Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Saturn Ion owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owned a 2006 Saturn Ion. The contact stated while driving at 50 mph and there was a stopped vehicle in the middle of the road, in order to avoid crashing the contact veered to the right lane but crashed into the rear of a truck. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was not filed. The contact sustained neck, shoulder, arm, and chest injuries that required medical attention. The vehicle was not drivable and was towed to an impound lot. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The contact was relating the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 14V047000 (Air bags, Electrical system). The manufacturer had been informed of the failure and informed the contact to file for the class action lawsuit. The failure mileage was 90,000.
The rpms jump around and the A/C makes noise and lights flicker at times. The car will just stall in the middle of an intersection or when I'm turning onto another road. It's quite scary with children in the car. My main concern is a large SUV put it in reverse and hit the front of my car before ending up on the hood near the windshield. She was going pretty fast and pushed my car pretty far but no airbag! Then on a separate occasion I was doing 55 miles when a large animal darted out in front of me. My front end and radiator and front end were shot. Even split my passenger side dash open and had to be towed off but no airbags!! Exactly how do I have to be going for me to have protection????
I was in california driving on a curving mountain road in lake arrowhead- it was dark. I veered off the road into a tree. I don't have a clear memory of much after that.the airbags did not deploy. My face broke the windshield. I had my seat belt improperly fastened. I sustained a concussion and broke left nasal bone and septum deep lacerations under left eye across top of nose. Paramedics took me local hospital where they thought I'd better go down to a big hospital and they sent me to arrowhead regency hospital down the hill in san brenardino.
Tl* the contact owned a 2006 Saturn Ion. While the contact's son was driving approximately 35 MPH, he rear ended the preceding vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. The driver received injuries to the face that required medical attention. The vehicle was towed and deemed destroyed. A police report was filed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 59,000.
I hydraplained, did a 360 and got hit head on. I had my set belt on, but it did not catch and lock in place, and the air bag did not inflate....to stop me from hitting to rear view mirror with my head, my chest on the shearing wheel and my legs with the under part of the dash...I was on a main hwy...I do not have the police report , but I do have a few picture..
I was traveling down the highway at between 70-75mph when I lost control of the vehicle and struck the guard cable, traveling through over 200 ft of it. The front end of the car was demolished, the front axle was broken in half, the rear quarter panel of the driver's side was ripped off, the roof was horribly dented and scratched, the windshield was broken in multiple places - one spot by my head - and the front bumper and headlights were no longer there. The vehicle was totaled out by the insurance co... My air bags did not deploy. I had a terrible concussion and severe whiplash on an already pre-existing degenerative spine condition, and the only thing that saved my life was my seatbelt. There is no reason according to the police and first responders on the scene as well as the facility where my car was towed for the insurance company. …
This car has been cursed with electronic steering problems. The car has been serviced repeatedly. I have had very little response and zero satisfaction from GM. The key often does not release from the ignition. The car was involved in a violent front end collision that was caused by these issues. I bought the car (based on a false Saturn promise) and I had two daughters in the front of the car during the preventable collision. I couldn't figure out why the bags did not deploy. Now I get it! The car cuts off when making a right hand turn. I do not believe a single thing that GM says to me. I am going in for a rental car tomorrow. I. Do not even believe that this will go according to plan. I take the car for service, they tell me that they, "cannot repeat the problem." GM sucks and so does NHTSA. Earn your money. I earned mine. …
This car has been cursed with electronic steering problems. The car has been serviced repeatedly. I have had very little response and zero satisfaction from GM. The key often does not release from the ignition. The car was involved in a violent front end collision that was caused by these issues. I bought the car (based on a false Saturn promise) and I had two daughters in the front of the car during the preventable collision. I couldn't figure out why the bags did not deploy. Now I get it! The car cuts off when making a right hand turn. I do not believe a single thing that GM says to me. I am going in for a rental car tomorrow. I. Do not even believe that this will go according to plan. I take the car for service, they tell me that they, "cannot repeat the problem." GM sucks and so does NHTSA. Earn your money. I earned mine. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. While attempting to pull off from a traffic light and making a turn, the steering wheel became inoperable and difficult to maneuver. As a result, another vehicle crashed into the front driver side of the contact's vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained injuries to the left shoulder and left hip due to the seat belt. The contact did not seek medical attention. The contact was uncertain if the other driver sustained injuries, but the driver was intoxicated. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact received a notification for NHTSA campaign number: 14V153000 (steering) and believed the failure was related to the recall. The approximate failure mileage was 102,000.
I had an very occasional intermittent problem that basically caused the power steering to shut off for about a second or two. It always seemed to happen on a turn. I tried to have it fixed but no one saw it in action to identify it. It usually happened on a turn and quickly returned to normal. It happened on a road with a small bend in it. It did not restart working before I drove off the road into a filbert field. I suffered multiple concussions in the crash. I saw a specialist due to my memory loss and he said I likely had 3 concussions: front into steering wheel/air bag; side - breaking driver window with head; and top side due to side curtain air bag.
Related recalls
Air bags
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.
Remedy: 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 safety defect.
Airbag complaints in other Ion years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2006 Saturn Ion?
NHTSA has 61 complaints about the air bags of the 2006 Saturn Ion, 5% of the model year's 1,235 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Saturn Ion airbag problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 14V-047 (air bags, Feb 10, 2014). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2006 Saturn Ion airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 24 crashes, 1 fire and 24 injuries to air bags 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.