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 2006 Saturn Ion owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that upon switching gears to reverse, the vehicle made an abnormal grinding sound. The contact stated that she was unable to shift gears and continued to drive the vehicle in third gear. There were no warning lights illuminated. The independent mechanic diagnosed that the clutch was fractured and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact to take the vehicle to their location in two weeks for diagnosis. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 195,000.
I've had my car in the shop twice for the ignition switch. One of the times GM paid for it due to a recall within months the car was back into passlock light coming on car stalling while in movement key stuck in ignition have to wiggle it to get it back into the turn off position. This last time as of today the car will not run you have trouble getting the key out of a lock the passlock is showing on the car dashboard.
L was driving my 2006 Saturn Ion which l bought brand new in 2006 going to pick up my granddaughter in howell mi I was on interstate with my cruise control on as l went on exit interstate,l turned off cruise control when l did that it shut my car down completely ,l was merging on another interstate with no engine running no power steering and unable to restart engine . There was no where to pull over off road safely , l was almost killed car had to come to a complete stop to restart . I have had this happen to me 3 different times , l have taken car to Chevy dealership many time complaining about this matter, they said they could not find any problems , l have stopped using my cruise control . …
My car is only 5 years old and now has 36,000 miles on it. Whenever it is cold outside my car does not start. All of the lights work and the car will make a click, but the car itself will not turn on. I have been stranded multiple times at night in the freezing cold with no way of getting home. Two times I have been stranded in a dark parking garage. This is constantly re-occurring problem and I see that hundreds of people have had the same issue. When I have taken my car to the shop I have been told it is electrical problems. This problem should be recalled as many people have the same problem. Also, I have had many issues with the fuel system. I have already had the fuel injector replaced,and the fuel tank replaced. It is in the shop again today because there were more issues with the fuel system. …
Vehicle initially had trouble starting, made strange sounds,check engine light on,would not go over 25-30mph., followed towtruck to Saturn dealer, was told this was a common problem with this make & model, there were thousands of complaints known and that GM was aware of it but had not recalled. Turned out that it was the ignition module, switch,coil, harness etc., just under $800 to repair. It's still sitting in the garage. Thing is...I purchased this car almost new b/c I had an older car & wanted a new car in case the other quit! Wow. Who new? Power steering also groans and its full of fluid. …
I have a 2006 Saturn Ion with 35,000 miles, bought new in October 2005 and only serviced at Saturn. It slips when put into reverse. The dealer could replicate the problem manually but could not get a trouble code. Although a service bulletin was issued, the dealer will do nothing until and unless it will generate a code, and says they will not repair it under warranty. I called Saturn customer service and they told me the same thing. They also will not sell me a GM extended warranty because it is out of warranty on length of time. I am told to continue to drive it until it gets bad enough that it will produce a trouble code. By that time it will undoubtedly no longer be close to the warranty mileage and it will probably cost as much as the car is worth to repair it. Since it has less than 36,000 miles, I want it repaired now at no cost.
Manual transmission vehicle. Was accelerating onto the highway and merging into fast moving traffic (approximately 60-70 MPH traffic). I shifted into 5th gear and then depressed the accelerator pedal all the way to gain enough speed to safely merge leftward. When I lifted my foot away from the pedal it stayed fully depressed (fully accelerating). I hit the brakes moderately, and it was still accelerating, then I hit the brakes harder to decrease my speed (from 70+ down to 60) as I shifted into neutral. I kicked down hard on the accelerator and it released back to the default position.
My automatic Saturn Ion with 61K miles and no signs of a problem, on its own downshifted from about 65miles to 30 miles. Once I moved it over one lane to the emergency lane the car would not move forward in any gear. The analysis was that the transmission was completely gone. I believe it is a bad design for a car to give no warnings and then downshift on it own. With the car stopping so abruptly, if my family and I had been on the interstate we probably would have been killed or severely injured in an accident. I contacted Saturn directly concerning this matter.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that while attempting to remove the key from the ignition switch, the key was stuck. The contact restarted the vehicle and shifted into drive then back to park where the key could be removed from the ignition switch. The failure occurred on seven occasions. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 96,000 and the current mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion level 2. The contact stated that the vehicle would not shift properly between gears. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic who was unable to duplicate the failure since it occurred intermittently however, he believed that the clutch master would need to be replaced. The contact did not inform the dealer or the manufacturer of the failure nor was the vehicle repaired. The current mileage was 49,000 and the failure mileage was 45,000.
Transmission complaints in other Ion years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2006 Saturn Ion?
NHTSA has 36 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2006 Saturn Ion, 3% of the model year's 1,235 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Saturn Ion transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 2006 Saturn Ion, though it has 4 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 2006 Saturn Ion transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 57,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
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.