The contact owns a 2009 Saturn Aura. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle intermittently lost power steering functionality. The message "EPS Failure" was displayed. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14E044000 (Steering); however, the contact related the failure to the recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 64,194.
2009 Saturn Aura: sudden loss of power
35 of the 390 complaints about the 2009 Saturn Aura describe sudden loss of power.
- owner complaints
- 35
- of this car's complaints
- 9%
- typical mileage
- 115,000
- recalls
- 0
Sudden loss of power by model year
What owners say
The contact owns a 2009 Saturn Aura. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and making left or right turns on several occasions, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that the steering wheel became firm and required added effort to turn the steering wheel while driving. The contact stated that simultaneously, the EPS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was turned off and restarted each time, but the failure reoccurred a short time later. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 150,000.
I was driving and all of a sudden I lost power steering and I had to get over pull over and I was freaking out I could have crashed my dash was saying service ecs
The contact owns a 2009 Saturn Aura. The contact stated that while driving at speeds of 20 MPH or slower, the power steering function failed to operate as intended. The contact stated that the loss of power steering warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and turned off and then restarted the vehicle to regain power steering functionality. The contact found information on the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V153000 (Steering). The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Lost power steering while driving. The power steering warning came on. I pulled over and turned the car off. When I turned it back on the power steering returned. An inspection at the Zeigler Buick GMC of Lincolnwood in Chicago on 4/19/2025 confirmed that the power steering column needs replaced. I'm having it replaced, so the part will not be available for inspection. Thankfully, I was able to pull over right away after I lost power steering, so no damage was caused. This is the first issue I've ever had with my power steering in this car.
The contact owns a 2009 Saturn Aura. The contact stated driving 55 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The power steering warning light was illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The contact turned off and inspected the vehicle and noticed that the power steering was electric. The contact's brother turned off, restarted the vehicle, and shook the steering wheel several times until the steering wheel became operable. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the residence at slow speeds. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed. The mechanic determined that the electric power steering assist system had failed, and the failure was related to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V153000 (Steering). The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 175,168.
The contact owns a 2009 Saturn Aura. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. Additionally, while driving 50-55 MPH, the transmission jolted. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Numbers: 14V252000 (Electrical System, Exterior Lighting, Vehicle Speed Control, Electronic Stability Control), 14V153000 (Steering), 12V460000 (Power Train), and 09V073000 (Power Train). The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 126,000.
Wife has repeatedly mentioned loss of power steering and for a petite woman each incident was quite scary for her. I drove it for two days before it happened to me. It was much worse than simply a car with no power steering, which I've owned before. It seemed like something was actively working to prevent the steering wheel from turning. The force required was at my own limits to steer adequately. The next time the car was started it was fine. However, it goes out while driving; about 40 MPH, in my case, as I was merging onto the highway. As others have mentioned, my VIN is not included in the recall for the torque angle steering sensor. I also must advocate for the recall to be widened. Obviously GM purposely narrowed the recall, knowing the later vehicles had parts that were not substantially different.
The contact owns a 2009 Saturn Aura. The contact stated that while her mother was turning into a gas station, the steering wheel lost power steering inadvertently. The steering warning light illuminated. The contact stated that upon turning off and restarting the vehicle, the steering wheel regained power steering. The contact's mother attempted to purchase a power steering fluid but became aware that the vehicle power steering was electrical. The contact stated that the steering wheel was making abnormal whining sounds and was jerking while driving. The contact contacted an independent mechanic who informed her that the failure was related to an unknown steering recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 133,149.
Three separate incidents of complete loss of power steering while driving
ESC disabled alarm and a loss of power steering
The contact owns a 2009 Saturn Aura. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost power steering. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact's husband forcefully steered the steering wheel and veered to the side of the road. The contact stated that as her husband turned off and restarted the vehicle, the vehicle regained power steering functionality. The contact's husband was able to continue to drive the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while her daughter was driving the vehicle. An unknown warning message was displayed. The contact referenced the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V153000 (Steering). The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency for assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The approximate failure mileage was unknown.
Service bulletins that may apply
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- This technical bulletin advises of a new fuel injection cleaner kit used for decarbonizing the intake...
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- This service bulletin provides diagnostic aid information/procedures to perform inspections to determine...
- Engine and engine cooling
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2009 Saturn Aura loss of power
Is sudden loss of power a common problem on the 2009 Saturn Aura?
35 of 390 owner complaints about the 2009 Saturn Aura (9%) mention sudden loss of power. The model year with the most reports is 2009.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2009 Saturn Aura?
There are 0 recalls and 156 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2009 Saturn Aura
Power steering loss 76Steering lock-up 24Check engine light 17Engine failure 17Jerking 16Adaptive cruise 14Transmission failure 11Stalling 10Won't shift 9ABS 7Airbag light 7Headlights 6Slipping 6Wipers 6Won't start 6No deployment 5Door locks 5Fuel smell 5Hesitation 5
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