2005 SATURN ION Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH. A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESUME NORMAL OPERATION. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED FOR THE MALFUNCTION. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 79,000.

POWER STEERING HAS BEEN GOING OUT ON MY 2005 SATURN ION. AFTER SEARCHING ON THE INTERNET FOR CAUSES, I REALIZED MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. IT WAS SAID THAT THE SYSTEM USED HAS BEEN RECALLED IN OTHER GM MODELS, BUT NOT THE SATURN ION LINE. IT WAS SUGGESTED BY THE OTHER OWNERS THAT WE SUBMIT THIS PROBLEM IN AN EFFORT FOR A RECALL. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE WHEN YOU LOSE YOUR POWER STEERING WITHOUT NOTICE. LUCKILY AT HIS POINT I HAVE NOT HAD A SITUATION CAUSING ANY DAMAGE OR INJURY. JUST INCONVENIENCE AND WORRY ABOUT WHEN IT WILL GO OUT AGAIN. THANK YOU *TR

I PURCHASED MY 2005 SATURN ION IN MAY OF 2009. SHORTLY AFTER I BEGAN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH MY POWER STEERING FAILING. RECENTLY GM HAS RECALLED MANY CHEVY AND PONTIAC MODELS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. MY 2005 SATURN ION REDLINE USES THE SAME POWER STEERING UNIT AS THE OTHER MODELS RECALLED, BUT HAS NOT BEEN COVERED IN THE RECALL. *TR

EVERY SO OFTEN WHEN DRIVING, I HEAR THREE DINGS AND A "PWR STR" MESSAGE IS DISPLAYED. THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING HAS FAILED, BUT COMES BACK AFTER STOPPING AND RESTARTING THE CAR. THIS HAS OCCURRED 3 TIMES IN THE PAST MONTH. I HAVE NOT ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR YET, AS THE COST OF REPAIR IS VERY HIGH, ABOUT $1000. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY BETWEEN 55-60 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS. A CHIME SOUNDED INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. IMMEDIATELY, THERE WAS A LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THE DRIVER EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY IN STEERING. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED WHICH REQUIRED GREATER PRESSURE APPLIED TO THE STEERING WHEEL. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS IN OPERATION. THE AUTHORIZED DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE MALFUNCTION. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THIS TIME. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

MY 2005 SATURN ION HAS THE SAME POWER STEERING PROBLEMS AS IS BEING DISCUSSED FOR THE CHEVROLET COBALT RECALL -- PLEASE INCLUDE THE SATURN ION IN THE RECALL AS THEY SHARE THE SAME "PLATFORM" AS I UNDERSTAND. IN THE LAST YEAR, MY ION WOULD HAVE NO POWER STEERING AFTER STARTING THE CAR (THIS HAS OCCURRED ABOUT FOUR TIMES). THERE WOULD BE A CHIME SOUND AND THE DISPLAY WOULD SAY "POWER STEERING". I WOULD TURN OFF THE CAR AND RESTART IT AND THE PROBLEM WOULD BE GONE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN ION. WHENEVER HE WAS DRIVING THE POWER STEERING LIGHT CAME ON PRIOR TO THE POWER STEERING FAILURE. THE VEHICLE BECAME UNCONTROLLABLE WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH BEFORE THE VEHICLE WAS MOVED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS OR WARRANTIES RELATED TO THE FAILURE AND THAT THE VEHICLE COULD BE REPAIRED AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CALLED AND CONFIRMED WHAT THE DEALER STATED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,000. UPDATED 11/16/10. *LJ UPDATED 12/01/10. *LJ THE CONSUMER RECEIVED REIMBURSEMENT. UPDATED 12/09/10*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH WHEN THE POWER STEERING LOCKED. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO STEER IN ONE DIRECTION TOWARDS A CONCRETE WALL. THE CONTACT CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP WITH OUT A CRASH. THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AFTER A 30 SECOND WAITING PERIOD. THE VEHICLE RESUMED TO NORMAL OPERATION. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS IN OPERATION. THERE WAS NOT A SAFETY RECALL ON THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDED THE VEHICLE BE TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THIS TIME. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 60,000.

I PUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, TURN THE KEY TO START, AND THE ON BOARD SECURITY SYSTEM (PASSLOCK) DISABLES THE CAR. I HAVE TO WAIT 15 MINUTES TO TRY TO START THE CAR AGAIN. THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING THE ENTIRE LIFE OF THE CAR. THE DEALERSHIP SAYS TO REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH, BUT AFTER A FEW MONTHS IT STARTS HAPPENING AGAIN. THE IGNITION TURNS, IT'S THAT THE PASSLOCK SECURITY SYSTEM SEES RANDOM KEY TURNS AS ATTEMPTS TO STEAL THE CAR AND DISABLES THE STARTER. VERY DANGEROUS SINCE IT STRANDS YOU WHEREVER YOU ARE. *TR

I WAS ADVISED AFTER CALLING SATURN A THIRD TIME THAT I FILE A COMPLAINT ON THIS WEBSITE TO GO TOWARD A RECALL OF MY ELECTRIC POWER STEERING MOTOR ON MY SATURN ION 2. 1. ONE NIGHT IN NOVEMBER 2009, WHILE MAKING A LONG DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY, MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT WITHOUT WARNING. WHEN I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON, THE POWER STEERING CAME BACK ON. 2. HOWEVER, SINCE THEN, THE POWER STEERING STARTED TO GO OUT MORE AND MORE FREQUENTLY. FOR THE PAST TWO MONTHS, THE POWER STEERING GOES OUT AS SOON AS I START DRIVING THE CAR AND I DRIVE WITHOUT IT 99% OF THE TIME. I HAVE NO IDEA WHETHER I AM CAUSING ANY FURTHER DAMAGE TO THE CAR DRIVING IT LIKE THIS. THERE IS NO WARNING OF IT HAPPENING OTHER THAN THE BEEP THAT OCCURS AFTER IT GOES OUT. SOMETIMES THE BEEP WILL BE SO DELAYED THAT I WILL GO TO TURN AND IT IS EXTREMELY HARD AND UNEXPECTED. THIS BACK AND FORTH OF HAVING OR NOT HAVING POWER STEERING IS OBVIOUSLY A SAFETY ISSUE. I CANNOT RELY ON SKILL OR MUSCLE MEMORY ALONE TO KNOW THE FORCE I NEED TO STEER THE CAR. I HAVE NOT YET HAD A CRASH BUT I WORRY ABOUT IT MORE AND MORE. PARKING IS A HUGE PROBLEM. 3. I WAS TOLD BY SATURN THAT IF I WENT TO ONE OF THE (FEW REMAINING) SATURN DEALERS TO HAVE A DIAGNOSTIC DONE, IT WOULD THEN CONTRIBUTE TO A RECALL. I DID GO HAVE THIS DONE, AND THE DEALER TOLD ME IT WAS "ONLY A MATTER OF TIME TILL A RECALL, SINCE WE SEE THIS PROBLEM EVERY DAY NOW". THEY EVEN STARTED CARRYING JUST THE MOTOR SINCE IT WAS SO EXPENSIVE FOR THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TO HAVE TO REPLACE THE WHOLE STEERING COLUMN. THEY QUOTED ME A PRICE FOR REPAIR AND I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THE RECALL. IT IS VERY HARD TO SCRAPE UP $600 TO REPAIR A PART THAT THEY ALL KNOW IS DEFECTIVE. DO PEOPLE HAVE TO CRASH AND GET SERIOUSLY INJURED OR DIE BEFORE IT WILL BE RECALLED? NOW TO SEE OTHER GM CARS GET RECALLED FOR THE EXACT SAME POWER STEERING MOTOR, BUT NOT MINE, IS UNBELIEVABLY FRUSTRATING. THERE IS NO "SATURN ELECTRIC POWER STEERING MOTOR"...THEY USE THE EXACT SAME PART. *TR