general problems of the 2004 Saturn ION - part 2

I received recalls beginning in April 2014 regarding the ignition switch, then one regarding the ignition cylinder. Both recalls have caused injury or death. I now understand that there is also a recall on the power steering. (3 open recalls in all) I contacted my local Chevrolet dealer as instructed on April 18th and have been back and forth with both the dealership and Saturn customer assistance @ 800-553-6000. I was issued a case# 71-1300074576 but my family is still driving the car. We don't feel safe driving the car but was told that there was no room to leave it at the dealership so I have to wait until June. This is unacceptable! I understand that a loaner can be provided. I want to drop the car off somewhere and pick up a safe vehicle for my family to drive until the repairs can be made.

The contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 14v153000 (steering) however, the part to perform the repairs was unavailable. The manufacturer was made aware of the delay. The contact had not experienced a failure.

The contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. The contact received notifications for NHTSA campaign number: 14v171000 (electrical system), NHTSA campaign number: 14v153000 (steering), and NHTSA campaign number: 14v047000 (air bags , electrical system) and stated that the manufacturer had exceeded the reasonable amount of time for repair. The dealer stated the parts were not available for repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the delay. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had not experienced the failure.

2004 Saturn Ion. Consumer writes in regards to ignition switch recall notice issues, air bag malfunction and several other vehicle problems. The consumer stated her daughter was involved in 3 accidents. Her daughter lost power and the vehicle stalled. When her daughter hit the other vehicle, the air bags did not deploy. Her daughter was injured. Also, the consumer had difficulty steering the vehicle.

Power steering temporarily locked in right turn position, during right hand turn, but was able to force back in time before hitting other car. Steering is still acting up during normal driving conditions (especially cold), when trying to return wheel back to straight position, wheel tightens up and needs to be forced back.

The car would not turn over, I called road side in hopes that the battery just needed a jump, but when they arrived I found out that the car was not turning over because of another reason. My friends came over and we popped the clutch and drove it to a car repair shop to have them take a look, I was thinking either the starter or the alternator. He called me last night to tell me to contact gm about the recall on the ignition. The ignition is bad and will not turn the car over.

The contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, there was an unexpected loss of power steering with the illumination of the warning indicator. The contact continued to drive with force being applied to the steering wheel. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 49,000.

As I was coming up to a traffic circle, my gears locked up and power steering went out, resulting in a crash into the traffic circle median, totaling the front of my vehicle. Vehicle is still in the shop awaiting maintenance.

Tl-the contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that while driving approximately 62 mph the vehicle stalled and came to a sudden stop as the contact attempted to exit the freeway and caused the vehicle to roll over two times and landed upside down without warning. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a body shop and deemed totally destroyed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact received three different recall notices one and two months after the accident which were NHTSA campaign numbers: 14v047000 (air bags , electrical system), 14v171000 (electrical system) and 14v153000 (steering). The approximate failure mileage was unavailable. Sw.

S10 direct reply- to the secretary from constituent re expressing concerns regarding general motors recalls on 2004 Saturn Ion (recall nos. 14063/14113 and 14115. Date of purchase Dec. 27, 2013). The consumer stated on January 10, 2014, the vehicle would not start. Roadside service was called, and they charged the battery. As the consumer began backing out of her parking space, she noticed the vehicle seemed very stiff; she did not immediately notice the power steering signal and continued to maneuver the vehicle. The drove to the dealer, about a mile away with power steering. When she arrived, she mentioned the power steering issue and they replaced the battery. A fuse was replaced, which corrected the issue, but only temporarily.

Shortly after starting on a very cold winter day, at low speed and with the battery likely low from starting the car the power steering warning chimed and the car became very difficult to control. The problem has not reoccurred since then (even a few hours later with the car warmed up and battery fully charged), but the temperature has been significantly higher and I replaced the battery with a better one. The battery had tested good at the last oil change/service/inspection, but was near the end of its life expectancy.

The contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that while turning at approximately 15 mph, the vehicle became difficult to steer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number 14v153000 (steering). The failure mileage was approximately 135,000.

Approaching curve in road when steering wheel would not turn to the right. It felt completely locked, not just loss of power steering, to me. I was able to stop on the shoulder on the other side of the road (facing the wrong way) and after a few minutes, the steering worked normally again. Since that time, it has come and gone a few times, sometimes when I start the car, it feels like the mechanical steering lock is still engaged, but after shaking and wiggling for a few minutes, it usually begins to work. Sometimes I can turn one way, but not the other. It seems to be random whether it fails to the left or right. There is possible correlation to low temperatures, but I do not have enough data to be certain of this yet.

2004 Saturn Ion 2 the ignition switch turned off numerous times on me, and the power steering went out probably 10 times a week. The consumer stated he was able to remove the key from ignition, at any time in any gear. The consumer was involved in two accidents due to the vehicle shutting off, during a turn. The second accident occurred in February 2014. While attempting to make a turn, he soon discovered the vehicle had no power steering and was unable to steer the vehicle. Consequently, he ran off the road and struck the right edge of a driveway. The ignition lock cylinder was replaced on September 12, 2014.

When slowing to park my car the power steering went out. I could not operate the steering wheel at all. Driving it would be unsafe. I shut off the car and turned it back on. I did this twice before the steering would work again. This has happened twice now, the date listed above and again Saturday 10-26-2013. I looked up on the internet for any reported problems on Saturn Ion steering. I found that there is a reported problem and NHTSA has moved their investigation to an engineering analysis as of October 2011. Please advise if there is going to be a recall on this part, or if a recall has already been issued. It is obviously not an isolated problem. I appreciate any help and information you can provide me on this.

The contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion ii. The contact stated that while driving 55 mph, the power steering warning lamp illuminated and the steering wheel could not be turned in either direction. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 107,000.

Tl-the contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 mph, there was a complete loss of power steering with the illumination of the warning indicator. The vehicle was maneuvered to the side of the road where the engine was turned off. After restarting, the vehicle was able to operate normally for a brief period and then the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 88,700. Js.

Power steering shuts off without warning. Once it happens you cannot turn the vehicle. Must power down the car and turn it back on to get the power steering to work. It can happen 2-3 times in a 5 miles streach, inconsistant. Warning - happens when turning the vehicle - I almost crashed. Had to stop auto in the middle of a busy intersection - very dangerous.

The contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. While driving approximately 10 mph, there was a complete loss of power steering with the illumination of the power steering warning indicator. The engine was turned off and restarted, and the vehicle was able to operate normally for a brief period but has recurred since. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 4,700.

My power steering has shut down.

The contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that while driving 35 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to move. The failure recurred numerous times. The contact had her brother diagnose the failure, who informed her that the power steering module would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 126,924.

The contact owns 2004 Saturn Ion. The contact stated while driving out of a paring lot the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The failure occurred twice. The contact received a recall notification under NHTSA campaign id number 14v153000 (steering); however, the part was unavailable. The contact also stated that when changing gears the vehicle shook and rattled. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 93,000.

Tl-the contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that the power steering system malfunctioned. The contact stated that the vehicle was powered off and restarted. The vehicle and the power steering system then functioned properly. The contact did not call the manufacturer or take the vehicle to a dealer. The failure mileage was 128,000. Kmj.

I was told there is a recall however because I never got a letter or had prior problems they will not repair it mileage 159 recall is recall I disagree was I suppose to wait to have an accident before notifying me. I love my Saturn and its ashamed that gm won't take responsibility Saturn was a fantastic brand.

The contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that while driving 40 mph, an unknown warning chime would sound as the power steering system would malfunction. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road and shut the vehicle off. Once the contact restarted the vehicle the power steering system worked properly. The contact took the vehicle to a local mechanic however, the mechanic could not diagnose the issue. The contact did not take the vehicle to a dealer. The failure mileage was 79,852.

Tl- the contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that while driving 10 mph and attempting a turn, the steering wheel was engaged however, the vehicle would not turn. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection. The vehicle was not diagnosed for the failure or repaired. The manufacturer was notified but provided no assistance. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 174,000. Kmj.

Having trouble with steering, sometimes want steer. It is parked fear of driving it!!.

Out of the blue, the console made alert noises and the "pwr str" message appeared. The steering became almost impossible to control, as the power steering went out. Fortunately, I was in a housing development and not the highway, intersection or other dangerous area.

Today 8/8/12, I jumped into my 2004 Saturn Ion at 5pm after work & immediately noticed that I could not turn my wheel as I exited the parking lot, I had to swerve hard to my right to by avoid a collision with two cars from the opposite direction. I was terrified! my display showed "pwr str" I had never seen that before, I left my car diagonally parked, since it would not move went for assistance, a passerby looked under my hood for a while then turned my car on and the display was back to mileage and my wheel was working fine!! I drove my car home and immediately started to do some research to find out what it could be and how I could fix it, I find out that their is a known problem with the power steering! I have not received any letters at all. My car has been reliable up until now. It has close to 150k mil (mileage is an estimate on this form) since this appears to be a gm problem, what are my options? thank you.

My power assist steering will go out suddenly when driving. At first it only happened occasionally but now it is happening more often. I have been told by the dealer that it will cost over $1500 to replace. I have also been told that this is a common problem with Ions from that year, but that there is not a recall.

Power steering went out and "pwr str" notice was displayed. Changed fuse but that didn't fix it. I found the NHTSA rq10004 investigation in an internet search. I am the original owner of this Saturn Ion redline. I did not receive the letter from Saturn about this issue as reported in various internet articles/ blogs.

The power steering went out while I was driving, making the car very, very difficult to steer. Problem now recurs whenever I drive the car, beginning shortly after I start driving.

While parking power steering locked up.

The contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. While driving approximately 30 mph, a warning chime sounded inside of the vehicle as the vehicle suddenly experienced a loss of power. The contact maneuvered to the side of the road and the engine was turned off. The engine was restarted and the vehicle was driven cautiously because of the difficulty in maneuvering the steering wheel. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 139,000. The VIN was unavailable.

I am not exactly sure on the dates of when we noticed the problems. So far I have had serious problems with my 04 Ion's front suspension, the cheaply made plastic wiper linkages that break easy while driving down the road making it difficult and dangerous while driving in rain, the ignition lock cylinder has been replaced 3 times so far because the part fails and you cannot start your car, and most recently I went to my local dealer to ask about a "clunking" noise it makes when going over any bumps to find out that there is a bulletin for a known steering linkage or steering motor (eps) problem. I was told that on these cars the steering links/motor have tendancy to break! if that is to happen while driving down the road it could result in death! I've also done some searching online and found many forums/articles with others having the same problems with this specific make/model. One comment I read the person said "this car is a death trap!" mine and many other's 04 Saturn Ion's have alot of known yet serious issues but Saturn still has no recalls for this car!! somebody please help fix this problem! -concerned/frusturated Saturn owner.