Tl*the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. The contact stated the power steering failed while driving 50 MPH when a warning light illuminated and a pinging noise was heard. The vehicle was turned off and back on in order for the steering to reset itself. The dealer was contacted and advised the contact to bring the vehicle in for a diagnostic test at her expense for $90. The contact was also advised that the diagnostic test may or may not confirm or duplicate the failure. The manufacturer stated there are no recalls or warranties and the vehicle should be taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 69,000. Updated 07/08/11 *bf updated 08/04/11
2003 Saturn Ion steering complaints
Page 5 of 6: complaints 101 to 130 of 139, newest first, as owners wrote them.
I was traveling approximately 40 MPH when the power steering lamp came on and the power steering failed. After pulling to the side of the road, and turning the vehicle off, I restarted the vehicle and the power steering was restored for about 20 minutes. The days following this, I encountered several power steering failures until I had the power steering box replaced on may 10, 2011. I researched the internet and found many other 2003 saturn ion's owners had experienced the same failure. I contacted a gm representative and asked for reimbursement. I was told that there was no recall for the power steering for my year and make of car. I had also complained about my transmission because I had declined repairs on my power steering. Winegarden pontiac informed me that they would not further check the cause of transmission problems because the power steering failure presented a safety concern. I had the power steering box replaced at a cost of $537.94 minus the $127.00 diagnosis fee! I strongly feel that a recall should be in place for the power steering failure, and all who had the problem corrected out of pocket, should be reimbursed at gm's expense. The power steering failure has contributed to an accident in houston texas! I would not like to have human life lost before this problem is given serious consideration! Updated 06/08/11
I will be driving on the interstate (60 MPH or more) and the power steering message will come on the dashboard and the power steering will fail. If you switch off the car it will come back on. This happened once or twice 2 years ago but this week (march 14-march 17 - so far) it has happened at least twice a day, every day. Luckily so far, I have been able to pull of the road and restart the car. I hope that I will not be involved in an accident and would not be able to steer the vehicle. I have called saturn (service req # [xxx]) but they said there is nothing they can do about it. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. While driving approximately 5-10 MPH, the contact heard a loud noise outside of the vehicle followed by a loss of power steering. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where they informed her that the steering rack had fractured due to internal damages. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 83,950.
I need help, I have a 2003 saturn ion, the front end is broke. It swerves all over the road. They recalled many and know what the problem is. Mine they will not fix and I can't afford to pay for it. It's very unsafe and they recalled several models for the same problem and won't fix mine. The warranty just expired and I get no response from any agency. I just bought this car a few years ago and they know its a factory problem and they won't fix my car. Please help, I'm just a hard working guy trying to support his family. My wife is disabled and I struggle to get by and I can't get any help from the car company. Updated 01/28/11
Power steering shuts off while driving the car. Notification sound beeps and power steering turned off is noted on dash board. Once car is turned off and re-started, power steering starts working again.
Power steering in 2003 saturn ion just went! Not working at all.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. The contact was driving 10 MPH when the power steering light illuminated and the contact had a very difficult time turning the steering wheel. The contact had to use extreme force to pull over and turn the vehicle off. The dealer was not informed of the failure and the vehicle was neither diagnosed nor repaired. The failure recurred twice. The failure mileage was 117,242 and the current mileage was 117,276.
2003 saturn ion. Over the past 3 weeks, power steering fails at least once during each trip. One such occasion, it occurred within 100 yards of a wide bend almost resulting in crash/injury. This is the second complaint I have filed for this issue.
Power steering light came on and immediately the power steering failed on 2003 saturn ion. Car was almost impossible to steer. It only has 23,000 miles on it and should be under recall with the cobalt. It is under recall for same thing but later models. All year models should be included.
2003 saturn ion power steering stopped working while vehicle was in use. One the engine was turned off and restarted the power steering reset. The incident caused momentary loss of control of the vehicle.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. While driving 30 MPH, the power steering light illuminated and it became extremely difficult to turn the steering wheel and control the vehicle. The dealer was not notified. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 67,907.
I was driving my saturn ion when all of a sudden the "power steering" light came on and my steering wheel locked up. I managed to pull over to a safe place, turned off the car, turned it back on and the problem went away for 20 seconds. I had to drive really slow and barely made it home. My car is only at 62,000 miles. This should not be happening. Nothing was done to correct the failure. Gm doesn't recognize this as a problem. They told me that I would be notified in case of a recall. I have read this will cost me $1000 to fix.
Power steering failure. Sporadic lurching left or right at any given time. Unsafe condition.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. While driving at any speed, the contact noticed that the steering wheel became difficult to turn in any direction. The vehicle had not been inspected at the time of the complaint. The current and failure mileages were approximately 130,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. The contact was driving approximately 35 MPH when the power steering light illuminated and the power steering failed and the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact drove the vehicle home, turned it off and restarted it; the power steering seemed to reset and function properly. The dealer stated that there were no recalls or warranties that would cover the failure; however, they offered to perform a diagnostic test for a fee. The contact had not spoken with the manufacturer when the complaint was filed. The current and failure mileages were approximately 102,000.
2003 saturn ion. September 09. Drove car. Parked. Could not get key out of ignition. Waited 10 minutes. Key came out. Had ignition switch replaced at saturn dealer. Next week the same thing happened. Had ignition switch replaced again.(at my expense). Key continues to intermittently stick in the ignition. I can not get out of my car until I get the key out. Look at the website and read all the complaints about this problem. Http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/saturn_ignition_lock_p5.html no wonder gm closed out the saturn line. Just as bad as toyota. The mechanics at the saturn dealership knew about this problem, but they offered no permanent fix. This is why I don't trust american made cars.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. The power steering fails intermittently while driving various speeds. The power steering light would illuminate during and sometimes after the failure occurred. The contact would shut off the vehicle for a few minutes for the power steering to reset itself to normal. The dealer advised having a diagnostic performed on the vehicle before repairs. The vehicle had not yet been repaired. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 42,000 and the current mileage was 43,225. Updated 05/19/10.
I have been driving a 2003 saturn ion for a few months now. I started here a popping noise in my steering wheel a few weeks back and when I took it to get looked at I was told it is most likely the power steering motor. After doing some research it was found that there was a huge recall by general motors for this part, but my car was not part of the recall.
There is a failure in the computer for my power steering for my 2003 saturn ion. I have called the saturn dealership and was told my them that this a common problem with this model of car.I was to it will cost around $700.00 to fix it. The problem is that my power steering will go on and off while driving. It will be on all the time if im turning alot but if im driving straight for a period of time it will turn off making it hard to drive around corners in speeds excess of 65mph. I have had many problems and incidents with this malfunction but the main of that I can think of is when im taking a curve on a highway doing 65mph and the power steering is off, and then will turn on half way through the turn sending me into the other lane because im putting for into the turn when I should need to. When it turns back on it will make a cracking sound while I turn the wheel and then turn on. Right away this had caught me off guard and almost got me in a couple accidents. Iam use to it now and expect it when im taking curves. The problem started at about 110,000 miles on my car which isnt a small amount and isnt a large amount. I now have about 119,000 miles on my car and I have noticed the problem is getting worse and worse and is getting more dangerous. It started with a simple cracking noise every now and then but I thought maybe it was temporary problem but now from what ive read and experienced, this is not a problem that can really be ignored anymore. This is the unit that keeps me on the road at high speeds and it turns on and off. That is not right or safe.
I have a 2003 saturn ion3. The power steering stops working in warmer weather. When the temperature outside gets above freezing my power steering starts acting up. It will go out 3-4 times a week, which is all the driving I do in a week. The car has 88,000 km on it.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion . While driving at 30 MPH the contact noticed that the vehicle would stall. The dealer was contacted and the contact was informed that the mileage was high and they did not have enough complaints from the federal safety agency to recall the vehicle. The contact has also experienced problems with the power steering when driving at a speed of 15-20 MPH. The contact took the vehicle to an authorized dealership and they informed her that the electric power steering motor needed to be replaced .the approximate failure mileage was 64000 and the current mileage was 74500.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion2. The contact stated his power steering at unpredictable times did not operate. The warning light would illuminate before power steering failed. He would pull the vehicle to the side of the road, turn the motor on and off and it would resets itself. The dealer was called and stated they need to replace the power steering at a cost of $300. The failure mileage was 30,000 the current mileage is 60,000.
I was driving to a basketball game at a school and as I turned into the school, my power steering went out. It was unexpected. I drove up on the sidewalk at the school to stopped the car. I wasn't going fast but I had no idea it was about to happen. If there had been kids out there someone would have gotten hurt.
I have a 2003 saturn ion 1, it has continually gotten worse with the "power steering" failure. With the code that came up on the dash, it shows to replace the entire steering column. After $835.00 dollars spent, it has gotten even worse. It is suggested that perhaps the motor is the issue, at another $400.00 plus dollars, but no guarantee. It is unsafe to drive as it is, with the loss of power when you least expect it, however, it is most of the time, now. If I need to make an emergency turn, and the power goes out, it is not going to happen. It's an accident waiting to happen. This should have been recalled long ago, but now I am stuck with the expense of it.....
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion level 1. When turning the steering column or when striking a bump the power steering failed. She had to turn the vehicle off, to reset the error code. Her mechanic gave her tsb 06-02-32-00. He then advised her to be aware of the failure, because it was a manufacturers defect. She took the vehicle to the dealer. The dealer replaced the power steering motor at an expense of $400.00. The failure mileage was 60,000. The current mileage was 75,000. Updated 12/8/09 *cn the dealer replaced the electric steering motor. Updated 12/09/09.*jb updated 05/28/10.
My 2003 saturn ion has a major steering problem that is a serious safety issue. When turning the steering wheel, it sometimes will not turn like normal. It is sometimes slow and does not want to turn, or will keep turning and not want to straighten out. This is because of a faulty steering system which has an electric steering motor. There are numerous other ions with this problem that I have read about, not just the '03. I am not even able to diagnose the problem at home because of the special equipment needed to scan the electronic systems. My saturn warranty has expired and I have read that it could cost $1200 to fix. Plus the parts are not even sold at any parts store. There has not been an accident yet but the car is no longer a safe vehicle and I am discontinuing use until the problem is resolved.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. The contact was able to remove the key from the ignition while the vehicle was in any gear, including drive or reverse. She took the vehicle to the dealer at least twice and each time they stated that there was a different failure. The dealer wants to replace the steering column all the way through the engine to determine the cause of the failure. The key would not turn all the way back to the acc position unless the vehicle had been idling for at least 3-5 minutes. The contact found the federal safety agency campaign id number 97v055000 (electrical system:ignition:switch) for the same make, but a different model and the previous year. The contact feels that the recall should be expanded for her year, make, and model vehicle. She found hundreds of complaints online regarding this failure. The failure began within a week of purchasing the vehicle. The failure mileage was 40,000 and current mileage was 41,000.
Electric power steering turns off while driving, making steering very difficult and extremely unsafe. There are reports on-line about most people almost losing control of the vehicle, and at least one person who recently crashed on the 405 freeway.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. While driving 60 MPH, the power steering fails intermittently and makes steering difficult. The failure increases the risk of a crash. The contact is in the process of notifying the dealer in order to determine the cause of the failure. The failure and current mileages were 60,000. Updated 10/16/08 *bf updated 10/20/08.
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