2005 SATURN ION Complaints

I OWN A 2005 SATURN ION. I HAVE 3 MORE PAYMENTS LEFT ON IT. I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY ON 7/16/10 AND MY PWR STR LIGHT CAME ON THE DISPLAY. I IMMEDIATELY LOST POWER STEERING. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS ON THE WEB AND IT APPEARS THAT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS ISSUE. APPARENTLY THERE WAS A RECALL ON 3 OR 4 OTHER GM MODELS OF CARS THAT HAVE THE SAME "POWER STEERING MOTOR" HOWEVER, THE SATURN DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE ONE OF THEM. *TR

PULLING OUT OF PARKING LOT AND THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. NOW, EVERYTIME I START MY CAR THE POWER STEERING LAST FOR ABOUT 10 SECONDS AND THEN IT GOES OUT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE POWER STEERING ASSIST WOULD FAIL. THE POWER STEERING WARNING ALARM WOULD SOUND, THE WARNING LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE AND THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD BECOME EXTREMELY TIGHT. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE ELECTRONIC POWER ASSIST MODULE WAS FAILING AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 139,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 141,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN ION. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD AND THE STEERING WHEEL IMMEDIATELY LOCKED. THE VEHICLE WAS SHUT OFF AND WHEN RESTARTING, THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE DEALER ADVISED THERE WAS A FAILURE WITHIN THE POWER STEERING MOTOR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 140,148. UPDATED 09/29/10. *LJ

WHILE DRIVING I HEARD A BELL GO OFF IN THE DASH AND THEN LOST CONTROL OF MY STEERING WHEEL AND ALMOST CRASHED BECAUSE I COULD NOT TURN THE WHEEL. I COASTED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, WHERE I NOTICED A LIGHT WHICH WAS ON "POWER STEERING". SO I ATTEMPTED TO GET BACK ON THE ROAD TO DRIVE THE REST OF THE WAY HOME. CAR IS NOT DRIVABLE IN THIS CONDITION.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED WHEN TRAVELING AT ANY SPEED, THE POWER STEERING WOULD FAIL CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO BECOME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE POWER STEERING MOTOR WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SERVICED AND THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 72,000.

DEAR SIR/MADAM, THIS COMPLAINT IS ACTUALLY NOT ABOUT A REPAIR PER SE, BUT ABOUT THE WAY SATURN HANDLED MY CASE. - THE FAULT: POWER STEERING ASSIST MOTOR BROKE IN MID-DRIVE, LEAVING THE CAR ALMOST MANEUVERABLE - I CALLED SATURN'S CUSTOMER SERVICE TO ENQUIRE WHAT TO DO - SATURN TOLD ME THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND ACTUALLY HAVE A RECALL FOR THE SAME POWER STEERING ASSIST MOTOR FOR SEVERAL OTHER GM MODELS. - SATURN EXPLICITLY SAID OVER THE PHONE 'WE WILL TAKE CARE OF IT', AND THAT THEY WOULD PICK UP MOST OR ALL OF THE CHARGE - SATURN TOLD ME TO GET THE ISSUE REPAIRED AT STEWART AUTOMOTIVE GROUP IN COLMA, CA, WHICH I DID - THE REPAIR WAS $750 FOR A CAR THAT IS WORTH LESS THAN $5000! - A WEEK LATER SATURN CALLED AGAIN AND SAID THAT THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE REPAIR COST ANYMORE. - THEY REFUSED TO COMMENT ON THE PROMISE MADE BY SATURN THE WEEK BEFORE - I CALLED SEVERAL TIMES AND TRIED TO GET THEM TO PICK UP SOME OF THE CHARGE BECAUSE THIS IS LIKELY TO BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. - I AM NOW STUCK WITH THE CHARGE. THE CAR WORKS NOW, BUT I AM STILL HOPING FOR A RECALL. - I SPECIFICALLY WANT TO POINT OUT THAT STEWART AUTOMOTIVE SEEMED VERY ANNOYED ABOUT THE CHANGE OF MIND BY SATURN, BUT SAID THAT THEY CANNOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS, THEY ARE ONLY AN AUTHORIZED SERVICE/DEALER. SO THIS COMPLAINT IS ABOUT SATURN, NOT STEWART AUTOMOTIVE. PLEASE GET SATURN TO DO A RECALL ON THE SATURN ION-1 (MINE IS A 2005 MODEL). [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

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. *TR

I WAS DRIVING HOME AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. MY CAR KEPT BLINKING "PWR STR" ON THE DASH BOARD. IT HAS HAPPENED 3 TIME IN THE PAST 2 DAYS. LUCKILY, WHEN THIS HAS HAPPENED SO FAR I WAS CLOSE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD SO I DIDN'T CAUSE AN ACCIDENT OR ANYTHING. THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO TO REPAIR THIS, EXCEPT TO SPEND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ENGINE AND PARTS. *TR

2005 ION COUPE - POWER STEERING LIGHT COMES ON AND STEERING BECOMES HARD TO TURN. COMES ON AFTER A FEW SECONDS IN DRIVING. STEERING IS HARD TO TURN SIMILAR TO MANUAL STEERING. *TR