| 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
2004 Saturn ION repairs by problem area
Engine (36%)
Transmission and Drivetrain (6%)
Brakes and Traction Control (2%)
Suspension and Steering (23%)
Electrical and Air Conditioning (23%)
Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (2%)
Other (7%)
Chart based on 86 repairs.
2004 Saturn ION engine repair cost distribution
$2500+ (0%)
$1000 - $2499 (0%)
$500 - $999 (14%)
$100 - $499 (39%)
< $100 (46%)
Chart based on 28 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.
2004 Saturn ION
Engine not specified
| 56000 mi US $30 |
Ignition switch defective. Car would not start in cold weather. |
2004 Saturn ION 4dr Sedan
140-horsepower 2.2L I4 5-speed manual FWD
| 86000 mi US $482 |
ignition switch would not go to start position. replaced lock cyc and housing it goes into. also could not get steering wheel off so they had to get a new one. |
| 117500 mi US $110 |
Replaced water pump, thermostat, seals/gaskets, and coolant. Water pump replacement requires specialized tool for removal and install (difficult to obtain). Replaced water pump, thermostat, seals/gaskets, and coolant. Water pump replacement requires specialized tool for removal and install (difficult to obtain). |
| 157000 mi | Replaced ignition switch. |
| 77500 mi C $22 |
I had the "infamous" no start when the weather was cold. I just recently bought this car and did the research for this issue. It only cost me $22 for a new ignition switch ordered online!!! The repair was easy. |
| 53000 mi US $305 |
Ignition control module and coil pack shorted, causing car to misfire under a load. |
2004 Saturn ION 4dr Sedan
140-horsepower 2.2L I4 5-speed automatic FWD
| 60300 mi US $60 |
Low Coolant Light stays lite even though there is plenty of coolant. Replaced coolant reservoir tank with built in coolant level sensor. Coolant still stays on. |
| 145000 mi US $100 |
Exhaust repair. Quick welding, roughly $100. |
| 114000 mi US $450 |
Battery failed. Car would not start without a jump then finally would not start at all. Also catalytic converter failed and had to replce. Had to replace battery also. |
| 72000 mi US $365 |
Piece of housing around radiator fan broke off and caused damage to fan. Cause of severe rattling and noise. If left as is the damage would have worsen and lead to major radiator damage. |
| 112000 mi US $80 |
Check engine light. Repair shop forgot to put oil cap back on. |
| 115000 mi US $150 |
Engine was running poorly, after diagnostics I learned it has developed low compression. |
2004 Saturn ION 4dr Coupe
supercharged 205hp 2.0L I4 5-speed manual FWD
| 115300 mi | Ignition recall |
| 65000 mi | Flex pipe failed. Covered under 8/80 catalytic converter warranty. |
| 76000 mi | Saturn had sent me a notice of possible issues with the catalytic converter on my Redline. I had had some of the symptoms that they mentioned. ie SES light comes on for no reason in cold weather. Sometimes a loss of power in cold weather. |
| 95000 mi US $100 |
On really cold days the car would not start. From visiting saturnfans.com I found the problem was the ignition switch setting off the security mode. Bought replacement switch and installed easily. No problems since. |
| 119000 mi US $430 |
The crankshaft positional sensor started to go bad. It would sometimes cause the car to take multiple attempts to start. It never did leave me stranded though. |
| 127500 mi | Coolant sensor went bad. Replaced the coolant reservoir and that fixed the issue. |
2004 Saturn ION 4dr Coupe
140-horsepower 2.2L I4 CVT FWD
| 800 mi | Warranty repair of fuel filler hose. |
| 2000 mi | Warranty recall fuel filter replacement. |
| 58000 mi US $540 |
Air conditioner quit blowing cold air when car stopped or idle. Replaced radiator fan. |
| 95100 mi US $800 |
Leak from cracked engine block. |
| 102700 mi US $750 |
Engine Block Cracked |
2004 Saturn ION 4dr Coupe
140-horsepower 2.2L I4 5-speed manual FWD
| 94000 mi US $325 |
Electronic ignition failure totally disabled vehicle requiring tow to shop and replacement of ignition control module. Replaced engine management computer. Car died and had to be towed to shop. |
| 95000 mi US $550 |
Replaced cat converter and O2 sensors after reading codes that indicated system had failed. Found converter core loose and blocked, O2 sensor bad. |
2004 Saturn ION 4dr Coupe
140-horsepower 2.2L I4 5-speed automatic FWD
| 129000 mi | Just briefly looked at engine, since I had noticed an oil leak, need to take it into the shop for repair but for now it's a very slow leak that looks like it's coming from the valve cover. |
| 135000 mi US $90 |
Oil leak from back near water pump, Mechanic said it would be best to replace water pump at same time. Rough estimate of work was $1200, since leak is still really slow, (I haven't had to put oil in between oil changes) I decided to not have repair done yet. |
| 84000 mi US $25 |
Replaced gas cap - threading was broken |
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