2006 Saturn Ion Powertrain & Transmission Problems

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that upon switching gears to reverse, the vehicle made an abnormal grinding sound. The contact stated that she was unable to shift gears and continued to drive the vehicle in third gear. There were no warning lights illuminated. The independent mechanic diagnosed that the clutch was fractured and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact to take the vehicle to their location in two weeks for diagnosis. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 195,000.

2006 SATURN ION. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO DEFECTIVE SHIFTER SWITCH SAFETY RECALL. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT TO TO TURN OFF. THE CONSUMER HAD TO JIGGLE THE KEY TO GET THE VEHICLE TO POWER OFF. THIS OCCURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. REPAIR ATTEMPTS HAVE BEEN MADE BUT, THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND REIMBURSED THE CONSUMER FOR THE REPAIR.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GEAR SHIFTER WAS ACCIDENTALLY STRUCK AND THE VEHICLE REVERSED INDEPENDENTLY WITHOUT A KEY IN THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000.

MANUAL TRANSMISSION VEHICLE. WAS ACCELERATING ONTO THE HIGHWAY AND MERGING INTO FAST MOVING TRAFFIC (APPROXIMATELY 60-70 MPH TRAFFIC). I SHIFTED INTO 5TH GEAR AND THEN DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO GAIN ENOUGH SPEED TO SAFELY MERGE LEFTWARD. WHEN I LIFTED MY FOOT AWAY FROM THE PEDAL IT STAYED FULLY DEPRESSED (FULLY ACCELERATING). I HIT THE BRAKES MODERATELY, AND IT WAS STILL ACCELERATING, THEN I HIT THE BRAKES HARDER TO DECREASE MY SPEED (FROM 70+ DOWN TO 60) AS I SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL. I KICKED DOWN HARD ON THE ACCELERATOR AND IT RELEASED BACK TO THE DEFAULT POSITION. *TR

THE GEAR SHIFT BUTTON THAT MUST BE DEPRESSED IN ORDER TO PUT THE CAR INTO ANY GEAR HAS COME OFF. THE BUTTON CAN BE REPLACED, BUT MUST BE PROPERLY LINED UP AND CAN IMMEDIATELY FALL OFF AGAIN. THIS COULD CAUSE A REAL SAFETY ISSUE IF IT OCCURRED IN TRAFFIC. *TR

THIS CAR HAS A MANUAL TRANSMISSION. I TRIED TO PUT IT IN GEAR TO BACK OUT OF THE DRIVE WAY AND IT WOULDN'T BUDGE. SO I LET IT ROLL BACKWARDS IN NEUTRAL TO THE STREET. I PUMPED THE CLUTCH TO SEE IF THAT WOULD WORK. IT WOULDN'T GO INTO FIRST GEAR WHEN I WOULD TRY TO GET IT IN GEAR IT WOULD SLOWLY MOVE FORWARD EVEN THOUGH IT WASN'T IN GEAR. I CHECKED THE FLUID LEVELS AND THEY WERE FINE. I TURNED OFF THE CAR AND TRIED TO PUT IT IN FIRST IT WENT INTO FIRST GEAR JUST FINE AND WHEN I TURNED THE IGNITION ON, IT LUNGED ME FORWARD. I DROVE ABOUT 25 FEET WHILE TRYING TO CHANGE INTO SECOND GEAR, IT WOULDN'T BUDGE. SO I HAD TO TURN OFF THE CAR AGAIN SO IT WOULD GO INTO FIRST GEAR THEN I STARTED IT UP AND IT LUNGED ME FORWARD AGAIN. I NEEDED TO TURN AROUND TO GET BACK TO THE HOUSE BECAUSE SOMETHING WAS CLEARLY WRONG. I TRIED ONCE AGAIN TO PUT IT IN SECOND, SAME PROBLEM I HAD TO TURN IT OFF THEN THROW IT IN FIRST AND START IT UP REAL QUICK. I FINALLY GOT IT IN SECOND GEAR AND DROVE IT HOME. I STAYED IDLING IN SECOND GEAR IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE FOR ABOUT 5-7 MIN. THEN I TRIED TO GO AND IT WORKED, IT WENT INTO GEAR WITH EASE, AND CHANGED INTO ALL THE OTHER GEARS WITH EASE AS I DOVE THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD JUST LIKE IT WAS A BRAND NEW CAR AGAIN & ALL DAY LIKE NOTHING HAD EVER HAPPENED. NOW EVERY MORNING SINCE THE SAME THING HAS HAPPENED SO I TAKE THE SAME STEPS, I PUMP THE CLUTCH AND LET IT SIT ABOUT 5 MIN. AND END UP APPLYING PRESSURE TO GET IT INTO GEAR AND IT WILL WORK ALL DAY UNTIL THIS MORNING. IT WILL STILL GO INTO GEAR WHEN ITS OFF AND STARTS THE SAME WAY AS I EXPLAINED BUT NOW AFTER WAITING THE 5-7 MIN BEFORE I TAKE OFF IT STILL WONT GO INTO GEAR OR "FIX ITSELF" LIKE IT DID BEFORE. HAVE MANY PEOPLE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS? I'VE BEEN THE ONLY OWNER OF THIS CAR AND REPORTED IT TO MY LOCAL DEALER, IT WILL COST $115.00 JUST FOR THEM TO DIAGNOSE IT AND IM ON A LIMITED INCOME. *TR

I HAD MY VEHICLE REPAIRED UNDER THE IGNITION RECALL AND EVER SINCE THAT MY KEY GETS STUCK IN THE IGNITION HALF WAY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH, THE KEY WAS STUCK. THE CONTACT RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND SHIFTED INTO DRIVE THEN BACK TO PARK WHERE THE KEY COULD BE REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON SEVEN OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 96,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SATURN ION. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

THE CAR WILL OCCASIONALLY START RIGHT UP OR IT SOMETIMES TAKE ANYWHERE FROM 2 MINUTES TO 10 MINUTES TO GET STARTED. HAVE HAD THE ALTERNATOR LOOKED AT AND THAT IS FINE. CARS LIGHTS AND EVERYTHING TURNS ON AND TESTED THE BATTERY THAT IS FINE. CAR SIMPLY WON'T GO INTO THE RUN POSITION. MAYBE THE NEW FIX WILL CHANGE THIS WITH THE RECALL BUT JUST ANOTHER PROBLEM THAT I HAVE SEEN DOCUMENTED ONLINE AND HAVE EXPERIENCED CONSTANTLY. *JS

2006 SATURN ION MANUAL TRANS. KEY GOT STUCK IN THE IGNITION IN THE ON POSITION. TO TURN CAR OFF, NEED TO STALL ENGINE (POP CLUTCH), THEN DISCONNECT BATTERY SINCE ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS REMAIN ON. REPAIR WAS IGNITION LOCK REPLACEMENT BY DEALER (APPROX $400). BASED ON COMMENTS AT NHTSA AND OTHER SITES, THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM FOR THIS VEHICLE TYPE. *TR

VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE SHUT OFF, KEY WAS STUCK IN THE IGNITION, I UNHOOKED THE BATTERY AND THE VEHICLE WAS STILL RUNNING. THIS SAME VEHICLE HAD A RECALL ON THE FUEL PUMP MODULE AND WAS LEAKING GAS, HAD THIS OCCURRED AT THE SAME TIME IT WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY UNSAFE FOR THE CAR TO HAVE BEEN RUNNING THE ENTIRE TIME WITH A GAS LEAK. FORTUNATELY I HAD JUST REPAIRED THE FUEL PUMP MODULE 1 WEEK PRIOR TO THIS ISSUE WITH THE IGNITION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SATURN ION LEVEL 2. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT PROPERLY BETWEEN GEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE SINCE IT OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY HOWEVER, HE BELIEVED THAT THE CLUTCH MASTER WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT DID NOT INFORM THE DEALER OR THE MANUFACTURER OF THE FAILURE NOR WAS THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 49,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

I OWN A 2006 SATURN ION 3. MY PROBLEMS BEGAN IN 2006, ALTHOUGH I DIDN'T REALIZE IT AT THE TIME. WHEN I FIRST GOT THE CAR, WHILE DRIVING TO WORK, I STOPPED AT A SERVICE STATION. WHEN I RETURNED TO START THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AND I COULDN'T PULL THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION. MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS THAT IT WAS SOMETHING I HAD DONE WRONG. FAST FORWARD TO 2008,NOW THE CAR JUST SHUTS OFF. THE LIGHT INDICATING POWER STEERING STARTED COMING ON AND THEN THE VEHICLE WOULD SHUT DOWN WHENEVER I WOULD COME TO A STOP OR SIMPLY TURNING A CORNER. THE POWER STEERING LIGHT NO LONGER COME ON BUT THE VEHICLE STILL CONTINUE TO STOP. AS I BACK OUT OF A PARKING SPACE THE VEHICLE WILL SHUT OFF AND HAS TO BE TURNED BACK ON AT LEAST 3 TO 4 TIMES BEFORE LEAVING THE PARKING SPACE. WHEN I FINALLY GET IT STARTED AND WHILE DRIVING THROUGH THE PARKING SPACE OR DOWN THE ROAD IT SHUTS OFF AGAIN. IT SHUT OFF WHEN EVER I HAVE TO SLOW DOWN BEHIND ANOTHER VEHICLE AND I AM TERRIFIED THAT I AM GOING TO BE STRUCK AND KILLED. I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL AUTO DEALER WHO TESTED IT AND SAID IT WAS POSSIBLE THE POWER STEERING MODULE OR SOME OTHER PART DEALING WITH THE STEERING WHEEL. I WAS TOLD TO TAKE TO ANOTHER AUTOCARE CENTER TO HAVE IT A DIAGNOSTIC TEST DONE WHICH THEY QUOTED ME $100.00 JUST TO CHECK IT. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM AT THIS TIME BECAUSE I'M EVEN MORE AFRAID OF THE REPAIR BILL, BUT FROM READING ALL THESE OTHER COMPLAINTS THAT ARE LIKE MY STORY, I AM SURE THERE IS A DEFECT WITH THIS VEHICLE AND I WANT TO KNOW WHY HAVEN'T THERE BEEN A RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE. MY VEHICLE ONLY HAS ABOUT 87,000 MILES AND ONLY HAD 18MILES WHEN THIS PROBLEM BEGAN. *TR

THE POWER STEERING KEEPS GOING OUT IN THE CAR. WHEN THIS HAPPENS IT BECOMES VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. IT FIRST STARTED ONCE EVERY COUPLE OF DAYS. NOW IT HAPPENS EVERY TIME I TURN IT ON AND DRIVE MORE THEN 100 YARDS. L HAVE CONTACT THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY HAVE TOLD ME THAT THERE IS NO RECALL FOR IT. BUT I HAVE LOOKED ONLINE AND NUMEROUS PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS ISSUE. THE CAR IS A LEASE AND THEY SAID I AM OVER MY WARRANTY EVEN THOUGH I ONLY HAVE 36,000 MILES IN 5 YEARS. *TR

DING ON DASHBOARD AND POWER STEERING GOES OUT. WHEN FIRST OCCURRED, I COULD DRIVE ABOUT 20-30 MINUTES BEFORE IT HAPPENED AGAIN. NOW IT HAPPENS AS SOON AS I GET INTO CAR. *TR

I HAVE A 2006 SATURN ION WITH 35,000 MILES, BOUGHT NEW IN OCTOBER 2005 AND ONLY SERVICED AT SATURN. IT SLIPS WHEN PUT INTO REVERSE. THE DEALER COULD REPLICATE THE PROBLEM MANUALLY BUT COULD NOT GET A TROUBLE CODE. ALTHOUGH A SERVICE BULLETIN WAS ISSUED, THE DEALER WILL DO NOTHING UNTIL AND UNLESS IT WILL GENERATE A CODE, AND SAYS THEY WILL NOT REPAIR IT UNDER WARRANTY. I CALLED SATURN CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY TOLD ME THE SAME THING. THEY ALSO WILL NOT SELL ME A GM EXTENDED WARRANTY BECAUSE IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY ON LENGTH OF TIME. I AM TOLD TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE IT UNTIL IT GETS BAD ENOUGH THAT IT WILL PRODUCE A TROUBLE CODE. BY THAT TIME IT WILL UNDOUBTEDLY NO LONGER BE CLOSE TO THE WARRANTY MILEAGE AND IT WILL PROBABLY COST AS MUCH AS THE CAR IS WORTH TO REPAIR IT. SINCE IT HAS LESS THAN 36,000 MILES, I WANT IT REPAIRED NOW AT NO COST. *TR

VEHICLE INITIALLY HAD TROUBLE STARTING, MADE STRANGE SOUNDS,CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON,WOULD NOT GO OVER 25-30MPH., FOLLOWED TOWTRUCK TO SATURN DEALER, WAS TOLD THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE & MODEL, THERE WERE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS KNOWN AND THAT GM WAS AWARE OF IT BUT HAD NOT RECALLED. TURNED OUT THAT IT WAS THE IGNITION MODULE, SWITCH,COIL, HARNESS ETC., JUST UNDER $800 TO REPAIR. IT'S STILL SITTING IN THE GARAGE. THING IS...I PURCHASED THIS CAR ALMOST NEW B/C I HAD AN OLDER CAR & WANTED A NEW CAR IN CASE THE OTHER QUIT! WOW. WHO NEW? POWER STEERING ALSO GROANS AND ITS FULL OF FLUID. BECAUSE OF THIS,(IGNITION), THE KEY HAD TO BE MANUALLY PULLED OUT, TO GET THE ENGINE TO STOP RUNNING,ALL THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM REMAINED ON, HAD TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY, WAS TOLD DO NOT KNOW WHAT ELSE MAY HAVE BEEN DAMAGED AS A RESULT, THE DEALER SAID THE TRANSMISSION MAY HAVE BEEN DAMAGED AS A RESULT. YET THEY DON'T WANT TO RECALL BECAUSE OF THE RE-ORGANIZATION? WHAT ABOUT MY SAFETY? GOD KNOWS WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED IF I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THIS HAPPENED! *TR

CV DRIVESHAFTS FAIL ON THE HIGH PERFORMANCE REDLINE MODEL MADE BY SATURN AND IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER GM WARRENTY. *TR

A WEEK AGO, I SUBMITTED A COMPLAINT ABOUT LOSING REVERSE IN MY TRANSMISSION. I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT THE DEALER REPLACED MY TRANSMISSION FREE OF CHARGE OR LABOR COSTS. I APPLAUD JAY WOLFE SATURN OF TIFFANY SPRINGS, MISSOURI. FOR TAKING THIS CORRECTIVE ACTION. *TR