Saturn ION Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 145 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the Saturn ION across 5 model years. The 2003 model year has the most (58). The words owners use most often: “timing chain” (7% of reports).
- 145engine and engine cooling complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $2,100typical repair cost reported by owners
- 39%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Timing chain: mentioned in 10 of 145 complaints (7%)
- Cold weather: mentioned in 8 of 145 complaints (6%)
- Ignition switch: mentioned in 8 of 145 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine and engine cooling repair on the Saturn ION at $2,100, and half of them between $840 and $4,200.
Based on 8 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2006–2009), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems happen?
Based on 108 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 145 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 3 an injury.
Saturn ION engine and engine cooling complaints by model year
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine and engine cooling for the Saturn ION. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The gas pedal gets stuck while driving and the check engine light comes on. Car will not exceed 5 mph even if the pedal is pushed to the floor. Car must be turned on and off 3 times for the pedal to go back to normal. Another incident is the car will stall when stopping at a light or stop sign…
Car stalled then ran again fine. Thought maybe bad gas or something. Started hearing a loud noise in the engine. Change oil came on and so i took it in to be serviced only to find out the timing chain had jumped keys. This is a terrible issue which could have caused me to wreck had i not had plenty…
When i was pulling out of the parking lot of my job there is a slight dip in the road when exiting the parking lot on to the street and as i was pulling out making a right turn and i went over the bump and my car shut off and i was not aware it had shut off until i was almost at a complete stop…
On friday we got our 2006 saturn ion out of the gm service department after having a frozen air compressor and ripped serpentine belt replaced ($1400), along with a transmission line. After driving and stopping throughout the day on the following monday, i was unable to turn the vehicle engine off…
2004 saturn ion. Consumer writes in regards to electronic power steering failure. *smd the consumer stated she first started having front suspension problems, which the dealer fixed free of charge. The exhaust was leaking and she paid to have it replaced, along with the catalytic converter. Also…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Saturn IONs have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 145 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the Saturn ION. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Saturn ION engine and engine cooling?
No recall currently lists engine and engine cooling for this vehicle.
How much does it cost to fix engine and engine cooling problems on the Saturn ION?
Owners report a typical cost of $2,100 (half paid between $840 and $4,200), from 8 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine and engine cooling problems on the Saturn ION?
The most frequent phrase is “timing chain”, in 10 of 145 complaints, followed by “cold weather” (8).
Other Saturn ION problems
- Steering problems (1,701)
- Electrical System problems (1,548)
- Fuel/propulsion System problems (317)
- Air Bags problems (262)
- Fuel System, Gasoline problems (240)
- Power Train problems (198)
- Engine problems (141)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (116)
See all Saturn ION problems.