Power Steering Failed Problems of Saturn ION - part 2

We purchased this 2003 Saturn Ion used and had the power steering assist motor fail when driving. A quick internet search revealed that this is a widespread problem. Gm has acknowledged the problem and has been fixing cars with this issue (2004-2007). This car has the same defective part that is in the later models and should be included with the "special coverage adjustment" issued by gm. It is a very dangerous issue and I hope they consider the 2003 for coverage as well.

See all problems of the 2003 Saturn ION 🔎.

The contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the power steering failed to operate intermittently and the warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the mechanic stated that the steering column had to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 120,000.

See all problems of the 2004 Saturn ION 🔎.

Odometer dings and displays power steering warning; power steering fails. Turning the car off and back on corrects this, until it happens again (typically after the car has been running about 10 seconds). This is a known issue, and Saturn extended warranty coverage to under 100,000 miles. My car did not start doing this until after 100,000 miles. Steering is a safety issue. This should be a recall.

The contact owns a 2005 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the power steering assist failed to operate. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the mechanic stated that the power steering column had to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 157,000. The approximate current mileage was 159,000.

See all problems of the 2005 Saturn ION 🔎.

Electronic power steering failed while driving resulting in very difficult steering of the vehicle. After turning vehicle off the back on the power steering started working. Power steering has failed again and did again start working after turning vehicle off.

See all problems of the 2007 Saturn ION 🔎.

Power steering failed. It became extremely difficult to turn the steering wheel.

See all problems of the 2006 Saturn ION 🔎.

This is what happened to me, without warning or prior incident; while on my way to work, driving on a freeway about 55-60mph, I notice a "pwr str" warning light come on on my dash. Since I am driving straight ahead, I notice no change. As soon as I attempt to change lanes to get off the freeway, I realize that I can barely steer the car and that my power steering has completely failed. There is no shoulder on this freeway, so it is safest to get off the freeway. Making the right turn off the freeway is nearly impossible and takes all of my strength just to turn the wheel. This was extremely scary and put me in a very unsafe situation. Luckily, this did not cause an accident and nobody was hurt. There was not a lot of traffic at the time, and once off the freeway, I could quickly and safely come to a place where I could pull over and park. After reading the number of complaints for this exact similar problem, I am amazed that no recall has been issued to date. This is something that could potentially injure or kill someone by way of an accident. . . This is just an accident waiting to happen.

The contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that after turning the engine on, the power steering failed and the steering wheel tightened. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 124,000.

From 2010-present (2013), the vehicle has exhibited intermittent power steering failure. Failures would occur after driving the vehicle for some time, ranging from several minutes, to several hours. Power steering would cut out while driving, presumably after extensive utilization of the power steering mechanisms. At this point a chime would sound and the "check engine" dash light would illuminate, indicating an issue with the power steering. Power steering loss would remain until the vehicle was shut off and restarted. Upon the restart of the vehicle, the power steering would again resume normal operation. Failures would occur at sporadic intervals. No common factor could be easily identified such as temperature, humidity, steering intensity or trip length, although these may be factors. Steering failure events occur approximately once every 8 months.

Tl- the contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that the power steering assist failed. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic, who stated that the power steering unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 120,000. Kmj.

The contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that while driving 50 mph, the power steering assist failed without warning. The failure recurred on three separate occasions. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 124,000.

The contact owns a 2003 Saturn Ion. While the vehicle was driven at a low speed, the power steering failed and the power steering warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the power steering motor malfunctioned and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign number: 14v153000 (steering); however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 49,500. The VIN was not provided.

The contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that while driving 55 mph, the power steering failed. The contact stated that she had to add additional effort in order to steer the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection but the contact was not provided with a cause for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 95,000.

The contact owns a 2007 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that while driving 55 mph, the power steering assist failed with the illumination of the warning indicator. The vehicle was driven to an authorized dealer, who replaced the power steering motor kit, a blown fuse, the harness connectors and the power connector however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not further repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 89,000.

The power steering failed while driving the car and a message appeared on the driver's information panel; I had to apply a lot of force on the steering wheel in order to control the car. This is happening now everytime I drive the car and it happens randomly while driving.

Halfway during the half mile commute to my home from work on December 21, 2012, the power steering failed. This happens very frequently. I hear the chime and then the pwr strng light comes on and I have to steer manually. I often have to stop my car and turn it off just to reset the steering. Sometimes it is very hard to turn the car safely while driving very slowly and/or parking. I feel that gm should be forced to recall this problem as I see from this site that it's a common and known problem. If an elderly, physically weak or inexperienced driver should have this happen, it could result in many serious accidents. I've owned my vehicle for 6+ years since brand new.

My Saturn Ion 2007 power steering failed while I was driving resulting in near crash situation as steering all-most jammed . Company is not ready to fix the power steering issue in-spite of extended warranty on power steering.

Power steering failed while driving caused near crash situation. Gm not ready to fix the issue.

Synopsis: my Saturn Ion experienced a power steering failure four times in one day. Gm declined to replace the steering motor because the vehicle mileage exceeded its "special coverage" limit by 9,000 miles. Event: I was driving down a mountain roadway, elevation 9,000 feet, at about 35 m. P. H. When an alarm sounded in my 2006 Saturn Ion. The dashboard noted a "power steering failure," which I had never seen before. The steering wheel froze, and I was only able to turn it less than a centimeter in either direction. There was no shoulder so I parked the car in the lane, turned off the engine, waited and restarted. The failure warning went away. I had no choice but to continue driving because of where I was. The same failure happened four times within 25 minutes during my drive before I was off the mountain. I believe it should be noted I was in constant fear of another failure as I drove the winding downhill road where quick steering was required. In June 2012, gm mailed me notification that this problem could occur. The problem happened exactly as described in "special coverage" bulletin 10187-2, but that bulletin states: "do not take your vehicle to your gm dealer as a result of this letter unless you believe that your vehicle has the condition as described. " I immediately contacted my local dealership, o'rielly Chevrolet, and took the car in the moment the dealer opened. Gm assigned me case number [xxx], and ultimately declined to replace the motor or offer cost assistance because I exceed the "special coverage" limit by 9,000 miles. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the power steering warning lamp illuminated as the power steering failed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 42,000 and the current mileage was 42,900.

Tl- the contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion-3. The contact stated that while driving 50 mph, the power steering assist failed and the steering wheel became inoperable. The contact managed to exit the roadway without incident however, experienced extreme difficulty in turning the steering wheel. The dealer was notified of the failure who advised that the repair was not under recall and offered no additional assistance. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 75,755. And the current mileage was 75,756. Kmj.

The power steering failed completely while driving in close quarters on the university of georgia campus,. I was narrowly able to avoid hitting a telephone pole when turning off the road. After stalling and restarting the car, it worked for 3-4 minutes before again failing completely. Using repeated cycles of driving until it failed, turning the car off, then restarting it, I was able to safely get home, but the power steering continued to fail recurrently just a few minutes after each restart.

I was driving my car through town when the dash suddenly made an alert sound and a 'pwr str' light came on. My power steering instantly stopped working. I was in the middle of a three lane street and in the process of merging lanes, so the power steering failure almost caused me to run into another car. After I shut my car off and started it again, the power steering worked fine for about 5 miles before the message came back up and the power steering failed once again. I drive at least 15-20 miles through the city for my job each day, and it's a huge safety hazard for me when the power steering stops working. It has been failing at least 2 or 3 times a day since the first incident occurred. I drove to my parents' house which is 80 mile from my current home, and the power steering failed at least 7 times during the drive. I loose almost all of my control over the vehicle whenever this occurs, and I'm very concerned for my safety and the safety of the others on the road near me.

When parallel parking and the wheel is turned all the way in one direction then the other, the power steering fails. It is then impossible to turn the car on a tight turn radius even with significant driver effort, making parallel parking dangerous. The car must be turned off, the steering wheel cranked from side to side, then restarted before the power steering reactivates and the wheel turns normally.

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. The contact was driving 30 mph up a mountain when a warning lamp illuminated and the power steering failed. The contact mentioned that it was very difficult to steer the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who had not been able to determine what was causing the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 60,000.

The contact owns a 2003 Saturn Ion. The contact stated while driving, the power steering failed causing the vehicle to be more difficult to drive. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection and they stated the power steering needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified and stated there were no recalls. The failure mileage was 102,987.

Was driving my car out of my driveway and 2 blocks away the power steering failed as I was making a turn in a busy intersection. Luckily it was at an off time at night otherwise the outcome would have been a lot worse. Was able to pull off to the side of the road.

There was 3 beeps and "pwr str" was displayed, and the power steering failed. Since the first occurrence, the car will start with the power steering enabled, and then after driving for anywhere from 1 to 6 minutes, it will fail again. Without the power steering, the car is almost impossible to turn.

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that the power steering assist failed while driving 65 mph. The contact had to shift into neutral, turn off and restart the vehicle for the power steering assist to reset. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 97,600 and the current mileage 97,984.

Multiple power steering failures and consistent power steering warnings. Stopped the engine and restarted but the power steering failed again within minutes. Power steering motor not yet replaced under gm power steering assist bulletin 10187.

Power steering failure - clicking from around the steering column followed by immediate loss of power steering assist and 3 beeps from the info center. Message "pwr str" displayed in info window.

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. The contact was driving 50 mph when the power steering failed and the contact experienced extreme difficulties in maintaining control of the vehicle. The contact mentioned that the power steering warning lamp illuminated immediately after the failure. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer and the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 120,000.

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that while driving 20 mph the power steering failed. He turned off the vehicle and once restarted, the power steering assist was reset. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer advised the contact that they needed to replace the power steering motor. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 41,000 and the current mileage was 41,500. The VIN was not available.

Continuing instances of power steering failure causing extreme difficulty in manuvering the vehicle.

The car was traveling straight when the power steering failed, and the information center displayed "pwr str" turned engine off, put in neutral, restarted engine, and power steering worked. Happened about 2 hours later as well.