NHTSA Safety Recalls
2004 Saturn Ion Recalls
The 2004 Saturn Ion has 10 NHTSA safety recalls on file, the newest reported on April 10, 2014.
A recall covers a range of VINs, not every 2004 Saturn Ion. Whether a recall on your own car is still open shows only on a VIN check; recall repairs are free.
- Recalls
- 10
- Owner complaints
- 898
- Crashes reported
- 51
- NHTSA crash test
- ★★★★★
NHTSA campaigns
filed with NHTSA
4 fires
frontal crash, no overall star before 2011
On a 2004 Saturn Ion, the 17-character VIN is on the driver-side dashboard, visible through the windshield, or on the door jamb sticker.
10 recalls on the 2004 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 2003, 2005–2007 Ion, 5 other models
Steering: electric power assist system
- Campaign
- 14V153000
- Reported
- March 31, 2014
- Vehicles affected
- up to 1,373,177
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2005–2007 Ion, 6 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 2003, 2005–2007 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 2003 Ion
Fuel system, other: delivery: fuel pump
- Campaign
- 04V281000
- Reported
- June 8, 2004
- Vehicles affected
- up to 670
- Risk NHTSA names
- fire
- Same campaign
- only the 2004 Saturn Ion
Structure: body: bumpers
- Campaign
- 04V002000
- Reported
- January 6, 2004
- Vehicles affected
- up to 344
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- only the 2004 Saturn Ion
Fuel system, gasoline
- Campaign
- 04V003000
- Reported
- January 5, 2004
- Vehicles affected
- up to 127,285
- Risk NHTSA names
- fire
- Same campaign
- also 2003 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 2003 Ion
Exterior lighting
- Campaign
- 09E012000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2003, 2005–2007 Ion, 57 other models
Electrical system: ignition: switch
- Campaign
- 14E021000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and injury
- Same campaign
- also 2003, 2005–2007 Ion, 6 other models
2004 Saturn Ion complaints by year
NHTSA has received 898 owner complaints about the 2004 Saturn Ion, the newest on November 2, 2025. Of these, 51 describe a crash (6%) and 4 a fire; owners reported 35 injuries and 3 deaths.
In complaints about the 2004 Saturn Ion, the component group named most often is the steering (38%), followed by the electrical system (37%) and the power train (7%).
1 of the 2004 Saturn Ion's 10 recalls also concerns the steering.
Where 2004 Saturn Ion owners gave the mileage (713 complaints), the median was 70,000 miles.
Component groups named in complaints
- Steering345
- Electrical System331
- Power Train60
- Air Bags52
- Fuel/Propulsion System36
- Engine And Engine Cooling33
Complaints received, by year
| 2004 | 33 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 52 | |
| 2006 | 23 | |
| 2007 | 53 | |
| 2008 | 74 | |
| 2009 | 112 | |
| 2010 | 152 | |
| 2011 | 49 | |
| 2012 | 48 | |
| 2013 | 41 | |
| 2014 | 147 | |
| 2015 | 45 | |
| 2016 | 17 | |
| 2017 | 17 | |
| 2018 | 11 | |
| 2019 | 8 | |
| 2020 | 7 | |
| 2021 | 3 | |
| 2022 | 2 | |
| 2023 | 3 | |
| 2025 | 1 |
Complaints about the 2004 Saturn Ion peaked in 2010, when NHTSA received 152. 18% arrived between 2003 and 2007, the model year's first years on the road.
Adjusted for how many complaints NHTSA received about all 2004 vehicles, the 2004 Saturn Ion drew 1.0× the complaints of the median Saturn Ion year in the same window: 3rd highest of the 5 ranked years.
That makes 2004 one of the three best-measured Saturn Ion years.
NHTSA crash-test stars
- Overall: none before 2011
- Frontal: 5/5
- Side: 4/5
The 898 complaints about the 2004 Saturn Ion are unverified owner reports, and a model sold in large numbers collects more of them.
Saturn Ion by model year
Other 2004 Saturn models
Newest record on this page: November 2, 2025. Data: NHTSA recall and owner-complaint files. How these figures are counted