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Vehicle safety record

2008 Saturn Ion Problems, complaints & recalls

Owners have filed 4 complaints about the 2008 Saturn Ion with NHTSA, most often about the visibility & wipers (2) and the airbags (1). Those complaints describe 1 crash, 1 fire and 1 injury. There are no recalls for it. For comparison, the 2007 has 876.

NHTSA data checked

AFar fewer problems than a typical Ion year, for its age

#307 most complained-about 2008 vehicle

Complaints
4
Recalls
0
Crashes
1
Fires
1
Injuries
1
Deaths
0

Most common 2008 Saturn Ion problems

Share of all 4 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.

No recalls for the 2008 Saturn Ion

NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2008 Saturn Ion. Recalls can be announced at any time - this page updates daily.

What owners say

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4 complaints about the 2008 Saturn Ion

Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners.

Visibility & wipers

My wipers failed. I could hear the wiper motor running, but the transmission and linkage had failed. I took my car to a mechanic who fixed the issue, but it happened again about a year later. I can grab a wiper arm and manually move the wipers. Both wipers move when I move one arm. My mechanic said that the problem was with both the wiper linkage (which has a plastic piece that is prone to failure) and the wiper transmission failing.

Filed Incident Visibility / wiperNHTSA 10736177
AirbagsCrash1 injury

Tl* the contact owns 2008 saturn ion. The contact stated that the vehicle was involved in head on crash but the air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained unknown injuries. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 82,000 and the current mileage was 82,200.

Filed Incident Air bagsNHTSA 10615155
Electrical systemFire

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 saturn ion. The contact stated that while driving 60 mph, the driver was attempting to close the front passenger's side window when the vehicle stalled. The contact mentioned that smoke was emitting from the driver's side door control panel. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 75,000.

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 10566353
Visibility & wipers

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 saturn ion. The contact noticed that the front windshield had cracked. The manufacturer advised the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer for inspection. The vehicle was not repaired or inspected. The current and failure mileages were unknown. The vin was unavailable.

Filed Incident VisibilityNHTSA 10383292

Saturn Ion: every year compared

YearComplaintsRecallsCrashesFiresTop problemGrade
20084011Visibility & wipersA
20078767380SteeringC
20061,2356447SteeringD
20055735314SteeringB
200489810514SteeringC
All Ion years

2008 Saturn Ion vs rivals

More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.

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Questions about the 2008 Saturn Ion

Does the 2008 Saturn Ion have any recalls?

NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2008 Saturn Ion right now. Recalls can be announced at any time, and this page checks NHTSA every day. You can also check your exact vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What are the most common problems with the 2008 Saturn Ion?

By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the visibility & wipers (2), airbags (1), electrical system (1).

How many complaints has the 2008 Saturn Ion had?

4 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on February 18, 2011 and the latest on July 24, 2015. Of these, 1 describe a crash and 1 a fire, and together they report 1 injury and 0 deaths.

Is the 2008 Saturn Ion a reliable vehicle?

Its Safety Index is 100 out of 100 (grade A: far fewer problems than a typical Saturn Ion year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.

Which Saturn Ion years have the most complaints?

2006 (1,235), 2004 (898), 2007 (876). See every Saturn Ion year compared.

What should I do if my 2008 Saturn Ion has a problem?

If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data

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