AI Damage2008 Saturn ION: common problems
Owners of the 2008 Saturn ION filed 4 complaints with NHTSA, most often about visibility and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 4
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Visibility 50% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 25% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 25% of all complaints
- Visibility: 2 complaints (50% of all).
- Air bags: 1 complaints (25% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (25% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 4 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 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.
The contact stated that the vehicle was involved in head on crash but the air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained unknown injuries. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure.
My mechanic said that the problem was with both the wiper linkage (which has a plastic piece that is prone to failure) and the wiper transmission failing.
The contact stated that while driving 60 mph, the driver was attempting to close the front passenger's side window when the vehicle stalled. The contact mentioned that smoke was emitting from the driver's side door control panel. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer.
Tl contact owns a 2008 saturn ion. The contact noticed that the front windshield had cracked. The manufacturer advised the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer for inspection. The vehicle was not repaired or inspected. The current and failure mileages were unknown. The vin was unavailable.
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 15,521 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 42% most complained about).
On average one model year of the ION has 724 complaints (6 years in the data). This year has 4, below average.
What to check before buying
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Saturn ION?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: visibility, air bags, electrical system. Total complaints: 4. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbags did not deploy (25%), smoke, burning smell, fire (25%), stalls while driving (25%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2008 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 2008 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 2008 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.