Saturn ION

Price Paid:  $20696.00 from Saturn of Manassas

Year / Model Reviewed:
2006 ION 3 Quad Coupe

Summary:
The problems that I have had or currently have are as follows:

1. The alternator makes a whining or feedback noise when the Heat/AC is engaged and gets louder when accelerating. This problem has still not been corrected.
2. The sunroof switch went bad and was repaired; subsequently the sunroof would not operate correctly. The sunroof started making what sounded like a rubbing noise. The car has been in for repair for the noise a total of seven times. In the process of repair the carpet, seats and the headliner were stained with grease. Additionally while the vehicle was in for repair the trim around the radio and the shifter knob was scratched. The dealership detailed my vehicle; however the stains remain. The headliner has been ruined in spots from the grease stains.
3. The bumper was misaligned at assembly, causing the bumper and trunk to rub; consequentially the paint was scratched. The bumper has been removed, adjusted, and re-installed. To my knowledge this problem has been corrected.
4. On June 23, 2006 the sunroof leaked severely, a large amount of water leaked into the passenger side floor board (front and back), down in the door, causing the alarm not to work properly. The passenger seat was soaked and the back seat was partially soaked. My car was left out in the rain with a known leak for three full days, by Saturn of Manassas. We received severe thunderstorms and large amounts of rain this particular weekend. The car was in the shop for two full weeks. Then again on July 12, 2006 less than one week after picking the car up from the last leak repair, the sunroof leaked again during a severe thunderstorm causing large amounts of water in the passenger seat. The car has been in the shop a total of nine for issues relating to the sunroof and two of these times concerning leakage problems.

Strengths:
Nice looking car with great comfort features. Awesome design regarding interior and exterior appearance.

Weaknesses:
Trust in the brand has diminished as well as SATURNS obvious neglect in backing their product. Sunroof has an obvious flaw. Alternator has an obvious flaw.

Similar Products Used:
I owned a 2003 L200 Saturn. I had a great experience with this vehicle and the service that I received with this car.

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $19500.00 from Saturn of Ft Wayne

Year / Model Reviewed:
2006 Saturn Ion 3

Summary:
I bought this car after my 04 Ion got in an accident. The 06 is better. The 06 has a 2.4 engine and a handleing pkg. These two items are very noticable

Strengths:
gets decent milage and quit roomy

Weaknesses:
could get better milage?

Similar Products Used:
04 Ion, 97 SL-2

Overall Rating
 1 of 5

Value Rating
 2 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Price Paid:  $16000.00 from Saturn of Plano

Year / Model Reviewed:
2006 ION

Summary:
This is the second Saturn that I have owned and I couldn't be more disappointed.

In the two years I have owned this car after buying it brand new, I have had a steering gear go out (thankfully covered under warranty), bezels fall out of the dash, the MP3 player "errors out" when playing any file longer than 15 mins, the driver's side door window began to come apart on the inside so it wouldn't roll up all the way and rattled inside, and now I have water pooling in the passenger side floorboard of the car, and the carpet is ruined. This car only has 53,000 miles on it! My last car was a Saturn SC2, and it lasted a while without any mechanical problems, except I did have drainage problems with the sunroof (the sunroof was replaced twice, and both times died). Also, the passenger side window had electrical problems, and sometimes wouldn't roll up. I finally traded it for the ION when the entire air conditioning system went out and would have cost $2000.00 to fix.

I won't buy another Saturn after my experience with this car.

Strengths:
The car looks nice and has enough room for a family of four, plus a baby.

Weaknesses:
Cheap construction, poor warranty policies, drainage issues, and consistent electrical problems with windows.

Similar Products Used:
2000 Saturn SC2

Price Paid:  $19000.00 from Saturn of Avenues

Year / Model Reviewed:
2005 Ion 2

Summary:
I really loved this car when I bought it. It's the first car I've ever bought myself. It runs great, and is a comfortable car. However, I have had the WORST time with all the little things breaking. Cruise control broke twice, windows get off track, power mirrors broke; all just little annoyances, but a year old car should not have these problems. I'm planning on trading it in because I can't afford to keep taking it to teh dealership an hour away.

Strengths:
Comfortable, runs excellent, Saturn employees are extremely friendly

Weaknesses:
The accessories are unreliable

Similar Products Used:
Chrysler Cirrus

Price Paid:  $17500.00 from Turnersville, NJ

Year / Model Reviewed:
2005 Ion 3

Summary:
Used to be an avid Saturn fan. Had a 1995 saturn that was demolished in an accident. That crashed proved to me the strenghts of a Saturn and I purchased a 1996 used SL2. Had it till it died and purchased my new 2005 Ion3. Loved it in the begining. Hate it now. Thank God it is still under warranty. It's a manual, so I have had numerous problems w/ the clutch and shifting. It 'jerks' or hesitates upon acceleration (except if I pretty much push it to its max). Saturn has looked at it a few times and 'fixed' it, only to have the problem come back w/in a few weeks. My latest issue is the sunroof...again. Last summer the drain for the sunroof malfunctioned and I found a small lake in my car after a horrible storm. I ended up needing all new carpeting, headliner, and upholstery in my front seats. Now, less than a year later, the sunroof isn't seating properly when closed. I noticed that when I close my passanger front door, the sunroof pops up. That can't be normal. No leaks so far, but I am taking it to Saturn today to get it repaired.
I have had this car in the shop more times over the last year than any other car I have owned. My trust in Saturn is gone. The only good quality is the customer service. They've been really great with helping me. But each fix is just a band-aid. The problem is that my car seems to be a dud. My next car will NOT BE A SATURN. Buyer beware!

Strengths:
Customer Service. Price. Gas milage is great - average 32 mpg w/ city driving.

Weaknesses:
Quality of products/parts. Sunroof is horrible. Don't buy a manual - the clutch/accelerator has major issues.

Similar Products Used:
1988 Ford Taurus