2005 Saturn Ion Problems, Recalls & Reliability
755 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2005 Saturn Ion, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 51/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Steering leads the reports, typically around 69,000 miles.
Below average
Where 2005 sits among all Ion years
What owners report
“The steering wheel got hard to turn back and forth. Car got does this once in a while.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Ion
“Daytime running light turn signal dont work for the passenger side which can cause a safety problem to other drivers”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Ion
“Engine failed at 125,000 miles. Engine specialist determined cylinder #4 oil starvation as the cause. Oil change intervals have always been approximately 7500 miles. Engine stalled out and would not crank to restart. Engine will need to be replaced. Cost: approximately $4,000.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Ion
“Malfunctioning airbags. The airbag of our 2005 saturn ion 3 coupe did not deploy during a serious accident. The front of the vehicle was crushed and it slidon its side. By miracle, the driver was not killed, or seriously injured.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Ion
“La quinta chev/caddilac replaced my ignition per the gm recall a couple of years ago and now the ignition is locking up again. What can i do?”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Ion
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 571 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 62,230 miles. Half of those reports fall between 40,000 and 99,800 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (5)
UCI-FRAM Group is recalling certain LS1328 ignition Switches sold as Wells LS1328, Duralast LS1328, Airtex 1S6097, and Carquest 53-27479, and LS1497 Ignition Switches sold as Wells LS1497, Duralast LS1497, Airtex 1S10961, and Carquest 53-27967, for use on…
Fix: UCI-FRAM Group has notified its purchasers to quarantine and return all inventory. Any switches already installed in vehicles will be replaced by GM dealers as part of NHTSA recall 14V-047, free of…
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…
Fix: General Motors will notify owners, and for vehicles that were built with the defective ignition cylinder and have not previously had the ignition cylinder replaced with the redesigned part, dealers…
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,…
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will perform one of four bulletins. Parts are not currently available. GM expects to send an interim notification around May 28, 2014. When parts are available,…
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.…
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. An interim notification was issued to owners of 2007 and earlier models on March 10, 2014, informing them of the…
SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY…
Fix: SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 14V153000.
Technical service bulletins
584 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2005 Saturn Ion. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2005 Saturn Ion reliable?
The 2005 Saturn Ion drew 755 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 51/100, scored against the model's worst year (2006).
What are the most common 2005 Saturn Ion problems?
The top reported problems for the 2005 Saturn Ion are steering (270 complaints), electrical (263), and engine (37).
At what mileage do 2005 Saturn Ion problems show up?
Owners most often report 2005 Saturn Ion problems around 62,230 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 40,000 and 99,800 miles.
Does the 2005 Saturn Ion have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2005 Saturn Ion. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.