2003 Saturn ION brake problems

SERVICE BRAKES

I WAS DRIVING MY SATURN TONIGHT AND NOTICED THAT EVEN WHEN I WOULD LET OFF THE BRAKE, THE CAR WOULD ACCELERATE AND RPMS WOULD STAY ELEVATED. I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 35-40MPH. I WAS COMING UP TO AN INTERSECTION AND IT SIMPLY DIDN'T FEEL RIGHT, LIKE IT WAS PULLING FORWARD. THE TRAFFIC LIGHT TURNS RED AND I START TO APPLY PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES. IT FELT LIKE THE BRAKES WERE RESISTING AND IT WAS TAKING A LOT MORE PRESSURE THAN USUAL TO SLOW DOWN. MY CAR WOULD NOT COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND I WAS GOING ~5MPH RIGHT UP TO THE CROSSWALK. THE CAR STARTED VIOLENTLY LURCHING FORWARD AND STILL, WASN'T COMING TO A STOP. THE RPMS WERE REVVING AND I WAS ABLE TO REACT IN TIME TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL, KEEP BRAKING, AND TURN THE ENGINE OFF RIGHT BEFORE THINGS WOULD HAVE ENDED VERY BADLY. I KEPT MY CAR IN PARK AND TURNED IT ON, AND IT WOULD SHOOT UP IMMEDIATELY TO 4000 RPM. I DIDN'T TRUST THE CAR AT ALL AT THIS POINT AND SAT IN -18 DEGREE WEATHER PROCESSING WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED AND WHAT TO DO NEXT. AFTER ABOUT 5 MINUTES I HEARD WHAT CAN BE DESCRIBED AS THE ACCELERATION PEDAL RELEASING OR POPPING BACK UP IN PLACE. THERE WAS NOTHING IT COULD HAVE BEEN CAUGHT ON TO CAUSE IT TO STICK. TERRIFYING.

NHTSA complaint #10689732 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM GM ABOUT THE IGNITION SWITCH RECALL EITHER LAST WEEK OR THE WEEK BEFORE. IT STATED TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE WITH THE IGNITION KEY ONLY, NOT EVEN WITH THE KEY FOB. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THE PART IS NO LONGER MADE FOR MY VEHICLE. THE LETTER ALSO STATED THAT THERE IS NO RISK OF IGNITION FAILURE AS LONG AS THE DRIVER USES THE KEY ONLY. I HAVE FAITHFULLY FOLLOWED THAT SINCE RECEIVING MY LETTER. I AM TELLING YOU THAT INFORMATION IS FALSE. AS I WAS DRIVING HOME TONIGHT, I NOTICED THE ENGINE SOUNDED DIFFERENT. THE STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT TO CONTROL, THE BATTERY LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH, AND MY BRAKES ONLY RESPONDED TO VERY HEAVY PRESSURE. BASICALLY I HAD LITTLE CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE. I WAS LESS THAN A MILE AWAY FROM HOME. I TURNED INTO A PARKING LOT WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY, TURNED OFF MY VEHICLE AND THEN BACK ON. IT WAS AS IF NOTHING HAPPENED. I AM PANICKED NOW. THANK GOODNESS THIS HAPPENED AFTER I EXITED THE HIGHWAY AND IT WAS AFTER RUSH HOUR. I'M NOT SURE I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TURN INTO THAT PARKING LOT WITHOUT INCIDENT IF THERE WAS HEAVIER TRAFFIC. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED GM WHEN I RETURNED HOME AND TOLD THEM THE CAR WASN'T SAFE TO DRIVE, EVEN WITH THE IGNITION KEY ONLY. CUSTOMER SERVICE DIDN'T SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THE DANGER. WE'LL SEE IF THEY FOLLOW UP. I HOPE YOU FOLLOW UP AS WELL.

NHTSA complaint #10574822 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS THIS VEHICLE HAS ACCELERATED WITHOUT PUSHING THE GAS PEDAL, WITH NO CRUISE CONTROL OPTION, IT'S UNSOLVED BY MULTIPLE MECHANICS. SOMETIMES THE BRAKE WORKS WHILE IT'S HAPPENING, SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T, THE MOST RECENT TIME I PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT WHERE I HAD TO HOLD THE BRAKE DOWN TO SHUT THE CAR OFF, I COULD SMELL THE TRANSMISSION, I TURNED VEHICLE OFF, TURNED IT BACK ON AND IT WENT TO OVER 5 RPM STILL, TURNED BACK OFF, SAT AND WAITED, IT WAS 2AM SO I COULDN'T CALL ANYONE. AFTER 10 MINUTES IT FINALLY WENT BACK TO NORMAL. THAT WAS THE MOST SEVERE, IT'S HAD SLIGHTLY SIMILAR ISSUES AT LEAST 4 TIMES. FIRST MECHANIC SAID IT WAS A CRUISE CONTROL ISSUE, THEN I TOLD HIM I WAS LEAVING SINCE THE VEHICLE DOESN'T HAVE CRUISE CONTROL AT ALL. DON'T WANT HIM WORKING ON IT. 2ND ONE RAN COMPUTER CHECK, NO ISSUE FOUND. HOPEFULLY GM RECALLS THIS BEFORE IT KILLS SOMEONE. THIS CAR HAS HAD MANY ISSUES ME AND MY FATHER COULD FIX, IGNITION SWITCH, WIPER BLADE TRANSMISSION, COOLANT LIGHT BUT THIS ONE ISN'T EASY.

NHTSA complaint #10566175 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

2003 SATURN ION COUPE WILL NOT START IN COLD HUMID WEATHER.

NHTSA complaint #10318755 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR

WHEN IT RAINS OR SNOWS, MY DRIVER SEAT AND FLOOR GETS WET. THERE ARE NO WATER STAINS AROUND THE SUN ROOF NOR IS THERE ANY WATER DAMAGE ON THE DRIVERS' DOOR. IN NEW ENGLAND, THE CAR IS NON-FUNCTIONAL IN THE WINTER AND SPRING BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE LOCAL SATURN DEALERSHIP AND THEY HAVE REFUSED TO FIX IT. 2) I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE MY FRONT TURN SIGNALS 3 TIMES IN 1.5 YEARS. I AM ALMOST CONVINCED IT IS A SOCKET PROBLEM AND NOT A LIGHTBULB PROBLEM. 3) I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKES AND ROTORS TWICE WITHIN A 12 MONTH PERIOD. IN THAT TIME. I HAVE ONLY DRIVEN 17,000 MILES. ONCE IS UNDERSTANDABLE. TWICE IS EXPENSIVE AND RIDICULOUS.

NHTSA complaint #10212465 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR

2003 ION HAS HAD BLOWER FAN, CLUTCH SWITCH, CYLINDER CABLE HOOD LATCH, BRAKE LIGHT BULB, WIPER MODULE ALL REPLACED WITH IN MONTHS APART FROM EACH OTHER. *TS THE ROTORS WERE WARPED AND THE TAIL LAMP FAILED.

NHTSA complaint #10150851 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

I OWN A SATURN ION 3. ON 1/8/06, I HEARD A SCREACHING, RUBBING SOUND FROM FRONT BRAKES. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALER ON 1/9/06. BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS WERE DAMAGED. THE CAR ONLY HAD 35,925 MILES ON IT AND THE BRAKES HAD BEEN CHECKED BY THE DEALER AT 28,900 MILES. AT THAT TIME, IT WAS DOCUMENTED THAT THE PADS HAD 40% LEFT. THE SERVICES REP. STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD HAVE DONE TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING, THAT THE ION WAS TOO HEAVY FOR THE STYLE OF BRAKES USED. SINCE BRAKES ARE NOT COVERED UNDER MY EXTENDED WARRANTY, THIS COST ME $484. I DID NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE SOMEWHERE ELSE FOR THE REPAIR AS I WAS AFRAID TO DRIVE IT WITH THE FAULTY BRAKES. I AM NOT HARD ON BRAKES, THIS IS MY 3RD SATURN VEHICLE, AMONG OTHER VEHICLES THAT I HAVE OWNED AND I HAVE NOT HAD THIS HAPPEN AT ALL, MUCH LESS AT SUCH A LOW MILEAGE. SATURN DEALER REPLACED PADS AND ROTORS WITH GENUINE SATURN PARTS AT MY EXPENSE, WHICH I ASSUME WILL NOT HOLD UP ANY LONGER THAN THE LAST ONES.

NHTSA complaint #10147789 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FLUID

THERE IS A LEAK IN THE C-LINE (THE HOSE BETWEEN THE MASTER CYLINDER AND THE SLAVE CYLINDER. I TALKED TO ANOTHER SATURN OWNER AND THEY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM OF THE LEAKING HOSE. SINCE THIS FLUID CONTROLS BOTH MY CLUTCH AND MY BRAKES, THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #10142256 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.