Saturn ION Steering Problems
Owners have filed 1,701 complaints with NHTSA about steering problems on the Saturn ION across 5 model years. The 2006 model year has the most (544). The words owners use most often: “steering motor” (8% of reports).
- 1,701steering complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 64mention a crash
- 26mention 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.
- Steering motor: mentioned in 133 of 1,701 complaints (8%)
- Pwr str: mentioned in 128 of 1,701 complaints (8%)
- Wheel became: mentioned in 101 of 1,701 complaints (6%)
- Electric power: mentioned in 95 of 1,701 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 Saturn ION at $1,500, and half of them between $1,100 and $1,550.
Based on 130 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2007–2019), 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 1,534 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 1,701 complaints, 64 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 26 an injury.
Saturn ION steering complaints by model year
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Steering:electric power assist system
Model years: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
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 power steering (the Eps, worst system ever) has been randomly cutting in and out driving down the road and traffic making turns shutting down and making it almost impossible to drive or Park stay between lines adjust as needed and it cuts in and out it has been fixed per recall once but it…
This vehicle has an electrical issue from time to time seemingly out of nowhere. There is no power steering it just shuts off sometimes itâll stay off for an hour sometimes itâll stay off for weeks and I canât figure out how to fix it. It randomly fixes itself same can be said for the air…
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…
After I did the recall several years ago, the problem came back. The key will not come out of the ignition. It's happened many times.
Power steering went out. I was driving and I was on the freeway and the steering wouldn't move like it should. It became very hard to steer so I exited off the highway and pulled in to a store barely missing the sign. I call a friend and had the car towed home and looked at. I was told the eps went…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Saturn IONs have steering problems?
No. NHTSA has 1,701 owner complaints about steering for the Saturn ION. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 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.
How much does it cost to fix steering problems on the Saturn ION?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,500 (half paid between $1,100 and $1,550), from 130 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about steering problems on the Saturn ION?
The most frequent phrase is “steering motor”, in 133 of 1,701 complaints, followed by “pwr str” (128).
Other Saturn ION problems
See all Saturn ION problems.