AI Damage2005 Saturn ION: common problems
Owners of the 2005 Saturn ION filed 573 complaints with NHTSA, most often about steering and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 573
- involving a crash
- 31
What fails most often
- 1 Steering 46% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 40% of all complaints
- 3 Air bags 6% of all complaints
- 4 Exterior lighting 5% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 5% of all complaints
- 6 Engine 4% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel/propulsion system 4% of all complaints
- 8 Vehicle speed control 3% of all complaints
- Steering: 265 complaints (46% of all), 9 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 227 complaints (40% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 34 complaints (6% of all), 19 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Exterior lighting: 31 complaints (5% of all).
- Powertrain: 28 complaints (5% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
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 1 complaints
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speednamed in 4 complaints
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 573 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 | 265 | 9 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 227 | 5 | 0 |
| Air bags | 34 | 19 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 31 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 28 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine | 22 | 2 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 18 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 10 | 2 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 9 | 3 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 6 | 1 | 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 10 mph and attempting to depress the brake pedal, the vehicle independently accelerated and crashed into a building and the air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed and there were no injuries reported. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence.
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.
It hit so hard and my steering was hard like a car without power steering and the brakes were like that too. The airbags did not deploy nor did the safety belts catch me and my granddaughter.
Also, the consumer was involved in an accident, and the air bag did not deploy.
He hit the brakes and felt the steering lock up, brakes locked and he couldn't stop. Hit the truck hard enough to crack the core support in the saturn but the air bag do not expand.
I believe that the power steering issue (recalled recently and received letter) caused my vehicle to be very hard to control on a downslope hill at 12 mph coming up to red light. My car went from the right lane to the left land of [address] and I hit car in front of me.
The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, the driver made a sudden turn when the engine stalled and caused a loss of steering control. The driver then traveled down and crashed into an embankment. There were no injuries and a police report was filed at the scene.
The consumer stated he was involved in an accident, a couple of years ago, and the air bags did not deploy. He also has paperwork for the ignition problems he experienced.
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 629 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 2% most complained about).
On average one model year of the ION has 724 complaints (6 years in the data). This year has 573, below 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.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2005 Saturn ION?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: steering, electrical system, air bags. Total complaints: 573. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: steering or power steering problems (42%), warning lights, check engine (14%), won't start (10%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2005 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 2005 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 2005 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.