Electric Power Assist Steering System Problems of Saturn ION - part 1

The contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 mph, a chime sounded and followed by a complete loss of power steering. The warning indicator also illuminated during the steering malfunction; however, the contact continued to drive the vehicle. After the vehicle was turned off and restarted the vehicle operated normally. There was a related recall under NHTSA campaign id number 14v153000 (steering) however, the part was unavailable. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000. Updated 8/19/cn.

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The contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that the vehicles power steering failed after trying to reverse from a drive way. The vehicle was difficult to steer. The power steering light illuminated on the dash board followed by a warning chime throughout the vehicle. The vehicle was not driven since the failure. The manufacturer was contacted and they offered no remedy. There was no diagnosis completed on the vehicle. The failure mileage was 114,000 and the current mileage was 114. 000.

2004 Saturn Ion. Consumer writes in regards to electronic power steering failure. The consumer stated she first started having front suspension problems, which the dealer fixed free of charge. The exhaust was leaking and she paid to have it replaced, along with the catalytic converter. Also, the horn stopped working. The consumer received a letter in July 2012, from gm stating the warranty was being extended because the electric power steering could fail. On December 16, 2013, the power steering failed, as the consumer was leaving a parking lot. She had to use extra force to turn the steering wheel. After a couple of minutes, it was back to normal. A test revealed, there was indeed a failure. When the consumer called gm, she was informed the extended warranty had expired on 11/28/13 the consumer no longer owns the vehicle. Updated 02/5/14.

The contact owns a 2007 Saturn Ion. The contact stated while driving at an unknown speed, the power steering failed and the power steering warning light illuminated. The contact mentioned that the steering wheel became very hard to maneuver. Also, the contact stated that the failure recurred intermittently over a period of a year. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who indicated that the power steering unit needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure who did not offered any assistance since the vehicle was not included in recall NHTSA campaign id number 14v153000 (steering). The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000.

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The contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. The contact stated while driving 35 mph the power steering failed and as a result the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The power steering warning lamp illuminated immediately after the failure occurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 99,500 and the current mileage was 112,394. Updated 6/6/12 the electric power steering motor was replaced on 05/22/12. Updated 06/11/12.

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that while driving, the power steering would sporadically become inoperable. The dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but denied any assistance with repairs to the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 106,000. . . Updated 09/29/11 the power steering motor failed on the vehicle. Updated 01/03/12.

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I have a Saturn Ion 05 and have had to replace the power steering once already and now having the same issue again. Also the turn signal on the front drivers side only works when my hazards or head lamps are on have tested all fuses and replaced bulb twice this is a commom complaint why isnt it being fixed?.

See all problems of the 2005 Saturn ION 🔎.

2006 Saturn Ion. Consumer states problems with steering the consumer stated while driving, she received a signal stating the power steering was not functioning. The consumer took the vehicle to the dealer, where she was informed other models that have the same steering motor was recalled. The consumer mailed in a technical service bulletin of the affected models with electric power steering problems which included her make, model and year.

Electrical power assist systems fails while driving both at highway and rural road speeds. Driver has to pull of to the side of the road and restart the vehicle. Same eps on the NHTSA campaign number 10v073000 currently under recall.

The contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. While driving approximately 65 mph he heard a chiming noise in the dashboard and the power steering light illuminated on the dashboard. He lost all power steering and stated that he continue to drive with difficulty to his destination. Four hours later he returned to the vehicle and the power steering worked as normal. The failure occurred twice. He took the vehicle to a local mechanic and the electronic power steering module was replaced. He had to replace it because he was not able to handle the vehicle traveling through the mountains on the way home. The contact stated that he received a letter from the manufacturer stating that they have had the identical failure with other 2004 Ions. The failure mileage was 119,000 and the current mileage was 123,000.

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. When the contact attempted to drive the vehicle, he was unable to turn the steering wheel. He stated that the power steering failed; however, there were no warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The dealer was notified and confirmed that the warranty had expired. The contact was concerned about the safety risk involved. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were approximately 67,000.

The contact owns a 2007 Saturn Ion. While driving at approximate speeds of 10 mph, the power steering failed followed by the illumination of the power steering warning light. The contact was unable to turn the steering wheel but was able to drive the vehicle to her residence without incident. The dealer advised the power steering motor had failed and would need to be replaced however, the part needed to make the repair was on backorder. The manufacturer confirmed that the part was not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 49,333 and the current mileage was 49,346. Updated 7/16/10 the consumer stated the exact part was recalled for another model. The dealer informed the consumer they were not sure when the part would be available. Updated 07/22/10.

The contact owns a 2005 Saturn Ion. While driving at 65 mph, the power steering light illuminated and the power steering malfunctioned. The contact shut off the vehicle and upon restart, the vehicle functioned properly. However, the failure occurred moments later. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who stated that the power steering motor failed. The vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. The current and failure mileages were approximately 92,000. Updated 11/05/10 updated 11/05/jb.

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that the power steering intermittently failed immediately after the power steering light illuminated. The contact was unable to control the vehicle until she turned if off and restart it. The contact stated that the failure was similar to recall 10v073000 (steering: electric power assist system). The vehicle had not been inspected or repaired when the complaint was filed. The VIN was not available. The current and failure mileages were 63,416.

I was driving the car and got a pwr str warning on my console. I noticed that I had lost my power steering. I pulled over and turned the car off. When I restarted the car everything worked fine. I didn't have the issue again for 3 days, but now im having it 10-15 times a day. My fiance is the normal driver of this car and does not have the strength to steer and control the car when it looses the power steering. She has almost been in 3 wrecks in the last week resulting from this. There is a recall for the chevy cobalt and pontiac g5 that is TSB 10v073000. This is the same part and component that is on the Saturn Ion, but it wasn't included in the recall for some reason.

The contact owns a 2005 Saturn Ion. The contact was driving approximately 55 mph when the power steering failed and the steering wheel became difficult to control. A chiming noise was inside of the vehicle prior to the power steering warning light illuminating. The dealer was notified and stated that the failure was identical to the recall on the 2006 Chevrolet cobalt for the electric power steering assist system. The contact was concerned about the safety risk involved. The failure mileage and current mileages were 37,607.

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 mph and making a u-turn, the power steering warning light illuminated and the power steering failed. The contact was able to drive home although it became difficult to control the steering wheel. The power steering reset itself after it was turned off and restarted. The contact called the dealer who stated that there were no related recalls and she would have to pay the repair cost. The manufacturer, when called, verified the information given by the dealer. The failure mileage was 44,537. The current mileage was 44,847. Updated 07/08/10 the consumer sent in a TSB regarding a problem with the electric power steering. Updated 07/09/10/ updated 07/15/10 the consumer stated gm/Saturn has agreed to assist with the steering problem. Updated 07/19/jb.

There is a recall on Chevrolet cobalt's and pontiac g5's NHTSA campaign id number 10v073000 for electric power steering loss of power. That occurs any time and is becoming more frequent on my 2007 Saturn Ion it has the same power steering assist. Why is my car not listed when it is a gm product as well with the same component.

Power steering shuts off at random times. It is electric power steering and a warning is displayed on the dash. If, I simply turn the car off and then back on the power steering works fine again. It can happen again after a few minutes, or not for a week. There does not seem to be any common condition that causes this, it is totally random. Updated ivoq. 07/29/10.

The contact owns a 2003 Saturn Ion . While driving at 30 mph the contact noticed that the vehicle would stall. The dealer was contacted and the contact was informed that the mileage was high and they did not have enough complaints from NHTSA to recall the vehicle. The contact has also experienced problems with the power steering when driving at a speed of 15-20 mph. The contact took the vehicle to an authorized dealership and they informed her that the electric power steering motor needed to be replaced . The approximate failure mileage was 64000 and the current mileage was 74500.

See all problems of the 2003 Saturn ION 🔎.

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. The contact was driving approximately 5 mph, proceeded to park the vehicle. A chime sounded inside of the vehicle. The power steering warning light indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. The driver pulled over to the side of the road with difficulty in turning the steering wheel. The engine was turned off and restarted. The vehicle was able to operate normally. The failure occurred on five separate occasions intermittently. The vehicle is in the process of being taken to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing. The failure mileage was 20,000. The current mileage was 30,000.

The contact owns a 2005 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that the power steering light illuminated, followed by a chime and a loss of power steering. The contact stated that in warm weather, the power steering failed more frequently. The dealer inspected the vehicle and stated that the electric power steering module was defective. The VIN was unavailable at the time of the complaint. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000. The current mileage was approximately 98,000.

The contact owns a 2007 Saturn Ion. While driving 55 mph, the power steering light illuminated, the steering wheel was very hard to turn and it became very difficult to drive. A local mechanic stated that the power steering fluid was low. The dealer was contacted and stated that the power steering motor needed to be replaced. The failure mileage was 42,889 and current mileage was 50,000. Updated 10/01/2010. The dealer replaced the electric steering motor. Updated 10/05/10.

2005 Saturn. Consumer states while traveling down the road unexpectedly the power steering would shut off. The consumer stated the problem was with the power steering assist motor and there was a recall for other models. The consumer stated his vehicle and the other models share the same part number, which would explain why experienced the same problem. The consumer stated the problem is extremely serious, because it is difficult to steer in manual mode with no power steering.

The contact owns a 2003 Saturn Ion level 1. When turning the steering column or when striking a bump the power steering failed. She had to turn the vehicle off, to reset the error code. Her mechanic gave her TSB 06-02-32-00. He then advised her to be aware of the failure, because it was a manufacturers defect. She took the vehicle to the dealer. The dealer replaced the power steering motor at an expense of $400. 00. The failure mileage was 60,000. The current mileage was 75,000. Updated 12/8/09 the dealer replaced the electric steering motor. Updated 12/09/09. Updated 05/28/10.

The contact owns a 2005 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that while driving at 55 mph when changing lanes ,the power steering light illuminated and the power steering locked up. He pulled over to the side of the road and turned the vehicle off and then on. The vehicle then drove normally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where he purchased it, and they stated that it was the steering mechanism that over heats and shuts off. There were no repairs done to the vehicle. The contact stated that this occurs every time he drives the vehicle. The failure mileage was 35000 and current mileage was 36000. Updated 04/01/10. The consumer stated the power steering failed when the vehicle was driven for a long period of time. Updated 06/10/jb.

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that while driving 45 mph, the power steering failed followed by an illumination of the power steering warning light. The steering wheel became difficult to control. The contact shut off the engine, immediately restarted it and the power steering began to function normally. The contact stated that NHTSA recall campaign id number 10v073000 (pertaining to the 2005-2010 Chevrolet cobalt models: steering: electric power assist system) was applicable to his vehicle since the power steering pump was the same model as the Chevrolet cobalt. The dealer stated that the recall did not apply to his VIN and any repairs would be at the expense of the owner. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer conceded to take the liability for the labor costs and the owner was liable for the parts. The failure mileage was approximately 46,500 and the current mileage was approximately 50,500.

-the contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. While the contact was driving approximately between 10 to 50 mph the power steering failed. The vehicle became extremely difficult to steer. The contact was able to maneuver the vehicle to the side of the road. The engine was turned off, and then restarted. The vehicle resumed normal. The failure occurred fifteen times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician stated the electronic power steering unit was a common problem and needed to be replaced. There was not a service warranty related to the failure or recall defect. The vehicle was not repaired due to the service cost. The failure and current mileages were 33,927.

The contact owns a 2007 Saturn Ion3. While driving approximately 50 mph the power steering failed. He stated that the power steering light illuminated on the dashboard. When the steering failed it became very difficult to turn. He had to drive onto the emergency lane with great effort. The next day he drove the vehicle to an authorized dealer. The dealer replaced the steering column module. The dealer stated that because the vehicle was salvaged he had to pay $656. 62 for the repairs. The contact received a letter from the manufacturer stating the identical failure and was upset that the manufacturer did not pay for the repairs. The failure mileage was 38,257. The approximate current mileage was 71,000. Updated 12/23/lj updated 04/06/11.

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. After 30 seconds of vehicle operation, the power steering will fail. Usually when the vehicle was restarted the power steering would resume normal operation for a short period of time. The vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealership. The current mileage was 90000. The failure mileage was 50000. Updated 1/11/09 the power steering motor needed to be replaced. Updated 01/14/10.

Power/electric steering on 2003 Saturn Ion is malfunctioning making the wheel extremely difficult to turn and driving very dangerous. The incident resulted in temporary loss of control of the vehicle and could easily have lead to a serious accident.

Failure of the electric power steering system: I have owned my 2004 Saturn Ion since new and it has approximately 52,000 miles on it. I noticed about 2 months ago, the power steering system will turn off randomly. It started to happen very infrequently, less than once a day. Now it happens many times in one trip. If I turn the ignition off and restart the car, it will work again, notwithstanding another failure. The dealer has quoted me 700 dollars to do the repair work. Considering the car only has 52,000 miles on it and many others have experienced this same problem on the Ion and other Saturn models (from searches of various Saturn forums), I find this to be unconscionable that Saturn will not recall the item. This could cause a major problem for an unsuspecting person if it turns off in the middle of a cornering turn. The forces required to turn the wheels and the failed steering assist motor are more than expected.

The contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that the power steering failed sporadically. The power steering warning light illuminated on the instrument panel immediately following the failure. The steering wheel became difficult to control. The contact stated that she had to shut the vehicle off and restart it in order to reset the power steering assist. Prior to the recent failure, a year ago; the power steering column was replaced. There were no further repairs made to the vehicle. The failure mileage was 70,000 and the current mileage was 84,000. Updated 05/11/10. Updated 6/1/10 the consumer stated when she put the gear in drive, the power steering light illuminated and the steering column would become stiff as if it was locked. The vehicle has electric power steering. The steering motor was replaced. Updated 06/24/10.

The contact owns a 2007 Saturn Ion. In December of 2007, the electronic power steering began to fail intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer in January of 2008 and they initially could not identify the cause of the failure. After several attempts, they discovered that the electronic power steering failed. The first repair was not made until February 25, 2008. The failure recurred several times in March and again on April 14th. The dealer informed the contact to remove the aftermarket lights she installed on the vehicle. Once the lights were removed, the vehicle met the manufacturer's specifications. The vehicle was taken in for repair again and on April 23, 2008, the contact retrieved the vehicle. She was only able to drive five miles before the failure recurred. The failure mileage was 9,000 and current mileage is 13,000. Updated 05/20/08. Updated 05/20/08.

The 2003 Saturn Ion-3 power steering goes out while driving. It will work again, for a while, after the car has been restarted. This car has the electric power steering unit enclosed in the steering column. Saturn has advised me this is a $1000. 00 repair on a four year old car with 55,000 miles. I see that there is an investigation on pontiac g6 autos for this same problem. I would recommend expanding that investigation to include all gm cars with the electric power steering.