Steering Column problems of the 2007 Saturn ION

I own a Saturn which I got used. The power steering went out so I took it to the dealer. Found out the recalls have all been done that has to do with the power steering but the code the scanner gave is a c0550 which is a failure of the power steering column internal controller issue. Other gm carss with the same recalls that my car has had done include the column but not mine. It seems that they seem to share ste same componets and failures. This part alone is over $500 without labor. The tech told me that its not a hard job and hes done alot of them. Searching the internet alot of people have had to replace the column. There seems to be a problem but customers like me aree having to pay for the correction.

The contact owns a 2007 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering and the power steering warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the failure was a result of an internal fault in the steering column. The vehicle was not repaired. Four months prior to the failure, the vehicle was remedied per NHTSA campaign number: 14v153000 (steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 113,123.

I was driving 45 mph when my pwr str light flashed and I was unable to control the steering wheel. I pulled over ASAP and turned off my car. I turned it back on and the light was no longer on, I was then able to control my steering wheel. I was able to drive to my destination. One hour later I turned my car back on and the message was once displayed. After I restarted the car the light was off. I have had this same issue in March and the gm dealership repaired it under warranty. Now 2 months later it has happened again, and the dealership is stating that it is not under warranty because it is the steering column assembly. However, that is related to the power steering control module in which is causing this issue. I believe this should be under warranty given that there has been a recall for an issue that is related to this same situation.

The contact owns a 2007 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that while driving at low speeds and making a turn, the steering became extremely difficult to maneuver. The vehicle was later towed to a dealer. After diagnosis, they advised her that there was a computer failure in the steering column and it needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. The failure and current mileages were approximately 76,000. The VIN was unavailable.

The contact owns a 2007 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, there was a complete loss of power steering with the illumination of the warning indicator as the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact applied force to the steering wheel in order to maneuver the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, who stated that the failure was contributed to the power steering column. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 68,000.

I was driving down the street and all of the sudden the car was acting funny and not driving normally. Then the pwr str light came on. I pressed my onstar button and asked them to run a diagnostic check. It came back with nothing. I proceeded to the store I was going to. When I went back to the car and turned it on the steering wheel / column was loose and drove normally for about a minute. After that there was a beep and the pwr str light came on again and it was very difficult to steer.

The key gets stuck in the ignition while trying to turn the car on and off. Finally the key is stuck in the on position and the vehicle cannot be turned off. After several attempts, the key comes out while the car is still running and in the on position and the car is not in park. After several repairs, the ignition housing continues to fail. The car can easily roll off as the key comes out and the vehicle is not in park, the key even comes out while the car is driving or in drive. The only way to shut the car off is to manually remove the wire harness from the battery located under the steering column.

2007 Saturn Ion. The key was turning funny in the ignition. I thought the key had bent or something. A couple days later the key will not turn in the off position. The car will not turn off. We had to take apart the steering column to pull the fuse. The car remains in this condition because I am told it will cost close to $500. 00 to fix. I google this and there are numerous websites filled with this same complaint. Gm has wiped their hands of the Saturn. I feel this is a manufacturers defect and should be repaired at no cost to Saturn owners.

I was driving my 2007 Saturn Ion when the electric power steering went out. There was no warning - the indicator light came on and the power steering was gone. I was lucky enough to be able to maneuver the car off the highway, where I put in park, turned it off and waited a few minutes before turning it back on. Remarkably, as quickly as the problem appeared, it went away and I was able to get back on the highway with not further problems but when I started researching the problem online I found many other complains of the same exact nature. Saturn of course will replace the steering column for about $900. There are several other complaints related to this same problem. This is unsafe and scary as hell. You can't be driving a car when the steering goes out without warning! check the internet, there are tons of complaints about this issue and something should be done. Here's a good place to start. . . . Read more...

Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6) 2007 Saturn Ion - steering: electronic power assist - gm has recalled this on the cobalt which shares the same exact system with the Saturn Ion aswell as other gm vehicles. My 2007 Saturn Ion is experiencing this defect when I took it to the dealership the mechanic explained that this is a common issue (the power steering system randomly shorts and causes driving hazards) they said it has not been recalled yet but it is seen quite often for all gm vehicles with that system and that it is always 1 of 2 things the eps(electronic power assisted steering) or the steering column. They both have chips which are faulty he explained. Now that my wife and I see that these parts are at someone's attention but not fully we have decided to make this complaint. You may contact us at [xxx] - this problem occurs at random after starting the vehicle and can cause a wreck.

Since December, the power steering goes out several times a week on my 2007 Saturn Ion. I have not had the money to fix it, but it appears that many others are having the same problem. It appears to be a similar problem to a recall that has already been made for other gm models with a power steering motor on the steering column. If I stop and turn the car off and back on, it fixes itself. We are unsure about how to go about having the problem diagnosed and corrected given that Saturn no longer exists.

The contact owns a 2007 Saturn Ion. While the contact was driving 50mph he noticed a chime noise coming from the dashboard, moments later the vehicle no longer had power steering. The vehicle was taken to the dealership where the contact had the steering column replaced. There were no prior warnings and the current and failure mileages were 71000.

Power steering goes out after only a few moments running. Difficulty steering at low speeds. Exact same complaints as those in the gm recall, though the 2007 Saturn Ion was not included in that recall. The power steering goes out every time the vehicle is used. Dealer said to fix it would normally require a power steering motor to be replaced, but since Saturn is discontinued, gm will only provide entire steering column assemblies as a fix. Incident date is approximate, though it recurs every day the car is used.

We have a 2007 Saturn Ion with 45,000 miles. Yesterday the power steering motor went out. Motor is part of the steering column so we have to have it all replaced. Quote by a Saturn dealer is $1000. We talked to a local, reputable, mechanic and he informed us that driving the car in such a condition could result in the car catching on fire from the heat generated from turning without the power assist. This is an ongoing issue going back several year models of Ion's. We do not feel we should have to pay to have a safety issue fixed on the car. There should be a recall.

The contact owns a 2007 Saturn Ion. While driving 35 mph the steering column locked. She then put the vehicle into neutral to resume normal vehicle operation. However after several minutes of driving the vehicle failed again. . The vehicle was taken to the dealer multiple times for inspection. Since the technicians could not duplicate the failure they could not provide a remedy. An independent mechanic concluded power steering module needed to be repaired at her expense. The failure mileage was 35000 and current mileage was 54000.

Tl - the contact owns a 2007 Saturn Ion. Since purchasing the vehicle a thumping sound has been coming from the steering column. The steering became very tight and hard when making a right turn. When making a left turn the steering was very easy. When taken to a dealer the diagnosis was that the complete steering column needs to be replaced. The contact filed a complaint with general motors and the reference number is 716555540051. The current mileage was 45,780. Kg updated 10/03/08 updated 10/15/08.