7th Jul 2008, 09:18

I had the exact same A/C leaking prob on front passenger floor of my 2003 Ion. My Saturn dealer said a spider had built a web in the ac drain, plugging it and causing it to leak onto the floor. They charged me about 100 bucks and I haven't had it happen again over the last year. Thought the spider story was creative anyway. Otherwise I had the ignition switch problem and the door lock clip problem but otherwise its been good. Good luck.

17th Jul 2008, 23:15

I bought an '05 Ion Quad Coupe with 45,000 miles on it. I got it really cheap because it was a rebuilder.

I had problems the second day of ownership because it kept dying. And it wouldn't turn over or anything like that. I ran a scan & got 3 codes. Then I got on the Internet & did a lot of research. There have been many owners reporting problems very similar to mine, with the same trouble codes. You would think it was because of what was causing theirs huh? Nope! It turns out it was the throttle body. The throttle servo cover had been beaten up in the wreck. I replaced it & it's been fine ever since. Another thing it could've been was leaking around the air intake tube from the air box to the throttle body. Just for anyone that might have the same issues. I thought it might help.

Don't buy into all of what you read on the Internet about these cars. The problems or the fixes for those problems. I had a Saturn "master tech" on a forum tell me that it was the ECM. He showed me a service bulletin & everything. It wasn't. I think they send out these service bulletins to not only try to make more money, but also make it easier for their mechanics, instead of that mechanic actually having to figure things out for himself.

I have since only had one other issue with the car. That's the front wheel bearing assembly. It's a good thing I can fix it as well. Overall I think it's a decent car for what I paid for it. I was replacing a very tired & old Acura. Now I don't think there is any comparison here. Acura is by far a superior car; there is no doubt about it. But there is a huge price difference too. When I bought this car I was looking at a Mazda 3. I just couldn't get the money for it at the time. So I got this car cheaply. When new, the prices of the 2 cars were very close. I would buy the Mazda. But for the cheap price I paid, I'm very pleased. It seems to be a sound car with good power & good gas mileage. But it is a cheap made car none the less.

If you own one of these cars & have any ability to fix small things yourself, join saturnfans.com. There are a lot of Saturn owners on there & they are a BIG help. Most of the common problems with these cars can be fixed much cheaper than what the dealers want you to believe.

18th Aug 2008, 17:22

I also have had the A/C water leaking problem since 9/2007. My Saturn dealership service department has replaced the entire A/C system after six trips to the service station to have the leaking problem solved. They never could tell me exactly what the problem was caused by... they were stumped on this one they said. Everything seems to be working for now. I sure hope it's fixed for good, because it's such a hassle running my car to be fixed every month or so.

8th Sep 2008, 18:01

I just bought a Saturn Ion 3. My sister swears by their cars. The fifth day I had it the steering wheel rubs and makes clicking noises in it. Other than that, I have had no other problems.

13th Sep 2008, 21:33

In general the ION's are reliable - Have experience with several '03:s, '04:s and '05 models.

However, like any other vehicle problems exists.

Most troublesome from safety point of view the 'shut-off, loss of power' while driving ('05 model) - that took several visits to the dealer, was eventually resolved - vehicle had to remain at the shop for extended time though.

It was 'cleared up' prior to warranty expired.

Most irritating problem have been the constant soaking of the front passenger area, standing water at some times. Repaired under warranty but re-occured a second time just out of warranty, then this problem have been constant over the last twelve months. Dashboard, interior etc has to come out to do the repair - timeconsuming etc. At the moment it looks like the leakage is solved, however the fan motor keeps on failing, more often than not - no A/C.

Across the board problem - the ignition - the lock cylinder.

Key get stuck, you cannot shut off engine etc. Costly repair if done at the dealership... Should have been taken care of by Saturn when the problem first surfaced. Simple fix, get a new key (!) of harder material - but get it early in the life of the vehicle - don't wait for the problem to happen as you will regret having to deal with then extensive repair. And, keep your fingers crossed that Saturn will have the parts! Our experience - last repair, 10 days wait!

If you stay with Saturn, consider the Astra... a better quality vehicle. OK, more money - but you get what you pay for.

14th Sep 2008, 17:59

I bought a 2004 Saturn Ion brand new. I loved the way the car looked, and fell in love with its sleek modern lines.

Right after I bought it, I had problem after problem. The front end rattles and clunks. I had the front end suspension repaired 4 times, and still the problem continues.

Both of my turn signals stopped working, the front headlights got this creamy white colour and looked really bad.

The transmission would skip and rev really high, and when it would rain the car wouldn't start, I would have to wait 5 minutes then try again.

After my lease was up, I bought a 2007 Ion with the dealerships assurance that all of the problems were worked out. I've only had this car for a year, and to my surprise, the same clunking/rattling came back in this car. I've already had the problem fixed twice and I am currently waiting for the clunking to come back, because I know it will.

I asked the dealership to fix the problem permanently, only for them to tell me that there is no permanent fix and that maybe I might want to think about getting it fixed right before my warranty is over.

I have had it with Saturn and their piece of crap cars. I will never buy another GM again. If the big 3 want us to buy domestic, they should make cars that last more than one year!!! Next time I'm buying a Honda.