Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
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).
My car has a standard transmission and the clutch pedal assembly failed causing dangerous and difficult shifting between gears. The end of the clutch pedal assembly is plastic and it broke at the juncture where it meets the transmission. Unbelievably, general motors (GM) knew of the problem but took no remedial action. Complaint letters on the internet clearly show GM has known about the problem for awhile but taken no action. It cost me $609.74 to have the safety problem fixed. I reported it to GM and asked to be reimbursed. This is dangerous: I had great difficulty shifting between gears & almost got run over by other motorists when there was a delay in locating the next gear. GM should take action on this before someone gets killed.
Was travelling on my way home from work and a fox darted out in front of me in the center of the road. I swerved slightly to miss the fox and the power steering in the car went out. I was unable to straighten the wheel and the car went into a 180 degree spin and ended up facing the other direction flipped up on the passenger side. I crawled out of the drivers window. Air bags did not deploy either. Had I not been wearing my seatbelt, I probably would have ended up underneath the car and if traffic had been coming, I could have killed someone else in oncoming traffic.
1. The ignition switch will not disengage...sometimes after motor is turned off and car is in park the car must be turned back on four or five times before the ignition will engage correctly. The vehicle is stationary...in the park position....key will lock inself and not disengage. The car was on a city street when this occurred. It began to occur five months ago...now it happens at least ten times a week. 2. All electrical symbols on dashboard say: coolant...but when checked the coolant is fine.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. While parking, the shift lever failed to go into park and the key became stuck in the ignition switch. The failure recurred several times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the vehicle was working up to standards. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000. The VIN was not available.
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.
Transmission is burnt. While driving the transmission slips out of gear. The rpms then rev and the car fails to continue to go at speed and will need to be pulled over. This issue occurs when the vehicle is in motion on city streets and on highways. The vehicle only has 58499 miles on it. The vehicle was checked at aamco and they said the transmission was bad and needed to be replaced.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. While driving at 30 MPH, the steering wheel was difficult to turn and the power train warning light illuminated. The failure recurred once. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 142,000.
While driving my car on multiple occasions I have lost the ability to control the steering wheel. Also, I have experienced my car turning off while driving which thankfully has a recall on it but I want the power steering to be recalled as well because it has caused an accident and multiple near misses.
During braking, when gears should be downshifting, my automatic Saturn Ion 3 rpms would seem to be racing upwards by several 1000's. I complained on 2 prior occassions to dealer who could not "duplicate the problem". On 05/13/05 I was backing out of my garage, car seemed to lurch backwards. When I put it in drive it the rpms raced above 3000. It lurched me out of my driveway and into the road. Put in reverse and was able to stop and park. Turned ignition off and restarted. In park car was idling at 3500 rpms. Restarted several times with same result. Called roadside assistance b/c car is still under warranty. Tow guy had to brake entire time he was loading car onto steep incline of truck bed b/c he said car was quickly moving forward and up on it's own. Waited w/ service people at Saturn to make sure they could "duplicate the problem". They did. Replaced the throttle position sensor. …
I first took my 2004 Saturn 3 Ion quad coupe to the dealer with a transmission problem. As I would accelerate the car would lose speed. I never knew when this was going to happen. It happens at any speed. At the time of my first complaint there was 27,539. I now have 33,020 and finally after 3 months and 12 trips to the dealer they are putting in a new transmission. Every trip to the dealer resulted in my being told that the computer said nothing was wrong with my car. They kept the car for a week while their manager drove it to work and home everyday and he said the car never acted up on him. I left the dealership and 2 miles down the road it started acting up. I had to call the Saturn customer service numerous times about the problem. I wrote them 2 letters and finally when I sent them lemon law papers and told them they could buy it back they decided that I needed a new transmission. …
Transmission complaints in other Ion years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2004 Saturn Ion?
NHTSA has 60 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2004 Saturn Ion, 7% of the model year's 898 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (23 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Saturn Ion transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain 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 transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 64,000 miles, and 28% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to transmission & drivetrain 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.