2004 Saturn Ion Visibility & Wipers Problems

The drivers side windshield wiper linkage failed at the junction of the metal rod and the plastic wiper mount causing the wiper to stop working. And the wiper arms are almost impossible to remove, even with a puller. Obviously this condition is a safety issue, and other GM vehicles have been recalled for the same issue. Why not the 2004 Saturn Ion?

THE WIPER ARM ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE STARTING FLOPPING--IT WAS NO LONGER SEATED FULLY. I THOUGHT IT WAS MISSING SOMETHING SIMPLE, LIKE A PIN. CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD AND DISCOVERED IT WASN'T THAT SIMPLE. I WAS QUOTED P&L FROM THE DEALER @ $364. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS. IN 50 YEARS OF DRIVING, I'VE NEVER SEEN A WIPER ARM POP OUT. ONE DAY IN A DELUGE, THE ARM HYPER-EXTENDED OFF THE WINDSHIELD AND I HAD TO LEAVE THE ROAD BLIND WONDERING IF I WAS GOING TO RUN INTO A DITCH. RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THE REASON THIS HAPPENED IS DUE TO USE OF PLASTIC PARTS BY GM AND THAT PEOPLE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THEIR WIPER ASSEMBLY MORE THAN ONCE. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND PLACES A GRAVE DANGER ON USERS OF THESE AUTOS. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ISSUE!

I WAS DRIVING AND MY SUNROOF FLEW OFF. THE GLASS SHATTERED COMPLETELY. IT WAS WORKING PERFECTLY, UNTIL ONE DAY WHILE DRIVING IT DETACHED.

DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY WHEN DRIVERS SIDE WIPER WENT PAST THE A POST THEN JUMPED BACK TO THE BASE OF THE WINDSHIELD. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FRACTURED WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH IN HEAVY RAIN CONDITIONS. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RELATED RECALLS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS A FAULTY PLASTIC WINDSHIELD WIPER HINGE. THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR WERE REPLACED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 59,000. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. RK

MY CONCERN IS IN RELATION TO THE ONGOING MALFUNCTION OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPER SYSTEM AS A WHOLE. I HAVE NOT A HAD PROPER FUNCTIONING WINDSHIELD WIPER SYSTEM SINCE 2011 WHEN THE PROBLEM BEGAN. FIRST OCCURRENCE WAS WHILE DRIVING APPROX 40MPH ON THE INTERSTATE DURING A MODERATE SNOWFALL WHEN THE DRIVER SIDE WIPER ARM SEEMED TO GO OFF TRACK AND FORCEFULLY OVEREXTEND TO THE LEFT, COMPLETELY OFF OF THE WINDSHIELD. IT STAYED IN THAT POSITION UNTIL I COULD PULL OVER AND PLACE THE WIPER BACK ONTO THE WINDSHIELD. IT'S NOT BEEN RESOLVED AS THE ASSESSMENTS HAVE BEEN CONFLICTING, I.E. LOOSE BOLT/NUT, NEEDS NEW MOTOR, OR REPLACE ENTIRE SYSTEM. I HAD BOTH BLADES TIED TOGETHER SO THEY WOULD STAY ON COURSE BUT THAT HAD ITS OWN EFFECT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WIPER ARM. IT'S BECOME SO BAD THAT I CANNOT DRIVE IN THE RAIN/SNOW DUE TO NO VISIBILITY WITH INEFFECTIVE WIPER. I'VE SEEN OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THIS SAME ISSUE AND JUST WANT TO KNOW HOW TO FIX IT. *TR

MY DRIVER WIPER IS INOPERABLE. THE ENTIRE ARM PIVOTED 180 OPPOSITE OF ITS RESTING POSITION WHILE I WAS DRIVING DOWN A ROAD GOING 50MPH TO CLEAN MY WINDOW. INITIALLY MY PASSENGER SIDE WASN'T WORKING AT NORMAL SPEED. IT SEEMED 'SLUGGISH'. SO I INCREASED THE SPEED OF THE WIPERS UNTIL IT REACHED ITS HIGHEST LEVEL. THIS OCCURRED 1 DAY AFTER ABOUT 8 INCHES OF SNOW FELL INCLUDING ICE. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE I WAS DRIVING DOWN A BUSY HIGHWAY. AFTER I REACHED MY DESTINATION I REMOVED THE BLADE FROM THE ARM SO THE ENTIRE WIPER WOULD NOT INTERFERE WITH TRAFFIC. AN AUTO MECHANIC STATED THE PIECE IS MADE OF PLASTIC. I AM FIGHTING MY EXTENDED WARRANTY COMPANY TO REPLACE THE PIECE AT NO CHARGE. THEY STATED THEY WOULD ONLY COVER THE WIPER MOTOR, BUT NOT THE WIPER TRANSMISSION. READING OTHER REVIEWS, OTHERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. SATURN SHOULD REALLY CONSIDER DOING A RECALL OR FIX FOR FREE. OCCURRED AT 54K MILES ON CAR. JAN 16, 2010. *TR

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A BUSY HIGHWAY DURING A SNOW STORM, MY WIPER ON THE DRIVER SIDE BEGAN ACTING FUNNY. THEN WENT UP PAST MY WINDSHIELD KICKING THE WIPER COMPLETELY OFF ONTO THE HIGHWAY, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO SEE ANYTHING. I FOUND IT IS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE WINDSHIELD MOTOR ASSEMBLY. WHICH I AM NOW TRYING TO GET A NEW ONE. EVERY JUNK YARD I HAVE GONE TO SAYS THE SAME THING...EVERY PART THAT I NEED THEY PULL OUT AND IT IS ALSO BROKEN ON THE SAME MODELS. SATURN HAS TOLD ME THERE IS NO RECALL ON THIS PART. WHY IS THERE NO RECALL IF IT IS BROKEN IN EVERY SATURN!? *TR

KNOB FOR THE DEFROSTER/AIR/HEATING FAILED TO WORK. SWITCH DOESN'T CHANGE IT TO DEFROST/FRONT/FLOOR LIKE ITS SUPPOSE TO. IT JUST COMES OUT FRONT,CAN'T SWITCH. DOESN'T CLEAR WINDSHIELD OF FROST,ICE,FOG,ETC. *TR

DRIVERS SIDE WIPER ARM WON'T MAINTAIN CONTACT WITH WINDSHIELD FLIPS UP IN THE AIR WHOLE ARM ASSEMBLY SEEMS TO BE LOOSE. *TR

WINDSHIELD WIPER TRANSMISSION ASSEMBLY FAILED. DRIVER'S SIDE PIVOT ARM IS MADE OF PLASTIC AND BROKE SUDDENLY! CANNOT USE THE WIPERS AT ALL. DEFINITELY A SAFETY PROBLEM!!!!!! *TR

FOLLOWING SEVERAL WEEKS OF HEAVY SNOWFALL THE WINDSHIELD WIPER TRANSMISSION ON MY 2004 SATURN ION FAILED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON A CLEAR DAY WHILE USING THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS TO CLEAN OFF THE WINDSHIELD. THE FAILURE CAUSED A POTENTIALLY UNSAFE CONDITION DUE TO THE ACCUMULATION OF SALT RESIDUE ON THE WINDSHIELD CAUSED BY DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. DEALER REPLACED THE WINDSHIELD WIPER TRANSMISSION AND SAID THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY "ICE LOADING" AND CAUTIONED ME TO MAKE SURE AND CLEAR AWAY ICE AND SNOW BEFORE ACTIVATING THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS. *TR

WINDSHIELD WIPER FLUID PUMP! I LIVE IN LAS VEGAS, SO YOU WOULD NOT THINK THAT THE PUMP MOTOR WOULD GO OUT AFTER ABOUT A DOZEN TIMES OF USE BUT IT DID!! CALLED UP THE DEALERSHIP SAID TO BRING IT IN. AFTER UPON GETTING THE ITEM LOOKED AT TOLD ME THAT HEAVY USE OF THE ITEM LEADS TO PUMP MAL-FUNCTION. I THEN TOLD THEM WE LIVE IN THE DESERT! NO RAIN OR SNOW, HOW COULD I HEAVILY USE THIS ITEM. SO THEY REPLACED THE PUMP AT A WHOPPING 250.00 DOLLARS. SIX MONTHS LATER... YOU GUESSED IT PUMP OUT AGAIN. THEY THEN GIVE ME THE SAME LINES FROM ABOVE. THEY THEN WANT ME TO REPLACE THE MOTOR AGAIN! I TOLD THEM THAT MAYBE THEY GAVE ME A FAULTY PRODUCT OR THAT IT WAS REMANUFACTURED. THEY TOLD ME NO THAT IT IS A BRAND NEW PART NEVER USED. SO I CANT JUST HAVE NO FLUID ON A LONG ROAD TRIP DURING THE WINTER MONTHS SO I PAID FOR IT AGAIN! THIS SHOULD GO UNDER A RECALL!! THERE IS SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH THIS PART!!!!!!!*JB

NO SPECIFIC ACCIDENT HAS OCCURRED BUT NUMEROUS CLOSE CALLS HAVE OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF WHAT APPARENTLY IS A DESIGN FLAW. THE DRIVER-SIDE OUTSIDE REAR-VIEW MIRROR CANNOT BE ADJUSTED (ELECTRICALLY OR MANUALLY) OVER THE ANGLE RANGES NEEDED FOR SAFE DRIVING AND ALWAYS AVAILABLE ON PREVIOUSLY OWNED VEHICLES. THE MIRROR CAN BE ADJUSTED SO THAT THE DRIVER CAN SEE WELL BACK INTO THE VEHICLE (WHICH IS WORTHLESS) AND ONLY OUTWARDLY TO THE POINT THAT THE LEFT SIDE OF THE CAR IS STILL VISIBLE. ADJUSTMENT TO ALLOW VISIBILITY OTHER THAN STRAIGHT BACK IS NOT POSSIBLE. THE SERVICE PERSON SAID THAT A PHYSICAL STOP INSIDE THE HOUSING PREVENTED ANY MOVEMENT FURTHER OUT AND THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE. ENTERING A FREEWAY THIS WAY IS VERY HAZARDOUS SINCE THE ON-COMING TRAFFIC IN THE NEAR LANE CANNOT BE SEEN. IN AN ATTEMPT TO SHOW THE SERVICE PERSON HOW IT SHOULD WORK WE WENT TO ANOTHER MODEL OF SATURN AND THE RESULTS WERE EXACTLY THE SAME INDICATING THAT (AT LEAST) MORE THAN ONE MODEL OF SATURN HAS THIS SAME VISIBILITY PROBLEM. *NM