Worst 2004 Saturn Ion Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
Steering Defects
Electrical Faults
Electrical System:Ignition
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All Problems by Category
Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2004 Saturn Ion.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering Defects | 323 | 15 | 1 | 90,522 mi | |
| Electrical Faults | 233 | 8 | 3 | 77,126 mi | |
| Electrical System:Ignition | 47 | 1 | — | 37,949 mi | |
| Electrical System:Ignition:Switch | 44 | 1 | — | 45,568 mi | |
| Airbags | 42 | 22 | — | 82,655 mi | |
| Fuel System | 36 | — | 1 | 108,185 mi | |
| Transmission / Drivetrain | 26 | 2 | — | 99,123 mi | |
| Engine Problems | 23 | — | — | 112,947 mi | |
| Automatic Transmission | 23 | — | — | 45,733 mi | |
| Unintended Acceleration | 21 | 1 | — | 92,537 mi | |
| Engine & Cooling | 17 | — | — | 62,727 mi | |
| Gasoline Fuel System | 15 | — | — | 98,626 mi | |
| Electrical System:Ignition:Anti-Theft:Control Module | 14 | — | — | 37,408 mi | |
| Exterior Lighting:Turn Signal | 14 | — | — | 26,798 mi | |
| Steering:Electric Power Assist System | 13 | 1 | — | 53,918 mi | |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 11 | — | — | 47,550 mi | |
| Headlight/Taillight Failures | 10 | 1 | 1 | 121,872 mi | |
| Suspension Failures | 10 | — | — | 85,052 mi | |
| Air Bags:Frontal | 9 | 8 | — | 34,307 mi | |
| Other Equipment | 9 | 1 | — | 35,567 mi | |
| Brakes | 9 | 2 | — | 79,269 mi | |
| Steering:Column | 8 | — | — | 51,071 mi | |
| Visibility | 7 | — | — | 52,515 mi | |
| Wipers & Visibility | 7 | — | — | 101,012 mi | |
| Wheel Issues | 7 | 1 | — | 132,688 mi | |
| Electrical System:Ignition:Module | 6 | — | — | 23,351 mi | |
| Electronic Stability Control | 6 | 1 | — | 131,488 mi | |
| Hydraulic Brakes | 6 | 2 | — | 20,533 mi | |
| Manual Transmission | 5 | — | — | 40,438 mi |
Search Owner Complaints
Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2004 Saturn Ion. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.
Recalls for 2004 Saturn Ion
3 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting ~5,755,125 vehicles.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2006-2011 Chevrolet HHR, 2007-2010 Pontiac G5, 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice, 2003-2007 Saturn Ion, and 2007-2010 Saturn Sky vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the key can be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "Off" position.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2006 Malibu Maxx, 2009-2010 HHR (non-turbo), 2010 Cobalt, 2008-2009 Saturn Aura and 2004-2007 Ion, and 2005-2009 Pontiac G6. In the affected vehicles, there may be a sudden loss of electric power steering (EPS) assist that could occur at any time while driving.
This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on February 10, 2014 that they are recalling 619,122 model year 2005-2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, and 2007 Pontiac G5 vehicles. On February 25, 2014, GM increased the recall to include an additional 748,024 model year 2006-2007 Chevrolet HHR and Pontiac Solstice vehicles and 2003-2007 Saturn Ion vehicles and 2007 Saturn Sky vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine. On March 27, 2014, GM notified the agency that the defective ignition switches may have been used as service replacement parts on other vehicles, and as a result GM will be recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, Saturn Sky, and Pontiac G5 and Solstice, and 2008-2011 Chevrolet HHR vehicles. The part numbers for the service parts are 10392423 (a/k/a ACDelco D1461F), 10392737, 15857948, 15854953, 15896640, and 25846762. This expansion represents an additional 823,788 vehicles.
Other Saturn Ion Years
2004 Saturn Ion — FAQ
Answers based on real NHTSA complaint and recall data for this specific model year.
Is the 2004 Saturn Ion reliable?
What are common problems with the 2004 Saturn Ion?
At what mileage do problems start on the 2004 Saturn Ion?
How safe is the 2004 Saturn Ion?
Does the 2004 Saturn Ion have any recalls?
Should I buy a 2004 Saturn Ion?
Source: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) complaint and recall databases, aggregated by VinItel.
Wider context: See the full Saturn Ion reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.
Check Your Specific 2004 Saturn Ion
Real owner complaints tell you about the model. The VIN tells you about your specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud.
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