Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Saturn Ion owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
About three years ago is when I had my first problem with speed acceleration with my Saturn. I left work and turned on my car and started to drive an hour to go home all the sudden my car began to accelerate and I wasn't pressing the gas. My vehicle continued to accelerate and I had to keep my foot on the brake to slow the vehicle down and it was still accelerating. I had to pull over on the side of the road and pop my car into neutral going approximately 70mph. I somehow managed to get home but my car continued to accelerate without me pressing on the gas. When I would turn the vehicle on while it was still in park the RPM's would go crazy as if I had my foot on the gas pedal. I immediately contacted my auto shop who indicated that they could not find anything wrong with my vehicle. I have had several incidents since then and ended up crashing earlier this year. …
I bought this car as a first car for my daughter that is a new driver. I has been off the road more than on the road for recalls. The first ignition recall could have injured or killed my daughter..as we were awaiting parts, we were following directions of no weight on key ring and only key in ignition. The incident still happened causing loss of power steering and loss of speed. As a new driver this incident scarred her and she did not feel comfortable driving the car. I put the car up for sale. Then another recall, the EPS which also causes the car to lose power steering and causes speed loss. So, back to garber and we just drove the car back home on January 2, 2015. Seemed to start out fine, then loss of speed and the car only drove at 35 MPH with a lot of effort. …
On 3/16/2015 I was merging on the freeway in my 2004 Saturn Ion and I had to brake suddenly due to another driver cutting me off, all of a sudden my Saturn began to accelerate on its own and reached high rpms between 4K and 5K and car launched at a high speed. I attempted to brake yet my Saturn still continued to move forward I reacted fast and steered toward the emergency lane pulled my e brake up and threw my car in neutral and shut my car off yet when ignition was all the way turned off my car was still on for a period of about 4 seconds. I am very concerned that this May occur again. This can result in a very serious accident or even a fatal conclusion. I find myself very nervous and uncomfortable driving this vehicle (Saturn Ion) but unfortunately it is my only way to get to work.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. While stopped at a traffic light, the engine revved without warning and the vehicle accelerated independently. The failure recurred multiple times intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The technician cleaned throttle body and replaced the sensor, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. While driving 60 MPH, the speed independently reduced and the vehicle failed to accelerate without warning. The vehicle was restarted, but failed to move. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the CVT failed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 110,000.
My fiance and I were driving down the road about 40 45 MPH and the light up ahead changed yellow to red just before I could come to a complete stop, my car accelerated I held both feet on the brake and the car kept wanting to inch forward itseemed as if I held the gas pedal down to the floor I got within 2 or 3 feet from the car in front of me out of instinct I quickly put the car in neutral and shut it off had I not I would have rear ended the car in front of me I then waited a minute or two tops put it in park and started it, it acted normal I thought maybe there was and object or something that May have slipped by my feet while driving or my floor mat moved there was nothing there .there has been other times like right after starting it up it revs to the highest RPM possible as if its going to blow up I hurry and shut it off wait a few minutes and try again, and another time I drove …
The litany of problems with this unsafe and unreliable vehicle is long and varied. Multiple transmission problems, electrical issues, losing power while driving, etc.. GM and Saturn knew of these issues, especially the ones concerning the vti transmission, yet they chose to continue to put the public at risk by denying their responsibilities to correct these problems. The only real way, in my opinion, to make this right is to fully recall and replace these vehicles. This car has been nothing but a nightmare since I bought it brand new in late 2003 and continues to be a hazard. Please force GM to do the right thing and get these cars off the road before someone gets killed.
Vehicle involved in a crash and air bags did not deploy. The consumers daughter was involved in 2 incidents with this vehicle. The daughter was hit by a harley davidson f150 truck in the first incident where she turned and the harley hit her in the front passenger side and the second incident occurred when the daughter drove 4 miles, and parked, then fifteen minutes later the gas pedal stuck and she was unable to release it. The brakes had become inoperative. The vehicle was placed in park along with the emergency brake and shut off. (duplicate report - see odi ref. No. 10074368)
Tl contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the throttle suddenly jammed and the vehicle began revving uncontrollably. The contact had to place the vehicle in neutral and coasted to the side. After inspecting the vehicle, he went under his hood and placed the throttle back in its proper place. The vehicle was then towed to his home. It had not been inspected by a dealer nor had it been repaired. The failure and current mileages were 129,000.
Turned vehicle on after sitting for about 8 hours in parking lot, the car revved up to about 4,000rpm which is unusually high. I waited for the car to calm down and when it did, I put the car into gear to drive. My car lunged forward and without pushing the gas pedal, my car accelerated and eventually made it to 40mpg through the parking lot before I had to hit my brake to avoid a collision. This as occurred intermittently over the past year; approximately 3 or 4 times a month.
Acceleration complaints in other Ion years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2004 Saturn Ion?
NHTSA has 27 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2004 Saturn Ion, 3% of the model year's 898 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Saturn Ion acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2004 Saturn Ion, though it has 8 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2004 Saturn Ion acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 93,000 miles, and 33% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to speed control & acceleration problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.