AI Damage2004 Saturn ION: common problems
Owners of the 2004 Saturn ION filed 898 complaints with NHTSA, most often about steering and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 898
- involving a crash
- 51
What fails most often
- 1 Steering 38% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 37% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 7% of all complaints
- 4 Air bags 6% of all complaints
- 5 Fuel/propulsion system 4% of all complaints
- 6 Engine and cooling 4% of all complaints
- 7 Vehicle speed control 3% of all complaints
- 8 Exterior lighting 3% of all complaints
- Steering: 345 complaints (38% of all), 16 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 331 complaints (37% of all), 10 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 60 complaints (7% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 52 complaints (6% of all), 30 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel/propulsion system: 36 complaints (4% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cyl
- 2.2 L · petrol · 4 cylnamed in 4 complaints
- automatic, 5-speed
- CVTnamed in 2 complaints
- manual, 5-speednamed in 7 complaints
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 898 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 345 | 16 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 331 | 10 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 60 | 2 | 0 |
| Air bags | 52 | 30 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 36 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 33 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 27 | 3 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 25 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine | 23 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 19 | 4 | 0 |
| Suspension | 19 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 16 | 2 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
While driving 35 mph, the steering wheel seized and the power steering warning light illuminated. The contact's vehicle rear ended another vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was destroyed and towed.
At the time of the crash, the seat belt detached and the air bags did not deploy. There were no injuries and a police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was not provided.
He said that the steering shaft was rusty which caused the accident. We had a claim thru gm due to the steering recall and they denied us since the dealership that looked at the car deemed it to be safe.
While driving approximately 62 mph, the vehicle stalled and came to a sudden stop as the contact attempted to exit the freeway. The vehicle rolled over two times and landed upside down. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed.
Was traveling at approx 35mph power steering assist was lost, turned into manual steering. I am a fairly new driver, 21, so I didn't really know how to react. It happened very quickly. Hit a center island, for a lack of a better term. Called gm, they had someone inspect the car. Said there was no dtc codes detected.
Vehicle was involved in car accident shortly before recall was issued. Customer needs assistance in getting this matter resolved. The consumer lost control of the vehicle, it slid and rolled over twice and landed upside down. Also, the air bag did not deploy. The consumer suffered serious injuries.
2004 saturn ion 2 the ignition switch turned off numerous times on me, and the power steering went out probably 10 times a week. The consumer stated he was able to remove the key from ignition, at any time in any gear. The consumer was involved in two accidents due to the vehicle shutting off, during a turn.
One good thing the ignition did shut off ,which was good because there was a gas leak which could have cause a fire. I lost overtime pay.my job requires me to have all my teeth because I talk for a living. This cause undo stress and financial hardship
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 286 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 1% most complained about).
On average one model year of the ION has 724 complaints (6 years in the data). This year has 898, above average.
What to check before buying
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Saturn ION?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: steering, electrical system, powertrain. Total complaints: 898. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: steering or power steering problems (33%), won't start (19%), warning lights, check engine (9%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2004 Saturn ION?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2004 Saturn ION from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2004 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.