2004 Saturn ION Steering Problems
Owners have filed 345 complaints with NHTSA about steering problems on the 2004 Saturn ION, 38% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 86,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “steering failed” (11% of reports).
- 345steering complaints
- 86,000median miles at failure
- 16mention a crash
- 4mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- $1,500typical repair cost reported by owners
- 39%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 failed: mentioned in 38 of 345 complaints (11%)
- Off restarted: mentioned in 30 of 345 complaints (9%)
- Electric power: mentioned in 26 of 345 complaints (8%)
- Pwr str: mentioned in 18 of 345 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 2004 Saturn ION at $1,500, and half of them between $1,250 and $1,650.
Based on 26 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2007–2014), 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 307 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 345 complaints, 16 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 4 an injury.
Saturn ION steering complaints by model year
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Steering:electric power assist system
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.
The car doesn't always want to release the key. I have to stick my finger up in the column to push the little button to release it which is not convenient at all. It seems to do it if the wheels aren't completely straight. But still even with the steering wheel straight, sometimes it wont come out…
The contact owns a 2004 Saturn Ion. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, excessive force was needed to maneuver the steering wheel on several occasions. The power steering assist warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that he replaced the electric power steering motor…
The fuel pump is leaking, gm refuses to fix it because the vin isn't associated with the recall, but the same year make and model of my car says it has a recall for the fuel system and pump.
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2004 Saturn IONs have steering problems?
No. NHTSA has 345 owner complaints about steering for the 2004 Saturn ION (38% of the 898 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Saturn ION steering?
Yes: 1 safety recall list steering. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do steering problems start?
The median reported mileage is 86,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix steering problems on the 2004 Saturn ION?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,500 (half paid between $1,250 and $1,650), from 26 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about steering problems on the 2004 Saturn ION?
The most frequent phrase is “steering failed”, in 38 of 345 complaints, followed by “off restarted” (30).
Other 2004 Saturn ION problems
- Electrical System problems (331)
- Power Train problems (60)
- Air Bags problems (52)
See all 2004 Saturn ION problems or steering problems across all ION years.