Traveling on an interstate at 65 MPH we heard a tone indicating something was wrong, steering became difficult and we noticed that the power steering indicator light was on. The power steering was gone and it became very hard to steer and was unable to quickly maneuver. We pulled over, turned off the car and then restarted it and the power steering came back on. Same thing happened again after traveling a few miles. We were able to get home and now the power steering shuts down every few minutes. Car is unsafe on public roads in regards to being able to make quick maneuvers and could lead to accidents and injuries. Clearly a manufacturing problem not normal wear and tear. Chev. & pont. Cars with same equipment and complaints were recalled. Saturns should be also. There is an open action number of ea11014. *tr ..updated 12/11/12 *bf the consumer stated saturn volunteered to replace a portion of the steering that controlled the power steering at no charge. Updated 12/12/12
2004 Saturn Ion steering complaints
Page 6 of 13: complaints 131 to 160 of 345, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Out of the blue, the console made alert noises and the "pwr str" message appeared. The steering became almost impossible to control, as the power steering went out. Fortunately, I was in a housing development and not the highway, intersection or other dangerous area.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn ion. While driving approximately 60 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. The power steering warning light illuminated on the instrument panel and the warning chime began to sound. After shutting the engine off and restarting the vehicle, the steering functioned normally. The failure recurred one month later. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing or repairs. The approximate failure mileage was 106,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn ion-3. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, the power steering assist failed and the steering wheel became inoperable. The contact managed to exit the roadway without incident however, experienced extreme difficulty in turning the steering wheel. The dealer was notified of the failure who advised that the repair was not under recall and offered no additional assistance. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 75,755. And the current mileage was 75,756.
Power steering message came up. Very hard to steer no power assist. Turned off car, restarted and power steering is back. This has been an on going event since 6/2010.
Today 8/8/12, I jumped into my 2004 saturn ion at 5pm after work & immediately noticed that I could not turn my wheel as I exited the parking lot, I had to swerve hard to my right to by avoid a collision with two cars from the opposite direction. I was terrified! My display showed "pwr str" I had never seen that before, I left my car diagonally parked, since it would not move went for assistance, a passerby looked under my hood for a while then turned my car on and the display was back to mileage and my wheel was working fine!! I drove my car home and immediately started to do some research to find out what it could be and how I could fix it, I find out that their is a known problem with the power steering! I have not received any letters at all. My car has been reliable up until now. It has close to 150k mil (mileage is an estimate on this form) since this appears to be a gm problem, what are my options? Thank you
I was driving in an alley at approximately 10 MPH when I suddenly lost my power steering (I was alerted with a message). Upon restarting the car, the power steering returned. Since this initial incident, my car has lost the power steering on multiple occasions, in multiple scenarios and at multiple different speeds. It has failed on the freeway multiple times, forcing me to pull over on the shoulder and compromise my safety. I would estimate the power steering has failed no less than 20 times since may 17th (it is now august 7th). This defect is not only unacceptable, it is extremely unsafe.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn ion. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the power steering warning lamp illuminated and the steering wheel seized. The contact mentioned that she had to stop and restart the vehicle in order for it to operate as normal. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 90,000 and the current mileage was 126,623.
Driver was turning right after stopping at a traffic light. Vehicle failed to turn immediately and rammed into the median. Driver was diagnosed with a concussion at medical facility. In 2008, power steering went out on vehicle - a warning would sound and the pwr str message would flash. Dealer replaced steering column. Vehicle was repaired and is currently in use. Power steering again went out, same symptoms, on july 20, 2012. Currently the power steering is not working.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn ion. The contact stated that the steering failed and the steering wheel was difficult to turn. In addition, the steering wheel pulled the vehicle to the right. The power steering light illuminated while the failure occurred. The failure was experienced numerous times. The dealer replaced the power steering motor three times, but the failure was not corrected. The steering continued to fail and pulled to the right. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the dealer stated that the steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,000 and the current mileage was 110,000.
The power steering went out while I was driving, making the car very, very difficult to steer. Problem now recurs whenever I drive the car, beginning shortly after I start driving.
Power steering went out and "pwr str" notice was displayed. Changed fuse but that didn't fix it. I found the federal safety agency rq10004 investigation in an internet search. I am the original owner of this saturn ion redline. I did not receive the letter from saturn about this issue as reported in various internet articles/ blogs.
Shortly after buying this vehicle, I have had numerous failures of the power assist steering system. At any speed, at any time, "pwr str" dis displayed on the obd display, simultaneously as the motor stopped functioning, forcing me to unexpectedly manually steer the car until the ignition was cycled and the system reset. Sometimes this happens 1-7 times a day. I have personally came close to having a single car accident due to power assist failure while curving. There are no other previous failures of the steering equipment leading up to this issue.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn ion. The contact was driving 70 MPH when the power steering light illuminated on the instrument panel and the steering wheel seized. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that the electronic power assist was failing. The failure mileage was 75,000 and the current mileage was 90,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn ion. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH the power steering failed and as a result the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The power steering warning lamp illuminated immediately after the failure occurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 99,500 and the current mileage was 112,394. Updated 6/6/12 *cn the electric power steering motor was replaced on 05/22/12. Updated 06/11/12
Power steering warning light came on in this vehicle while at the same time power steering control failed. Manual steering was used until the vehicle came to a stop and upon restarting, power steering returned.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn ion. While driving approximately 30 MPH, a warning chime sounded inside of the vehicle as the vehicle suddenly experienced a loss of power. The contact maneuvered to the side of the road and the engine was turned off. The engine was restarted and the vehicle was driven cautiously because of the difficulty in maneuvering the steering wheel. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 139,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn ion. The contact stated that the power steering assist would fail sporadically and without warning. The vehicle was not diagnosed by the dealer and no repairs were been made to the vehicle. The current and failure mileages were 73,000.
Multiple failures of electrical system. Gauges drop to zero, the engine may or may not stop running, then the dash warning lights ( ie oil warning light, ect ) come on, and then dash returns to normal. If the car is moving the engine starts running again. One steering warning message during a left hand turn. The car was difficult to steer into and out of the corner. I am willing to turn my car over to have the steering and electrical system checked out. Saturn has been unable to repair the electrical system since the car was new. The factory extended warranty was used to check this issue out as well.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn ion. The contact stated that when traveling at any speed, the power steering light would illuminate. Moments later, the vehicle would become extremely difficult to steer. However after restarting the vehicle, the failure was reset. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired.the current and failure mileages were 87,000.
I am not exactly sure on the dates of when we noticed the problems. So far I have had serious problems with my 04 ion's front suspension, the cheaply made plastic wiper linkages that break easy while driving down the road making it difficult and dangerous while driving in rain, the ignition lock cylinder has been replaced 3 times so far because the part fails and you cannot start your car, and most recently I went to my local dealer to ask about a "clunking" noise it makes when going over any bumps to find out that there is a bulletin for a known steering linkage or steering motor (eps) problem. I was told that on these cars the steering links/motor have tendancy to break! If that is to happen while driving down the road it could result in death! I've also done some searching online and found many forums/articles with others having the same problems with this specific make/model. One comment I read the person said "this car is a death trap!" mine and many other's 04 saturn ion's have alot of known yet serious issues but saturn still has no recalls for this car!! Somebody please help fix this problem! -concerned/frusturated saturn owner.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn ion. While driving approximately 70 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. The contact shut off and restart the vehicle as the steering wheel reset independently. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostics. There was an investigation under the federal safety agency action number: ea11014 (steering:electric power assist system) that could possibly have been related to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn ion. While driving approximately 50 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. The contact shut the vehicle off and after restarting, the vehicle regained power steering abilities. The failure recurred intermittently. The power steering warning light illuminated on the instrument panel and the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The mechanic stated to the contact that the failure was electrical but did not provide a complete diagnostic. The contact referenced a technical service bulletin under the federal safety agency action number: ea11014 (steering:electric power assist system) that could possibly have been related to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn ion. The contact stated that the power steering seized while driving 35 MPH. The vehicle was turned off and once restarted, the steering would resets independently. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who stated that the power steering was automatic and he was unable to repair the failure. The contact was then referred to the dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure who advised the contact there were no recalls and offered no further assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 137,000.
Power steering failure occurred on 1/25/12. I felt steering become difficult and saw message on instrument panel. It is incredibly difficult to drive vehicle without power steering. Afraid of what would have happened if this occurred while driving 65mph on highway. Because of my mileage, saturn will not cover the costs under the "extended warranty". A recall should occur in order to save lives.
While we were driving down the interstate at 75 MPH, the power steering in our 2004 saturn ion suddenly failed. As we were lucky enough to have been driving down a straight stretch of road, we were able to avoid an accident that likely could have occured if we had been turning. Upon returning home, I proceeded to check the 3 fuses associated with the power steering system only to discover that all were fine. It apperas to be the electronic motor itself that failed. This is a serious issue that needs to be addressed. At the time our steering failed, my 3 month old daughter was in the car. Does someone need to die before gm is held accountable? Please issue a recall so this serious problem can be fixed. It may be a "numbers" game to some, but to the rest of us it is our safety!
I was on the highway at 65 MPH when the indicator light for the steering lit up and my power steering went out. I stopped and restarted my car and the power steering worked for about 5 minutes. The indicator light came on again and the steering failed. The following day my vehicle was checked out by a mechanic who diagnosed the issue as a failed eps (electronic power steering). The estimated cost of just the part is $1200. I did not ask about the cost of labor. I have started the vehicle several times since the initial incident and sometimes the indicator light is not on and the power steering works for a few minutes. Ultimately the light comes on and the steering fails again within 5 minutes. At other times I have started the vehicle and the indicator light is on and there is no power steering.as I am the original owner of this vehicle, this is very upsetting.
Power steering failed on its own while traveling 75 miles per hour on the freeway. Since the steering has failed ever time the vehicle is used. I have had near miss accidents on several occasions due to this problem. This problem is well known to the manufacturer, including the safety risk, yet no recall has been issued.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn ion. The contact stated that as the vehicle was started, the steering wheel had become extremely difficult to turn. The dealer was contacted who advised that there were no recalls for the vehicle. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 113,926.
Was riding down the highway at 70mph and all the sudden I had no power steering. I am no terrified to drive the car due to the fact if it keeps going out I don't want to wreck. I have called many mechanics and they have been telling me that there may have been a recall on this car. Please help me find out what is wrong. Today it happened twice to me. When I pull over and restart the car it will work for awhile. I have seen many articles about this I for me this is a safety concern. Now that saturn is no longer in business what am I to do?
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