2005 Saturn Ion Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe the electric power steering cutting out, usually returning after a restart and then dropping out again, along with ignition keys that stick, bind, or leave the car running. Fewer complaints cover intermittent no-start conditions that are worse in cold weather, the engine stalling or losing power while driving, and airbag warning lights or airbags that did not deploy in a collision. Reported mileages run from under 20,000 to past 170,000, so most of these show up as the cars age rather than in the first few thousand miles.

1. 1
   Steering

   Power steering assist cuts out while driving

   • 252 complaints (44%)
   • median 68,000 mi at 5.8 yrs old (226 state mileage)
   • 8 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,000 (median of 30 quotes)
   • filed 2005–2025

   Owners describe a chime and a power steering message on the dash followed by the wheel suddenly becoming very hard to turn, sometimes at highway speed. Many say the assist comes back after switching the engine off and restarting, then drops out again minutes later, and in some cars it stops working altogether as the failures become more frequent. Complaints mention dealers replacing the power steering motor, the control module, or the entire steering column, and some owners say they were told the car was covered by a recall or an extended coverage period that had already run out. Reported from under 20,000 to over 160,000 miles, with many between roughly 30,000 and 90,000 miles, and often recurring within minutes of each restart.

   Recall 14V153000

   What to check: On a cold start, confirm the steering assist is working and watch the dash for a power steering message during the test drive. Ask whether the electric power steering recall was performed and whether the motor, module, or column has already been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Lost of power steering started some time in 2009,I have no record of the date,but in one of the incidents 06/10/2011 I took a picture of the dashboard showing the date and message on the speedometer. I restarted the engine every time this happen to get it back to power steering .then I had a situation when I lost speed as I was traveling on a city avenue. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10428733, filed 2011-10, 32,223 miles

   “A warning light and message stating power steering out in center of dashboard goes on, a load beep sounds and power steering goes out. This happens about twice a day in my 16 miles round trip commute to and from work. Nothing has been done to correct failure as of today. I turn engine off and on again and power steering re-engages.”

   NHTSA complaint #10345915, filed 2010-07, 55,000 miles
2. 2
   Electrical system

   Ignition key sticks or will not turn; car stays running

   • 160 complaints (28%)
   • median 52,000 mi at 5.1 yrs old (119 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $850 (median of 14 quotes)
   • filed 2005–2025

   Complaints describe the key binding in the ignition: hard to turn, stuck in the accessory position, or impossible to pull out, and in some cases the engine keeps running until a fuse is pulled or the battery is disconnected. Others report intermittent no-crank or no-start episodes, sometimes with the anti-theft light on, that clear after waiting several minutes. Owners say dealers replaced ignition switches, lock cylinders, and housing parts, and in a number of reports the problem came back afterwards. Reported from under 10,000 to over 160,000 miles, with many between about 30,000 and 110,000 miles; several owners note it is worse in cold weather or after the car has sat.

   Recall 14V171000

   What to check: Turn the key through every position and make sure it releases freely, and start the car several times from cold during a viewing. Ask whether the ignition switch or lock cylinder has been replaced and whether the key-removal recall work was done on this VIN.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “In cold weather my Saturn ION will fail to start. The ignition will click a couple of time then nothing. I wait 8-10 minutes and try again sometimes it will attempt to start sometimes not. Then I have to wait some more and try again, eventually it will start. I had 2 new batteries replaced and still problem persists. I found a Saturn message board that addressed this very problem. Hope you can get Saturn to recall this issue.”

   NHTSA complaint #10232787, filed 2008-06, 90,000 miles

   “I own a 2005 Saturn ION and when its cold, car won't start. The passlock illuminates and sometimes takes 30 minutes to restart. I have spent over $700 trying to fix it like changing ignition and starter and the problem still persists. I have been late numerous times for work and was stranded the other night for 30 minutes in the middle of nowhere in minus 20 degree weather. ( that is a safety issue.) I am fed up and can't believe there is no recall.”

   NHTSA complaint #10386929, filed 2011-03, 90,000 miles
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Stalling and sudden loss of power on the road

   Mentioned in 6 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners report the engine quitting or dropping to idle without much warning while driving, with instrument lights, gauges, and steering assist sometimes dropping out at the same moment; a restart generally brings things back. One owner describes the gas pedal going to the floor and the car speeding up instead of slowing, and another describes the car refusing to pull above idle after being shifted into gear. Several say the dealer could not reproduce or diagnose the fault. Mostly reported between about 30,000 and 125,000 miles, typically while driving at city or highway speeds.

   What to check: During the test drive, note whether the engine holds a steady idle and responds cleanly to the throttle, and confirm all dash warning lights cycle at start-up. Ask whether the throttle body, body control module, or ignition switch has ever been serviced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “This has happened several times in recent months, but here is what happened this morning: I was on the interstate, going about 60mph, and I sped up temporarily to pass the semi next to me so that I could merge into the right lane and catch the next exit. Upon merging, I released the gas pedal but it did not come back naturally with my foot and instead went to the floor and my car started accelerating as I exited the interstate onto a flyover ramp. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10850009, filed 2016-03, 120,000 miles

   “I checked electrical above, for affected parts, but I am not sure if that is correct. It was the ignition. I was driving on whitney ave. (towards new haven) in hamden, ct. Traffic was moderate due to the time of day (3:00 p.m.) suddenly, and with no warning other than the dash lighting up with engine lights, my car stopped. There was enough momentum to turn it into the post office driveway. Brakes and steering did not work. Fortunately, the cars coming up behind me were able to swerve to avoid hitting me. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10569248, filed 2014-03, 123,903 miles
4. 4
   Air bags

   Airbag light on, or airbags not deploying in a crash

   • 25 complaints (4%)
   • median 58,106 mi at 8.8 yrs old (19 state mileage)
   • 19 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2005–2020

   Some owners report the airbag warning light blinking or staying lit whether or not someone is sitting in the passenger seat, and continuing after a restart. Others describe front-end collisions in which the airbags did not deploy, including one car written off as a total loss and another with reported injuries. The complaints give little detail on dealer findings; in most of these reports the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Reported from under 10,000 miles to over 170,000 miles, including at the time of a collision.

   Recall 14V047000

   What to check: Make sure the airbag light comes on with the ignition and then goes out, and have any stored airbag or seat-occupant codes read before buying. Ask whether the open ignition and airbag recall on this model was completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owned a 2005 Saturn ION. While driving at 50 MPH, the vehicle crashed into the guard rail. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained head injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 110,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #10714956, filed 2015-05, 110,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2005 Saturn ION. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated and blinking. The engine was turned off but after restarting the vehicle, the warning light continued to illuminate and blink. The failure recurred with or without a passenger seated in the passenger's seat. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 58,106.”

   NHTSA complaint #10567608, filed 2014-03, 58,106 miles

Buying note. These cars are old enough that a given example may never have had the ignition or power steering recall work done, so check the status by VIN rather than trusting the listing. A pre-purchase inspection that tests the steering assist, exercises the ignition key, and pulls stored airbag codes is worth the cost on this model year.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.