2004 Saturn Ion Engine Problems
- Complaints
- 23about this part
- Share
- 3%of 898 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 107,000miles
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 23 complaints about the engine of the 2004 Saturn Ion, 3% of the 898 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 107,000 miles.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Traveling up a steep hill in a residential area, the power cut out. All dials dropped to zero. Warning light indicators flashed and then turned off. Power steering cut out. I had enough forward momentum too get the car to the side of the street and out of traffic. After turning the key to the full off position I restarted the car and continued to work. I have not had that exact problem repeat itself since.”
NHTSA complaint #10568942, filed 2014-03, 100,000 miles“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.”
NHTSA complaint #10596406, filed 2014-06, 115,000 miles“Was guaranteed that nothing was wrong with it. I originally got a 2007 ford escape by trading in my vehicle and 500 cash. They wanted me to put down an additional 900 down which I ended up not being able to do. So they offered to put me in another vehicle that was cheaper and I would not have to put any more money on. The 2004 Saturn ION I received on 08/23/2016 not only had clutch issues which I said I would fix, but the battery light kept coming on and they assured me that nothing was wrong with the car mechanically. …”
NHTSA complaint #10898150, filed 2016-08, 190,710 miles“While driving home from work my car died in the middle of an intersection. The A/C went off first then everything went off. I put car in park and after several tries the car started again. My ignition also gets stuck in the acc position(even after two ignition recalls) on a regular basis so glad I wasn't fighting that at that problem at the same time. Called GM dealer they said there is no recall but bring it in, they won't provide a loaner car but will give me a ride home because I live within 10 miles.”
NHTSA complaint #10722683, filed 2015-06, 180,000 miles“For the second time the ignition lock cylinder broke. Today we unable to turn off the engine. We had to remove fuses to kill the engine and disconnect the battery. The first time it happened we were stuck in the grocery store parking lot because the key would not turn to start. In both cases we had to break the ignition lock in order to remove the lock cylinder. With the cylinder removed we can use a screw driver to start the car. The screw is much more reliable.”
NHTSA complaint #10472520, filed 2012-08, 155,300 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10242298Aug 10, 2023This Preliminary information communicates information that will need to be provided to TAC to aid in diagnosing if a vehicle comes in with misfire and DTC Codes P0300 - P0308…
- 10211658May 2, 2022This service bulletin provides policy information on warranty administration guidelines for multiple repairs with independent causes (GM Canada Dealers Only).
- 10178387Jul 27, 2020This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about finding needle bearings during an oil change. Technician will gain access to the roller…
- 10176326May 21, 2020This Preliminary information communicates information that will need to be provided to TAC to aid in diagnosing if a vehicle comes in with misfire and DTC Codes P0300 - P0308…
- 10167437Oct 14, 2019This Preliminary information communicates to the technician the need to inspect the induction system for potential icing issues in very cold ambient temperatures. To allow the…
- 10160987May 7, 2019This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician to not remove the torque converter bolts and start the engine as this may cause damage to the…
- 10160983May 6, 2019This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about finding needle bearings during an oil change. Technician will gain access to the roller…
- 10144451Aug 8, 2018This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about engine block of possible cylinder bore damage, scoring or out of round as the possible…
- 10143445Jun 15, 2018This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have a loud tick or rattle noise under the hood at all operating conditions…
- 10129097Jan 25, 2018This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about finding needle bearings during an oil change. Technician will gain access to the roller…
Engine: other model years
Other parts of the 2004 Saturn Ion
345 complaintsElectrical system
331 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
60 complaintsAir bags
52 complaintsFuel system
52 complaintsEngine cooling
33 complaintsVehicle speed control
27 complaintsExterior lighting
25 complaintsOther or unknown
21 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
20 complaintsBrakes
19 complaintsSuspension
19 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2004 Saturn Ion
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology