally you are locked in the car, save for the back doors manual opener. I had to climb out the back seat of my car tonight. I think the car is turned off, but guess I will find out in the morning. To top all of that off, the a/c wont work now and if I turn it on, it smells like my car is bursting into flames, so I have kept it off. From what I see here, I just need to find another car. It was a nice cheap car, so I thought, but so many things went wrong so quickly. I should have traded it back in. Rest of problems: power windows, Ive had 4 or 5 radios replaced, clock on car cant be changed, headlight recall. Good thing they dont make them any more, because I wouldnt buy one anyway. Now I am going to have to buy another car that I cant afford at this time.

I purchased a new Saturn Ion for my daughter. It has always had issues - 2 or 3 ignition switches, 2 or 3 power steering motors, 2 or 3 fuel pumps, bad gas mileage, clunking front end. Too many parts replaced to count 3 or 4 parts stores in town. They know me by name and I dont even have to tell them the make of the car. This thing is a wreck. Only two good things I dont have to wash it. Its not worth the money to clean it up. And I can go to Wal-mart without worrying about somebody stealing it or running into it. Last car for me from GM and I remind my kids to not buy one either.

I bought a Saturn Ion 3 years ago. At 93,000 miles, the timing chain jumped its track and now the car cannot run. The dealer I bought it from and the GM dealer said it will cost $2500.00 to fix. GM and the dealers will not help me with financing. The dealer I got it from will sell me another car but at a steeper payment to cover the difference. I bought this car used. I cant default without serious consequences. The car is a 2007. I need to know if anyone else has had this problem with Saturn Ions from 2006 to now.

I have a 2001 Saturn L200 and the Engine Cradle has cracked on the front and apparently they no longer make these parts. So I own a car with 134,000 miles that runs good but not able to fix my car because they no longer make the part. And apparently because of the Cash for Clunkers, Saturn was one of the cars that everyone junked because couldnt get parts for the cars. So Thank You Saturn for making JUNK CARS and apparently you were aware because you no longer make these vehicles.

Does anyone else have issues with their car turning on in cold weather? I say it happens when it is cold because it happens more frequently in the winter! Ive asked and taken it to get it checked and no one can tell me what the issue is! It is so frustrating because I have called the dealership and get no answers from them either! I cannot afford to lose the car but no one wants to buy it so I can buy a different one. It makes life so difficult when I have to go to work or do what I need to do. I hate that this car. It has been so unreliable for the past 3 years!

It was the second time the key locked, and I was unable to remove it. The first time it happened at 9,000 miles; I was over one hour from home, and drove back home. I pulled the fuse, and it was towed to the dealer. It was under warranty, and the ignition replaced. The second time it happened it was at 37,000 miles. I was in the parking lot for doctor’s appointment when it happened. I missed the appointment. I drove to the dealer, and they replaced the ignition. I paid for labor only, but am going to ask GM to pay for that too. It was very stressful and scary. The comments are that this is a defective part.

I have a 2003 Saturn Ion. I have had several of the common issues with the ignition. The not starting because of the security lock thing and having to wait 10 minutes till it resets and you SHOULD be able to start if your lucky. The key not turning and the key not releasing. I love my car and I have gotten the recall repairs done. I havent had any problems with the car not starting anymore but then again from dealing with the issue so long I cant get out of the habit of half turning till the security light turns off then starting so who knows. Repairs did not fix the key getting stuck, still have to use the manual over ride button in the steering column. And after doing more research I now know its the micro shifter in the gear shifter. So many people have the very same problem that GM really cant ignore the fact that something needs to be done.

I went out of town in my 2006 Saturn Ion. While I was there, I could not turn the ignition off on my car. The key was stuck and would not turn back so I could turn the car off. Thank God, I had a spare key in my purse and was able to lock the car and leave it running. I had a few things to do in town, so my car was on for 6 hours or more. I just had to make sure that I had enough gas in it. I just found out that its going to cost me $300 to have this problem fixed.

I reached out to GM today after my second door jam mechanism failed and I see over 900 complaints lodged as such in this models year (2006 VUE). Despite the obvious safety issue I was told I was on my own. The door(s) eventually will not close as the jam mechanism fails so the door is subject to swinging open while the vehicle is in use. This is not an inexpensive fix and must be taken to a body shop. I will need all 4 door mechanisms replaced as I will not risk the other two failing as well.

We have a 2008 Saturn Aura, it has 80 thousand miles. One day, the wife was driving it. It made a noise and bam, the car died. I talk to some people and they said it was the timing chain. So we took in to get looked at and the garage said they took off one of the valve covers off, and all the valves were broke in half. Its going to cost a lot of money. This stinks.

I started smelling gas in my 2006 Saturn Ion in October of 2016 and took into a local service center to have it checked. They informed me that it was the fuel pump and it needed to be replaced right away. Well in my mind all I was thinking is my car could catch on fire so I agreed and they did the repairs on 11/11/2016 to the tune of $437.79. Later I find out that this was a special coverage recall and that my local dealer would have did the job at no cost to me. I called customer care and explained that I felt like this was an emergency and was not thinking about my local dealership which is 20 miles away. She gave me a case # and told me to get a reimbursement form from dealership and submit the papers and surely they could do something. Well I sent paperwork off in January 2017 and now in March since I have not heard anything I decided to contact them. They informed me that my claim was denied and that my vehicle still has the coverage so if it happens again take it to the dealership. I told her how upset I was and this was awful that I am out off pocket for something that was their fault. My car is 11 years old with 104,050 miles on it and the cap for the coverage is I think 150,000 miles. I would hope that a fuel pump would last longer than a few thousand miles. I have had nothing but problem with this car from the moment I bought it and I agree with everyone else about never owning another GM!!

At a stop light, all of a sudden the clutch pedal had no effect. I bought the Vue used, so had no warranty. It seemed like a pretty good deal for the price. The dealer was fairly upfront about the issues it had (mostly minor), but while driving it today, out of nowhere, the clutch pedal had no effect! Sitting at a red light I suddenly wasnt able to get it into gear! Its ran pretty good till this and Ive owned Saturns before with minimal issues, but this was different. This time my life was in danger. Ive read lots of people with the same problems. Hope I can get it fixed without spending too much or PUTTING MY FAMILY IN DANGER AGAIN! BOOOO GM!!!

I purchased a 2008 saturn aura xr in May 2013. The first night I realized my alarm and locks didnt work unless I pulled up to unlock each door or pushed the lock on each door down to lock the car which is just irritating. Then 2 days later the left tire sensor went out, 3 weeks after getting the car my check engine light, service esc and traction control came on. We thought those issues were taken care of when I took car back to dealership but here I am 10 different shops later & no one can tell me whats wrong with my car. The car turns on & off while driving making me lose all power steering power brakes & its scary. Ignition lock light randomly comes on. Car will start freaking out while Im driving it with 2 kids in rear facing car seats in the back & Im terrified I will get in an accident with my kids in the car & not one shop can tell me what is wrong with my vehicle. Just got car back after it being in shop for 7 weeks & its worse than its ever been. I cant drive this car. Its not safe, it has a mind of its own & the dash board & everything electrical goes crazy while Im driving the car. Ive contacted saturn & email, called anyone I could. All saturn did was pay for them to diagnose my car & diagnoses was nothing was wrong. I have a video of my gas gauge jumping up & down & everything going crazy on dash board while Im driving the car. I cant get anyone to call me back now even though I have a claim # & I just want to know whats wrong with my only car. I have 2 kids 1 car & need to find out whats wrong with car & saturn wont even call me back.

Sure would love to know did Gm let their service Departments know about ignition problems. So when customers came in, they would what to do. That way they wouldnt be guessing and charging customers a lot of unnecessary money.

I bought a brand new 2006 Saturn ION. Yesterday, the key decided to get stuck in the ignition. I couldnt twist it out so I eventually ended up yanking it out. I had to disconnect the battery so it wouldnt deplete as well.

New engine at 106,000. We just bought the Saturn 2008 Outlook at 76,000 less than 2 years ago. We have already put in $600 in fixes, and now we found out the engine needs to be replaced for $5000. This car has been a total lemon. Researching the v6 3.6 lt engine we have found out that it is a piece of junk.

I was in a car accident today (04/21/12) and I am really upset that my airbag did not deploy. I was doing 55 MPH going to a green light and this car just decided to turn left right in front of me. We hit and my airbag did not deploy but the red light shows that it did and within seconds onStar came on right away, ambulance, state police and who knows what else. I thank God that I am alright, but really disappointed that the airbag did not deploy in my 2009 Saturn VUE, I could have been hurt really bad.

Me and my girlfriend bought a 09 Saturn aura from love Chevrolet in Columbia South Carolina, it had 52,000 miles on it. First day at the lot, the car wouldnt start. They said it sat for a while, it just needed a jump. A day later we were sitting onside of the road. Within 1 month I took this car back to the lot 6 times to be fixed for different things but for a long time they wouldnt replace the battery then the tire rod then the water pump, the OnStar went out. Then right at 100,000 miles the transmission went out. After a year, it is fixed. Then as soon as we get the car back the vents for ac and heat went out. Somehow they started working again but the heat stopped working and its been out for about a year now. If we got rid of the car we would have lost out because we did a trade in, they gave us so much lie about fixing this car. We didnt know what to do but keep this hunk of junk. We owe 4000 on this car but its not worth 400. What should we do? Oh and from day one it had bad alignment, its not worth the trouble. Saturn Aura, you have to do better.

OK so I have a Saturn ion 2004. When I purchase the car, it had 58000 miles on it. Maybe two yrs and the key stop turning, it wouldnt turn sometimes. So what did once I had it acc. I kept it there and put tape around to cover the key. Now my car is flipping out my lights on my dash, comes on and off. Power steering is not working. I changed the powering steering, still nothing. Im so tired of this vehicle. Frustrated!!!

2005 Saturn Ion 2: Along with my ignition switch failing, my power steering regularly going out while driving down the freeway, and my driver-side window not working, my key is now stuck in the on position with the car running. I popped the clutch to turn it off and disconnected the battery. I ordered a new ignition cylinder and plan to replace when it arrives. I agree with the majority of the community that there are far too many problems with particular parts for a recall not to be made. Im elated for the day I can rid myself of this car. Its been nothing but continual problems. My Honda on the other hand has nearly the same miles and not one problem in 5 years.

Bought a 2009 Saturn Outlook last year with 64,000 miles. Beautiful car and body in really good shape. Loaded with everything you could think of. 2 weeks after having it, it would make all kinds of noise when turning and sound really ruff. Took it to a GM dealer and it was completely out of oil. They could not find any leaks or that is was burning oil. Needless to say putting oil in it was a once a month thing.Steering went out - had to pay $1900 to get that and the rack and pinion repaired. One week later we lost all power to the car driving down the mountains in Virginia. Spent $1,000 to get it towed back to Ohio to spend another $100 to put on analyser. Now they are saying we have to pay another 1500 for GM to tear it down so GM specialist can look at it since they still cannot figure out what is wrong with it. I still owe on this car and they said once they figure out whats wrong it could cost another 4 to 5 thousand to fix it. This has been the biggest headache. I cant believe we spend the money we do on cars and they dont even last 5 YEARS.

I recently purchased a 2007 Saturn Aura XE with roughly 108,000 miles on it. The car drove like a dream for a little over a month. Now its the beginning of April and I was on my way to work this morning and suddenly, my car started jerking. So at a traffic light, I put the car in neutral then back in drive and it gave a hard jerk. Mind you this was at 7:20am. So once I got to work, I called the dealer where I got the car from. At about 11:30am I was en route to take the car to the dealer and noticed it wasnt doing it anymore and nor did it do it on the way home this evening, so well see! Hopefully that was an isolated incident but will keep you posted!

My wife was unable to turn off the engine on her 2006 Ion. The key was stuck in the ignition in the on position. She had to take time off work to take it to a mechanic. Im surprised to see that this is such a widespread problem and there has been no recall. I will probably never buy another GM vehicle.

Never been so disappointed with GM company. By looking at all the reviews look like we are having the same problems with the Saturn Vue. It should have been a recall on all transmissions which GM already knew it was a default in them but they didnt care. I have replaced everything on that Vue except for the transmission. Just happen to be at a traffic like and the truck begin to stall and jerk like it didnt want to move. It jerked all the way going at slow speed. I was able to make it home, had a friend that work on cars take a look at it. He got in, drove it up the street and it did the same thing again. When he pulled back up to my house he gave me the bad news that it was my transmission. Im very upset and I will never purchase a GM again.

My son who just graduated and saved his money to buy his first care, brought a 1999 Saturn SL for $1000 as-is. It ran for less than 12 hours and the engine blew up. We went back to the dealer and he would not help us out at all. He said it was his problem, not the dealers problem. His first word out of his mouth was, does it have oil in it? It was really low on oil, barely showed on the dip stick we put two quarts in it and he drove it home and the next morning on his way to work, it blew a rod. We tried to get him to help us, but all he said was the car was no good to him now, so my son is out a car and $1000. Please, I just want everyone to beware of this dealer.

Our key has been stuck in the ignition of our 2006 Saturn Ion for the last 4 days. Three days prior to that the dealer replaced a frozen air compressor and transmission line ($1400). About 45 minutes before the key got stuck with the engine running, the coolant light came on even though wed had an oil change two weeks prior. We were instructed to disconnect the battery, but that did not stop the engine from running. A neighbor came over and helped disconnect a fuse. I am leery about sinking more money in this vehicle. We have had the faulty power steering replaced and a crack in the nipple inside the gas tank. I believe these repairs are above and beyond usual repair and maintenance for a vehicle and feel theyre unjust.I know the VIN number on my car was the same as those recalled a few years ago, but because my vehicle was not initially sold in what the NTSB deemed a hot state, it was not eligible. Without doubt, the Mid-East now experiences the same extreme weather conditions as did the hot states and I am advocating that all Saturns built between 2005-2007 be recalled. Anyone else joining me?

Saturn 2005 Ion, from neutral, when shifting to drive it engages hard. Also, coolant light on dash comes on after car is idling.

I purchased a 2002 Saturn SL2 in 2006 from an individual who kept it as a summer car. It only had 26,000 miles on it. I drove the car and loved it. In 2011, the transmission suddenly started giving problems when the car had about 77,000 miles on it. I took it to a transmission shop and they put in a rebuilt transmission. It cost me $1,500.00. Now at 114,000 miles, that transmission is doing the same thing - clunking into gear, slipping out of gear, hesitating and then suddenly clunking into gear. I have decided to get a different car even though I love my Saturn.

I was driving to work on the expressway. The car just stopped moving.

Both my 2007 Saturn Vue as well as my Saturn Ion have the same problem - the ignition locks up and the cars both will not start. From reading online, I am surprised that this has not been recalled. I mean, it is the same on both vehicles. I feel that GM should check and fix these cars - especially today. I am at work with a Saturn Ion that will not start back up and a Vue at home that wont start with two small children.

I have a 2006 Saturn ION with only 60K miles and it has been in the shop for manufacturer defects 3 times already. I paid 200 for the ignition lock in May since the key will get stuck and I could not turn car off. I am a single parent with kids and it was scary when your car is stuck. I also paid $300 for a new camshaft actuator and selenoid. Now in December another valve malfunctioned and I called customer service and they gave me the run-around. I dealt with a district specialist named Vince and one named Drew and they both laughed at me and told me I am out of warranty since it’s past the 5 year mark and there is nothing they can do even though the dealer told them on the phone that it’s a manufacturer defect. I was told by Drew from Saturn, “Sorry, these things happen…” They had promised to give me at least a 10% discount and the dealership told me that they had no documentation. They never returned my calls. I have paid over $1000 out of my pocket for manufacturer defects and this car only has 60k. It keeps failing—valve, keys, fuel pump. Help.

My 2003 Saturn Ion has developed the same ignition lock, and not starting problems, in the last 6 months.

I had a wreck in my Saturn and went through the Feinberg resolution and was told that I would receive nothing for my accident. I have tried to contact Chevrolet several times and always get the runaround. They came out to my car and did a Bosch crash data retrieval and told me theyre sorry they dont know how to read it. I can get no help from them. Please help.

I have a 2005 Vue with a standard transmission. Today, for the 5th time, I went to get into the car and the key would not go in the ignition. I called my old Saturn dealer (now Cadillac) and one of the techs told me to turn the wheel as far as I could to the right and then back to the left (then go back and forth with the wheel rocking it) until the steering column locked. Once that happened, I had to release the lever for the tilt feature on the steering wheel and jam it up and down as hard as I could in the hopes that the movement would realign the pins in the tumblers which would allow the key entry. When that still didnt help, I turned the locked steering column as hard as I could to the left and tried inserting the key. Success finally! I drove home from work. But when I got out of the car in the garage, I tried to reinsert the key again and the ignition would not accept it. So Im hoping I can repeat the above routine just so I can get to the dealer to have the entire assembly replaced. Quote is $325. This should not be happening. With all the reading I have done about GM moving so much of its operations to China, I dont think they really care about us leftover Saturn owners. Never again!

Sigh...I am adding another complaint to this apparent common problem. I have a Saturn ION 2006. I have nothing but problems with it since the day I drove it off the lot. Unfortunately, I am not in right circumstances to trade it in on something else. I am a mom and a full time student, so I really need this car to last a little longer. Today, I parked my car while taking my daughter to the lake and the key got stuck in the on position. I own a manual, so once I got it home I popped the clutch to turn it off. Now, Im stuck with no car and very little in the budget to fix it. Has anyone found a solution to fixing this problem on their own? Or, by chance, has GM issued a recall?

Bad Engine-Repair numerous times: I had my car repaired too many times for the life of the car from 2008. I need another car now. I need a lawyer to view the car repair lists from 3 months of purchase to current. Its awful and crazy. The dealer told me to walk away! I cant sell it; the check engine light is on and I still owe over $10,000. Where can I get a lawyer? My credit would be damaged. What can I do?

I bought my wife a brand new 2007 Saturn Ion. I have had it back in dealer service 4 times, with no solution to key getting stuck in the ignition. I have finally given up. I will have to sit in the car for up to 10 minutes until the car decides to release the key, as if it has a mind of its own! Very frustrating!

I have a 2001 Saturn SL1 with about 140 K miles. I have always owned Saturns since they first came out. We presently have a 2006 and 2007 Ion as well. All these cars were purchased NEW!! They were all serviced at the scheduled maintenance time. All of a sudden I had a major problem with the transmission of the 2001 car. It would just drop or slip in all gears, Including reverse. Since two years ago I paid 375 dollars to have the 2006 ignition problem fixed and then a few months later the same amount to pay for the 2007 Ion to have that ignition problem fixed (this was before the big GM recall even though I called often to see if there was a recall on that problem and told NO). I am now skeptical when I’m told there is no problem or recall with the transmissions either. I think someone at GM needs to look at all these transmission problems and correct them. Most people cannot afford to pay $3000 to fix a problem that serious.

My Saturn was purchased used with 49k on it at a Saturn dealership as a certified pre-owned vehicle. That was 13.5 years ago in 2000, to now currently Aug 2014. I have replace brakes in it twice on the front, once on the rear. I forgot how many sets of tires I have had on it. At 90k I put on a new set of struts totally making the ride awesome and feeling like a new car. I have hit 2 deer and 1 deer has ran into the side of the car. The deer collisions I was able to almost stop before hitting them. The shroud that runs under the car for the A/C cooling is now gone because of that. The result is that the A/C does not work super great unless the car is moving in a forward motion. Just sitting in the hot sun at idle with the cooling fan running though the A/C will blow out the vents at about 47 deg. F. It goes down to 40 deg. while rolling down the road. To me this is satisfactory as I dont sit idle for long. Also during the deer collisions the A/C condenser was bent so it almost touches the radiator, it did not leak so Im not messing with it. I installed an hour meter into the vehicle and change my oil every 125 hours. This usually works out to about 3200-4700 miles. It started to use a quart of oil about every oil change when the car had about 165k on it. I then switched from Castrol conventional oil to Castrol High Mileage. Now it uses about a 1/4 quart every oil change. I have noticed that it uses more oil in town than if I cruise down the highway. Also most of the miles I have put on the car are highway miles. I flushed/replaced coolant, replaced the outer tie rod ends not because of wear but because the rubber seal started to crack at 182k. I have had to put on a new catalytic converter at about 88k, replaced the muffler and rear pipe section at 182k. Replace manual trans fluid at 100k and at 182k. Have replace the fuel filter 2 times (should have done this more often). It has 30k on the newest filter so will change it soon. I replace the air filter about every 15k depending on the roads I drive on. Everyone I know says to give them my old air filter because I change them so often. I dont mind, I believe that a good supply of air is the key to the 37-42 mpg on hwy and 27-30 mpg city. Saturn of SLC said the ECTS had to be replaced when the car was replaced at 88k. I have had to replace it one additional time at 160k. When it is really cold outside the engine will idle high when stopping until sitting for a few seconds. Im not replacing the ECTS again as I think this is a normal Saturn thing at really cold temperatures. Also while at Saturn of SLC, they told me that my fuel pump was bad and would replace it for $800. All that is wrong is the check valve is bad. If the key is turned to run then wait about 5 seconds, the fuel pump will bring the system up to pressure and the car starts great. Only problems I have is if someone else uses my car, they get in and turn the key to start right away and it cranks but does not start because of the lack of fuel. To me this is not an issue as every vehicle I have ever owned I turn the key to run, listen for the fuel pump to stop then start. So to save $800 all one has to do is this. 1 get into vehicle, 2 insert key and turn to run, 3 fasten seat belt, 4 start the vehicle. It will be up to pressure by time the seat belt is put on. Oh, and one more thing, the windshield in this car is awesome. I have had some large size rocks fall off trucks and hit the window directly. The angle is just right that they bounce over the car. Mine is pitted from many miles of highway driving but still satisfactory. The other day 205k, it was really hot in the car. I went to shift into reverse, the plastic shifter bushing broke. I was told this usually breaks around 70k so I carried an extra in the glove box. It is made by Dorman ($4). Also the other day my A/C evaporator drain plugged up 205k, easy fix, take an ink pen and stick it in the drain hole, the system drains fine now. That sums up the history of my Saturn for the 157k that I have owned it.I have also owned a 1991 Saturn SL1 Manual trans had an alternator issue at around 7k and was covered by warranty/recall. The starter went bad at 12k. Changed the oil every 3000 miles then at 64k the ex took it in the divorce. No known other issues. A 2004 ION3 Coupe Auto trans. Had a power module go bad at 65k. Dont remember the resolution. Lost the car to another ex. Moms car, a 1998 Saturn SL1, clutch master cyl went bad at 118k. No other known issues. She gave it to brother and he sold it because money burns hole in his pockets.Moms car, a 2001 Saturn SC2 manual trans - she changes oil when the dash light tells her to. I did replace the trans fluid for her in it. Around 50k starter went bad. Re-manufactured started installed and that one went bad at 88k. Replaced again under starter warranty oreilly auto parts. Replaced and brother has the car. He called and said there is a exhaust leak around exhaust manifold 93k. I have not looked at it but to me this is a minor issue. Note, this car has almost all miles city driving to the bank or store and back which are VERY HARD on the car. I hope that I helped someone out with this review.

I purchased a 2008 Saturn Vue XR on July 7, 2011. On September 2, 2011, smoke started coming through the vents with a strong smell like something was burning. It went away and didnt return for the rest of the day. Well, I didnt drive it for the rest of the day actually. On September 3rd and 4th, it did the same thing while I was driving and became worse if I turned the air conditioner on. Not even two months after purchasing this vehicle, and already the vehicles first trip at the shop on September 5, 2011. The mechanic explained that the hose for heating/air was cleared of any blockage. On September 9, 2011, I had to return it to the shop for the same problem. They gave me an oil change and checked the hose. There was no vapor/mist coming out of the vents for 2 days. The third trip to the shop was on September 16, 2011 for the same issues; strong coolant smell, vapor or mist coming out of the vents, and oily film on the windshield. On September 9th, I called and filed a complaint with Saturn customer service. I was told to take it to a GM certified dealer and have them diagnose the problem. My appointment was on September 23, 2011 at Mike Anderson in Merrillville, Indiana. On September 21, 2011, I attempted to start the vehicle and it wouldnt start. I had to use my husbands vehicle to take my child to school. In the meantime, my husband used a battery conditioner to recondition the battery and jumper cables to start the vehicle. I went to Mike Anderson Chevrolet on September 23, 2011. Joshua ** took care of me in the service department. They kept the vehicle overnight. On September 24, 2011, I was quoted $1,600.00 for Heater Core Replacement due to a fracture in the core causing an antifreeze leakage. Also, the battery needed to be replaced because it was dead again when Joshua tried to bring me the vehicle. Joshua used jumper cables and revived the vehicle.

There was a funny smell in the car then the battery light went on. I called my mechanic and he told me to shut all heaters, radio and lights off in the car. I was about 25 km away from him. Fortunately, I made it to the mechanic without having to call a tow truck.

Odometer advancing miles - The odometer has been advancing mileage by the hundreds.

I recently was involved in a vehicular accident with my 2006 Saturn Ion3. Although I was traveling at approximately 40 mph when I crashed into another vehicle, the airbag didnt deploy. By the airbag not deploying, On Star wasnt notified of the crash. Since OnStar is their premiere system, it might be good if the very thing that will get help, actually works. My car was totaled, and they dont make Saturns anymore, but maybe somebody might want to check out the airbag on these vehicles to make sure they actually work. Mine didnt.

I have a 2003 Saturn Vue, which I purchased used in 2009. The transmission went out in 09 and I had to replace it. GM would only do 50/50 so I had to come up with over $2000 myself. I am now having problems with it again. It needs another replacement and I was told that the warranty on the first transmission was for 12,000 miles or one year so GM will not help with replacement. The only thing GM will do is give a small credit towards a new GM vehicle.

My daughter has a Saturn ion redline that was part of the recall. Her car started to have problems starting, so she took it to a repair shop and they ran diagnostics and found nothing wrong with the car. It happened again, so she took it elsewhere and they suggested she change the battery - so she did. The very next day she had difficulty starting the car on two occasions and on the third attempt later that night it would not start at all. Since the recall had been for the car suddenly shutting down - not starting, we didnt think about the recall until after that. She had hit a hidden bump in the road before it stopped completely. She called the former Saturn dealer and told them what happened and they said it was the recall (we had read up on the forums and knew it was by then) and to have it towed to them - which we did. They gave her a Buick to drive. Today they called and said they had replaced the part and it still wouldnt start so it had to be the cars engine. They want to run diagnostics (which we had already done). Understandably, we dont trust them. Has anyone else had this experience?

My 2009 Saturn Vue had been progressively difficult to steer and also made a grinding sound when turning to the right. This went on for several months. It was taken to the dealership for this, but no repairs were made b/c the tech did not see/hear the issue. A few months later, the Vue lost control and went into a skid. Diagnostics at the dealer showed that there was a steering gear leaking fluid and that the steering pump needed replacement. Also, the steering sensor was not programmed correctly. This sounds very much like the recall on 2008-2009 Saturn Vues, however mine is not in that batch. Please, if anyone else is experiencing this sort of issue with your 2009 Vue, please file a complaint on www.safercar.gov. Something needs to be done about this defect! Your voice/experience will make a difference in the safety of other drivers.

Our Saturn Vue 2006 needs a secondary axle bearing, GM part No. 24460143. Should be simple, right? No! After searching locally and online we called GMs Detroit Headquarters in July, only to be told that they have stopped making this bearing. Their policy is supposedly to continue producing parts at least till the vehicle is 10 years old. The young man we spoke with in July promised to open a case to check into this and get back to us shortly. We waited for 2 MONTHS, with no response. Finally we called back and after about 6 hours of phone calls we were but through to Marie at GM Corporate Headquarters. Explained the problem all over again, waited another week while she looked into the situation, only to be told, sorry about your luck, we dont make that bearing anymore, and that since the problem had been diagnosed by someone other than a GM dealership, they had no responsibility to produce the part. Deduction: General Motors does not stand behind its products, will only consider General Motors Dealership mechanics as qualified to diagnose problems on their vehicles!!!

Saturn Ion is a compact car with less miles than the others and it was cheaper than the other models I was looking at and its good on gas and the air conditioner works great for the money I paid for it. It has new tires and a big trunk which will help me a lot when buying for the grandkids. Good car for $600. It looks good and it drives like a new car and I like the color of the car. But needs an oil pump and windshield wipers. The cluster is in the middle of the dash which is strange and hard to get used to. Dislike the shape of the car, the driver side window will not let down and the car can only be unlocked from the passenger side.

My 2008 Saturn Aura trans just went out today. The check engine light came on this morning, and during my drive to have it looked at, the car just started to speed up and back down so I pulled over. I called AAA and they could not even get the car to go into reverse. I called GM; I was told to take it into a GM dealership and now Im wondering if I am going to be out of a lot of money after reading the known issues. GM states my warranty ended 4 months ago, but I never received anything in the mail.

I bought a new Saturn Ion l series and after 4 years, the key begins to stick in the ignition whenever I turn off the car. Regardless what I do it just did not release the key. Sometimes it releases it and then I would hope it doesnt happen but it did. After experiencing this more times than I can count, I drove to the dealer only to be told it would cost me 800+ dollars to get it fixed. I used my car to get to and from work and couldnt walk away. Thank God I had a credit card!!!! They fixed the problem and now years after, I have the same problem occurring again.I agree with many of the owners that GM should have a recall on these Saturns. I do not have any money to pay GM another 400 dollars for repairs that will fail again! In order to prevent the battery from running out, I disconnect the battery when I am at home or when go out. What a job! Anyone can take my car as the key is always sticking out there in the ignition.

I have a Saturn Ion 2 that keeps cutting off when slowing down, going down a hill or just drinking and having to slow down while in traffic. My car was on recall. Went and got that fixed. Now my car try to crank on its own while turning my key to crank the car...what am I to do?

My 2007 Outlook has 70,000 miles on it. I am four months past the initial warranty and my transmission suddenly died. I called our dealer where we purchased it from and was told I was past my warranty so too bad. After reading all the transmission problems online by other Saturn owners, I cant believe that a recall was not taken for the transmissions. Let the consumers worry about it GM, what a joke! You are putting peoples lives at risk and yet you dont want to take ownership of your problem. So now I am supposed to come up with several thousand dollars for a used transmission because GM will not do the right thing. This will be the last GM car Ill ever purchase. Shame on GM!