Saturn›Ion›2007›Overview/saturn/ion/2007/base/

2007 Saturn Ion

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2007 Ion.

Body PASSENGER CAR

The 2007 Saturn Ion is a passenger car that uses 5 quarts of 5W-30 API engine oil. In owner-reported reliability data, the 2007 Ion accumulated 876 complaints and 7 recalls, with steering standing out as the top complaint area. Across the 2003-2008 Ion run, complaint volume peaked at 1,235 reports for the 2006 model and fell to a low of 4 reports for 2008, placing the 2007 model below the series high and closer to the lower-complaint portion of the range.

Model year20072006200520042003

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity5 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified
Lug nut torque100 ft-lbsOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 78 · 600 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12580255. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 78 · 600 CCAOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter12580255 alt 12605566
Engine air filter19239713 alt 15893542
Fuel filter19169217 alt 22734980
Spark plug12681663 alt 12680075
Front wiper blades20918023 alt 15245111
Serpentine belt12634322 alt 12605042
Thermostat03522676 alt 12622410
Cabin air filter52493319

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length185 in
Overall width68.1 in
Overall height55.9 in
Wheelbase103.1 in
Curb weight2751 lb
Track (front / rear)58.7 / 58.3 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)60/40

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 5 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 100 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 18.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-3-4-2. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity7
Brake FluidDOT 3
Engine Oil5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity5 qt
Manual Transmission FluidGM part number 88861800
Manual Transmission Fluid Capacity3.6

Engine torques

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts16 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts9 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts7.4 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts13 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts7.4 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts10 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug18.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts100 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub155 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-3-4-2
Spark Plug ManufacturerAC Delco
Spark Plug Gap0.040 in
Spark Plug Torque18.0-22.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity.90 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity5.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number78
Standard BCI Cranking Performance600 cca
Standard BCI Group Number78

Service checks

Pressure Test15 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief13-17 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature185-205 °F
Pressure Test15 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief13-17 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature185-205 °F
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)50-60
Fuel Pump Pressure Minimum65.0 psi

Brakes

Brake ApplicationWITH RPO J41, JM4 / WITH RPO JL9
Torque Caliper to Bracket25 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle85 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness0.039 in
Minimum Shoe Thickness0.020 in
Brake ApplicationWITH RPO J41, JM4 / WITH RPO JL9
Rotor Max Parallel Variation0.001 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.002 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
174 ft. lbs., step 2: 12574 ft. lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
174 ft. lbs., step 2: 7574 ft. lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
174 ft. lbs., step 2: 12574 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 2 stages
122 ft. lbs.22 ft. lbs
2155 degrees.155 degrees
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 2 stages
122 ft. lbs.22 ft. lbs
2155 degrees.155 degrees
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 2 stages
122 ft. lbs.22 ft. lbs
2155 degrees.155 degrees

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant at 150,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 150,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 25,000 miExhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Fuel System (inspect)
Every 50,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace)
Every 100,000 miFuel Filter (replace) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Transmission Assembly (drain & refill)
At 150,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Intercooler (drain & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2007 Saturn Ion received 876 complaints, 7 recalls, 2 investigations and 835 technical service bulletins, placing its complaint total between the 2003‑2005 range (573‑898) and the 2006 peak of 1,235. Recall activity in 2007 matches the 2003 level and is slightly above the 2005‑2006 figures, while investigations remain low at two, consistent with 2005‑2006 and well below the 2003‑2004 levels. TSB counts show a steady upward trend through 2007, reaching 835, before falling sharply to 153 in 2008. The leading complaint areas for 2007 are steering (340), electrical system (111), fuel/propulsion (110) and fuel system, gasoline (66), with 38 crash‑related complaints and no fire complaints recorded. Given its moderate complaint volume, average recall rate, low investigations and rising TSB count, the 2007 model does not stand out as a particularly reliable choice compared with the markedly lower complaint levels seen in 2008.

7
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
835
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
2
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
876
Owner complaints
38 involved a crash · 0 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Rollover★★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent
’03’04’05’06’07’08

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 876 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Steering340
Electrical System111
Fuel/Propulsion System110
Fuel System, Gasoline66
Steering,Electrical System24
Air Bags22
Electrical System,Air Bags21
Unknown Or Other12

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 7 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

14V171000Electrical System:IgnitionReported 10/04/2014

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2006-2011 Chevrolet HHR, 2007-2010 Pontiac G5, 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice, 2003-2007 Saturn Ion, and 2007-2010 Saturn Sky vehicles. In… Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and for vehicles that were built with the defective ignition cylinder and have not previously had the ignition cylinder replaced with the…

14V153000Steering:Electric Power Assist SystemReported 31/03/2014

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2006 Malibu Maxx, 2009-2010 HHR (non-turbo), 2010 Cobalt, 2008-2009 Saturn Aura and 2004-2007 Ion, and 2005-2009… Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will perform one of four bulletins. Parts are not currently available. GM expects to send an interim notification around May 28, 2014. When…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 835 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
PIC5650M2025-08-06Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIP5601C2025-07-18Unknown Or OtherThis PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic…
PIT5074R2025-05-30Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIT5074R2025-05-30Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIT5074R2025-05-30Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Ion. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 78 batteryVehicles taking 5 qtEngine oil filter 12580255Engine air filter 19239713Fuel filter 19169217Spark plug 12681663

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBsOBD-II trouble codesTorque specificationsMaintenance schedulesFluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2007 Ion take?

5 qt of 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2007 Ion have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 7 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.