NHTSA Safety Recalls
2003 Saturn Ion Recalls
The 2003 Saturn Ion has 7 NHTSA safety recalls on file, the newest reported on April 10, 2014.
A recall covers a range of VINs, not every 2003 Saturn Ion. Whether a recall on your own car is still open shows only on a VIN check; recall repairs are free.
- Recalls
- 7
- Owner complaints
- 758
- Crashes reported
- 43
- NHTSA crash test
- ★★★★★
NHTSA campaigns
filed with NHTSA
4 fires
frontal crash, no overall star before 2011
On a 2003 Saturn Ion, the 17-character VIN is on the driver-side dashboard, visible through the windshield, or on the door jamb sticker.
7 recalls on the 2003 Saturn Ion
Electrical system: ignition
- Campaign
- 14V171000
- Reported
- April 10, 2014
- Vehicles affected
- up to 2,191,014
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and injury
- Same campaign
- also 2004–2007 Ion, 5 other models
Air bags
- Campaign
- 14V047000
- Reported
- February 10, 2014
- Vehicles affected
- up to 2,190,934
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and injury
- Same campaign
- also 2004–2007 Ion, 5 other models
Exterior lighting: turn signal
- Campaign
- 04V547000
- Reported
- November 16, 2004
- Vehicles affected
- up to 178,798
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2004 Ion
Fuel system, gasoline
- Campaign
- 04V003000
- Reported
- January 5, 2004
- Vehicles affected
- up to 127,285
- Risk NHTSA names
- fire
- Same campaign
- also 2004 Ion
Visibility: power window devices and controls
- Campaign
- 04V004000
- Reported
- January 5, 2004
- Vehicles affected
- up to 79,204
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury
- Federal standard
- FMVSS 118, power windows and roof panels
- Same campaign
- also 2004 Ion
Exterior lighting
- Campaign
- 09E012000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2004–2007 Ion, 57 other models
Electrical system: ignition: switch
- Campaign
- 14E021000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and injury
- Same campaign
- also 2004–2007 Ion, 6 other models
2003 Saturn Ion complaints by year
NHTSA has received 758 owner complaints about the 2003 Saturn Ion, the newest on October 14, 2026. Of these, 43 describe a crash (6%) and 4 a fire; owners reported 36 injuries.
In complaints about the 2003 Saturn Ion, the component group named most often is the electrical system (51%), followed by the steering (18%) and the engine and engine cooling (8%).
2 of the 2003 Saturn Ion's 7 recalls also concern the electrical system.
Where 2003 Saturn Ion owners gave the mileage (554 complaints), the median was 71,000 miles.
Component groups named in complaints
- Electrical System383
- Steering139
- Engine And Engine Cooling58
- Power Train55
- Air Bags49
- Vehicle Speed Control38
Complaints received, by year
| 2003 | 44 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 60 | |
| 2005 | 21 | |
| 2006 | 29 | |
| 2007 | 69 | |
| 2008 | 82 | |
| 2009 | 79 | |
| 2010 | 53 | |
| 2011 | 44 | |
| 2012 | 20 | |
| 2013 | 17 | |
| 2014 | 140 | |
| 2015 | 33 | |
| 2016 | 23 | |
| 2017 | 12 | |
| 2018 | 7 | |
| 2019 | 7 | |
| 2020 | 6 | |
| 2021 | 5 | |
| 2023 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 3 | |
| 2025 | 1 | |
| 2026 | 2 |
Complaints about the 2003 Saturn Ion peaked in 2014, when NHTSA received 140. 20% arrived between 2002 and 2006, the model year's first years on the road.
Adjusted for how many complaints NHTSA received about all 2003 vehicles, the 2003 Saturn Ion drew 0.9× the complaints of the median Saturn Ion year in the same window: 4th highest of the 5 ranked years.
That makes 2003 one of the three best-measured Saturn Ion years.
NHTSA crash-test stars
- Overall: none before 2011
- Frontal: 5/5
The 758 complaints about the 2003 Saturn Ion are unverified owner reports, and a model sold in large numbers collects more of them.
Saturn Ion by model year
Other 2003 Saturn models
Newest record on this page: October 14, 2026. Data: NHTSA recall and owner-complaint files. How these figures are counted