2005 SATURN ION Complaints

I HAVE A 2005 SATURN ION. MY WARRANTY RAN UP ON JUNE 11TH. JULY 1ST MY POWERSTEERING LIGHT CAME ON AND THE STEERING QUIT. TURN CAR OFF AND BACK ON IT WORKS AGAIN. NOW IT TURNS OFF AFTER 5 SECONDS SO BEEN DRIVING WITHOUT POWER STEERING FOR WEEKS NOW. I FEEL IT IS VERY DANGEROUS. TRIED REACHING SATURN DEALER KEPT GETTING TRANSFERRED TO VOICE MAIL FOR 2 WEEKS TO A JOHN. NO RESPONSE FROM THEM AFTER 2 WEEKS. WENT TO MY MECHANIC DID DIAGNOSTIC THE POWER STEERING MOTOR WENT BAD AT 42000 MILES. HE TOLD ME THAT ON LINE HE SAW THAT SATURN WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THIS MOTOR. TOLD ME TO GOTO SATURN. GOT HORRIBLE SERVICE THERE SEEMS LIKE THEY ARE NOT GOING TO WORK WITH ME. THEY WOULDN'T EVEN LOOK AT IT WHILE I WAS THERE AND THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION ESP ON BACK ROADS. I ASKED ABOUT PROBLEMS WITH THE MOTOR AND WAS TOLD "WELL THEY HAVEN'T BEEN RECALLED YET SO YOU'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO PAY." WENT TO ONE SITE HTTP://WWW.FIXYA.COM/CARS/T1167668-2004_SATURN_ION_POWER_STEERING_PROBLEM SAW PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM ON THE 2004 MODEL THAT HAS SAME MOTOR FOR STEERING. ONE EVEN HAD THE SAME MILEAGE AS I DO. I GO BACK TO THE DEALER ON AUG 3 BECAUSE THEY SAID ITS NOT DIAGNOSED UNTIL THEY DO IT THEM SELVES. ANOTHER $40 FOR SAME TEST MY MECHANIC ALREADY DID. WHAT SHOULD I DO. SEEMS LIKE THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM FOR THIS MODEL CAR. THANKS *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN ION. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE STEERING WHEEL IMMEDIATELY BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE AND UPON RESTARTING THE VEHICLE IT RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE FAILURE RECURRED DURING THE CONTACT'S TRAVEL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 91,400.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN ION. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD AS THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME EXTREMELY STIFF. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROADWAY AND SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. WHEN RESTARTING, THE VEHICLE HAD REGAINED POWER STEERING CAPABILITIES AND RESUMED THE WARNING LIGHTS WERE NO LONGER ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED TWO ADDITIONAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIRS FACILITY WHERE THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING A DIAGNOSIS OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 74,000.

THERE IS CURRENTLY AN ACTIVE RECALL OUT FOR THE 2005 ' 2010 CHEVROLET COBALT TO REPLACE THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING MOTOR. THE CHEVY COBALT AND THE SATURN ION ARE EXTREMELY SIMILAR VEHICLES AND HAVE THE SAME MOTOR. I HAVE HAD TO HAVE MINE REPLACED AT MY OWN COST. I APPROACHED SATURN CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY STATED THAT SINCE SATURN IS NO LONGER IN BUSINESS, GENERAL MOTORS WILL NOT BE DOING A RECALL. THIS PROBLEM IS PROLIFIC THAT MY MECHANIC HAD TO HAVE A MOTOR SENT BY FEDERAL EXPRESS FROM DALLAS BECAUSE THERE WERE NO MOTORS IN HOUSTON DUE TO THE RECALL OF THE CHEVY COBALT. *TR

DURING MY NORMAL COMMUTE 18 MILES, THE POWER STEERING LIGHT COMES ON AND THE POWER STEERING GOES OUT. THE ISSUE IS INTERMITTENT AND THE POWER STEERING WORKS AGAIN AFTER THE CAR IS TURNED OFF AND BACK ON. THE PROBLEM OCCURS EACH DRIVE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN ION. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE POWER STEERING LIGHT APPEARED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. WITHIN A FEW SECONDS, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE POWER STEERING FAILED TO FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 42000.

I HAVE A 2005 SATURN ION WITH APPROXIMATELY 75,000 MILES. I HAVE BEEN HAVING POWER STEERING FAILURE FOR THE PAST TWO MONTHS. THERE WAS NO WARNING SIGN OR ANYTHING-- THE CAR JUST LOSES POWER WHILE IN MOTION. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE WHEN IT HAPPENS, I AM NOT PREPARED AND I FIND IT VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN MY WHEEL. ONCE, I NEARLY HIT A CAR IN OPPOSING TRAFFIC BECAUSE I WAS NOT ABLE TO TURN MY WHEEL FAST ENOUGH TO MAKE A SHARP TURN. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH CONCERNING THIS ISSUE AND IT SEEMS THAT THERE ARE MANY ION OWNERS EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM AS IT SEEMS THAT I WOULD NEED TO HAVE THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN REPLACED AT THE HEFTY PRICE OF ABOUT $1000. I DON'T THINK I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY SUCH AN EXORBITANT AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE RECALLED AND FIXED BY GM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN ION. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD AND STEERING WHEEL BECAME STIFF. THE CONTACT HAD TO DRIVE ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE, SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF AND WHEN IT WAS RESTARTED, IT BEGAN TO FUNCTION NORMALLY. THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN ISSUE BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 88,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN ION. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT HAD APPEARED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, WITHIN A FEW MINUTES, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SHUT OFF AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 67000.

I HAVE A 2005 SATURN ION, 2.2 L. THE POWER STEERING LIGHT HAS GONE ON JULY16 - JULY 18 AND LOST POWER STEERING 5 DIFFERENT TIMES. I HAVE DIFFICULT MAKING ANY KIND OF TURN THEN. I HAVE TO PULL OVER SOMEWHERE SAFE, STOP THE CAR, WAIT A MINUTE OR TWO AND START THE CAR UP AGAIN. THE POWER STEERING IS THEN FINE AGAIN. I WATCH FOR THE WARNING NOW BECAUSE I AM NOT SURE IF THE POWER STEERING WILL GO OUT AGAIN. THE WEATHER ON THE DAYS THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT HAS BEEN VERY,VERY HOT- 90'S TO 100'S. I HAVE NOT GONE TO DEALERSHIP TO LOOK AT IT, STILL DEBATING WHAT TO DO. *TR