There are 17 owner-reported speed control & cruise complaints for the 2004 Saturn Ionin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
THE CAR ONCE AGAIN ACCELERATED AT A STOP SIGN AND I HAD TO AIM FOR A SNOE ENBANKMENT TO NOT GO INTO TRAFFIC. IF NOT FOR THE SNOW I COULD HAVE WENT ON TO THE SIDEWALK ANS POSSIBLY HIT SOMEONE.
THE CAR STARTED TO ACCELERATE INTO CROSSING TRAFFIC WITH MY FEET FIRMLY ON THE BREAKS. IT HAPPENED THREE TIMES.
ON 3/16/2015 I WAS MERGING ON THE FREEWAY IN MY 2004 SATURN ION AND I HAD TO BRAKE SUDDENLY DUE TO ANOTHER DRIVER CUTTING ME OFF, ALL OF A SUDDEN MY SATURN BEGAN TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN AND REACHED HIGH RPMS BETWEEN 4K AND 5K AND CAR LAUNCHED AT A HIGH SPEED. I ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE YET MY SATURN STILL CONTINUED TO MOVE FORWARD I REACTED FAST AND STEERED TOWARD THE EMERGENCY LANE PULLED MY E BRAKE UP AND THREW MY CAR IN NEUTRAL AND SHUT MY CAR OFF YET WHEN IGNITION WAS ALL THE WAY TURNED OFF MY CAR WAS STILL ON FOR A PERIOD OF ABOUT 4 SECONDS. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THIS MAY OCCUR AGAIN. THIS CAN RESULT IN A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT OR EVEN A FATAL CONCLUSION. I FIND MYSELF VERY NERVOUS AND UNCOMFORTABLE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE (SATURN ION) BUT UNFORTUNATELY IT IS MY ONLY WAY TO GET TO WORK. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SATURN ION. WHILE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE ENGINE REVVED WITHOUT WARNING AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN CLEANED THROTTLE BODY AND REPLACED THE SENSOR, BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
MY FIANCE AND I WERE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD ABOUT 40 45 MPH AND THE LIGHT UP AHEAD CHANGED YELLOW TO RED JUST BEFORE I COULD COME TO A COMPLETE STOP, MY CAR ACCELERATED I HELD BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE AND THE CAR KEPT WANTING TO INCH FORWARD ITSEEMED AS IF I HELD THE GAS PEDAL DOWN TO THE FLOOR I GOT WITHIN 2 OR 3 FEET FROM THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME OUT OF INSTINCT I QUICKLY PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND SHUT IT OFF HAD I NOT I WOULD HAVE REAR ENDED THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME I THEN WAITED A MINUTE OR TWO TOPS PUT IT IN PARK AND STARTED IT, IT ACTED NORMAL I THOUGHT MAYBE THERE WAS AND OBJECT OR SOMETHING THAT MAY HAVE SLIPPED BY MY FEET WHILE DRIVING OR MY FLOOR MAT MOVED THERE WAS NOTHING THERE .THERE HAS BEEN OTHER TIMES LIKE RIGHT AFTER STARTING IT UP IT REVS TO THE HIGHEST RPM POSSIBLE AS IF ITS GOING TO BLOW UP I HURRY AND SHUT IT OFF WAIT A FEW MINUTES AND TRY AGAIN, AND ANOTHER TIME I DROVE ABOUT 2 MILES GOING DOWN THE ROAD AT 45 MPH AS IF I HAD CRUISE CONTROL ON WHEN MY CAR DOESN'T HAVE THAT FEATURE WHICH IS REALLY SCARY I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO PLEASE HELP THANK YOU *TR
TURNED VEHICLE ON AFTER SITTING FOR ABOUT 8 HOURS IN PARKING LOT, THE CAR REVVED UP TO ABOUT 4,000RPM WHICH IS UNUSUALLY HIGH. I WAITED FOR THE CAR TO CALM DOWN AND WHEN IT DID, I PUT THE CAR INTO GEAR TO DRIVE. MY CAR LUNGED FORWARD AND WITHOUT PUSHING THE GAS PEDAL, MY CAR ACCELERATED AND EVENTUALLY MADE IT TO 40MPG THROUGH THE PARKING LOT BEFORE I HAD TO HIT MY BRAKE TO AVOID A COLLISION. THIS AS OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY OVER THE PAST YEAR; APPROXIMATELY 3 OR 4 TIMES A MONTH. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC STOP, THE VEHICLE ERRONEOUSLY ACCELERATED AS THE CONTACT HAD THE BRAKES APPLIED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 108,000.
WHEN ENTERING A HIGHWAY AND GATHERING SPEED, I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE GAS PEDAL AND THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. I APPLIED THE BRAKES BUT THE CAR REACHED 85MPH. I HIT THE GAS PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DECELERATE. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE. I RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND DROVE HOME (10 MILES) WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. *TR
WHILST DRIVING, MY CAR WOULD ACCELERATE ON IT'S OWN GOING ALMOST 45-50MPH. PRESSING THE BRAKES WOULD BARELY DO ANYTHING. IT WON'T START WHEN IT THINKS IT'S TOO COLD OUTSIDE, I'VE HAD THE BATTERY TESTED MULTIPLE TIMES AND IT IS FINE. ALSO, WHEN TRYING TO STOP THE CAR AND TAKE THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION IT RESISTS A LOT. HAPPENS MULTIPLE TIMES A WEEK. *TT
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE THROTTLE SUDDENLY JAMMED AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN REVVING UNCONTROLLABLY. THE CONTACT HAD TO PLACE THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL AND COASTED TO THE SIDE. AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, HE WENT UNDER HIS HOOD AND PLACED THE THROTTLE BACK IN ITS PROPER PLACE. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO HIS HOME. IT HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY A DEALER NOR HAD IT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 129,000.
WHILE SLOWING AND PREPARING TO STOP FOR A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE, RPM'S INCREASED EVEN THOUGH FOOT WAS OFF THE ACCELERATOR. VEHICLE WAS DIFFICULT TO STOP AND REQUIRED MORE THAN NORMAL FOOT PRESSURE ON BRAKE PEDAL. ONCE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED, ENGINE CONTINUED TO RACE. PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED BY TURNING OFF THE KEY. PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED THREE TIMES RANDOMLY OVER THE PAST YEAR. ON ALL OCCURRENCES, THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT IN USE. *TR
2004 SATURN ION 1 THE CAR REVS IT'S ENGINE TO OVER 3000 RPMS WHEN YOU PUT THE CAR INTO PARK AND IDLE. IF YOU SHUT OFF THE CAR IT IS OK, BUT IF YOU PUT IT INTO GEAR THE CAR THE LURCHES FORWARD UNSAFELY. *TR
DT: 2004 SATURN ION. WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 60-65 MPH THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN TO ALMOST NO POWER. THE RPMS WENT TO THE RED AREA, AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO MAKE A STRANGE NOISE. THE CONSUMER COASTED OFF THE ROAD, AFTER A BLOCK OR TWO SHE GOT BACK ON THE FREEWAY. WHEN DRIVING AT FREEWAY SPEEDS THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DO THE SAME THING AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET TO IT UNTIL MONDAY. THIS HAPPENED ON SEPTEMBER 15, 2005. *AK (11/15/05) *SC
COLD CAR START - BACKED FROM GARAGE, WHILE IDLE SEEMED VERY HIGH. DROVE ONE BLOCK AND THROTTLE SEEMED TO STICK. FOOT OFF GAS, CAR STILL TRAVELED AT 30MPH AND WOULD NOT SLOW. RPM AT 2000. STOPPED CAR AND FOUND THAT GAS PEDAL CABLE LINKAGE AT ROTATING CONNECTION TO "THROTTLE BODY" DID NOT FULLY RETURN TO FULL RELEASE POSITION UNTIL MANUALLY MOVED FULL STROKE ABOUT TEN TIMES. - CAR WILL BE TAKEN TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION.
ACCELERATOR GOT STUCK, THE CAR CONTINUED SPEEDING, TRIED TO BRAKE BUT BRAKES WORN OUT, WAS INEFFECTICE, CRASHED 5 CARS BECAUSE THE CAR WONT STOP.*AK
WHILE DRIVING ACCELERATOR PEDAL, WHICH WAS NOT BOLTED DOWN, CAME OFF, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOSE SHOE AND IT WAS WEDGED BETWEEN THE FLOORBOARD AND THE PEDAL. THERE WAS NOTHING THERE TO SECURE THE PEDAL. THERE WERE NO END CAPS TO KEEP THE PEDAL IN PLACE. CONSUMER ASKED FOR ANOTHER VEHICLE EQUAL IN VALUE TO THE ONE THAT WAS PURCHASED. DEALER OFFERED CONSUMER A VEHICLE OF LESSER VALUE BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT LOCATE ONE OF THE SAME VALUE. *AK
WHILE RELEASING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL VEHICLE ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY. DRIVER APPLIED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF VEHICLE, AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION NUMEROUS TIMES. HOWEVER, THE MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THIS INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED BY SUSAN'S MOTHER BRENDA O'BRIEN.*AK
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026