AI Damage2007 Saturn ION: common problems
Owners of the 2007 Saturn ION filed 876 complaints with NHTSA, most often about steering and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 876
- involving a crash
- 38
What fails most often
- 1 Steering 47% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 25% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel/propulsion system 15% of all complaints
- 4 Fuel system 9% of all complaints
- 5 Air bags 7% of all complaints
- 6 Engine 4% of all complaints
- 7 Powertrain 2% of all complaints
- 8 Suspension 2% of all complaints
- Steering: 408 complaints (47% of all), 19 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 215 complaints (25% of all), 11 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel/propulsion system: 130 complaints (15% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel system: 81 complaints (9% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 65 complaints (7% of all), 23 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
- 2.4 L · petrol · 4 cylnamed in 1 complaints
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speednamed in 2 complaints
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 876 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 | 408 | 19 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 215 | 11 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 130 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 81 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 65 | 23 | 0 |
| Engine | 34 | 2 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 17 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 16 | 3 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 12 | 4 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 9 | 2 | 0 |
| Equipment | 8 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Car cuts off a/c wont work unless on max and makes noise when turning. Cpu issue like rpm fluctuates I think its the fuel pump and gas pedal assembly cpu problem and its jerks alot dealer said aint nothing the can do bout it but they suppose to fix it with in 30 days of purchase time.
In january 2016 while driving on highway to work I had bear to the right at an intersection from 1-90 to 1-76, wheels/steering locked or something and I ended up spinning off roadway. Hit division embankment crashing front end and my air bags never deployed.
The air bags did not deploy. There were no injuries sustained. A police report was not filed. The local dealer was not contacted to diagnose and repair the air bag failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact stated that the air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed and the contact and passenger required medical attention for head injuries. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and destroyed. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer for diagnosis of the air bag deployment failure.
Loss of power steering again. This will be my third recall replacement part. Power steering has failed and repaired by 2 gm dealerships. Gm suggested for safety reasons towing car would be advised but guess who has to pay for the towing me not gm who manufacturer unsafe vehicles.
While driving approximately 25 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. As a result, the contact crashed the vehicle into a curb and caused a blow out to the front passenger side tire. There were no injuries. The vehicle was diagnosed and received a new ignition switch. The manufacturer was not notified.
I was shocked the airbag did not deploy but at the time was unaware my car had serious potential safety issues. Since becoming aware of the recall I have been able to simulate the ignition failure by jostling the key in the ignition while the car is running.
It tore the bumpers off the vehicle, damaged the front and rear windows, and sliced the tired. There was a large dent on top of the vehicle. Even after all of the damage, the air bags did not deploy. The consumer was injured. The consumer stated the key was in the ignition switch.
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 307 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 876, 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.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2007 Saturn ION?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: steering, electrical system, fuel/propulsion system. Total complaints: 876. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: steering or power steering problems (41%), fuel system, fuel smell (17%), warning lights, check engine (15%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2007 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 2007 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 2007 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.