2006 SATURN ION tow

Insuring Your Vehicle
Protect your investment in your GM vehicle with
comprehensive and collision insurance coverage. There
are signicant differences in the quality of coverage
afforded by various insurance policy terms. Many
insurance policies provide reduced protection to your
GM vehicle by limiting compensation for damage repairs
by using aftermarket collision parts. Some insurance
companies will not specify aftermarket collision
parts. When purchasing insurance, we recommend that
you assure your vehicle will be repaired with GM
original equipment collision parts. If such insurance
coverage is not available from your current insurance
carrier, consider switching to another insurance carrier.
If your vehicle is leased, the leasing company may
require you to have insurance that assures repairs with
Genuine GM Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)
parts or Genuine Manufacturer replacement parts.
Read your lease carefully, as you may be charged at
the end of your lease for poor quality repairs.
If an Accident Occurs
Here is what to do if you are involved in an accident.
Try to relax and then check to make sure you are
all right. If you are uninjured, make sure that no one
else in your vehicle, or the other vehicle, is injured.
If there has been an injury, call 911 for help. Do not
leave the scene of an accident until all matters have
been taken care of. Move your vehicle only if its
position puts you in danger or you are instructed to
move it by a police officer.
Give only the necessary and requested information
to police and other parties involved in the accident.
Do not discuss your personal condition, mental frame
of mind, or anything unrelated to the accident. This
will help guard against post-accident legal action.
If you need roadside assistance, call GM Roadside
Assistance. SeeRoadside Assistance Program on
page 7-5for more information.
If your vehicle cannot be driven, know where the
towing service will be taking it. Get a card from the
tow truck operator or write down the driver’s name,
the service’s name, and the phone number.
Remove any valuables from your vehicle before it is
towed away. Make sure this includes your insurance
information and registration if you keep these items
in your vehicle.
7-9
ProCarManuals.com

Gather the important information you will need from
the other driver. Things like name, address, phone
number, driver’s license number, vehicle license
plate, vehicle make, model and model year, Vehicle
Identication Number (VIN), insurance company and
policy number, and a general description of the
damage to the other vehicle.
If possible, call your insurance company from the
scene of the accident. They will walk you through
the information they will need. If they ask for a police
report, phone or go to the police department
headquarters the next day and you can get a copy
of the report for a nominal fee. In some states with
“no fault” insurance laws, a report may not be
necessary. This is especially true if there are no
injuries and both vehicles are driveable.
Choose a reputable collision repair facility for your
vehicle. Whether you select a Saturn retailer or a
private collision repair facility to x the damage,
make sure you are comfortable with them.
Remember, you will have to feel comfortable with
their work for a long time.
Once you have an estimate, read it carefully and
make sure you understand what work will be
performed on your vehicle. If you have a question,
ask for an explanation. Reputable shops welcome
this opportunity.
Managing the Vehicle Damage
Repair Process
In the event that your vehicle requires damage repairs,
GM recommends that you take an active role in its
repair. If you have a pre-determined repair facility of
choice, take your vehicle there, or have it towed there.
Specify to the facility that any required replacement
collision parts be original equipment parts, either new
Genuine GM parts or recycled original GM parts.
Remember, recycled parts will not be covered by your
GM vehicle warranty.
Insurance pays the bill for the repair, but you must live
with the repair. Depending on your policy limits, your
insurance company may initially value the repair using
aftermarket parts. Discuss this with your repair
professional, and insist on Genuine GM parts.
Remember if your vehicle is leased you may be
obligated to have the vehicle repaired with Genuine
GM parts, even if your insurance coverage does not
pay the full cost.
7-10
ProCarManuals.com

If another party’s insurance company is paying for the
repairs, you are not obligated to accept a repair
valuation based on that insurance company’s collision
policy repair limits, as you have no contractual limits with
that company. In such cases, you can have control of
the repair and parts choices as long as cost stays within
reasonable limits.
Reporting Safety Defects
Reporting Safety Defects to the
United States Government
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect which could
cause a crash or could cause injury or death, you
should immediately inform the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA), in addition to notifying
Saturn Corporation.
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may open an
investigation, and if it nds that a safety defect exists in
a group of vehicles, it may order a recall and remedy
campaign. However, NHTSA cannot become involved in
individual problems between you, your retailer or
Saturn Corporation.To contact NHTSA, you may call the Vehicle
Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-888-327-4236
(TTY: 1-800-424-9153); go to http://www.safercar.gov;
or write to:
Administrator, NHTSA
400 Seventh Street, SW.
Washington, D.C. 20590
You can also obtain other information about motor
vehicle safety from http://www.safercar.gov.
Reporting Safety Defects to the
Canadian Government
If you live in Canada, and you believe that your vehicle
has a safety defect, you should immediately notify
Transport Canada, in addition to notifying General
Motors of Canada Limited. You may call them at
1-800-333-0510 or write to:
Transport Canada
Place de Ville Tower C
330 Sparks Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N5
7-11
ProCarManuals.com

Power
Accessory Outlet(s)......................................3-16
Door Locks.................................................. 2-8
Electrical System.......................................5-100
Reduced Engine Light..................................3-41
Retained Accessory (RAP)............................2-20
Steering Message........................................3-46
Windows....................................................2-14
Pretensioners, Safety Belt................................1-31
Programmable Automatic Door Locks.................. 2-8
Q
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts.........1-15
R
Racing or Other Competitive Driving..................4-16
Radios..........................................................3-48
Care of Your CD Player...............................3-71
Care of Your CDs ........................................3-71
Radio with CD....................................3-50, 3-55
Setting the Time..................................3-49, 3-50
Understanding Reception..............................3-70
Rear Door Security Locks.................................. 2-9Rear Doors....................................................2-10
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides......................1-28
Rear Seat Passengers, Safety Belts..................1-24
Rearview Mirror, Automatic Dimming with
Compass and Temperature Display................2-35
Rearview Mirror, Automatic Dimming with
OnStar
®, Compass and Temperature Display.....2-32
Rearview Mirror with OnStar®...........................2-32
Rearview Mirrors.............................................2-32
Reclining Seatbacks.......................................... 1-4
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants.................6-13
Recreational Vehicle Towing.............................4-36
Reduced Engine Power Light............................3-41
Remote Keyless Entry System............................ 2-3
Remote Keyless Entry System, Operation............ 2-4
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing
the Spare Tire.............................................5-82
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools...................5-77
Replacement Bulbs.........................................5-55
Reporting Safety Defects
Canadian Government..................................7-11
Saturn.......................................................7-12
United States Government............................7-11
Restraint System Check
Checking the Restraint Systems....................1-68
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash..........................................1-69
10
ProCarManuals.com

Tires (cont.)
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance.................5-72
Wheel Replacement.....................................5-72
When It Is Time for New Tires......................5-68
Towing
Recreational Vehicle.....................................4-36
Towing a Trailer..........................................4-39
Your Vehicle...............................................4-36
Traction
Enhanced Traction System (ETS).................... 4-9
Limited-Slip Differential.................................4-10
Low Message.............................................3-44
Off Message...............................................3-44
Transaxle
Fluid, Automatic...........................................5-24
Fluid Hot Message......................................3-45
Fluid, Manual..............................................5-24
Transaxle Operation, Automatic.........................2-22
Transaxle Operation, Manual............................2-25
Transmission
Up-Shift Light..............................................3-33
Trip Odometer................................................3-27
Trunk............................................................2-11
Trunk Ajar Warning Message............................3-46
Turn and Lane-Change Signals.......................... 3-8
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever........................... 3-7U
Understanding Radio Reception........................3-70
Uniform Tire Quality Grading............................5-70
Up-Shift Light.................................................3-33
V
Vehicle
Control........................................................ 4-5
Damage Warnings........................................... iv
Loading......................................................4-31
Parking Your...............................................2-29
Symbols......................................................... iv
Vehicle Data Collection and Event Data
Recorders.................................................... 7-7
Vehicle Identication
Number (VIN).............................................5-99
Service Parts Identication Label...................5-99
Ventilation Adjustment......................................3-22
Visors...........................................................2-15
13
ProCarManuals.com