Electric Power Assist Steering System Problems of Saturn ION - part 2

Power steering failed on my 2004 Saturn Ion while the car was in motion on a winding street. I was able to maintain control but a person of lesser strength would likely have crashed as the steering was extremely stiff. Took car to dealership and the whole steering assembly required replacement at a cost of $1,079 plus #111 for a 2 day car rental. The auto was just out of the warranty period. Dealer kept old parts.

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Started my car and did not have power steering. . . Shut the car off, and started it again and had power steering.

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The power steering on my 2005 Saturn Ion completely stopped working right at about 37000, right after the warranty expired. I tried to have it fixed, but it's a new technology Saturn implemented, (state of the art electronic power steering system), and it will cost $1100 to fix it. My car is fairly new still, and Saturn corp. Refuses to meet with me in the middle on the cost. Without power steering, my car is unsafe to drive, and driving to work and back is a real challenge, and a dangerous challenge, but I cannot afford the cost of fixing it. ***Saturn service advisor admitted to me that lots of the Ions are having this problem. ***.

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Power steering failed.

Since 45,000 miles the cars power steering will stop when driving and when the car is turned off and back on again the steering will work for a few miles. Trouble code c0475 means to replace the steering column according to the TSB. Car has 67,000 miles and I refuse to pay $1000 for a poorly designed gm part just ask they chevy malibu owners they are suffering from the same problem.

The contact owns a 2003 Saturn Ion2. The contact stated his power steering at unpredictable times did not operate. The warning light would illuminate before power steering failed. He would pull the vehicle to the side of the road, turn the motor on and off and it would resets itself. The dealer was called and stated they need to replace the power steering at a cost of $300. The failure mileage was 30,000 the current mileage is 60,000.

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The contact owns 2006 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph, the power steering failed and the steering wheel became hard to maneuver. Also, the contact mentioned that the key became lodged in the ignition switch and the power window failed to open. The vehicle was taken to a dealer who replaced the ignition switch under the NHTSA campaign id number 14v047000 (air bags, electrical system). However, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the defects. The approximate failure mileage was 67,000.

Steering failure during static and very slow turning exercises. This is a consistent problem with the vehicle. We teach new drivers and re-train elderly drivers and this is a major issue for a training vehicle. The dealer has confirmed the problem. He performed the power steering diagnostic system check with the following results. "since most occurrences of the dtc are caused by frequent static steering, such as parking maneuvers and high ambient temperatures, review the eps system with the customer toi determine the conditionsl under which the dtc set". The system reset which does not help. Increasing the speed of the vehicle does that. The dealer has no cure. I think a manufacturer has a responsibility to provide a vehicle that can safely be operated upon a road way regardless of static steering or slow steering.

Electronic assist steering system:ravaling at interstate speed - design flaw. Esign flaw result - lost control of car due to sudden jerk of wheel to avoid collision with motorist coming into our lane. Did 270 deg spin in heavy traffic. Came to stop against median guardrail after crossing two lanes. Peed 65 mph with trafic flow. Misc. Notes: 1) car occupants = 3ea. 2) it is predicted that this design flaw is serious enough that the public will be exposed to news reels detailing flaw resulting in deaths, Saturn will be forced to recall. Time to get busy to make recall effort reality.

Saturn Ion 3 electric power steering. 2003. Power steering-electric: it appears that the electric power steering is programmed to give more assist in a panic situation. Sensors detect when the steering wheel is being moved rapidly, and immediately give more assist, making the wheel very easy to turn. Since most people over-correct in a panic situation, this increase in assist is exactly the wrong thing to do. This is especially noticeable on interstate highways where the speed really accentuates the effect. I do 90% of my driving on the interstate, so this is of particular concern to me. I now have 20,000 miles on this vehicle and have known about this odd steering behavior since about 2000 miles when I swerved to avoid an animal and almost drove off the road. If the car was still within the 30 day, 1500 mile buy back period, it would have gone back. Even knowing that the problem exists, and occasionally giving the wheel a sharp movement so that I know how the car reacts, I almost hit the guard-rail when I was surprised by another car drifting into my lane on the date below. I tell every Saturn Ion owner that I meet about the problem. A friend's son drove their Ion off the road about a month ago under similar circumstances. Owners who don't often venture on to the interstates are reluctant to believe there is any such problem with their new car. The same is true of the Saturn dealership that I have taken my car to. They send me on my way, drive a couple of miles, tell me they drove 50 miles and that the car is perfectly fine. I don't know of anyone who has been killed by this problem, but I'm sure it is only a matter of time.

2007 Saturn Ion. Consumer expresses discontent with electric power steering issues the consumer stated she is afraid if the power steering fails, she may not be able to control the vehicle due to her age and strength.

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