Steering Column problems of the 2006 Saturn ION

My car shakes every so often especially when I use my brakes and when I steer. I noticed there was a recall with the electric power steering and I think it has affect the power steering column as well. I have not had an accident yet but I don't want one because one part of a system was recalled and not the whole system.

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that while driving at 55 mph, the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 129,000.

The steering column assembly (including key switch, turn signal, wiper control, etc. ) was loose upon getting the vehicle back from the repairs for the key switch recall. This was not like this prior to the recall repairs and represents sloppy workmanship by dealership employees repairing the vehicle or poor design that won't stay tight. By this being loose, there could be damage to the wires or the wires could come unplugged inside the steering column. This would include air bag wires, key switch wires, etc. There would also be a possibility of fire if this problem isn't corrected as the wires could short out. I believe all the vehicles that have been repaired should be recalled again to check for this problem and repair them if it is found that it is loose.

My vehicle has a recall for the power steering. Power steering went out while I was driving the vehicle. Could barely steer it to safety. The power steering column was the issue. Cost me almost 900 dollars to repair but gm will not reimburse me, even though other gm vehicles have a recall for the column.

I have had repeated instances of having my steering column locking while parked with the engine off. Upon inserting the ignition key, the key would not turn without repeated attempts to rock the steering wheel back and forth. Beginning on the incident date, I parked my car and the ignition key would not turn from the on position. I verified the car was in park and attempted to turn the key again. At one point, I was actually able to pull the key out of the ignition lock assembly while the car was still running. After reinserting the key into the lock assembly and pushing in on it, I was finally able to turn the key to the off position. All subsequent incidents within the last 24 hours (approximately 4 different times) have required me to jiggle the key until it would finally turn to the off position. I drove it to a gm repair facility and at that point, was unable to remove the key or turn off the engine. It now appears that I will have to have the entire ignition lock and housing assembly replaced at a cost of $600. Further online investigation into this problem has turned up hundreds of Saturn owners experiencing this same problem, and many of them have repeat issues with their new lock/housing assemblies. To date, it does not appear that gm has issued any recall/repair notices for this issue.

I was driving my 2006 Saturn Ion on a local street, picking up my child from school, when the ignition went off. The car had no power & I had only a few seconds to steer the car off to the side before the power steering stopped working. I put the car in neutral & coasted to a stop. I turned the car off, waited a minute, & then turned the key again. At that time, the car started up again & I took it directly home. In the days following this incident, several different times the ignition would go of by itself. It felt as if the key was not staying in the on position. Not being aware of a warranty from Saturn, I took it to a local repair shop. When the mechanic tried to take the key out of the ignition, it would not turn off or come out of the steering column. He was forced to disconnect the battery in order to turn the ignition off & needed to replace the part in the steering column where the key goes in. Because the mechanic had to disconnect the battery, I was also forced to take the car to the dealership a few days later to have my remote lock reprogrammed. I had to pay out of pocket for both of these repairs, because I was unaware that gm had a special warranty covering such issues. I never received a letter about this problem, but it is a recall issue in other states.

I was going down road, steering because hard, transmission became stuck, pwr str light came up on mileage screen and the engine light came on. I was reading that others have had problem with steering column. Please let me know. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Car began to make excessive rattling and clunking in front end and the steering felt very loose. Took to gm dealer and they found the entire front end pretty much shot. Control arm bushings, sway bar links, and struts all replaced. The dealer said the steering column was fractured and near failure. Steering I shaft and column were replaced. Around $3000 in parts and labor at 71000, not my idea of a quality built vehicle. Major safety hazard for something with this kind of mileage.

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. While driving approximately 35 mph, the contact noticed that the steering had become stiff and difficult. The contact stopped the vehicle and after restarting, the power steering functioned resumed normally. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic where the mechanic advised that the steering column would have to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 105,000.

On Sunday, September 25th, 2011, I was driving on a familiar road in town when all of the warning lights on my vehicle suddenly illuminated and began blinking. The speedometer, fuel gage, temperature gage, and rpm indicator all went down to zero and the message center began saying "trac off" and "pwr str. " as this happened, my power steering went out. I pulled over and turned my car off. My car would not turn back on. After about one minute, I was able to start my car again and resume driving as normal. This has happened on four other occasions since the first time, three days ago. The last time it happened I was going around a curve and I almost went into the ditch. In addition, it is also important to note that at 40,000 miles, the vehicle began having the same issue (message center occasionally flashing "trac off" and "pwr str", and the abs and emergency break lights going on). The dealer found that the steering column was shorting out and had to replace the steering column in the vehicle. This leads me to believe that this is an electrical problem. . .

Have a 2006 Saturn Ion, it has less than 50,000 miles and I've had 2 different problems with the steering column. The first problem was 2 years ago and I could not get the ignition to turn off, took it to the Saturn dealership and was fixed under warranty. Now the problem is the power steering is going out and I have to replace the whole steering column to get this fixed. I have read that there are multiple people with the same problem. Called the Saturn dealership and there are other recalls concerning this car, but not for this problem.

I was driving home from school in my 2006 Saturn Ion when the power steering went out. I have a lot of curves on my way home and take a u turn to get home. It took a lot of strength to do but I managed to get home. When I was home I asked a friend to go out and take a look at the car. They figured that it just needed some power steering fluid. When we went out and looked under the hood of the car we couldn't find any place to put in some power steering fluid. Then he turned on the car and the dash board didn't say that there was any problem with the power steering. We went on line to find out that there is no place to put in power steering fluid. It is controlled by a motor in the steering column. This was upsetting to learn because I have already had problems with the steering column before when my key was stuck in the ignition and my car wouldn't turn off. Im pretty sure that they had to replace the steering column then, but that was under a recall. Now my power steering goes out about every day to every other day. I have to stop and turn my car off and then start it up again so that I can have power steering.

The steering on Saturn Ion 3, 2006 loses power during the regular operation. The car has to be steered clear of traffic (requires a great amount of force from the driver). It needs a restart, upon which the power steering works for about 15 mins and the steering power goes out again. I am having to replace all of my steering column for a correction of this problem and my warranty is expired and I will have to pay out of my pocket.

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. While driving at 15 mph, the power steering light illuminated. The steering wheel then became extremely stiff and locked. The contact was able to park the vehicle using extreme bodily force. The dealer advised that the steering column would need to be replaced without performing a diagnostic. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 47,841.

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. While driving at approximately 25 mph, the power steering warning light illuminated on the dashboard and the steering wheel immediately became stiff. The contact shut off the vehicle and when restarting, the steering functioned as normal. The failure occurred 8 additional times and the vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer advised replacing the entire steering column. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 83,561.

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion 3. While driving at approximately 50 mph, the steering wheel locked up. The contact pulled over and restarted. After restarting the vehicle, the steering seemed to function properly. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership informed the contact that power steering motor and steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. The failure mileage was approximately 21,340. The current mileage was 21,342.

2006 Saturn Ion loss of power steering. Both my self and my sisters car has had to have the entire power steering column replaced at a cost of over $1000. 00 after reading the internet this is a problem with a lot of Saturn owners all the way back to 2003. This situation almost killed myself and my two children when the power steering went out doing 65 miles per hour on the interstate.

2006 Saturn Ion power steering went out in the middle of a turn. After the car has been shut off for some time, the power steering will work for a very short time (30 seconds or so) before it stops working again all together. It appears after some research that the steering column power steering unit is out. There is also a recall on a gm product that uses the exact same unit for my vehicle, although my Saturn was not in the recall.

My 2006 Saturn Ion 2 has an issue with the power steering. The light comes on and then the power steering turns off and we have to manually steer the car. There is no rhyme or reason as to when or why it comes on. We will then turn the car off, then back on and then the same thing will happen. This makes for a dangerous situation, especially when turning corners. We are currently in the process of having our mechanic look at it to see if he can fix it. Apparently the Saturn's steering column is the same one that is in the chevy cobalt that was recently recalled.

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. While driving at approximately 30-40 mph, the power steering light illuminated. The contact pulled over, parked and turned off the vehicle. After restarting, the vehicle behaved normally. The vehicle was then taken to an authorized dealership where the contact was informed that the steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint and the failure became an everyday occurrence. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000. The current mileage was 66,414.

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that the power steering would intermittently fail over a period of one year without warning until completely becoming inoperable. The dealer advised that the electronic power assist had failed and that the power assist module and steering column would need to be replaced. The failure mileage was 42,000 and the current mileage was 58,000.

I have a 2006 Saturn Ion, which I bought for my wife. I used the car to jump start another vehicle and the next day, my power steering went out. As I was making a turn into an intersection my wheel ceased to turn and I drove into some cones, which were in place to protect pedestrians. Had my wife been driving (who is very petite), I don't think she could have forced the car over and someone could have gotten hurt. From what I have heard this will cost about $600 (until recently they would force you to replace the entire steering column which would cost well over $1000). This is a ridiculous amount to spend on something that is clearly not up to a quality standard. I also cannot justify taking this to a shop. If they replace this poorly engineered part with an identical one, it is quite likely that it will just break again, to more costs. Beyond this, I cannot trust that my wife can drive this vehicle safely. If this is not addressed by the manufacturer, I have no choice other than to sell this vehicle and buy another that is safe for my family.

On Sunday, oct. 25, 2009 the power steering went out on my 2006 Saturn Ion sl3. Restarted the car and it came back on but when out again about 5 minutes later. Took the car to van Chevrolet in kansas city, missouri. The said I needed a new steering column because the power steering is run off electric motors in the column. They reset the fault and ordered a new column. When they installed the new column, the power steering motors were bad, so the put the original steering column back on. The dealer did something with the computer module and the fault hasn't come back, but they did tell me that it definitely will and the power steering will definitely really go out.

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. While driving 55 mph the power steering warning light illuminated on the instrument control panel, and then there was a loss of power steering. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the steering column was replaced at an expense of $950. 00 the vehicle identification number was unavailable. The failure and current mileages were 96,000.

Electric power steering went out in the car. At first it would go out sporadically, but now it goes out within one minute of driving the car. It always goes out while driving, sometimes while in turns. It causes the vehicle to be difficult to maneuver. I took the car to the dealership, and since the power steering went out at around 64,000 miles, the car was out of warranty and they would not fix it. They stated that to fix the problem, the entire steering column would need replaced, and estimated cost around $900.

Electric power steering unit will intermittently go out, causing immediate loss of power steering. Sometimes the problem will occur just after starting the car, sometimes it will wait until after 30 minutes of continuous driving. It usually happens after a turn, but has happened in the middle of a turn, almost putting me into a wall on the freeway on-ramp. Dealer says steering column needs replaced, with expensive parts, and more expensive labor charges.

Electric power steering has been intermittent finally went out completely. I took it the Saturn dealer a while back and was told the steering column assembly had a pinched wire and bad fuse $200. 00 and the next day same thing happened took back to dealer that's when they told me $1500. 00 plus to change column I am an electronics tech at locked there was no bad fuse before or after they said they fixed it and no pinched wire with tape that they said they repaired I have searched the internet for information on this problem and found many people have the same problem this is also the same system used on the cobolt, malibu and pontiac all having the same problem I called g. M. And was told they aren't having any problems with their steering so no recalls were made , I told them about the internet postings but they hung up on me I just got a phone call from a nephew with a 2006 Saturn Ion 2 has exact same problem he's asking for my help told him I'm in same problem could not help if g. M is having this much electric power steering with their cars they should make a recall and take care of it I own several other g. M products but I'm ready to change to japanese made products more reliable this is a safety problem when you lose steering unexpectedly check the internet as I did hundreds of people with small g. M made cars are having this problem and some pay to have it repaired only to have it happen again. Thanks.

Electronic power steering in 2006 Saturn Ion goes out at anytime, making the vehicle very hard to control--manufacturer recommends replacing electric motor and steering column--very expensive.

Nothing led up to this failure-I was just driving along when the pwrstr error message came up on my screen and the power steering shut off. I was going 65 mph on a major interstate at the time. I was able to get the car back to my house. When I started it up later, the pwrstr error message was gone and the power steering was ok. I took it to the dealer who diagnosed that the entire steering column needs to be replaced since the Saturn has an electronic steering column and the cost would be $1200.

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. Sporadically, the contact experiences difficulty turning the steering column. Typically, after he restarts the vehicle, the electric power assist system resumes as normal. The dealer stated that he would have to replace the steering unit at the cost of $1,100. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure mileage was 84,000.

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. While attempting to mildly turn the steering column to the right, the vehicle continued to drift forward. When she depressed the brake pedal at 25 mph, the vehicle failed to stop. The dealer could not duplicate the failure, produce error codes from the diagnostic, or provide a remedy. Later, the contact started the vehicle and noticed that the check engine warning indicator was illuminated on the instrument control panel. The failure and current mileages were 33,000.

In July 2008, the power steering on our 2006 Saturn Ion (approximately 55,000 miles) turned off while exiting an interstate. The failure nearly caused a serious collision, but I was able to regain control. Power steering continued to turn off at random after that. The car dealer had to replace the power steering column (an $1,100 expense) to fix the issue, while denying there was a recurring problem with the power steering. I was unaware of this site and so did not report it at the time.

Around 15000 miles, my power steering quit working, I took it to the Saturn dealership, they said they fixed the problem. The next time I drove my car, I got to the end of my street, and the power steering popped and went out again. I again took it to the dealership and they said there was a short in the steering column. They said they repaired the problem, but I will be making another trip to Saturn as the power steering quits working and then starts working again without warning. One day, as I was turning across a 2 lane highway, the steering popped in the middle of my turn. This is happening to me during what could become very dangerous circumstances.

Power steering has been shutting off for no apparent reason sense the day I've owned the car. It happens in many cases but will always happen on every drive, let it be on startup, after 5 mins of driving, during a turn while on the freeway going about 65-70mph all the time no power steering, a recent recall has happen to two other cars with the same power steering issue/hazard with the same power steering motor and steering column but for whatever reason my car was left out of the recall so now im stuck with a issue that I've had and might I had many others have had for sometime and gm will not even consider fixing it unless its a grand or so in costs.