2006 SATURN ION Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED AS THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE POWER STEERING LIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 61,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SATURN ION. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE CONTACT STATED THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE DRIVER MERGED OFF THE ROAD AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO HIS RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED NOR WAS THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

NEITHER THE EXTERNAL OR INTERNAL DOOR HANDLES WILL ALLOW ONE OR MORE DOORS TO OPEN. MY DRIVERS SIDE DOOR JUST STOPPED WORKING FROM THE EXTERNAL/INTERNAL DOOR HANDLES. IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY WHERE I MIGHT NEED TO GET OUT OF MY CAR IN A TIMELY MANNER IT WILL NOT BE POSSIBLE AS I WOULD HAVE TO CLIMB OVER TO THE PASSENGER SIDE TO GET OUT. IF SOMETHING BAD HAPPENED AND BOTH DOORS HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AROUND THE SAME TIME SOMEONE MIGHT HAVE TO CRAWL OUT THE CARS WINDOWS IN ORDER TO GET OUT. IN THE EXTREME SOMETHING HAPPENED TO THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND BOTH DOORS AT THE SAME TIME YOU COULD BE TRAPPED IN YOUR CAR UNTIL RESCUE PERSONAL ARRIVED. SEEMS TO ME THAT THERE SHOULD NOT BE A SINGLE POINT OF FAILURE ON A DOOR HANDLES THAT WOULD CAUSE BOTH THE EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL HANDLES TO NO LONGER FUNCTION AS REQUIRED AND CAUSE THE DOOR TO OPEN. I HAVE DONE WEB SEARCHES FOR THIS AND IT APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM. THE FIX IS YOU HAVE TO TAKE IT TO SOMEONE THAT COULD SPEND UPWARDS OF 4 OR MORE HOURS TO GET THE DOOR OPENED BEFORE THEY CAN EVEN START TO FIX THE PROBLEM. IF GM/SATURN CAN'T CORRECT THE PROBLEM IN AN ACCEPTABLE MANNER THEN SHOULD AT LEAST COVER THE COST OF FIXING THE PROBLEM EVERY TIME IT HAPPENS. *TR

POWER STEERING FAILED. IT BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. *TR

THE PWR STR MESSAGE APPEARS AND THEN THE STEERING GOES OUT. TURN THE CAR OFF AND WAIT 10 MINUTES, AND THE POWER STEERING WORKS AGAIN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE SMELLED GASOLINE SMELL INSIDE THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FUEL PUMP MODULE WAS LEAKING. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 09V419000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE) BUT WAS ADVISED BY THE MANUFACTURER THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 65,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME STIFF AND DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 136,000.

I HAVE HAD REPEATED INSTANCES OF HAVING MY STEERING COLUMN LOCKING WHILE PARKED WITH THE ENGINE OFF. UPON INSERTING THE IGNITION KEY, THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN WITHOUT REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO ROCK THE STEERING WHEEL BACK AND FORTH. BEGINNING ON THE INCIDENT DATE, I PARKED MY CAR AND THE IGNITION KEY WOULD NOT TURN FROM THE ON POSITION. I VERIFIED THE CAR WAS IN PARK AND ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE KEY AGAIN. AT ONE POINT, I WAS ACTUALLY ABLE TO PULL THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION LOCK ASSEMBLY WHILE THE CAR WAS STILL RUNNING. AFTER REINSERTING THE KEY INTO THE LOCK ASSEMBLY AND PUSHING IN ON IT, I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO TURN THE KEY TO THE OFF POSITION. ALL SUBSEQUENT INCIDENTS WITHIN THE LAST 24 HOURS (APPROXIMATELY 4 DIFFERENT TIMES) HAVE REQUIRED ME TO JIGGLE THE KEY UNTIL IT WOULD FINALLY TURN TO THE OFF POSITION. I DROVE IT TO A GM REPAIR FACILITY AND AT THAT POINT, WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY OR TURN OFF THE ENGINE. IT NOW APPEARS THAT I WILL HAVE TO HAVE THE ENTIRE IGNITION LOCK AND HOUSING ASSEMBLY REPLACED AT A COST OF $600. FURTHER ONLINE INVESTIGATION INTO THIS PROBLEM HAS TURNED UP HUNDREDS OF SATURN OWNERS EXPERIENCING THIS SAME PROBLEM, AND MANY OF THEM HAVE REPEAT ISSUES WITH THEIR NEW LOCK/HOUSING ASSEMBLIES. TO DATE, IT DOES NOT APPEAR THAT GM HAS ISSUED ANY RECALL/REPAIR NOTICES FOR THIS ISSUE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING BACK FROM SCHOOL ALL OF A SUDDEN THE LOW FUEL CAME UP SO I FILLED UP MY GAS TANK AND THEN IT WENT EMPTY BY THE TIME I GOT HOME FROM GRIFFIN. WHEN I CUT THE CAR OFF I GOT OUT AND SAW GAS LEAKING FROM UNDER MY CAR AND SAW THE LONG TRAIL OF GAS THAT I HAD TRAILED INTO MY DRIVEWAY. *TR

AFTER DRIVING VEHICLE AND ARRIVING AT DESTINATION, THE NORMAL ATTEMPT TO TURN OFF IGNITION AND VACATE VEHICLE FAILED INSOMUCH THAT IGNITION KEY FAILED TO TURN TO THE OFF POSITION DUE TO A STUCK IGNITION CYLINDER. CAR COULD NOT BE TURNED OFF AND REMOVING BATTERY TERMINAL FAILED TO KILL THE ENGINE. ONLY AFTER A CRITICAL FUSE WAS REMOVED WOULD THE ENGINE DIE. INTERNET SEARCHES HAS REVEALED A CHRONIC TREND FOR THIS FAILURE AND TYPICAL REPAIR COSTS AT DEALERSHIPS AVERAGE OVER $400. IF THIS FAILURE SHOULD OCCUR AT AN ACCIDENT SCENE WHERE THERE IS SPILLED FUEL THE CONSEQUENCES COULD BE LIFE THREATENING. I AM APPALLED THAT GM HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL TO WHAT IS OBVIOUSLY EITHER A FLAWED DESIGN OR THE USE OF INADEQUATE MATERIALS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THEIR IGNITION LOCK ASSEMBLY. *TR