2006 Saturn Ion reliability?
 

I'm looking at a 2006 Saturn Ion sedan 2 with 83k miles. I'm wondering how many miles you guys got with how many issues. I really want to get to 120k miles out of it, I just need a cheap, reliable, temporary car for the next year and a half.

I have 233,000 miles on my L61 but it has had regular oil changes. My only concern is with a 2006 car with such low miles is that there may be missed maintenance. If you live in the rust belt of our country the car may have major damage underneath. The steel brake lines rust through on these cars.

I don't live in a rust belt luckily. Looks like most of the low mileage was from the original owner who had it until 2012 it had 21k miles when it was retitled to the 2nd owner.

Mine went to 145k before I had to do the timing chain. But I've also nodded mine and beat on it with experiments. They're reliable if you leave em alone and maintain em. I've owned 7 or 8

On the good side the 2006 is the seventh year for that particular engine/transmission. GM does eventually learn from their mistakes. They had the timing chains figured out by 2003. I would not want a 2007 since they changed to variable cam timing that year. I always try to avoid buying a first year anything. You have probably found a nice car with many miles left to go.

Great to hear!

Incorrect. Timing issues were figured out in 2008 with the cobalt ss/tc. That's when the tensioner and top bolt fix was figured out

Thanks dropdead , new information is always good. It still stands not to buy a first year design.

Arp makes a bolt kit for the guides. New kits (cloyes is oem) comes with the new tensioner. Doorman also sells a top bolt upgrade to remove the inner bolt and the hex Bolt on the outside of the head extends into the top of the guide. They bought out that design from GM

DD,

You are tossing around ion facts like some dude we used to have on the forum. Can't remember his name. Anyway, smart guy but just freaking vanished like a banded hemorrhoid.

Don't worry I won't hold his memory against you.