"How reliable is the 2006 Saturn Ion?"

"Based on 1536 NHTSA complaints, the 2006 Saturn Ion has a median complaint mileage of 67000 miles. The most common issue is STEERING."

"What are common problems with the 2006 Saturn Ion?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2006 Saturn Ion is STEERING, accounting for a significant portion of the 1536 total complaints filed."

2006 Saturn Ion: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 1536 complaints

1536

Total Complaints

67,000mi

Median Mileage

STEERING

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

47,073 25th Percentile

67,000 Median Mileage

96,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

STEERING

524

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

310

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

111

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

AIR BAGS

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

ENGINE

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

POWER TRAIN

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"DT: THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER PURCHASING A NEW VEHICLE THERE WAS A PRONOUNCED SCRAPING NOISE AS THOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS DRAGGING THE GROUND WHEN MAKING TURNS OR ON BUMPY ROADS. THIS OCCURRED AT ANY SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER, WHO SAID THIS PROBLEM WAS DUE TO AN AFTER MARKET TO..."

"WE WERE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD IN OUR LESS THAN 72 HOUR OLD CAR AND THE UNDERNEATH CAUGHT FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SAID IT MUST HAVE BEEN AN ELECTRICAL FIRE BUT SATURN SAYS WE MUST HAVE IT A MOVING BLANKET! WE HAD 3 SMALL CHILDREN IN THE BACK SEAT AND BARELY GOT THEM OUT BEFORE THE FUEL LINE CAUGH..."

"ON TWO PRIOR OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE'S MOTOR 'REVVED' OR RACED JUST BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER, WHEN PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE AND APPLYING THE BRAKE, THE CAR RAPIDLY ACCELERATED, JUMPED A CURB AND ENDED UP FINALLY COMING TO A STOP INSIDE A PARTY STORE. THERE WERE AT LEAST ..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28