Saturn Aura Steering Problems
Owners have filed 390 complaints with NHTSA about steering problems on the Saturn Aura across 5 model years. The 2009 model year has the most (210). The words owners use most often: “steering wheel became” (7% of reports).
- 390steering complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 10mention a crash
- 4mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- $1,100typical repair cost reported by owners
- 22%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Steering wheel became: mentioned in 29 of 390 complaints (7%)
- Difficult turn: mentioned in 26 of 390 complaints (7%)
- Service ESC: mentioned in 25 of 390 complaints (6%)
- Electric power: mentioned in 20 of 390 complaints (5%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical steering repair on the Saturn Aura at $1,100, and half of them between $1,050 and $1,400.
Based on 11 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2011–2021), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do steering problems happen?
Based on 328 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 390 complaints, 10 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 4 an injury.
Saturn Aura steering complaints by model year
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Steering:electric power assist system
Model years: 2008, 2009
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2006 Malibu Maxx, 2009-2010 HHR (non-turbo), 2010 Cobalt, 2008-2009 Saturn Aura and 2004-2007 Ion, and 2005-2009 Pontiac G6. In the affected vehicles, there may be a sudden loss of electric power steering (EPS) assist that could occur at any time while driving.
Risk: If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will perform one of four bulletins. Parts are not currently available. GM expects to send an interim notification around May 28, 2014. When parts are available, owners will be mailed a second letter to come in to have the applicable bulletin applied. Bulletin 14115 covers model year 2004-2007 Saturn Ion, 2009-2010 Chevrolet HHR and 2010 Chevrolet Cobalts. Dealers will replace the EPS motor. Bulletin 14116 covers model year 2004-2006 Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Maxx, 2005-2006 Pontiac G6 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura built from March 1, 2008, through June 27, 2008. Dealers will replace the torque sensor assembly. Bulletin 14117 covers model year 2008 Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura built from February 1, 2008, through February 28, 2008. Dealers will replace the torque sensor assembly and EPS motor controller unit. Bulletin 14118 covers model year 2008 Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura built from October 1, 2007, through January 31, 2008. Dealers will replace the EPS motor controller unit. The recall began on July 17, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, Saturn at 1-800-553-6000, and Pontiac at 1-800-620-7668. GM's number for this recall is N140115. Note: GM bulletin number 14119 will be implemented for model year 2006-2008 and early production of 2009 Chevrolet HHR (non-turbo) and model year 2003 Saturn ION to provide EPS Motor replacement for the life of the vehicle.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Power steering quit working majority of the time but will randomly start working again but won't work for long.
My steering wheel started to randomly shake while I was driving this car through a car wash that I go through monthly. all of a sudden my wheel locked up and flashing warning signals appeared on my dashboard âSERVICE ESCâ making me at a loss of electric power steering assist. I never got in an…
The Air Bag Service Warning Message and warning light is illuminated I took the car back to the dealership had it serviced and a month later the message and light are on again. The passenger Air Bag sensor is malfunctioning sometimes it doesn't detect the passenger most times it detects a passenger…
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 NHTSA Campaign Number…
My electric power steering stopped working. Not safe to drive. This was fixed prior on recall. I did not own car then.
Frequently asked questions
Do all Saturn Auras have steering problems?
No. NHTSA has 390 owner complaints about steering for the Saturn Aura. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Saturn Aura steering?
Yes: 1 safety recall list steering. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix steering problems on the Saturn Aura?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,100 (half paid between $1,050 and $1,400), from 11 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about steering problems on the Saturn Aura?
The most frequent phrase is “steering wheel became”, in 29 of 390 complaints, followed by “difficult turn” (26).
Other Saturn Aura problems
See all Saturn Aura problems.