Vehicle Data Hub

2003 Saturn Ion electrical system problems

396 complaints about electrical system have been filed for the 2003 Saturn Ion, which is 41% of all its NHTSA complaints. It is the most reported problem area for this model year.

At a glance

Complaints
396 41% of this year's complaints
Typical mileage
68,000 miles 269 complaints with mileage
Crashes and fires
12 and 3
Injuries and deaths
4 and 0

Source: NHTSA owner complaints

When electrical system problems show up

Electrical system complaints by mileage, 2003 Saturn Ion Complaints by odometer reading in 20,000-mile steps. The median is about 68,000 miles. 0k to 20k miles: 26 complaints 20k to 40k miles: 28 complaints 40k to 60k miles: 44 complaints 60k to 80k miles: 70 complaints 80k to 100k miles: 38 complaints 100k to 120k miles: 25 complaints 120k to 140k miles: 18 complaints 140k to 160k miles: 11 complaints 160k to 180k miles: 4 complaints 180k to 200k miles: 2 complaints 200k+ miles: 3 complaints 040k80k120k160k200k miles Typical: 68,000 miles
Based on 269 complaints that include mileage. 36% were reported before 60,000 miles. The amber marker shows the median: half of these complaints happened before that mileage.
View the numbers
MileageComplaints
0k to 20k miles26
20k to 40k miles28
40k to 60k miles44
60k to 80k miles70
80k to 100k miles38
100k to 120k miles25
120k to 140k miles18
140k to 160k miles11
160k to 180k miles4
180k to 200k miles2
200k+ miles3

What the data shows

Of the 269 electrical system complaints that report mileage, the median is about 68,000 miles, and 36% were reported before 60,000 miles.

These complaints mention 12 crashes, 3 fires, 4 injuries.

What owners wrote

In early january my mother was involved in a serious car accident while driving a 2003 saturn iron. "I had no control over the car and it all happened so fast" my mother said. She hit a telephone pool then proceeded to roll down over a small hill and flipped, coming to a rest on a concrete divider. When responders arrived her ignition was off and the air bags did not deploy. She was hanging upside down for almost an hour until they were able to cut her out of the car.

Reported at 80,000 miles, January 2014 CrashInjury

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. The contact stated that the key seized in the ignition. The contact called a locksmith who removed the key and stated that the vehicle was subjected to an unknown recall. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired in 2014 for an unknown recall, for a similar failure, at the weseloh chevrolet dealer located at 5335 paseo del norte, carlsbad, ca 92008. The contact called the same dealer and was informed that the recall was expired.

Reported at 75,000 miles, August 2020

Other problems reported for the 2003 Saturn Ion

Electrical system problems in other years

Electrical system problems across all Saturn models