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Saturn IONYears to avoid, problems & recalls

Based on 4,344 NHTSA owner complaints across 6 model years, no Saturn ION year stands out as one to avoid, and the strongest years are 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2007. The ION has 10 safety recalls on record.

Saturn ION
Years to avoidNoneBased on weighted complaintsBest years'03 '04 '05 '07Fewest complaints for their ageOwner complaints4,344Top: SteeringSafety recalls102003–2008 model years

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports. Updated daily. How we score years. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Best & worst years

Saturn ION years to avoid

Complaints by model year, colored by the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the ION median. Tap a year for its full report.

'03'04'05'06'07'08
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
2008Not rated–/1004 complaints · 0 recalls2007Solid50/100876 complaints · 5 recalls2006Solid42/1001,235 complaints · 4 recalls2005Solid60/100573 complaints · 3 recalls2004Solid48/100898 complaints · 8 recalls2003Solid53/100758 complaints · 5 recalls
Complaints by system

Most common Saturn ION problems

All model years combined: 4,344 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Steering170169
Electrical system154971
Fuel/propulsion system3177
Air bags262124
Fuel system, gasoline2403
Power train1984
Engine and engine cooling1455
Engine1418
Vehicle speed control11617
21 other systems59571
10 recalls

Saturn ION recalls

Newest first. The ring shows the share of affected vehicles repaired, from the manufacturer's latest report to NHTSA.

72%Electrical system: ignition14V-171 · 2003–2007 · Apr 10, 2014 · 2,191,014 vehicles60%Steering: electric power assist system14V-153 · 2004–2007 · Mar 31, 2014 · 1,373,177 vehicles72%Air bags14V-047 · 2003–2007 · Feb 10, 2014 · 2,190,934 vehicles–Delivery: fuel pump12V-459 · 2007 · Sep 19, 2012 · 49,768 vehicles–Delivery: fuel pump09V-419 · 2006–2007 · Oct 29, 2009 · 69,139 vehicles–Exterior lighting: turn signal04V-547 · 2003–2004 · Nov 16, 2004 · 178,798 vehicles–Delivery: fuel pump04V-281 · 2004 · Jun 8, 2004 · 670 vehicles–Body: bumpers04V-002 · 2004 · Jan 6, 2004 · 344 vehicles–Visibility: power window devices and controls04V-004 · 2003–2004 · Jan 5, 2004 · 79,204 vehicles–Fuel system, gasoline04V-003 · 2003–2004 · Jan 5, 2004 · 127,285 vehicles
7 investigations

NHTSA investigations of the ION

  1. Electric Power Steering FailureEA11014 · 2004–2007 · closed Apr 15, 2014
    Led to recall 14V-153
  2. Electric Power Steering FailureRQ10004 · 2004–2007 · closed Oct 5, 2011
    No recall
  3. WINDSHIED WIPER LINKAGE FAILUREPE07011 · 2003 · closed Aug 9, 2007
    No recall
  4. TIMING CHAIN FAILUREPE06006 · 2003 · closed Jun 6, 2006
    No recall
  5. TIMING CHAIN FAILUREDP05008 · 2003 · closed Feb 6, 2006
    No recall
  6. FRONT TURN SIGNAL/DRL FAILUREEA04035 · 2003–2004 · closed Oct 20, 2005
    No recall
  7. FRONT TURN SIGNAL/DRL FAILUREPE04061 · 2003–2004 · closed Dec 22, 2004
    Led to recall 04V-547