Hi all,


Im new to the forum and I wanted to say hello because I plan on buying a used Saturn very soon.


Right now I have my eye on a 2005 ION 1 at a local used car dealer. There were some issues with the car when I test drove it that the dealer said they would fix. The car has 122K and he wants to sell it for 4K.


When I test drove the car, the motor and tranny were good. Motor had power and the tranny shifted smoothly. The issues I noticed were -


Dash displays COOLANT.
Brakes were gone.
Sway bar end links were shot, car swayed a bit
OIL leak right under the engine cover, looks like the valve cover gasket.


Otherwise the car was fine. The dealer said all those things would be fixed and I would get a 30 day full warranty if anything else went wrong.


But my problem is I keep reading about this cold start issue. I live in the northeast and it gets COLD! Im buying this car as a daily beater so my Honda s2000 can be preserved and stored for the winter.


is the price on the car fair? is the cold start issue so major I shouldn't buy it??


any help would be appreciated. Thanks guys!!!

 

First of all, the Honda should be the everyday beater, and blow it up when you buy your Saturn, because youll never want to drive it again. bahahah!
Is it a 2004 or 2005? thread title says 04 and I opened it and says 05.


All those things shouldn't of waited for someone to want to buy the car to be done.
and the price seems a bit high. Probably because it is a stealership.
Body in excellent shape? Interior in excellent shape?
Maybe someone else can chime in.
Honestly man, you can probably find a better one on craigslist with lower miles for half that price.

 

My Honda s2000 is a drop dead gorgeous car in almost mint condition. Everywhere I go people stop me and ask me about it. Amazing car with a 9K redline... best money I ever spent.. if you would rather drive a Saturn ION over this I don't know what to say..




As for the ION, its a 2004. The dealer said he would fix the issues I found with it, and I know a bit about cars to know if something is leaking, not driving right, etc. I will try to bring him down to 3500 and see where he goes with that. Body is in good shape. Some minor scratches but nothing I would care about. Interior is a bit worn but everything works...


My MAIN concern right now is the issues with the ignition. The car will be parked outside and I cannot afford to have a car not start over ignition issues that im told I can no longer ask GM to fix because the Saturn is no longer made. Apparently there was a recall that if still open on this car I cannot get fixed because its no longer made.


UPDATE - Ran the VIN and 3 recalls are listed as incomplete. Two are for the ignition one is for power steering. Going to ask the dealer to let the car go for 3K since I have to deal with this stuff...

 

Its just personal opinion man, not trying to bash your ride. But I will give it to you that it is nice.
All the recalls on the Ions, Cobalts, G5s, etc are all still open and can still be done. If you buy the car, call your local GM dealer that day and tell them you need the parts ordered. You will need the vin, make, model, all that. But it has been hit and miss on who needed it done.
Took about 2 weeks for my dealer to get the part in, and about 2 hours for the work to be done.

 

KBB for one in good condition is $2430. I'd suggest you go to kbb.com and put in the features yourself and see what you come up with. Personally, I think it's way over priced and I agree with Billy that you can probably come up with a nicer one on craigslist for less money.

 

They really are great cars though. You will absolutely love it.

 

The cold no start is the cause of the grease used by the part supplier. There is a sticky on this subject and if you were to look on you tube I'm sure you'll find more than one video on how to fix it. That's if it has not already been done.

 

Thanks for all the input guys. I saw the car still had 3 open recalls and tol the dealer that I would but it for 3K. They declined, saying they would do the recalls. I like Saturns and will keep looking, but this car seemed to have to many issues and open recalls for me to feel safe driving...

 

I would look at craigslist. I see them all the time with under 100k on the clock going for under 4k. Maybe it is just my area, because a lot of people tell me they wish they could find cars this cheap, or maybe people just don't realize what they could really get. who knows.

 

I'm with Billy and Charlie on this one-it sounds like too much dough for that particular car, with that mileage. Gotta be careful about 'sways' and rattles,too-those can turn into nightmares. That being said, I have an '04 Ion 1, and, once I got all the problems fixed, I love the thing-super reliable. Of course, it only has 44k on it....