Saturn Ion - Ignition Lock

Both my 2007 Saturn Vue as well as my Saturn Ion have the same problem - the ignition locks up and the cars both will not start. From reading online, I am surprised that this has not been recalled. I mean, it is the same on both vehicles. I feel that GM should check and fix these cars - especially today. I am at work with a Saturn Ion that will not start back up and a Vue at home that won't start with two small children.

I love my car (2005 Saturn ION coupe)! However, as the weather warmed up, my key would not come out of the ignition. I looked up how much it would cost to fix this and the price was outrageous. As with the other comments, why is this not a recall item? You can't get out of the car unless you have the presence of mind to hit the door lock, which may be difficult as we have been programmed to find the door unlocked when the ignition is turned off. Cheap temporary fix: under the steering column is a small diamond-shaped cover and I popped it off and pressed my thumb on a switch on the left-hand side (switch has "spongy" feeling - and a little greasy) and turned the key at the same time. No problem. This is temporary and will not stop the key from getting stuck again, but I'd rather be inconvenienced a bit than pay out the nose for something that is well documented and should be fixed by a recall.

2005 Saturn Ion 2: Along with my ignition switch failing, my power steering regularly going out while driving down the freeway, and my driver-side window not working, my key is now stuck in the 'on' position with the car running. I popped the clutch to turn it off and disconnected the battery. I ordered a new ignition cylinder and plan to replace when it arrives. I agree with the majority of the community that there are far too many problems with particular parts for a recall not to be made. I'm elated for the day I can rid myself of this car. It's been nothing but continual problems. My Honda on the other hand has nearly the same miles and not one problem in 5 years.

I have a 2005 Ion Saturn, which I have had problems with the ignition switch on this car since I bought this new. Before, I couldn't get it to start and they fixed that. Now, I can't get the key to come out of the ignition. I have had numerous people look at this. They have checked the fuses, tried the shifting lever, but to no help in getting it out.

I have a child that I take to school and I am afraid I won't be able to get her there on time, also to get her home. Why doesn't anyone fix this? I am on low income as I have not been able to work and have no money to stick into this car. This piece of junk has been nothing but a pain since I bought it, which I didn't want to do in the first place but was talked into by an elder salesman saying this would be a good car for me. Ha! What a laugh!

For the third time/third year in a row, I am having ignition switch problems with my 2006 Saturn Ion. I purchased my vehicle brand-new in 2006. I loved the car. But in 2010, my vehicle would not shut off. I took the vehicle to a crappy GM dealer that took 3 months to fix the problem. I paid $300 to get the ignition chamber switched out.

In 2011, I had another problem. I couldn't take the key out of the ignition. Luckily, since it was within one year, they fixed the problem under parts warranty. Now, 4/11/2012, I couldn't turn my vehicle off again and was late to work trying to remove the key. I had to leave the car running, and my husband drove to my job, got in the car, drove it home, and had to remove wiring to shut it off. I called Saturn Customer Care and have to take the vehicle into the nearest dealership. I have to pay for the diagnostic, and so on and so forth.

I am upset. This is ridiculous. Once this problem is fixed, I am trading in my vehicle; someone else can deal with this problem. I want to know if I can sue. I will even settle for them just buying the car back from me, so I can buy a new car. I just can't deal with the headaches, time, and money anymore. Anyone with these issues, I suggest calling Saturn Customer Care at 1-800-553-6000. You shouldn't have to pay out of pocket.

I purchased my 2003 Saturn Ion used, and since the day I bought the car, I have had nothing but problems. I have had to replace the ignition switch about 3 times. Now each time, I had to pay for it. I am getting so frustrated, and I am very dissatisfied. I will never purchase another GM car in my life, and I will tell all of my friends and family to never purchase a GM car again. I will never purchase another Saturn in my life either. I just wish someone would help me with this issue. It seems like whoever I talk to does not want to help. Maybe, I need to get an attorney and see what they have to say. I do not feel safe driving my car, especially with my kids. And the worst part is that I still owe on this car that just gives me problems.

This is the fifth time a transmission has gone out on our 2004 Saturn Ion that we purchased brand new. The last one was a year and six months ago. They now refuse to fix it, only offering $5000 off a new GM vehicle if we surrender the car. Not only can we not afford a new car, but why would we want to purchase another GM vehicle when we have to fight them every time we need them to fix their mistake? We cannot trade in the vehicle for a used car because we can't get anything out of it with a broken transmission. That's not fair for us since we didn't install the faulty variable transmission in all these vehicles. We suggested what we feel is fair: them buying the Saturn back with the Kelly Blue Book value. They refuse. They say they will not fix the car because it will continue to break (which again is their fault) and will only offer $5000 off so they can still make a profit out of us. We have had to fight them tooth and nail every time we needed the transmission fixed. All they care about is money. They have no problem selling faulty vehicles and then they don't stand behind them.

For this past year, I have been battling with my 2004 Ion. First, it started with having a hard time starting in colder mornings. Then it took longer and longer to get it going. Finally, I took it in and spent $1,000 for a new timing belt and it was fine for a short while. I took it in again and spent another grand on a new ignition. Within 48 hours of that service, my key has gotten stuck in the ignition and would not allow the car to be turned off. After reading about all these other people suffering for something that is not our fault is complete **. This has convinced me to not ever buy a GM product again. I thought I was doing the right thing by buying an American product to support jobs but this is horrible.

I have had to replace the ignition key & tumbler and housing twice in the last 5 years because my key gets stuck in the ignition and the car will not turn off. The last time I did this was in August 2010. Now, it is starting again. When I put my car into park the car will shut off, but it takes me about 10 minutes to get the key out. I have to restart, back-up, pull forward, rinse & repeat. It hasn't reached the point yet to where the car won't turn off but I know it is near in the future since this is how it started the other two times. I really can't afford another $600 to get this fixed again. This is a constant problem yet GM will not issue a recall to help the owners out. I will never ever again buy another GM product. This is frustrating! Does anyone happen to know of a class-action lawsuit that may be in the works? If so, please share.

My Saturn Ion 2006 won't turn off. The key is stuck in the ON position. I came home from work late last night and tried to turn my car off and the key wouldn't turn off. Because it is manual transmission, my mom just popped the clutch and killed the car so we could go to bed. I started researching this problem online and the amount of complaints is unbelievable. Why hasn't there been a recall on this issue? Can someone please tell me what it takes to prompt a recall?

As has happened to many Saturn owners, our 2006 Ion's ignition has locked up. I can't pull the key out or shut the car off. I have called a Chevy dealer and they are not covering this under warranty or recall at this time. This will be a $300 repair and has been happening to thousands of people. This problem should be covered by a recall. We had to replace lock housing, and cylinder and reprogram.

Like everyone else, the ignition lock failed on my 2007 Saturn Ion. Unlike everyone else, I was able to provide a reasonable, to me, solution for free. Simply remove the cover under the steering column. Disconnect the green wiring harness and the car shuts off. When you want to drive again, just plug it back in and turn the key. My car has been running this way for over a year. Good luck.

Problem #1: Ignition key not returning to off to be able to remove it. My dad removed the 1" square access panel on the bottom side of the steering column cover (right under cylinder) so I would be able to push the release button.

Problem #2: Key goes in ignition but won't turn. Dad looked at it but it's too intermittent to diagnose. Still works with some additional tries so far.

Problem #3: Key goes in and turns and everything lights up but no engine rotation. This problem seems more prevalent when the temps fall below 40 degrees F. Dad looked at it but it's too intermittent to diagnose. Still works with some additional tries so far.

Question: Is there not an ignition that GM builds from another car that doesn't have these problems that is compatible with the '05 Saturn Ion?

I own a Saturn Ion level 2, and today, my car got stuck in the on position. I could not get the key out or shut the car off. I had to take the neg wire from battery to shut things down, but the key is still in the ignition switch. What is going to be done for all of us that owns this car? And in this economy where it is sink or swim, eat or die, now we all have to worry about this problem which is very costly.

Who is going to help us all out? There are a whole lot of people with the same problem, so obviously, there is a major problem here with our cars. Someone has to take some action for us. Who is going to help us? Do I have to keep putting the neg wire back on just to drive, take it off to shut it off? Come on. Someone somewhere must be in position to take this problem on because like myself and others, we are all spent out and cannot keep paying for a problem that is a problem with the manufacturing of this car!

So, can anyone tell me where to start and how to fix this bucket of plastic? Class action suit. seems to me, should happen but they are no longer in business, so who do you sue? Not to mention, I still owe 2 years of payments on this car. Wow! They said it is the ignition lock cylinder but it comes with no key. So how the heck do you start your car if you get a new one? Does anyone know what to do? Help!

I went to the Saturn dealership to get my oil changed and they charged me. I bought this with the lifetime oil lube and filter included in the price. The service technician informed me that they don't honor that anymore. My question is, "Where was the letter to the owners of Saturn Ions?"

The next point I would like to make is about the ignition switch. This point was brought up to the Saturn dealership as well. No response. Crappy service=GM. This is the last GM product I will own!

Like many of the complaints above, I also had a problem with the ignition lock. I was going out to dinner, parked my car, but when I went to turn off the vehicle, they key wouldn't turn. I called AAA, and the rep who was dispatched asked if it was a Saturn Ion (it's a 2007 Ion with about 65K miles on it), which was interesting to me. He said my best bet was just to take it right to the dealership. When I parked it outside the GM dealership and went in to explain the problem, they too asked if it was a Saturn. Clearly this problem is more wide-spread than I thought. Both the AAA rep and the mechanics at the dealership are aware this is an issue with Saturn vehicles.

At the end of the day, they're replacing the Ignition lock cylinder and housing for $540. I called GM/Saturn to file a complaint, seeing as everyone seems to know this is an issue and there are hundreds of documented cases on this site alone. I was told I'll get a call back next week because they are currently updating their system that deals with manufacturer defects/recalls and special considerations given regarding such issues. I'm assuming they'll tell me I'm SOL, but here's hoping. I'll provide an update when I hear back from them.

Almost a year ago, the throttle body on my 2005 Saturn Ion became gummed up and I had to take it in for service. The throttle body was not a major fix but once my car was at the shop, it turns out a totally unrelated issue occurred as the ignition switch broke or the shop mechanic broke it and that needed to be replace before they were able to determine that the throttle body was only gummed up, a $50 fix but the ignition switch was $200 plus! And guess what is now acting up?

I can't get into the car and turn the ignition switch on the first turn 100% of the time. Mind you, there has been only one key on the key ring since the change last year, as to make sure there was no added stress on the ignition switch. I am going to have to take the car in again for the ignition switch because the problem is getting worse and worse. It seems only a matter of time before I won't be able to turn the ignition switch to start my car. There definitely seems to be a flaw in the ignition switch on the 2005 Saturn Ion. When will there be a recall to correct this and what do we do in the mean time? Keep paying $200 plus?

This ignition problem is obviously a manufacturer's defect, please help. I purchased this car for my daughter going to college. I do not have the money to fix a car that is falling apart at no fault to us.

Wow, I must not get out much. I had no idea that "every" other Saturn owner was experiencing the same ignition switch problem! What the ****! Mine was replaced by a Saturn dealer a couple of years ago and now experiencing the same problem again. My windows no longer go down. My power steering is out. I think I purchased an overpriced, plastic "Barbie" car!

Have a 2006 Saturn Ion 3 with about 58K miles. Loaned it to father-in-law for the weekend. He calls to tell me he can't turn it off. Drives to GM dealer, who pulls fuse to turn off car. Two days later, I get the call that it will cost $600 to fix ignition. How do we get GM to own up to this obvious recall issue with the Saturn ignitions! Any lawyers out there?

For the second time in less than 4 months, my key has gotten stuck in the "on" position, and I have not been able to turn off my Saturn Ion 2006. The first time, I spent nearly $350.00, to have the entire ignition (numerous parts) replaced. This second time, the mechanic has had the car for two days, and is still trying to resolve the issue. The cost is yet to be determined. This is both unacceptable and dangerous. With Saturn out of business, someone needs to be held accountable, as I have read in this forum, numerous other complaints, either similar, or identical.

My 2006 Saturn Ion with only 43,500 miles on it would not start because of not being able to turn the key. I had to be towed to the GM dealer. They replaced the ignition housing and cylinder at the cost of $413.00. It's still acting up somewhat when I try to turn the key, it seem to stick somewhat. I just hope it keeps starting the car. After reading all the complaints about the same problem, I think it's about time there was a recall on this problem. I am going to call the consumer affairs department of Saturn at 1-800-553-6000, I found this number online. I hope everyone who reads this also calls this same number.

In June 2011, my 2007 Saturn Ion would not turn off. I took it into Firestone and it was the ignition lock cylinder. It was broken. Firestone replaced it for $222. I wrote GM and told them about this problem. I received a return call from them stating that since there was not a recall on this problem, there was nothing they could do. In December 2011, same issue, car would not turn off. Firestone replaced ignition lock cylinder again. I had to pay $7 for the new key. Cylinder lock under warranty.

Today, 1/18/2012, same problem, car would not turn off. I took it back to Firestone and they are at a loss for words. They told me they do not know what could be wrong. They said maybe the first two cylinder locks had manufacturing problems but they can't believe it would happen a third time. I went online and there are many complaints about Saturn ignition locks. Now that Saturn no longer exists, apparently GM will not take any responsibility. I have been very lucky that the three times this has happened, it has been during Firestone's business hours.

My 2003 Saturn Ion has developed the same ignition lock, and not starting problems, in the last 6 months.

I have a 2005 Saturn Ion. I have had the same problem with my car for over a year. I have not brought it in because I do not have the money to get it fixed then have the problem happened again. I am fed up with this car. I will be trying to call the dealership. There needs to be a recall on this problem!

Also just recently I have had problems with it shutting off. It did it twice to me in 1 day-- when I coasted to a safe spot, I put it in park, shut it off and it wouldn't start for at least 5 minutes. I am not sure what is going on. If anybody else has problems with this, can you please email me or something. We all need to do something about these problems we keep having.

**.com. I want to hear about similar problems.

Three months ago the key got stuck in ignition. The case around the cylinder broke and a part got stuck in the cylinder, resulting in $650 of repair. Yesterday, the key got stuck again. Now a tiny metal part that protects the tumbler springs broke. But since those parts were new, they were on warranty. The consequence is $650 of repair plus gas.

It's the same for me. I own a 2006 Saturn Ion where the ignition locked, and I couldn't stop my car. The only way to stop it was to "stall it". It was 11 pm. No garage is open at that time. I made a complaint to GM. They called me and said to go to a dealer to see if it's not related to the power steering because they have a recall on that and of course at my own expense. I already know that it's not so it's going to cost me over $100 just to confirm that "sorry, it's not related to that". They told me to "call us back if it's not and we'll see if we can help you." I'm a single mom, I don't have $600 to get my car fixed because after reading all the reviews, it seem to be a very expensive repair. So please go on GM/Saturn and make a complaint. Maybe they will make recalls about it if everyone makes them aware of the problems because at first I called a few dealers and they all seem to be very surprised at this problem. No one has ever heard about this kind of problem.

I have a 2005 Saturn Ion 3 that I bought new. It has been a great car. In April of 2011, I went to start my car and it would not start. I turned it off and tried to take the key out of the ignition and it would not move. It was stuck in the ignition and I could not get it to do anything. On January 4, 2012, I tried to start my car and it would not start.

On the first incident, I had it towed to Firestone who has done all the work on my Saturn 2005 Ion 3 since the warranty expired. The steering wheel column had to be removed to get the key out of the ignition and the battery was replaced. On the second incident, I had it towed again to Firestone. The mechanic was able to start it. He began to research problems with Saturns and found the ignition problem. He advised me to take it to Saturn for an ignition replacement.

I have a 2005 Saturn Ion Quad Coupe. I had issues off and on for a couple years from miles 50,000 - 90,000. Currently at 105,000 miles and the last 15,000 miles, the ignition stops at ACC and is locked every single time I turn off the car. I wait and hope every time that my key will come out, but held hostage by the lockout until a miracle occurs and the ignition releases the key without rhyme or reason. Sometimes this takes 1 - 10 minutes. Makes it difficult to valet or go anywhere with friends!

It looks like I am one of many who own a 2003 Saturn Ion where the ignition lock cylinder locks up & can't remove key. It happens many times, twice this week. I went to the auto store & got a new cylinder. I tried to put in it, but now the key goes in & out easily but the whole cylinder will not turn at all, so the car cant be started! I'm going to have to tear apart the steering column maybe. I don't want to have to buy another new part costing $84+ tax especially since the new parts probably are defective also. It does absolutely no good to buy the new part & it doesn't work when you install it.

Since now the cylinder is completely stuck & doesn't move at all, I can't even use the car! I have to carpool my wife to her job etc, and can't afford to buy another car. Since Saturn & GM knows about all the Saturn owners having this same problem, there needs to be a major recall and a class action suit to repay all the owners for the expenses they incur because Saturn/GM stopped making new cars, and the local GM mechanics, etc. just throw up their hands and say 'sorry'! This is a consumer nightmare.

I have 07 Ion with 30000 miles. Also, I am a mechanic for last five years. I had the ignition lock problem last night when I got home. It seems to be a recurring problem and needs to be addressed by GM. This is a costly problem for most and could result in a bigger issue such as theft. Do not hesitate to call your local dealership and raise hell!

I have a 2003 Saturn Ion and just spent $649 to have the ignition switch replaced. The light would constantly come on and the key would get stuck and it would lock up on me. This has been going on for about 2 years. It stopped for about a year and then about 2 weeks ago it started up again. When I took it in for repair, I had to go to the dealer. I found out this happens to most Ions. This is unacceptable. And he said he would not be surprised if I am back in 6 months. What can be done if anything? This just does not seem right, other than selling my car. But I cannot afford a new one. Please help!

My wife got a 2003 Ion 2. It is automatic transmission but no power. The ignition key would not turn all the way off, many times. We tried all the items in sequence, different ways (i.e. emergency brake, transmission in park, seatbelt on/off, you name it. Sometimes it would turn off and come out, but mostly not. I found in the manual I could press the "electronic park actuator plunger" button under the steering wheel, and then the key would turn back to off and, removal could occur. This is in the "features and controls" section of my manual page 95.

It must mean the "park" position of the transmission lever is not making contact with another switch? Another person here said this same thing; "Emergency release of key: remove a small round plastic plug on the underside of the steering column housing, just right off the center. Using a finger, find a metal contact inside and above the plug, that when pressed to the left, will release the key for removal. This is done every time I leave the car, and obviously keeps me from loaning my car to anyone". It has caused a lot of trouble.

My fiance has a 2002 Saturn SC2 with low mileage (43,891). I just went outside to check the mileage in order to submit this complaint like so many others and now the key will not come out. The motor turns off but will not release the key. Here is the real safety issue. I can pull the shifter from park through all of the gears without stepping on the brake petal! The car is parked on a hill and anyone can pull the shifter and let it roll down the hill! The problem has just recently started to exist since the temperature has gone below about 40 degrees. The car was in like "showroom" condition when purchased about 3 years ago.

Well, I had my car repaired at my expense, but after submitting a complaint, I was able to get them to offer me a refund of at least something and give me an extended warranty. I urge everyone with with any kind of car problems to contact GM/Saturn and make the problem known. Maybe there will be more recalls if everyone makes them aware of the problems.

I tried to go to our 9 pm service Christmas eve but could not get my Saturn Ion 2006 to start, or even to turn the key. This is the fourth time this has happened. I have replaced the battery and gone to a mechanic three times and am now stuck.

Last night after stopping at a local store, I attempted to turn my 2006 Saturn Ion off. The key would not move backwards and therefore, I could not remove it from the ignition slot. Obviously, I was unable to turn the car off. Since it was about 6:30 when this happened, I tried a couple of auto parts stores, but they found the problem strange. Finally, I drove it to a certified dealership for them to keep overnight. Today I found out that the key, cylinder, and housing would need to be replaced for $650.00! I am the only one earning money for my kids and myself. The consequence is that I do not feel I can afford a new car, so I am stuck paying for a problem that perhaps should be officially recalled. I can tell from this website that I am not the only one with the problem.

I own a 2007 Saturn Ion that I purchased new. It has 48,000 miles on it. I went to work one day and my car wouldn't turn off and the key wouldn't come out. I drove it to my mechanic who had never heard of the problem. He had to replace the ignition, cylinder, and housing for $450. I called the place I bought the car and they quoted a price of $1,100 - $1,300. He also said that with their experience with this problem sometimes they only had to replace two of the parts and might be able to do it for $600. Obviously, it had happened a lot. I would like to know what it takes to get a recall or reimbursement. If anybody has any suggestions, I would love to hear them. I don't know what to do to start a class action suit. I also had to replace my radiator in June because Saturn doesn't put a guard under it to stop the rocks from hitting it. It took $550 to replace it.

Key would not come out of the ignition. Could not shut car off and ran into the same issue. When I spoke with GM, they had never heard of this problem. After giving them my VIN #, I was told there were 2 to 3 recalls for my car but nothing for the ignition problem. The person from GM then got a GM dealer from Austin on the phone with me who proceeded to tell me if I bring it in for $115 they will hook it up to figure out what was wrong. I have got an estimate for approx $400 to fix it. I was told the ignition was about $60 but if the housing is bad that adds another $160, $50 for a new key and programming. Besides the fact that they have to be replaced with the same defective GM parts and that it can happen again at any time.

On December 13, 2011, I went to church at 6:15PM and my 2006 Saturn Ion would not turn off. I started freaking out. I called the local GM dealership but they closed at 6PM. I then left the church parking lot and went to my neighbor's house because he is a mechanic. He told me to pull the fuse to the injectors and disconnect the battery when I got home then bring it to the dealership in the morning. I brought my car to the dealership this morning and I am waiting on answers.

My 2004 Ion has major issues with the ignition system, even a junk yard part costs 250-300 dollars, and I have to put it in. This is a known manufacturer's problem that has not been recalled by GM.

I am never going to buy another GM product and I will spend my hard-earned money on a Ford vehicle. I would like to sue GM Corporation for not doing the right thing and repairing/fixing this known manufacturer's problem. I, however, have limited funds to do so. I am a firm believer in "what goes around, comes around."

I have a 2006 Saturn ION with only 60K miles and it has been in the shop for manufacturer defects 3 times already. I paid 200 for the ignition lock in May since the key will get stuck and I could not turn car off. I am a single parent with kids and it was scary when your car is stuck. I also paid $300 for a new camshaft actuator and selenoid. Now in December another valve malfunctioned and I called customer service and they gave me the run-around.

I dealt with a district specialist named Vince and one named Drew and they both laughed at me and told me I am out of warranty since it's past the 5 year mark and there is nothing they can do even though the dealer told them on the phone that it's a manufacturer defect. I was told by Drew from Saturn, "Sorry, these things happen" They had promised to give me at least a 10% discount and the dealership told me that they had no documentation. They never returned my calls. I have paid over $1000 out of my pocket for manufacturer defects and this car only has 60k. It keeps failing—valve, keys, fuel pump. Help.

I had the ignition replaced in May, 2011. Now that the weather is getting cold, my car has refused to start twice. This is more of a safety issue than not being able to get the key out of the ignition. When is the government going to step in? I haven't taken it to the dealership, but I am expecting a grand run-around while they try to bully me into paying for something they've known is a problem.

The ignition switch I can put the key fine on it, but when it comes to take it, it gets stuck. I'm just frustrated with it. It's just so ridiculous that i have to sit in the car and wait until I heard a clicking sound on the steer wheel column. And now with the winter, if the temperature is low like approximately 20s degrees Fahrenheit, the car won't start at all. I believe myself the company should take the action and responsibility over this. About most of the people who owns a Saturn got the same issues.

I just had an experience where I could not turn the key backward to turn off. It was a very scary situation. I had to find someone to show me how to pull a fuse and then disconnect the ground cable to the battery so as not to run the battery down. The key is left in the on position. It looks like many people are dealing with this and I was told that this is a Saturn/GM issue. Has anyone found recourse to correct this very common occurrence with these vehicles?

Same as all of the rest. Key will not come out of the ignition. I had to stall the car to kill the engine and unplug a harness to kill elec. I would love to talk to a lawyer if they don't take care of this issue with a recall. I have not taken it in yet. I will not pay for a problem they made. I have removed the plastic under the steering wheel; only 1/2 would come off due to my key being stuck in the ignition. I unhooked the green harness this way. I can still use the car. I risk it being stolen with the key stuck in the ignition, but that would be a gift from God.

I have a 2004 Saturn ion and have trouble getting my keys out of my car. Sometimes, I have to sit there for more than 5 minutes fiddling with the key and the shifter so it registers that the car is parked. I also have a difficult time getting the car to start, especially when the temperature gets below 40 degrees. The battery has been checked multiple times but does not seem to be the issue.

I am at a complete loss with my 2004 Saturn Ion. I am having issues with the ignition, check engine light, cooling system, and my power windows. I do not know what to say other than I am completely unsatisfied with it. I rid myself of the last vehicle due to the headaches with it and got myself into another costly disaster. I am a single mother of two, full-time student, and work full-time and it's draining my bank account every time I turn around.

We have had our 2005 Saturn Ion for three years. Nothing but problems! Two months into owning the car, I was leaving to take my daughter to school and the security light came on and would not let me start my car. It took ten minutes to start. I had the ignition replaced and only two months later, it happened again. I took it in again and they told me they didn't see any problems with it. I took it home and now, we have programmed ourselves to leave the house 10-15 minutes earlier to make sure the car will start. Right now, at this very moment, my car will not start. It has not started at all today, I tried numerous times but nothing.

When I turn the key, the security light flashes and the engine light comes on too. The dealership doesn't have any open appointments till Tuesday and now are down to one car. Starting tomorrow, I will get to wake my children up at 4am to take my husband to work in Roseville. Ridiculous! How can a dealership be able to stay in business selling faulty vehicles and never have to recall any of the major, not to mention, extremely dangerous problems? An attorney, class action lawsuit? Enough is enough. Maybe after that, then maybe GM will actually do their job and fix the problems that obviously exist.

Spring 2011, we bought a 2007 Saturn Ion2 from a local dealer. I noticed that there was a lot of complaints about the ignition switches. I asked the dealer about it, he said he "hasn't heard any of it". The car had 80,000 miles but was in excellent condition. The key switch did stick occasionally, we were told to get another key made. I told them if I have a problem with this, I expect them to fix it at their expense. All they said was, if it fails within the 30 day warranty they will replace it. The switch is now locked up. I get the bill. What crap. Saturn should be held liable for using known defective switches.

I am literally fed up with Saturn. I have been having all sorts of problems with this car, from the key being stuck in the ignition, to the car not starting anytime the temperature is below 50 degrees, to the car stopping in the middle of the traffic. I have notified Saturn and even payed them before they went out of business, to fix this problem and yet it still exist. I have contacted the BBB and was stated that nothing could be done because I was past the warranty and lemon laws for the state of TN.

Someone needs to help us. Within an hour, I have read about 20 complaints. Does it take that many complaints to get attention about these cars? This is horrible. I'm so upset with Saturn, GMC, and BBB, for not supporting their customers.

I have a 2004 Saturn ION and my key kept getting stuck in the ignition. One day, I came home and could not shut my car off. I was just getting home from taking my daughter to the doctor because of a temperature of 103 (plus it was also 90 outside) so instead of taking her in my house to let her rest, we went to the mechanic. Fortunately, I didn't take it to a Saturn dealership, where I would have been way over charged. I went to the local mechanic where I paid $300 to get the key out of the ignition and have a new ignition installed.

Obviously, this is not just a fluke and Saturn needs to pay for the repair. Now, neither of my windows will go up or down either; one stopped and then three months later, the other. I don't know why Saturn is not around anymore.

After having the car for less than a year, my key got stuck in my ignition. It took a mechanic to show me how to pull the plug on the ignition cylinder lock. Currently, I am homeless and my car is all I have. Obviously, if I cannot afford a roof over me or my children's head, I cannot afford to have this problem fixed by anybody! I am not the only one that has experienced this problem, and I feel like suing GM for making such a stupid piece of ** plastic car! Not only is the key stuck in my ignition, but the fuel line is just hanging underneath my car. The windows won't work sometimes, and the car sounds and shifts like an old manual 4-cylinder engine! Way to go Saturn on ** up a car so bad that GM didn't even want to continue the Saturn car models!

I have been battling the same issue with the ignition lock - I can't get the keys to come out immediately. I had the ignition lock cylinder and the ignition switch both replaced but still my keys are getting stuck in the ignition. This is making me so angry because I'm still making payments on a 2005 Saturn Ion where I've got an extreme case of anger developing because of the manufacturing malfunction.

I have a 2005 Saturn Ion 3. The key won't release from the ignition when I shut the motor off. I have to sit in the car and keep trying to remove it, or wait a few minutes until I hear a thud in the column before it will release. I had a 1993 Saturn, and it had the same key release problem. Saturn should have found a remedy or upgrade to this problem by now.

For the past 12 months I have been experiencing some starting problem with my 2005 Saturn Ion. Sometimes, I put the key in the ignition and turn it and the car does not start. However, after taking the key out and waiting between 7 and 10 minutes and trying to start, it starts without any problem.

As mentioned, this problem has been going on for the past 12 months. So today, after reading some of the blogs and a posted phone number (**), I decided to call, the lady answering the phone was very polite and helpful. She called a buick dealership and got the service person on the phone. I asked this person if he had ever heard of this problem and he acknowledged that he did not. But after pressing further, he admitted that he had heard of this problem but need the car to further troubleshoot the problem and that they will charge a fee to do.

I'll wait and see what happens. I am not ready to contact an attorney yet.

My 2005 Saturn Ion with 12,000 miles has problems with the ignition switch that will not turn off. I had service on this problem three times. I never know when the key will stick and I cannot turn the motor off. I am 82 years old and do not want to buy a new vehicle. I do not want to pay $550 dollars to have it repaired for a manufacturer's defect.

It was the second time the key locked, and I was unable to remove it. The first time it happened at 9,000 miles; I was over one hour from home, and drove back home. I pulled the fuse, and it was towed to the dealer. It was under warranty, and the ignition replaced. The second time it happened it was at 37,000 miles. I was in the parking lot for doctor's appointment when it happened. I missed the appointment. I drove to the dealer, and they replaced the ignition. I paid for labor only, but am going to ask GM to pay for that too. It was very stressful and scary. The comments are that this is a defective part.

I own a 2005 Saturn Ion. I love this car but the ignition lock issue is a big concern. I have been battling this ignition lock for years. I took it twice to the Saturn dealer in 2007. They first said it was the ignition cylinder and then they said it was the ignition switch. It was neither. Fortunately, my warranty covered the service. There is a sensor in the shifter that indicates that the car is in park. Through my trials and errors, if you are parked on a flat angle, inclined or declined, the shifter is not allowed to engage fully into the park position and your key will remain locked up.

A huge pain and I have sent my complaint to the FTC but have not heard anything. Don't bother taking it in anymore. Start the vehicle, shift it out of gear and put it back in park. Shut off the vehicle or move the car to a different parking spot (flat, inclined or declined). To know if it's engaged or not, you will hear a clicking sound coming from the steering column once you have pressed the brake and put it into park. What a pain and a serious hazard!

My 2005 Saturn ignition switch will not release, leaving the key unable to be removed and unable to restart the car. This is a failure of the security system that is designed to delay the key release for 20 seconds. The timing is off. It may take minutes or never!

Emergency release of key: Remove a small round plastic plug on the underside of the steering column housing, just right off the center. Using a finger, find a metal contact inside and above the plug, that when pressed to the left, will release the key for removal. This is done every time I leave the car, and obviously keeps me from loaning my car to anyone!

This is an obvious part failure by Saturn, and needs to be addressed by GM. Do we have enough angry Saturn owners with malfunctioning ignition switches to initiate a class action?

Like everyone else, my key got stuck in the ignition and would not turn off. I had to unplug the battery and take the fuse out to get my car off. I would also like to be involved in a class action suit against GM because I don't believe that we should be responsible for their faulty parts not working. I should not have to worry about if my car will turn off or not. That should be recalled and corrected.

For the 3rd time now, my '06 Saturn Ion will not allow me to turn the key past "on" to attempt shutting off the car. I had a mechanic friend "fix" the problem the first time by removing the ignition lock and realigning the solenoid. When it happened again, he replaced the tumbler. Now that it has occurred a third time, within 2 years of owning the vehicle, I am furious.

The key stuck in the ignition. It cost over $400 to get it fixed. This should be a recall. I contacted the manufacturer and they have never responded. Currently, the car is in the shop because it is shifting as if it is manual transmission, when it is an automatic. Then, it just quit working totally. The 2007 Saturn Ion was purchased in 2007.

Last year, my key got stuck in the ignition and I paid $800.00 dollars to have a new ignition in Aug 2010. Now, I'm having the same problem again. I brought it to the dealer who said that there was no problem. They lubricated the ignition and the key came out.

Now, two weeks later, I'm encountering the same problem. I cannot believe that there is no recall on this. I refuse to keep paying for the same ** problem. Apparently, I was not the only consumer with this problem with the 2007 Saturn Ion. It was crazy and expensive to keep repairing it. The dealer informed me that the part has a one-year warranty. Either the U.S. makes crappy parts or there is a major issue with this.

I have a 05 Saturn with 45,000 miles. When the ignition key is turned off, it cannot be removed nor can I restart the car. It appears to be a failure of the security lock system installed on the 05 car.

Check your auto manual. The key is supposed to release after about twenty seconds.

I have a 2003 Saturn Ion. This is the second time that the ignition has locked. I got the car in 2007 and in 2009, it locked. It was still under warranty so I took it in and had to pay $50 for them to look at it. They replaced the ignition and the cylinder. It is now 2011 and I am having the same problem. I just got it replaced last week for $175. My car is no longer under warranty so I had to pay out of pocket, not to mention that I no longer have a job and I am still making payments. After getting it fixed last week, it started getting stuck again today. I will be filing a complaint and will be calling Saturn tomorrow. I hate this car now and I will never get a Saturn or GM ever again!

About 6 months ago, my key would not turn all the way to the off position and slide out. The mechanic stated that it was the shift solenoid and ignition. Now 6 months later, my car wont turn off. I would put it in park and try to turn the key to the off position but the key would not budge. I have to disconnect the ignition fuse to turn the ignition off and then disconnect the battery cable so the battery won't die.

I bought my wife a brand new 2007 Saturn Ion. I have had it back in dealer service 4 times, with no solution to key getting stuck in the ignition. I have finally given up. I will have to sit in the car for up to 10 minutes until the car decides to release the key, as if it has a mind of its own! Very frustrating!

Key was stuck, it won't turn to full off. I can't get power to fully turn it off.

My mother purchased a 2007 Ion and has had problems with the ignition --trying to get the key out of it! She took it to the GM dealer and they said nothing was wrong. She has 3,500 miles only on it and it is not covered under warranty now because of the years. Still, the problem is going on. GM should be made responsible for the repairs! What can be done?

They said it was the key; the tumblers were bad, and they re-keyed it. The Saturn still locks up, and cannot get the key out. Another problem is it would not steer the other day. I waited for a while then it steered just fine, and drove home. How do we get a recall on this issue? You buy a car and pay a lot of money, and then it has no reliability. I am concerned about going anywhere using a car that will just get me stranded.

I went out of town in my 2006 Saturn Ion. While I was there, I could not turn the ignition off on my car. The key was stuck and would not turn back so I could turn the car off. Thank God, I had a spare key in my purse and was able to lock the car and leave it running. I had a few things to do in town, so my car was on for 6 hours or more. I just had to make sure that I had enough gas in it. I just found out that it's going to cost me $300 to have this problem fixed.

Same as most of you, my key got stuck in the "on" position, and would not come out. We asked a mechanic friend who said: Disconnect the ignition fuse (it's a tiny red fuse marked #10); if you are going to be out of your car for very long, go ahead and disconnect the battery as well. We've been driving our car like this for 2 months now, as we cannot afford a new ignition. This will get really inconvenient during rainy season. Please, Saturn...someone, anyone....Recall this so we can all get our cars fixed and get on with it! Please!

I am very disappointed that Saturn had not addressed my ignition/steering column problem. Yesterday, I got home from work and parked my Saturn, in the garage, only to discover that I could not turn it off and the key was locked in the ignition. Fortunately, it was early enough to get it to a garage, before they closed for the day.

Unfortunately, they have to take the whole steering column apart to get the key out. They plugged the button near the ignition, and did not release it. I would certainly like to see a class action law suit filed, against GM for not resolving this problem, as it seems to have been reported with IONS, for the last 7 years or so, as far as I can see. I just got the loan paid off, so the timing for the car to fall apart is coincidental.

This is the second time my ignition switch has locked up. I own a 2007 Saturn Ion Quad Coupe Manual and have almost paid off the darn thing. I have friends who can replace it just for cost of parts and a case of beer but this is ridiculous. Class action suit would be great for all the time and money spent on one part that is obviously faulty. I'm willing to do anything to get Saturn/GM to become responsible for their faulty ignition scheme.

2006 Saturn Ion got to work and could not shut my car off. I work at a jail so I could not go in and go on the internet to find the closest Saturn dealer, which I find out later is an hour away in Stockton. I took it to the first auto repair I found and it cost almost $700.00 to get it fixed. I am submitting my bill to Saturn, with a formal complaint to get this reimbursed. I see lots and lots of this happening and it should be a recall.

The 2006 Saturn Ion key gets stuck in the ignition. It will come out while in ACC position, but the key won't turn all the way back to off. I had no idea that this was a common problem. I am the only owner of this car. It now has 100,000 miles.

My wife was unable to turn off the engine on her 2006 Ion. The key was stuck in the ignition in the on position. She had to take time off work to take it to a mechanic. I'm surprised to see that this is such a widespread problem and there has been no recall. I will probably never buy another GM vehicle.

I have a 2005 Saturn; the ignition will not shut off. I have read all the other reports on here, and feel something should be done about this on going problem. My wife called me at work telling me that she could not turn the key to shut the car off. I had to call a friend; have him come over and pull the fuse, and disconnect the battery. Now we are short one car until I can fix this.

I bought my 2006 Saturn Ion with only 30,000 or so miles around this time last year. This past winter, it was constantly "not turning on". It would take me about 50+ tries in order for it to start. I took it to several trusted mechanics who couldn't find any problem at all. Now as I am waiting for a potential employer to call me back about a job, I have no vehicle. My transmission just stopped working! The gears change perfectly fine but drive, neutral, and first and second just don't do anything at all. But reverse works perfectly well.

The ignition problem is continuing with more problems than GM knows. There should be a recall because it is an ongoing problem with the 07 Ions. I just paid $400 for the repairs on my 07 for the ignition replacement and GM should be footing the bill.

It is happening all too often and most people will not report it.

I purchased an almost new 2008 Saturn Ion. Immediately I experienced mechanical problems. After taking it to the dealership, I found that the key was stuck and the engine wouldn't shut off. In the end, I would need to replace the ignition, the ignition module, etc. to the tune of over $800.

I had paid almost $10,000 into payments and haven't been able to drive the car for over two years. It just sits collecting dust.

My 2006 Saturn Ion would not turn off and the key was locked in the ignition. I am a nursing student and I missed a very important meeting due to this issue.

I drove to a Firestone and he said that he has fixed at least 50 Saturn Ions with this same issue this year. He also said due to Saturn parts being in an unorganized warehouse, it would take at least five to 10 business days until he would be able to receive the part. So I could be out of a car for possibly two weeks. And it will cost around $600 for repair and labor. I will also have to pay for a rental during this time!

Saturn and General Motors need to be held accountable if so many consumers are having the same issue! The key of my 2007 Saturn got locked in the "on" position and couldn't turn "off". I know other Saturn owners who have had the same problem; I found numerous complaints on the Internet.

I bought a brand new 2006 Saturn ION. Yesterday, the key decided to get stuck in the ignition. I couldn't twist it out so I eventually ended up yanking it out. I had to disconnect the battery so it wouldn't deplete as well.

The key of my 2007 Saturn got locked in the "on" position and couldn't turn "off." I know other Saturn owners who have had the same problem; I found numerous complaints on the Internet.

When I got home in my 2007 Saturn Ion, I couldn't turn the ignition off. I had to pull the ignition fuse to turn the engine off and disconnect the battery cable. After browsing the Internet, this seems to be a common problem which Saturn has not addressed.

I own a 2006 Saturn Ion 2, original owner. I will say I did not have any major issues with my car until I got home, tried to turn off my car when the ignition would not turn leaving the car running. After several attempts, the key just came out with the ignition still running.

I realized nothing would work, so I stalled the car, unplugged the battery and had it towed to a Saturn dealership. They "supposedly" replaced my ignition for $480 plus $140 for the tow. They said it's been a common problem with this year, make, model and mileage but they haven't recalled it yet.

I truly hope that if enough people complain about it, they will issue the recall and we can all get reimbursed for our hard-earned money.

The timing chain in my 2003 Saturn Ion snapped. It is a problem I noticed that was fairly common in these vehicles. My car showed no signs of having an issue, and then just shut off on the highway.

I have a 2007 Saturn Ion. Last year, during summer, I got in the car to go to work and my key would not turn in the ignition. So, I missed work, had to get a tow, and had to have the ignition lock/cylinder replaced on my car (that I am still making payments on). Now, a year later, my key keeps getting stuck when I try to turn the car off.

I've owned my Saturn Ion for 6 years. About 2.5 years ago I discovered that my key would get stuck in the ignition of the vehicle after turning the car off. The engine shuts off, but the power (lights and radio) remains on. I called Saturn and they told me to bring it in. At this time, I had driven about 58000 miles and was still under waranty. They acknowledged the issue (in writing) and said the entire ignition piece of the car had to be replaced. They also said they would have to order the parts. I took my car back while they ordered the parts. After about a month, I called asking when the part would be in because I hadn't heard anything. They told me "Oh, the part came in yesterday. You can bring the car back and we'll fix it." I brought the car back and since I was now over 60000 miles, they said I was no longer under warranty, and the job would cost more than $500. I argued that they documented the issue while I was still under warranty with no success.

The Saturn mechanic said I should have called for the part sooner, and that "if I had ordered a pizza and it was not delivered in an hour, would I not call before a month had gone by to check on it?" I told him he was full of it since he told me the part had "just come in yesterday". He then told me that I should have stopped driving the car to keep the milage under 60000. I told him it was my only car to which he responded "I would have paid to rent a car rather than pay $500 to have my car fixed." I told him had I known his willingness to pay, I would have called him and allowed him to rent one and pay the bill for me. Needless to say, I refused to pay for the work, and never got my car fixed. I took the complaint to corporate only to have the complaint "closed out" with no solution and no notification. I opened another one, and yet again got no solution. Eventually (after about a year of argument), they told me they would perform the job for $100 plus parts. I told them that Saturn would never get another dime of my money and did not take them up on their so-called "offer".

On 2007, Saturn Ion key got stuck in ignition and it will not come out. There are far too many complaints about this on the web to be a coincidence. There was nothing that would kill the ignition. Even disconnecting the battery does not kill the engine. That's a first. I have to pull out the fuel switch five hours later.

Wow, what if I were stuck in the middle of nowhere with a running car? How unsafe is that?

Saturn needs to make a recall on 2006 model of ION. My car keys normally gets stuck in the key ignition yet I have only owned my vehicle for a year. I can't believe this has gone out. I have reviewed comments about other owners of the same vehicle of the same year with the same problems which I think is a dealer issue. They have to recall these vehicles for these problems. I don't feel that the owner should be putting their hard-earned money in something that has factory defects. They need to be recalled. It is not very safe when you are unable to turn off your vehicle.

After having our Saturn Ion for nearly seven years, my wife drove the car to worship this morning with no problems. At 11:30 this morning she left to take our oldest child to church camp in Syracuse, Indiana and when she went to turn off the vehicle she found that it was a useless effort. The key was stuck in the ignition!

I have a 2006 Ion 3, last year at a doctor's appt the key got stuck in the ignition while the car was running and I could not get it out. I am a disabled grandmother of 2 young grandchildren and luckily they were not with me when this very frightening mechicanical break down occurred. I called On Star, they sent a tow truck and the driver was able to pull the fuse to the engine to shut off the car. The vehicle was still under the warranty and it cost me $100 for the deductable, but there is no price amount for how I felt going thru this experience in the parking lot and missing a very important appointment.

metal flakes, he said each time the key goes in the ignition peices of the key metal goes into the assembly.

Thank you so much for your posting of the plunger piece that I can push myself to release the key. I feel a great relief knowing that I am safer driving knowing this information.

I think it's terrible that Saturn allowed this very unsafe problem to go on.

I have a 2006 Saturn Ion 3. 2 weeks ago, I stopped to do some shopping and could not shut off the engine because I could not turn the key in the ignition. I had to disable the engine and have the car towed to the repair shop. Now it has happened again and I will have to have the car taken back to the shop and worked on for the same problem.

I have a 2003 Saturn Ion, a couple of days ago I drove by to check my mailbox and when I got back in my car found to my dismay, the key wouldn't turn in the ignition! Tried everything i could think of, turning the steering wheel, jiggle the key, tap the key, screaming and yelling... NOTHING! So one $34 parking ticket, 72 hour to tow notice, $26 new key from dealer, $55 tow to service shop, I am told the ignition cylinder and housing need to be replaced and the low, low price of $609!!! I was curious to find out if this was an average cost or if some shopping around was needed. I was quite shocked to find out SO MANY complaints about Ion ignition problems!

My problem was the key not turning & told a new cylinder, housing, and re-keying of my car is needed. I am terrified to spend this money for parts that seem faulty! Most complaints seem to be about the key getting stuck & not being able to turn the car off!!! This is what I have to look forward to?! Who can/will guarantee this won't happen to me? Who will be responsible for my safety & piece of mind? Let alone the damage to my checkbook?! I am appalled at the amount of complaints I have encountered & can't believe nothing is being done about it!! I need my car & will have to eat the cost & hope for the best. I can assure you, if I am the "victim" of faulty parts, you will hear from me again!

My 2007 Saturn Ion would not turn off and I could not get my key out of the ignition. I called AAA and when they came to my house, they said they couldn't disable my car and I would need to take it into a shop. It was after 5:30 pm and I eventually had my fianc disable my battery to get my car to shut down. The next day I had AAA tow my car to Subaru of Dayton.

My final bill was $598.18 to replace ignition cylinder. After looking online, I have seen numerous consumers that have encountered the same issue with no apparent recalls from Saturn. I am very troubled by this obvious defect in the car and I would most certainly be hiring an attorney had I crashed as a result of this problem. I am planning to pursue this further with other agencies as well.

I am reposting a comment from someone else since I met with wild success this morning following her advice:

"I visited this site a few days ago searching for answers to my dilemma of being unable to remove my key from the ignition of my 2005 Saturn Ion. My battery was dead, the electric trunk release button was inoperable, and the key to open the trunk where the battery is located was hopelessly stuck in the ignition. Reading through the feedback of others with this similar problem of the key not turning enough to remove from the ignition and the money spent on locksmiths and mechanics. Well, I went out to look a little more into my problem. I discovered a small removable panel that is located right underneath the ignition which I popped off. There I got a flashlight and looked up inside and saw assorted wiring along with a small white button (more over to the left side of the opening) that when pushed in to the right, as it is installed sideways rather than up & down, releases the key automatically. I feel this need to be addressed as I feel that many people are probably paying a lot of money out to locksmiths/mechanics that are simply pushing this button and then charging them for repairs that they really didn't do."

Thank you so much to the original poster of this comment. It cost me $500 for the same problem less than 6 months ago by a private mechanic. Since they showed us that the old ignition they removed, I don't think we were defrauded by them. It, however, had to be replaced once before by the Saturn dealership and because it was not under warranty at that point, cost me about $600. With the sleazy way, Saturn has handled this problem for so many complainants. I would not be at all surprised if at that time, I was defrauded. I'd be willing to bet that I probably was because Saturn would have to have known about this switch'!

That explains why, when I talked to Saturn this morning about the problem, before I fixed it in 10 seconds by myself, they insisted that I need take it to the dealership even though I told them that the parts/labor would be covered by my warranty from the other shop that did the work 6 months ago. The Saturn representative told me to take it to the Saturn dealership and pay $135 for diagnostic fee' and if they determined that it was Saturn's fault, they would reimburse me the fee and fix the car! I would love to get involved in a class action lawsuit because so many people have been out so much money by something that is basically, Saturn's fault!

In June of 2010, the ignition key in my 2007 Saturn Ion became stuck in the "on" position and I had to stall the car by popping the clutch. I had the vehicle towed to a GM dealer outside of Richmond and was told that I had too many keys on my key ring and that it put too great a strain on the ignition switch. The new ignition cost me $430 and apparently had nothing to do with my keyring.

Well, boy oh boy by the amount of complaints about the Saturn Ion ignitions & keys begin stuck, I'm not surprised that today it happened to me. I have a 2006 Ion 69,000 miles. Great car so far but came home and put it in park and slow and behold, my key wouldn't come out! Never seen anything like it ever. Had to take it to repair shop and they pulled the fuel pump fuse so the car wouldn't stay running. It of course had to occur after work and couldn't get a rental car, so I'm missing a day of work unpaid! In my case. Such **!

I purchased a 2005 Saturn Ion from their GM Saturn Dealership and have found it has a defective ignition lock. I noticed small problems in getting my key out of the ignition. When placing the vehicle in parking, turning the key to turn the car off and removing the key from the ignition have become a significant problem. After 50,000 miles, it started to occur more frequently. Now out of 10 attempts to take the key, if I can turn the car off, 5 times it will not release the key.

I have been living with the problem of the key not turning off far enough to be removed for a couple of years by pushing in the plunger in the steering column. They knew about this problem. Rather than fix it, they put a note in the manual about how to work around it temporarily. My Ion is a 2003 model. From what I've read here, the '06 and '07 models are the same. So they obviously made zero effort to address the problem.

Now I am having more and more trouble with the key, which refuses to turn from the off position when I try to start the car. The position of that little plunger seems to be irrelevant to this new problem and I am sure that I am going to be stranded somewhere with no way to start my car. I will also never buy another GM. Ever!

Unbelievable. I've had my Saturn Ion for 5 years. I'm about to be done paying it off and the ignition switch is locking, and I can't turn the car off. This is the 2nd time in two months time frame that this has happened. I'm appalled that this was never recalled. I'm even more upset that it has apparently happened to Every Ion Owner! Why wasn't this recalled? I cannot believe that I thought I would drive this car over 100,000 miles. I am so let down. GM, you are awful, but you did the right thing to close Saturn down.

My ignition turns off, but the key only goes half way back to ACC position. Then it takes from 10 seconds to 5 minutes before the key goes back, enough to come out. My engine does shut off. I did change the ignition and there is no real fix. If it helps anyone else. under the steering column there is a square plastic piece that can be pulled off.

Up inside the hole is a little plunger that you push toward the driver's door. That plunger will release the key all the way off. It may shut off the engine for people with the engine running problem. The manual tells of this plunger in it also. To fix it easily, take the screws off the steering column and wire or tape the plunger down permanently and the key will turn off every time. This is going to work as long as the plunger is in. Good luck!

I own a 2007 Saturn Ion 2 with just over 24,000 miles on it. And just my luck, my warranty expired 200 miles ago. The key won't come out when the vehicle is put in park and shut off. I see i am not the only one with this problem. I can't believe this wouldn't fall into a recall status. Luckily in the owners manual, I was able to read by popping a piece of plastic from under the the steering column and pushing on a plunger. This disengaged the key from the ignition.

From the hundreds if not thousands of other exact problem I see, this is a costly fix and even when repaired, this doesn't guarantee the problem won't happen again (which is why this should be a "recall"). Tomorrow after work I plan on contacting the Saturn dealership. If they are willing to replace the ignition parts and labor "no charge" I guess I can go on and continue my otherwise proud status of owning a Saturn. This is my second Saturn and I was extremely happy with my first. Still though, even this best scenario I'm stuck driving and sitting at the dealership while the problem is fixed. I will come back and post how this situation is handled.

I have a 2006 Saturn Ion and my car got stuck to the running position. I was told it would cost $400 so I found someone to fix it for me for $90 so when I went to get my car yesterday, he told me my wheel bearing was going out on the driver side. I only have 64,000 miles on the car.

18 months ago, I pulled my car into my mechanics garage because I was having problems with my key not coming out of the ignition switch after the car was off. When I attempted to shut off my car it would not turn off (luckily I was at my mechanics). After several hours and $600, I was on my way and trying to figure out what had happened. My car is only a 2005.

Well, as I sit here tonight I am currently waiting for my Saturn Ion to be returned to me after the third ignition switch is put in, costing about $700 this time. Thank you Saturn. No wonder you guys are going out of business. And also both of my front windows have fallen in, the electric motors to both windows have went out. I will never buy another Saturn or GM vehicle again.

When my driver side window fell in, my car was rained in before I knew the window was broken. When my passenger side window fell in my 10 year old and I had to drive to the dealership in 35 degree weather, because they would not tow it, I have had to sit in the car for several hours waiting to figure out how to shut it off so no one would would steal it. Besides routine upkeep. ( which has been done faithfully) I have spent over $3000 on repairs that I should not have to had done, due to this car being poorly made.

This past Friday September 3, 2010, the key in the ignition of my 2006 Saturn Ion got stuck in the on position and I was unable to turn off my car with the key! Luckily I have a manual transmission and at least could stall the car to kill the engine. I took the car to the GM service department (GM now services Saturns) to have it fixed, which they of course had to disconnect the battery so my battery wouldn't die while it sat and waited to be worked on.

After a few days, I was quoted $430 for the replacement of my steering wheel housing, key cylinder and labor. I previously researched this problem online and was horrified at how common it was for Saturn Ions! This is a terrible safety hazard and is not a normal maintenance issue! I complained to Saturn about it since there was no recall on this problem. They claimed they would not reimburse me since my car was no longer under warranty and there have been no recalls.

I would like to put together a class action law suit against Saturn for this problem because it is a very common occurrence for Saturn Ion owners and Saturn has not taken any responsibility for it. If you have had this problem, I implore you to make a complaint to Saturn so they can document the number of occurrences. But also help me to sign a class action law suit! This is ridiculous!

On a Tuesday afternoon, right after the Labor Day holiday weekend, my 2007 Saturn Ion would not turn off. The key was stuck in the ignition. I went to a local car repair shop near my job, and they couldn't figure it out. I called my roadside assistance through GEICO. They told me that my insurance did not cover any ignition problems.

I called at least three different dealerships, and just stayed on hold. I got through to one guy who recommended that I use a hammer. I took it to a local place near my house, because I knew that it was a major issue, and that I would probably have to walk home. They have no idea what was wrong. But the gentleman called a friend at a Saturn dealership and asked if there were any recalls. He said no, but acknowledged that many people were having ignition problems. Finally, I took it to another car repair place, and it cost me $487. I needed a new ignition and housing unit. Saturn should be ashamed of themselves. They knew about this problem, and just brushed it under the rug. I guess someone has to die or be seriously injured before they will recall the parts. That's disgusting! Don't buy a Saturn Ion.

I drove to the mall. The car could not be shut off. The key stayed in start position and would not allow me to stop the engine. I returned home and attempted to get help in order to know what to do. I researched the owner's manual and other Saturn complaints. After much frustration, we were able to pull a fuse and remove battery cables. Now I must have it towed for service and repaired! It was Labor Day so no one was working to help me! I will have to take care of the problem tomorrow.

I drove my car to the store and when I got home, the key would not turn off and is stuck in the on position. The car would not cut off at all. I have called many dealerships and they say that they have never heard of this problem. I attempted to call Saturn and was told that they no longer exist. I cannot drive my car at all because it is still in the on position. I have lost my job because this is my only form of transportation and no one will touch it.

I could not turn the key off to remove the relay and disconnect the battery. I had to buy a new ignition cylinder which cost me $105.00. Then I had to get a used to steering column that cost me $96.00. All I want from GM is $111.00 for the parts.

When we could not turn off the ignition on our 2006 Saturn Ion today. I frantically looked to the internet for a solution. I was mortified to see how many people have had the very same problem, hundreds, if not thousands. By the time I called GM, I had read so many complaints about the same issue. I was livid! My hubby tried pushing the button on the bottom of the steering wheel, and got nothing. He disconnected the battery and pulled the fuse, thanks to those of you who shared your solutions.

We were supposed to be sending our daughter to college in five days with this car. Now, she will have no car and we will have to let it sit until we have the money to fix it. We will be selling this car as soon as it is fixed and will never buy GM again. I am sickened by the lack of responsibility taken by GM to remedy this problem. I will also be talking to an attorney tomorrow and referring him to this website in an effort to get a class action suit started against GM. Although, since GM is now run/owned by the government, aren't they protected against lawsuits? Hmm....

This past Friday, my ignition lock cylinder broke. I took it to a local GM dealership and they told me they would have to order the parts and could have it fixed Monday or Tuesday at the latest. When I was quoted an estimate, the repair without the housing would be around $300, with the housing it would be about $600. Then I'm also paying $50/day for a rental car. The GM employee who I talked to at the dealership informed me that this is a reoccurring problem with Saturns and I found this to be true after doing research online. When I called and complained about how they were going to charge me for a faulty part installed in the vehicle, I was transferred to GM's corporate office.

After sitting on the phone with them for an hour, on hold for the majority of that time, they informed me that they are not willing to help me. The list of reasons they gave me were the dealership isn't familiar with this vehicle, it is past warranty, GM would have to pay out of their own pocket for parts/labor, the service manager of the dealership isn't willing to help out, and it isn't a recalled item. The corporate employee told me to check out NHTSA and file a complaint there, which is exactly what I intend to do.

I have owned my Saturn for four years, have 62,000 miles. I do expect problems to start coming up and I do not complain about having to pay for normal wear and tear on my vehicle. However, when it's something that occurs "more than once a week", which is how often the employee of GM told me he saw this, I am going to point out that this is a problem that needs to be dealt with. All that Saturn owners can hope for is that somewhere down the line, NHTSA will see this is a real problem and recall the part. But right now we have to deal with GM employees who do not want to pay out of pocket for a defective part.

'06 Saturn Ion. Key stuck motor wont turn off. Second incident in two years. This seems to be a frequent problem with Saturn owners. I watched my personal mechanic handle the problem. Much of the panels of the dash must be removed to get to the ignition cylinder and automatic gear shift. There is a thin strip of aluminum (1/4x3/4 in) that retains the spring mechanism of the ignition key and tumblers on the ignition cylinder. This had been previously remedied by Saturn Service using superglue to retain the aluminum plate. Complaints of this problem found on the net indicate that customers have been charged several hundred dollars in addition to new parts and locksmith charges which are not necessary and which end up in recurring problems when fixed with superglue.

I bought a new 2007 Saturn Ion, the same day that my twin sister did, from the same dealer. Within 1 week (last week for me, the week before for my sister) we both had the same problem. The key was stuck in the ignition and it was in the upper 90's outside. My tank was low on gas, and I couldn't get the key out or the car to stop running. So I tried opening the hood of the car and finding the fuse to stop the car from running, but burnt my hand in the process. Then I called Roadside Assistance.

They sent someone to tow my car to the dealer. It needed a new ignition lock and housing. I complained to the manager that the same problem happened to my sister a week before with the same make and model Saturn that was purchased from the same dealer as me on the same day and that I felt this was a flaw with the materials and didn't think it was fair I had to pay. They said they could give me the parts for free, but not the labor. So, I still had to pay $340. I think this presents a safety issue.

I googled the problem and found it's a common one with Saturn Ions. It's a safety issue because people can end up stranded in extreme heat or extreme cold or extremely dangerous areas of town. What if my elderly grandmother had been in the car with me and had to wait outside in 99 degree weather because the key was stuck in the ignition? I feel as though there should be a recall and that I should get all my money back. I am in the middle of playing "phone tag" with Saturn (the corporation, not the dealer) to try to get reimbursed for the cost of labor for my vehicle. $340 and having to get rides to work for several days. Burnt hand from trying to pull the switch to shut off my car because it was in the upper 90's and almost out of gas. I couldn't fill it up with gas while it was still running (the key was stuck in the ignition with it on, so it was impossible for me to turn the car on).

My 2007 Saturn Ion with only 34,000 miles on it got the key stuck in the ignition and my car was stuck running. It wouldn't turn off. I had to have the ignition lock cylinder and housing replaced and get new keys. When I searched the internet I saw this was a common problem, yet there has not been a recall. There needs to be a recall! This is unsafe. The ignition should never break, let alone after 34,000 miles. Getting the ignition lock cylinder and housing replaced and getting new keys was over $600. The corporate office is supposed to send me a check for $230 to cover parts, but not labor. There needs to be a recall! This is unsafe. The ignition should never break, let alone after 34,000 miles.

I am the owner of a 2004 Ion Saturn. Approximately 6 months ago, my car started having problems with the ignition sticking when I would attempt to start my car. I would turn the steering wheel, which would either lock or allow me to start the car. Unfortunately, for approximately a month, this has not been the case. Instead, I have had to jiggle the gear shift, pray and try to turn the key. After several minutes it will turn. Today, I decided to call the GM dealer and ask what it would cost to diagnose the problem.

I was quoted a price of almost a hundred dollars. After speaking with the GM dealer, I consulted my owner's manual and on page 2-25 and 2-26 it addresses "Shift Lock Release" to be used in case of dead or low voltage battery. Some of the complaints seem to lead to the same area that the manual gives instructions on how to remove your keys from the ignition. It seems to me that the company designed the car knowing that these problems would happen. What I can not understand is how GM mechanics are being paid for repairs that never should have been.

To be honesty with you, I am reluctant to take my car to the dealership and become part of a continuous repair mill. I think that they should be investigated whether they knew that the car would fail after a certain amount of time. Before I purchased my Saturn I owned a Suzuki Swift, which one day would start but would not allow me to shift it into gear. My brother who owned a Tracker told me to look on the panel where the gear shift was located for a small panel. He instructed to me to remove the panel and use a screw drive to adjust the gear shift. I looked in the manual and it gave the exact instructions on how to adjust the gear shift. I never had the problem again! Could someone post if they are having similar problems? I would hate for this to happen to someone at night while they are alone. I have not incurred any expenses yet, but I am sure I will.

I have a 2005 Ion bought brand new. In December of 2007, I could not get the key out of the ignition. They replaced the switch, part# 10392423. I had a control assembly, (I could not get the key out of the ignition again) floor shift replaced on 6/25/10, part# 15793389. On August 07, 2010, (I could not get the key out of the ignition again, 3rd time in 3 years) had to take it to a GMC dealership, since Saturn dealership closed its doors.

I had to replace the ignition lock cylinder# 15785084. (I am reading all of this info off of my receipts) Ed Bozarth Chevy stated: found the key would not allow the vehicle to be turned off. I found that the ignition cylinder had come apart (same thing that happened in 2007) and I had it replaced. I am so grateful I extended the warranty. So I went to Saturn's website and saw, "Ask a Saturn question, get an answer ASAP." You have to pay for this if you accept the answer given to you. I did not accept, due to everything he told me, I had already new, because I went through it.

This is the sum of what I was told: "Recalls are normally only issued for safety concerns. Occasionally, a recall will be issued for customer satisfaction on a well-known problem. Since this is not a safety issue and Saturn is now out of business, there will likely be no recalls issued. The problem can be fixed, it is likely that it is just throwing parts at the car because they see the same issue all the time and 95% of the time those parts will fix the complaint. There is an underlying issue that will need to be addressed. This will require a little more digging and diagnosis on the part of the dealer." I hope I could help. Does anyone want to buy a 2005 Saturn with 30,000 miles?

Most of the time my key would not insert into the ignition, when it did, it would not turn It was just stuck in the Acc mode and it would not come out. Then of course my battery died, so AAA came and gave me a jump. I took it to the place where I bought my 2005 Saturn Ion with 46,000 on it and they said I had to take it to a Saturn dealership.

Well, Saturn tells me that the extra warranty I bought would not cover this problem, and that I would have to pay around $600.00 to get it fixed. I am a 77yr-old female and I care for another lady with her transportation. So I had to take what was left of my SS check and get this fixed. My concern is that my granddaughter has reviewed many complaints on the internet about this problem, so I wonder why has there not been a recall? Or at least a silent recall. This is horrible. What I had replaced was ignition lock, housing and cylinder.

I bought a used Saturn Ion in April 2010, 57,000 miles on it. The other day, my son-in-law took it to the store and couldn't get it to shut off. The key is stuck in the ignition and the car won't shut off. We have been shutting it off by pulling a fuse and disconnecting the battery. Today, I took it to a mechanic. I called a Saturn place in Cleveland and they said it would cost $500.00 to fix it! Hopefully, my mechanic can fix it for less. I have read on the computer that lots of owners have had this problem. Why haven't these cars been recalled?

About 4 yrs. ago, I started having problems with my key getting stuck in the ignition in the ACC position. Sometimes it would be for a few seconds and sometimes for a few minutes. And I would keep hearing this clicking noise in the steering column until it would finally release the key. One time, I got tired of waiting for the key to be released and went in the house with the intention of going back for the key later. Well, I forgot and the next morning, going crazy looking for my key, I remembered I left it stuck in the the ignition! The battery was dead! Now it is happening almost every time I turn off the car! I'm scared one day I will not be able to get it out at all!

When the problem first started, I took it to Saturn and they said that the remote start I had someone else (Not Saturn) but in the car was causing the problem. That it was like a virus to the car's computer system. They told me to have it removed, they did not put it in, they could not remove it. I could not find the person who put it in to take it out so I have been dealing with it.

We bought a used 2007 Saturn Ion in 2008. It had trouble with the ignition within the first week. The dealership gave us a new key. 1 1/2 yrs. later, the key continues to stick in the ignition. Thank God it has not been stuck in the running position. My 17-year-old daughter drives this car to YMCA camp in the mountains for work on the weekends. I really hope a recall is set up soon.

The ignition on this car is defective, so is the power steering, the radio, wheel bearings, fuel pump etc. The only way this car will be recalled is to complain. GM extended the warranty months back to cover the wheel bearings, if you have paid for them, file a complaint and demand reimbursement. I received a letter yesterday stating the power steering warranty has now been extended. If you are 10 years within the vehicle originally being serviced or under 100,000 miles, you would have only received the letter if you filed a complaint with them.

If you did not, call the 800# and file a complaint then call 800#, the # dedicated to the power steering reimbursements, the forms to be reimbursed if you already paid to have the repair is due by Aug 31, 2010! In addition, file a complaint with the NHTSA, this is the government entity that monitors defective parts and demands the manufacturers to recall them, you can file the complaint online. I am personally dedicated to spread the word because this vehicle should have been recalled a long time ago, it is flat out defective. Call and complain. It's the only way we can get a nationwide recall!

I just bought a used 2006 Saturn Ion from Carmax a few months ago. I was driving and once I parked, my car wouldn't turn off. The key was stuck in the ignition and could not be pulled out. I brought it to two places carX, and Midas, and they said they had never seen this before where the car wouldn't turn off. I noticed 50 pages of the same problem on this website! People need to call Saturn and complain because this is the only way it will be recalled. I spoke with Saturn today and this is what they told me.

I bought my 2005 Saturn Ion about 3 years ago and I have loved it everyday since. However, several months ago, my key started getting stuck in the ignition in the "ACC" position. It will be stuck there for anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes, all the while I can hear the ignition lock clicking inside. Initially it only did this on a rare occasion, however it has gradually increased in frequency so that now it happens nearly every single time I drive the car. There really doesn't seem to be a solution for this because after reading several pages of other people's identical complaints, even paying several hundred dollars to replace the ignition lock the problem still occurs. This is a very serious problem and I'm appalled that GM has not issued a recall for their defective part that has obviously negatively affected thousands of customers.

My key would not turn my car, sometimes it would work if I turned the steering wheel, other times it would not. I brought it to the GMC dealership and they replaced the ignition. $360 cost for the repair. A month later, my car would not shut off. I turned the key and it would not move. I called the dealership and was told to bring it in since the only way to shut it off was to disconnect the battery. 2 days later, they replaced the ignition housing for another $400. This is not an isolated problem. 90% of the 2004 and 2006 Ions have the same exact problem with the car not shutting off. This should be recalled since a person could get stuck in the middle of nowhere when the car would have to run out of gas to eventually stop. Anyone else have this problem please complain. The more complaints they get maybe a recall will be issued.

My 2007 Saturn Ion won't shut off and we can't remove the key. I will be on the way to the dealership shortly, but the first time it happened my son was told the entire service department had gone home early! While looking for "what to do" on the internet I saw many, many Ion owners have this problem but no solution. I have reported my Saturn to the National Safety Administration (NHSTA) and I hope the others do the same!

2005 Saturn Ion 2,68,000 miles. Black River Falls WI. Went to lunch and Saturn would not turn off and key would not come out. Drove to a GM dealership and service did not know what was wrong. I live an hour away so took it to where I bought the car and after the NEW key was made it did not help. Couple hours later I received the $475 bill. They are fixing it as we speak and sounds like GM will drop the ball on a recall according to all you others that are in my same position. $475 bill, 1/2 day of work and 2 trips for dropping off car and picking up.

I have a 2005 Saturn ION with the same issue as described by many owners on various websites and discussions, sometimes I cannot turn the key fully to get it out of the ignition. The engine will turn off but the key gets stuck in the on' or ACC' position and will not turn to off'. After jiggling and turning the engine on and off, sometimes jamming the gear shifter into park really hard, it eventually clicks' and allows the key to turn completely to off'. I checked with Saturn when it first started doing this several years ago and they told me they issued me a new key but it never fixed the problem. So I've been living with it since. The problem has become much more frequent and now I have found that many experiences the same issue but there doesn't seem to be a fix, never from Saturn and nothing now from GM. Any help in figuring out the issue and getting it repaired and paid for would be appreciated! Frustrating, time consuming, frequent issue with a car that is bought brand new in 2005.

Over the course of two months, I've had problems with my ignition column. I replaced the part on my own with advisement from the dealership parts rep. He walked me through the process via multiple phone conversations and was more than willing to help. I decided to do this since the dealership was going to charge me $450 to have it fixed. With my GM certified part newly installed, I was able to drive for approx. 3 weeks and then it happened again. I now am at the dealership's mercy. I had it towed and they used a center punch to fix the problem of the housing. That was a ninety dollar expense.

Third time...Here we go again. My car will not turn off and had to pull the battery and fuse in order to disengage the engine. My keys are now stuck in the ignition and am getting the run around from the dealership. I just called the Saturn Consumer Hotline and was promised a call back within 5-7 min. 20 min later nothing. What do I do? I see that there are multiple complaints in regards to the same problem. Why is GM getting away with this?

I have a 2006 Saturn Ion. My ignition key was stuck in the "on" position and I could not turn the car off. After driving home, I pulled the fuel pump fuse in order to stop the car from running and then disconnected the battery to keep from draining the battery.

Upon taking the car to the dealership, I was told the ignition cylinder needed to be replaced and the cost would be about $310. He then called back to say they needed to replace the housing as well at an additional cost of $100 and it would be up to 4 days to get the part. This appears to be a common and expensive problem.

While pulling up to my house one Friday night, the key in my Saturn Ion III wouldn't turn, meaning I couldn't turn my car off. With my 19-month-old in the back seat, I drove around Knoxville, first trying Saturn of Knoxville (which had closed), then the Chevy dealer in Knoxville (also closed for the night), then to a Pep Boys (who said they had no idea what was wrong with it, but referred me to AAMCO) then to AAMCO. The guy at AAMCO was very helpful and nice, and although he couldn't fix it immediately (nor did he know what was the problem), he was able to turn off the car by unhooking the fuse and the battery.

The key still wouldn't budge. He said he could fix it Monday, and gave me a rough quote. When I got home, I Googled the problem and found several complaints about this problem (ignition switch lock) and read many similar stories of this happening. Appalled that this hadn't been recalled yet, I called the Saturn Customer Assistance Center. A girl I initially talked to was nice, told me that she had calls like this all the time, in fact this was the third one she'd dealt with that day. She assured me that if I moved my car to a GM dealer, she would get the cost covered since it was clearly a defective part.

So, Monday morning I rented a car, drove it to AAMCO, left the rental car at AAMCO and took my broken Saturn to the local Chevy dealer. After two days, they were able to fix my car. In the meantime, I called Saturn on 6 different times, every time being promised a call back and that the charges would be covered, they just had to get a hold of the dealer. When my car was ready, I asked them if GM had contacted them about covering the charges and they said no. When I got there, I called them directly and handed my phone to the service guy. They asked him a few questions, then got back on the phone with me and said that I would be reimbursed for the charges, but that I needed to pay them up front in order to get my car. They assured me that a "district specialist" would be calling me back to arrange for reimbursement.

Hesitantly, I paid for the car ($483 + $78 for the rental car) and waited for the call. Unfortunately, I missed her call three days later (and after several more calls to Saturn), she left me a message that sounded something like this: "Hello Ms. Tobin, please call me back at the following number and I will address your concern as soon as possible." Having left her 6 messages over the last 3 weeks, and having received no calls back from her, I called Saturn again. After an hour on the phone with a representative that talked in circles about how the only person I could talk to was Ms. **, and as soon as she called me back, we could have this issue resolved, I was transferred to Ms. ** and got (surprise!) her voicemail. But don't worry, they understand why I'm frustrated and won't be dropping the ball on this one! $561, plus half a day lost wages dealing with transferring the car to their dealership, plus several gray hairs and hours of aggravation.

I bought my 2005 Saturn Ion brand new. I have never had any problems with it, up until about a year ago. My key keeps getting stuck in the ignition! Just as many of you have been saying, I myself have been experiencing the same problems! I am able to start up my car fine but when it comes time to turn the engine off and take the key out, the key doesn't move! However, I have not experienced not being able to turn my car off. My ignition will shut off but my key just gets stuck about 2/3 of the way and won't let me take it out. I then have to start my car back up and let it sit for about 2 minutes. Then my key will release without a problem.

I have tried just about everything to resolve this issue. I have tried lubricating the key hole, making a new key, making sure the steering wheel is perfectly straight. The only thing left would be to replace the ignition or buy a new car and unfortunately right now neither of those is an option!

I loved my Saturn until this started happening! Now I can't wait till I have enough money to get rid of it and buy me a new car! I have been late on several occasions to several important events because of this! I literally have to leave my house at least 15 minutes earlier just so I can make enough time for my key to get stuck! This is beyond annoying and very frustrating!

As many others on this site have stated, I drove a short distance this evening and when I got there, the car would not turn off and the key would not come out. I talked to a mechanic friend of mine who looked at it and eventually had to disconnect the ignition fuse and the battery.

I don't have the money to get this fixed. There are so many people with the same problem. Why isn't there a recall on this?

I put key in ignition and car started. I drove home but could not turn key off; it was stuck in the ignition. I had to find someone to help me figure out how to shut the car off so we pulled out fuse and disconnected battery. I see there are other complaints about this issue. Is there no recall on this problem?

Here we go again. We are having problems with the Saturn Ion 2005. My mom and I both loved the car (we both own one). Lately the key will not come out of the ignition. (By the way, if you take the cap off of the underside of the steering column, you can find a small emergency release button to get the key out) However, last night I had the horror that many of you had, the key would not come out and the car was running. AAA had no idea what to do, so like others, I pulled the fuse. Now I am on my way to the Saturn dealer. I guess I will have to pay for it. Not only will I miss the time to do all of this, but now I have to worry about my 82 year old mom being in a car like this! We need help to get a recall!

I bought a car on Monday from CarMax (White Marsh). To be specific, the car was an '06 Saturn Ion. Now, I'm not holding CarMax responsible, but at the same time, I can't have been the only one complaining about ignition problems. Within the three days I had it, the key got stuck on five different random occasions. I would attempt to turn it off but it wouldn't actually make it to the "O" representing "off." I had four other people try and they had issues, too, but of course, the guy at CarMax didn't have any problems. Thank God for Google because now I know it's not just me having these issues.

Two weeks ago, I filed a complaint because my 2006 Saturn Ion would not shut off. I could not turn the key in the ignition to shut it off. Two weeks and several hundred dollars later, I come out of the zoo with my grandkids only to discover that now my car won't start, because the key cannot turn far enough to turn the motor on. Thank God for cell phones.

After several panicked phone calls, I got in touch with my son, who called the mechanic who fixed my car the first time. He called the locksmith company that coded the ignition switch and we had to wait for him to come out. Guess what? It was the same problem. A brand new factory part didn't last 2 weeks. The locksmith said that it was a poorly designed system, and that GM has had numerous problems with it in Chevys and Saturns. Try being stuck in the parking lot of a zoo for three hours in the hot sun with three children after spending the day walking at the zoo. I was a wreck. I am afraid to drive my car anyplace now, and I can't afford to go out and buy a new one. I don't even know how much it's going to cost at this point because the locksmith said he'd bill the mechanic. Why hasn't there been a recall?

My Saturn Ion has died once again, yet this time i was not able to jump the car or anything as i usual have. The car is a 2005 Saturn Ion and as I have seen many people have had this problem over the years yet nothing has ever been done to do anything about it. The car failed to turn off, give my key back, and has drained the battery many, many times.

I purchased a new 2007 Saturn Ion from a Saturn dealership in Salt Lake City, UT, with 28,000 some miles in October of 2007. I haven't had really any major problems until recently. I was driving home from the grocery store. When I went to turn the car off, the key wouldn't turn back. After a few more tries, I was able to turn the key off and take it out. This happened a few more times in the next couple of days. I researched the issue on the internet and found hundreds of similar complaints.

This past Saturday, I was on my way to my 15 year high school reunion. When I arrived at the venue, I couldn't turn off my car! I couldn't even take out my key! I read the manual, which instructed me to locate the "plunge" release. This enabled me to take the key out, but the car was still running! I ended up taking out the fuel pump fuse, which stopped the car from running. But, the panel lights and radio were still on. I had to disengage the battery to turn those things off. When I was ready to leave, I engaged the battery and it started right up!

I called Saturn warranty this morning about my issue. They "apologized" for the issues, but said it was not covered under warranty. So, I took it to a Toyota dealership and had them diagnose it. Sure enough, $300 later, I will need a new ignition cylinder lock and set of keys. Not only does this hurt financially as we prepare for our wedding in two months, I am more outraged by Saturn! They obviously have known about this problem for a long time and have done nothing to fix the issue or compensate the victim. Isn't it about time for a recall Saturn/GM? Isn't it about time to do what is right - recall the problem and compensate those appropriately - or are you going to continue to run away with your tail between your legs? The right thing should and needs to be done!

I brought my 2005 Saturn Ion about ten months ago (Oct 2009). As soon as I got it, I started experiencing problems with it as far as not starting early in the morning. I got on the internet and found that it is a problem with the passlock system that locks you out because the anti-theft system gets triggered by the cold weather. Needless to say, around March, the problem stopped because it didn't get as cold outside anymore. However, last night, I ran to the store and to my surprise when I got there, my car would not shut off. The key will not budge at all and I have to put it in gear and let it die to get it to shut off (it's a manual transmission).

I dropped it off at Firestone this morning and have to spend 100 dollars just to see what is wrong with it, but looking at all the other problems people are having with their cars, this needs to be a recall by GM. I will say that, at least, Toyota is making an effort to correct the situation. I would hope GM would do the same.

Add me to the list of people who are unhappy with Saturn. This evening I drove my 2006 Ion to the store and was unable to turn the car off. The key wouldn't budge. I drove home, and my son, who is good with cars, couldn't turn it off either. The dealership said that something broke in the ignition and we'd have to pull the fuses and disconnect the battery. I took it to my son's mechanic, who managed to turn it off after pulling the fuses and completely disconnecting the battery. I know it will cost hundreds of dollars to fix and I know that many people have had this problem.

Why hasn't there been a recall? Where is the class action lawsuit? I just thank God it didn't happen earlier when I had my daughters and granddaughter out of town. My daughter and grandkids are visiting from out of town and now I don't even have a car to take them anywhere. I'll be lucky if I get it back before I have to drive them to the airport Monday.

I'm having a similar experience as other Saturn Ion owners have reported. Just about a year ago, I noticed the key getting stuck in the ignition of my 04 Saturn Ion 1. This would happened after I put the car in park and turned the key back. The key would only turn to the half way point and would stop before getting to the position at which it could be removed. Eventually, after 3-10 minutes, I could remove the key. I could also hear clicking noises as it was jammed. I also started to experience similar problems when trying to start the car. The key wouldn't turn beyond that halfway point, and I could also hear the clicking noise.

This would only happen once in a while, so I was not overly concerned, but then it started happening almost every time I used my car, so I contacted the local GM dealership in March of '10 since Saturn had already closed. They told me it was the ignition lock cylinder that needed to be replaced and that it was not covered by my extended warranty. I didn't think this diagnosis sounded right, but figured they're the ones who would know. It cost me about $350 out of pocket to replace, but something still seems wrong with it.

First of all, I can still hear clicking noises when I insert/remove the key. There were maybe 2-3 times in the last 3 months when the key got stuck again, although it came out within 10 seconds. I'm concerned that the problem was something completely different, and I cannot afford to bring my car back to the dealership again so they can play guessing games. Even if they do no work on the car, I am charged a $100 diagnosis fee. Saturn needs to recall whatever part is defective and reimburse all of their customers who have had to pay out of pocket for the repair. My car is now out of warranty, and I'm disgusted since it's a complaint I had and tried to get fixed while it was under warranty.

I have had my 2005 Saturn Ion for a little over 2 years. About 3 months after I bought it, it wouldn't start. I would turn the key and the lights and radio would come on but it wouldn't start. I finally got used to this problem and was used to being stuck in various parking lots from 10-30 minutes before the car eventually starts. The other day, I ran to the store and when I went to park the car wouldn't turn off! The key came right out but the car was locked and wouldn't shut off. My husband removed the fuse and disconnected the battery to get the car to turn off.

It has been 8 days and I still don't have a car. I have called many locksmiths/repair places and no one is exactly sure of the problem or the price. I have been quoted $150-more than double that. I have known many people that have raved about Saturns, so I thought I was making a good purchase but I will never buy another Saturn again. They need to recall these especially when I see the dozens of websites and thousands of complaints.

I have a 2006 Saturn Ion and I bought it brand new, so I've had it for about 5 years. About two years ago, I started having problems with my ignition. When I go to shut the car off, my keys stops at ACC and wont turn off all the way. I tried everything to get it to come out. Sometimes if I wait a couple seconds it comes out but other times I have to turn the car back on and shift the gears and pump the brakes. It always ends up coming out but I need to know what will fix it. The motor isn't going but my battery is so I can't ignore the problem anymore. If anyone can help me I'd really appreciate it.

I got home from shopping with my Saturn 2006 Ion II, and tried to turn the ignition off and it would not turn off. I tried to get the panel under the steering wheel off and had trouble getting it off, so I could get to the Shift Lock Release, and couldn't find the plunger at first, and then it wouldn't move either like it said it would to get the key out. The key came out, but it still would not turn off the ignition and the engine kept running. I tried three times to talk with Customer Service and Roadside service through On Star and Saturn and got very little information of how to stop the engine from running.

Finally, the last person at Roadside Service for Saturn helped me to remove the fuse 16 for the fuel injectors which cut the engine, but then didn't tell me how to remove the battery cable and it was still powered on. Thank god for a friend who came over to help me get the maintenance-free battery cable unscrewed, not un-bolted, like in older cars, to remove the battery cable, so that the power would not be drained by all the remaining power that was on. What is bad is that the so-called authorized service dealer for Saturn in my town is not open on Saturdays. Saturn, at least use to have Saturday hours for Service. Why isn't the government forcing GMC and Saturn to recall this defect. They get Toyota to do things, but for Americans they do little! Help Government regulators!

I went to the grocery store today and my ignition wouldn't turn off. I just had this problem repaired in December. Luckily my ex husband is a mechanic and showed me how to take the fuse out and disconnect the battery so I can use the car over the Holiday weekend. Twice in 6 months, something needs to be done about this problem.

I needed a lighter vehicle to tow behind a vintage motor home so I sold my excellent 1992 Isuzu Rodeo 4WD and bought a 1998 Saturn that had been outfitted with towing device already. It has 122,000+ miles of which 8,000 are mine. Today the ignition key would not go into the lock position so it would not come out. After checking this website I looked for the small opening under the steering wheel. There was nothing on this model year. With some changing gears, Park, Neutral, Drive, moving steering wheel, turning it on and driving backwards and forwards, shutting it off, the key remained stubborn. But for whatever reason it went into the lock position and it came out! Torrents of rain and heat here with the recent passing of Alex hurricane.

An hour later, back to the laundry and the key still wouldn't come out again. But this time I figured it had something to do with the brakes so I pumped them slowly to full power several times with the gear in Park. The key turned to lock and came out without a hitch. Problem solved? I doubt it but we'll see tomorrow.

I tried putting the brake down as hard as possible two or three times and holding it on the last pump. Then try to remove the key.

I bought my 2005 Ion at the end of 2004, and have loved it and had no problems until a few days ago. I parked in a lot for a doctor's appointment and could not turn the car off or take the key out of the ignition. A few people spoke of a compartment you can access to disengage the key -- this still didn't work for me. AAA came and was able to stall it by popping the clutch (I have a manual) and was able to start it again, but could not turn it off normally or get the key out. I took it to a mechanic and it'll be $480 to replace the parts and fix it. My warranty just ran out so it won't be covered.

My friend works for a service shop and she said they sent out this bulletin, which are almost always notes that admit they know they have a defect and it has to be fixed: Condition. Some customers may comment that the key sticks, binds, is hard to insert, or will not rotate in the ignition cylinder. This condition may be caused by lack of material to re-stake ignition lock cylinder tumbler retainer plate.

Correction. Important: When attempting any repair to the ignition lock cylinder, replace the ignition lock cylinder, tumblers, and retainer plate using new components. Do not attempt to reuse any original components. $480 repair.

I am 18. My dad gave me my Saturn Ion about a year ago, when my mom got a new car. It is a 2005 Saturn Ion and we bought it new. About two years ago, it started having ignition problems (the key would go to the accessory position but would not shut the car off, and the key would not come out). I would literally have to get everywhere thirty minutes early. The key might come out on the first try, or the twentieth. I found a small little compartment under the steering wheel. It is about the size of a quarter but it is square. I opened it up and pressed a button in there (it is not hard to find, just stick your finger in there and you will feel the button). Now anytime my key doesn't come out, I just press that and it works every time. Hope this helped someone else!

I had purchased a brand new Saturn Ion in 2006. A couple of years later, I started having problems with starting the car, especially in cold weather. I would try to start the engine and the ignition would just click. It wouldn't even turn over. After waiting 5-35 minutes, it would eventually start. Because it wouldn't start in the morning, it continuously made me late for work. I took it to a Saturn dealer and they said some part was bad. It's been a few years so I can't recall what exactly. Luckily, my car was still under warranty so it didn't cost me anything. The morning after I got it back from the Saturn dealership, the car still would not start.

I then had to call AAA to have it towed because after many attempts it would not start. So obviously, it wasn't even the part that they said was causing the problem the first time around. They then claimed it was due to my remote starter that was installed in my car about a year and a half prior. They disconnected the starter. After that, the car to this date hasn't had any problems starting. But now reading all these websites, I wonder if it was my starter at all. Then yesterday, I pulled into my driveway, put my car in park, and proceeded to turn off the car. To my surprise, my key was stuck in the ignition and the ignition would not turn to the off position! I tried everything; turning the steering wheel, putting it in different gears, moving the car, and then putting it into park again, to no avail.

I called Saturn and asked what I should do. They told me to call a locksmith! I asked if other Saturns have had this problem and he adamantly said no. My next step was to call my regular mechanic. He chuckled and said he just fixed a 2007 Saturn Vue with the same problem. And he said I would have to pull a fuse and disconnect the battery to get my car to stop. It worked but the key is still stuck in the ignition. I didn't believe what my mechanic told me was a coincidence about the Saturn Vue having the same problem so I googled it. That's when I found a site pretty much dedicated to Saturn owners complaining about this same problem. It's unbelievable this has not been recalled. I just finished paying off my car and I get hit with this. GM better step in and resolve this mistake.

I had exactly the same problem as so many others have listed below. I got home from work last night, and could not shut my car off. I parked on the side of the street, instead of in the driveway, thinking that maybe by moving it off the slope, it would shut off. Finally it clicked, the key turned and the car shut off. Later on, I went to run some errands, but had to turn around and drive back home because I could not get the car to shut off in the parking lot. I tried again for a good 15 minutes and even drove to a qt where a police officer was sitting and asked him to help me. He couldn't get it either, so I just drove home, since it was 8:30 p.M., and no mechanic shops were open. I had to ask two of my neighbors to try and help me, since my fiance is out of town for work, and my dad lives 3 hours away.

Finally, one of them decided to disconnect the fuse for the fuel tank, to kill the motor, then also disconnected the battery to get the lights to turn off. The key actually came out of the ignition while we were trying to shut it off. Of course, the car didn't shut off, but the key did come out. He had to come back over this morning, and hook everything back up so I could drive it to a Chevy dealership, and have them fix it. We did see the part about the button underneath the steering column in the manual, which also makes me think they were obviously already aware that this problem may occur, why else would it be printed in the owner's manual?

When I took it to the dealership, they did not act surprised, and fixed it for $300. I just bought this car in January ,2007, and 5 days after purchase, I had to take it in to have the ignition switch replaced. Now, another issue with the ignition. My family has owned 4 Saturns (not to mention a few Chevrolet vehicles), and I can honestly say that although they get high mileage, I will never buy a Saturn again, especially since the dealerships have all but disappeared.

I just called 1-800-** (Saturn Customer Service) to file a complaint, and told me that a district representative will contact me in 24 hrs to see what can be done. The representative told me that there was no recall on it. I told her that I know that already,I just paid $300 to have it fixed. I am not asking if there is one, I am just saying that there should be one.

The key was stuck in the ignition and it won't turn off while the engine is running on my 2007 Saturn Ion. Looks like I will have to change the ignition cartridge.

There are other things wrong with Saturn's, but my Saturn Ion also developed ignition problems just like the ones listed. But, I found a way around it and it didn't cost anything! If your key gets stuck, there is a bypass switch under the steering column you can press that will release the key and allow you to turn the car off. First, feel around on the underside of the column toward the right for a little cover. When you find it, get a little knife, screwdriver, (or maybe your fingernail) and gently open the cover.

Then, using your left thumb, feel around for a plastic button that should be towards you, and press it. (Don't worry, you won't get electrocuted.) Voila! The key comes out! If your Saturn has developed this problem, you will need to keep that little cover off and press that button inside the steering column each time you want to turn the car off. How did I find this out? The owner's manual, at least for the 2007 Saturn Ion, tells you how to access that switch. This tells me that GM knew from the start that the ignition switch was going to have problems. I just hope the bypass switch holds out until I can trade my car in for something else.

Having issues (once again) with my 2005 Saturn Ion ignition. The key keeps getting stuck! I can turn the ignition off (but not completely) and pull the key out. Now it's not allowing the ignition to be turned on at times. This is the second time it's happened. I took it to the dealer this morning and just like everyone else, it's costing almost $400.00. I keep telling them this same thing happened and was repaired about 2 years ago. They don't have any record of it, they keep telling me. I am thinking about the $800.00 they charged me for fixing the steering column when the steering got tight. I know they are wrong, but I am not sure where my paperwork is. Is there a recall for this issue? I am unemployed and for me to have to pay for this again is ridiculous! I don't have the money.

2005 Saturn Ion, the key was stuck in the ignition and wouldn't turn at all. It was stuck in the "on" position with the car running. There was no way to shut it off. I found a GM complaint phone # 1800-972-8876. Anyone that has had this problem needs to call. This issue should be a recall. It's costing people hundreds of dollars.

I went out to start my 2005 Ion and it was dead. I could not get the key out. Finally, I got the steering wheel to lock and the key came out. I replaced the battery but now the steering wheel won't unlock, the key won't turn, and it is stuck in Park. I will have to tow it to an uncertified Saturn service center (Chevy) locally. But if they can't fix it, I will have to tow 70 miles away to a certified center. I don't know if they can get it on the tow truck if it won't roll or turn! I am very frustrated. I loved my car until this week!

2006 Ion key stuck in ignition with car running, just like so many others. Lousy product and no help from Saturn or GM who washed their hands of a piece of **.

The key was stuck in the ignition and wouldn't turn off. We looked on the internet and found out there are a dozen sites where people reported the very same thing. We took it to the GM dealer for service. It cost about $400. The key still sticks when we try to take it out. I'm worried it's going to do it again. This car should have been recalled. I'm going to talk to a class action law firm and this need to be reported to the Highway Safety Commission.

Like everyone else on here, I have a 2007 Saturn Ion. I turned on my car and went to the store. I parked the car and when I tried to turn it off, I couldn't. The key was stuck and would not turn off. I drove home and it would still not turn off. I unplugged the battery to see if that would turn it off. No such luck. So I took the ignition fuse out and that turned the car off, but the key was still in the ignition. When I googled for help, then I found out that other people are having problems, that they are having to pay over $300 to fix something that they need to recall and fix ASAP. Do they think all the people that are having problems can pay or should pay? I don't think so.

I just pulled into my driveway this evening and my 2006 Saturn Ion would not turn off. The key is stuck in the ignition. My husband was able to turn it off with the battery, but the key is still stuck. I am amazed at how many comments I just sat here and read of others having the same issue. I can't believe Saturn has not issued a recall! I have no idea what I'm going to do come Monday morning because I sure don't have $200-$400 for this repair. Is there a number we should be calling? We need help!

Saturn Ion: Ignition lock like many others, I could not shut the car off and had to disconnect the battery to get it to turn off. This happened June 4, 2010. The repair was $500 Cdn. What is interesting is, after picking it up the same problem happened again the very night I got the car back. I took it back again and GM repaired it at no additional cost but said it was a bad part i.e. the ignition. If the new part was bad and had the same problem, obviously the original part had the same issue. My warranty ran out September 09. $500 in repair and loss of the use of the car for 3 days, so I had to take the bus to work.

Like everyone on the website, I've had problems with the ignition on my 2005 Saturn Ion. Over the 5 years I've had it, it does not start and lock up maybe 3 times, but that never lasted more than 5 minutes. For the last year it's been a daily task getting my key out of the ignition. The car will turn off, but the key stays in the ignition. Normally I have 1 or 2 minutes it will unlock, but this is an annoying daily event. The dealership said they would 'look at it' but it's out of warranty and I'm not paying big bucks for the current inconvenience.