Airbag complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Saturn Ion. In October of 2016, while driving 65 MPH, the brake pedal was suddenly depressed. However, the contact crashed into the rear of a vehicle and, in turn, another vehicle crashed into the rear of the contact's vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. There were no injuries sustained. A police report was not filed. The local dealer was not contacted to diagnose and repair the air bag failure. The failure mileage was unknown. In December of 2017, while driving at unknown speeds, a pick-up truck crashed into the rear of the contact's vehicle. The contact sustained injuries to the right knee, which required medical attention. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was taken to an independent auto body mechanic, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. …
In January 2016 while driving on highway to work I had bear to the right at an intersection from 1-90 to 1-76, wheels/steering locked or something and I ended up spinning off roadway. Hit division embankment crashing front end and my air bags never deployed. Traction in the car I later found out was not engaging when it should have been. Now car's traction does not work if it ever really did. I have been in touch with GM complaints department and now I have been assigned a case number but this is about recalls on y vehicle that I do not know they really are because Saturn wants me to pay to get this information. I asked why but did not get an answer. Only was told that recalls are VIN specific and I needed to go to https://www.vincheckpro.com/VIN-register. Now my vehicle has a control board that is going haywire literally. …
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????
Hello I am reaching out to complain about Courtesy Chevrolet - San Diego. I've been trying to get my car serviced in order to fIx the recalls. Unfortunately I have not been successful. I called the dealer to make an appointment but the dealer told me that the car has been discontinued and they can't find the parts. The suggested to call somewhere else.
Tl* the contact owned a 2005 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a tree. During the crash the passenger side of the vehicle was severely damaged but no air bags had deployed. The driver sustained an injured neck and was transported to the hosipital. A police report was taken at the scene. The vehicle was destroyed and towed away. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the incident. The failure mileage was 174,000.
The contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. Additionally, the contact stated that the key was stuck in the ignition. The failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who replaced the ignition switch and the ignition lock cylinder; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 14V047000 (Air Bags, Electrical System) and 14V171000 (Electrical System). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 230,000.
Was on way home car started going to the right and when tried to correct it car wouldn't turn left kept going into a tree and car is now damaged. Over two months ago GM sent out somebody to look at car this was around October 15 and have not heard a word back from anybody. Which isn't a surprise because the accident happened September 13 and we were given the run around from the beginning. Appointments made and not kept, phone calls transferred from one person to another all with different answers and responses. My question to you is when is somebody going to contact us and give us some answers? …
Related recalls (1)
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.
Frequently asked questions
Which Saturn Ion years have airbag problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2007 (65), 2006 (61), 2004 (52), 2003 (49) and 2005 (34) model years. Airbag complaints make up 7% of all complaints for the 2007.
Is there a recall for Saturn Ion airbag problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 14V-047 (air bags, Feb 10, 2014). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Saturn Ion airbag problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 70,000 miles; 33% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the frontal (26 mentions), followed by the frontal › sensor/control module (4).
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.