2006 Saturn ION Steering Problems
Owners have filed 544 complaints with NHTSA about steering problems on the 2006 Saturn ION, 44% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 65,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “pwr str” (10% of reports).
- 544steering complaints
- 65,000median miles at failure
- 17mention a crash
- 5mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- $1,500typical repair cost reported by owners
- 37%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.
- Pwr str: mentioned in 52 of 544 complaints (10%)
- Steering motor: mentioned in 46 of 544 complaints (8%)
- Wheel became: mentioned in 33 of 544 complaints (6%)
- Off restarted: mentioned in 30 of 544 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical steering repair on the 2006 Saturn ION at $1,500, and half of them between $1,350 and $1,550.
Based on 51 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2008–2019), 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 505 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 544 complaints, 17 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 5 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 contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that the instrument panel and radio were intermittently inoperable. The contact stated that the ignition switch failed to turn to the OFF position as needed intermittently. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving and turning the…
The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. The contact stated while exiting a driveway and making a turn, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact checked the power steering fluid reservoir and there was power steering fluid in the reservoir. The…
We purchased this vehicle recently. 1 week later we discovered loss of power steering assist while attempting to parallel park. We spoke with the seller (repair shop) and they discovered the Recall Notice 14V153000: Loss of Power Steering Assist. When I attempted to schedule a recall service at a…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2006 Saturn IONs have steering problems?
No. NHTSA has 544 owner complaints about steering for the 2006 Saturn ION (44% of the 1,235 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 2006 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 65,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix steering problems on the 2006 Saturn ION?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,500 (half paid between $1,350 and $1,550), from 51 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about steering problems on the 2006 Saturn ION?
The most frequent phrase is “pwr str”, in 52 of 544 complaints, followed by “steering motor” (46).
Other 2006 Saturn ION problems
See all 2006 Saturn ION problems or steering problems across all ION years.