2003 Saturn Ion Hard Shift Into Drive

2003 SATURN ION
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JXP8181
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
Well I just bought a automatic Ion with 46K miles and I noticed sometimes when shifting into drive from park I get a clunk noise and the car shakes a bit for a second. The car does drive fine and most of the time it shifts between park, neutral, drive without problems.

I am wondering what kind of problem this could be? I have not called Saturn yet because I wanted to do a bit of research first.
May 5, 2006 at 12:28 AM
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PEPPERMRJ
  • ✓Experienced Mechanic
  • 1,158 POSTS
2003 and 2004 Ions used a 5 speed Aslin auto. You will find the same tranny in some Saabs, Opels, and the Nissan Maxima. It had a few minor issues with shift logic. 2005 saw it replaced with a less sophisticated but smoother shifting 4 speed auto used in the Cobalt.

For most it is not an issue. It is most prevalent at startup. The Ion revs fairly high at startup and should be give 30 seconds or more to idle down before shifting into gear. If this "Shift flare" is more prevalent a Saturn dealer may be able to update the firmware, which should improve things somewhat.

Good luck and let us know. :)
May 5, 2006 at 4:12 AM
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JXP8181
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I just got back from the Saturn dealership and everything is running the way it was intended. I did notice it had a tendency to do it at startup. Thanks for the reply!
May 5, 2006 at 8:53 AM
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Suggested Repair

Allow the engine to idle down for about 30 seconds after startup before shifting into gear. If the hard engagement continues, ask a Saturn dealer about a transmission control firmware update.

Conversation Summary

The owner of a 2003 Saturn Ion with 46,000 miles reported an occasional clunk and brief shake when shifting from park into drive, although the car otherwise drove and shifted normally. An expert explained that 2003-2004 Ions use a five-speed automatic with known shift-logic behavior, especially during high startup idle, and recommended waiting for the idle to drop or asking a dealer about a firmware update. The owner later confirmed that the dealer said the transmission was operating as intended and that the symptom was most noticeable at startup.

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