2003 Saturn Ion Steering Problems

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.

I have the power steering column issue that still needs to be fixed as advised by GMC of Port Richey, FL where I was promised my replacement vehicle even 10 or 20 yrs later if I bought another one. If on my walking tape recorders and contact lens, I pull off my brake peddle flat lining at least twice without crashing however he would grant me whatever 2 vehicles on the lots I chose as long as I had insurance. However, I do not have the money for the tow and corporates to include the police will not listen too. Please, contact me immediately for a more rapid communication please at [XXX] or [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2003 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The contact restarted the vehicle to correct the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the dealer confirmed that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 173,000.

Rack and pinion is going bad, my mechanic said it's a common issue in these vehicles. When going around a corner it will want to float the opposite way, the steering will eventually get tight my mechanic said until I loose all steering. I am a single mother and have already replaced the whole front end on this vehicle pretty much. I know I've read so many others experiencing the same issues with their Saturn Ion, so I wanted to make it aware that this should be a recall and fixed before someone who knows nothing about vehicles ends up in a severe accident due to this big issue. Also the Key don't want to come out most of the time. An there is an issue with the car not wanting to come out of park sometimes. Not to mention it eats ball joints like crazy every other month I'm replacing the ball joints in this car. If I could afford another vehicle trust me I would but I can't even save for a new car due to all the repairs I've made. It's just frustrating that so many people are having this issue and no mechanic wants to do the rack and pinion job with out charging a fortune.

MY POWER STEERING KEPT CUTTING OUT. (BEEN DOING THIS FOR ABOUT 2 YEARS NOW) WHILE I WAS DRIVING TODAY THE WORST SITUATION HAPPENED. I WENT TO TURN AT AN INTERSECTION AND MID TURN THE POWER STEERING MESSAGE APPEARED AND MY STEERING WHEEL TIGHTENED AND STRAIGHTENED BACK OUT A LITTLE BIT. I WAS TRYING TO GET INTO THE TURN LANE BUT TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT I SPED UP TO MERGE WITH THE FARTHEST LANE AND UNFORTUNATELY I POPPED A TIRE AND BENT THE RIM. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. TO BE HONEST IM SCARED TO DRIVE MY OWN CAR AFTER TODAY.

INTERMITTENT ELECTRIC POWER STEERING LOSS DURING DRIVING, CAUSING MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AS WELL AS DAMAGE TO STEERING COLUMN. VEHICLE LOST POWER STEERING WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND THE STEERING SHAFT SNAPPED CAUSING COMPLETE LOSS OF CONTROL.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN ION. WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS AND PARKING THE VEHICLE, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE KEY WOULD NOT EJECT OUT OF THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED PER AN UNKNOWN RECALL AND THE RECALLED PART WOULD NOT BE REPAIRED AGAIN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 138,000.

THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN ION. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE POWER STEERING OPERATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO PADDOCK CHEVROLET (LOCATED AT 3232 DELAWARE AVE, KENMORE, NY 14217, (716) 941-4093) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING SHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 149,000.

POWER STEERING GOES OUT RANDOMLY WHILE IN MOTION. SOMETIMES IT LASTS 5 MINUTES SOMETIMES UP TO 25-30 MINUTES. GOES OUT EVERYDAY ON MY WAY TO WORK (26 MILE COMMUTE). EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WHEN TRYING TO PARK OR TURN FROM A LIGHT AND I DON'T REALIZE THAT THE ASSIST IS OUT. OBVIOUSLY ON HIGHWAY NOT AS MUCH OF AN ISSUE BUT WHEN DRIVING AT SLOWER SPEEDS IT IS DIFFICULT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN ION. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE STEERING SEIZED AND THE STEERING WHEEL COULD NOT BE TURNED AT ALL. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER AND WAITED FOR AWHILE. AFTERWARD, THE STEERING RETURNED TO NORMAL. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WAS CONTACTED, BUT COULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THEY DID NOT HAVE THE EQUIPMENT TO REPAIR ELECTRIC VEHICLES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 152,000.

POWER STEERING GOES IN AND OUT WHEN DRIVING

CAR JUST RECENTLY POPPED UP POWER STEERING ONLY HAPPENS WHEN ITS SITS OVER NIGHT AND WHEN I START IT UP IN THE MORNING IT'S VERY STIFF TO TURN BUT IF I DRIVE IT LIKE THAT FOR A LITTLE AND SHUT THE CAR OFF THE STEERING IS FINE. THE DASH LIGHTS FLICKER OFF AND ON AND WHEN DOING SO CAUSES HEAT OR A/C TO CUT OUT AFTER DRIVING IT FOR ALITTLE BIT. THE KEY LOCKS IN THE IGNITION SWITCH WHEN I GO TO SHUT OFF THE CAR AND I HAVE TO PRESS THE PLUNGER FOR IT TO RELEASE. KEEPS SAYING COOLANT WHEN GOING DOWN THE ROAD EVEN THOUGH THE COOLANT IS WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE. *TR

SEVERAL TIMES THESE LAST FEW MONTHS MY VEHICLE PWR STR LIGHT HAS COME ON. THE STEERING WHEEL IS HARD TO TURN LEFT OR RIGHT. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND WENT IN THE HOUSE AND GOT MY HUSBAND. WHEN HE TURNED IT ON AND PUT IT IN REVERSE NOTHING HAPPENED, IT WAS OK. THE NEXT TIME I WAS BACKING INTO A PARKING SPOT, IT LOCKED UP AND WAS HARD TO TURN. I TURNED THE IGNITION OFF AND RESTARTED IT, THEN IT WORKED AGAIN. THEN AGAIN IN THE DRIVE POSITION. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THE CAR NOT LONG AGO ON A CITY STREET AND HAD TO STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET, TURN THE CAR OFF AND ON AGAIN, THEN IT WAS OK. TODAY I WAS DRIVING ON THE ROAD (A CITY STREET) AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. I FOUGHT WITH THE WHEEL TO GET OVER. TURNED THE CAR OFF AND ON AGAIN BUT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS STILL HARD TO TURN AND THE PWR STR LIGHT REMAINED ON. I DID THIS SEVERAL TIMES TO NO AVAIL.THE WHEEL STAYED HARD TO TURN. I FOUGHT WITH THE WHEEL, TURNING CORNERS, PRAYING NO ONE WOULD BE IN MY WAY AS I HAD TO MAKE WIDE TURNS BECAUSE OF THE HARD STEERING WHEEL. WHEN I GOT TO MY DRIVEWAY I HAD TO TURN AND BACKUP SEVERAL TIMES TO GET INTO MY DRIVEWAY. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND ON AGAIN SEVERAL TIMES AND THE LIGHT HAS NOT GONE OUT. I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DRIVE MY CAR IN THIS CONDITION.

SEVERAL TIMES WHEN I HAVE GONE TO TURN OFF MY CAR THE IGNITION SWITCH WILL NOT RELEASE THE KEY. WHEN THIS HAPPENS I HAVE TO PLACE MY FOOT BACK ON THE BRAKE AND RUN THROUGH THE GEARS WITH MY GEAR STICK. THE IGNITION SWITCH THAT IS CURRENTLY IN MY CAR IS ONE THAT WAS USED TO REPLACE THE FACTORY ONE WHEN THE IGNITION SWITCH RECALL WAS ISSUED. ALSO, RECENTLY MY CAR HAS BEEN SHOWING PROBLEMS WITH THE POWER STEERING. IT HAS GONE OUT MULTIPLE TIMES ON MY SON WHILE HE WAS DRIVING RESULTING IN HIM HAVING TO FIGHT THE CAR TO GET IT TO TURN. I HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM BEFORE AND I HEAR THAT THERE ARE RECALLS FOR BOTH. THESE PROBLEMS HAVE HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES AND I DO NOT HAVE EXACT DATES.

THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT ON MY CAR TWICE SO FAR, BOTH TIMES I WAS DRIVING THE CAR AT THE TIME IT WENT OUT. THIS HAPPENED ONE WEEK APART AND BOTH TIMES THE POWER STEERING CAM BACK AFTER THE IGNITION WAS TURNED OFF AND THEN RESTARTED. THE FIRST TIME IT WENT OUT I WAS DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AND THE SECOND IN THE CITY.

DRIVING ON STAIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD MY CAR STARTED SPINNING OUT OF CONTROL STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP WHICH MADE MY DRIVER SIDE CRASH INTO A CEMENT WALL, MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY EVEN THOUGHT THE CAR HIT THE WALL SO HARD THAT IT CRACKED MY RADIATOR, MY CAR THEN SHUT OFF THEN TURNED BACK ON

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN ION. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THERE WAS A COMPETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING WITHOUT WARNING. THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER AND REQUIRED EXCESSIVE FORCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 107,939.

IN JUNE OF 2016 AT A SPEED OF APPROX. 70 MPH MY 2003 SATURN ION LOST POWER STEERING ON THE E-WAY. I HAD TO PULL OFF E-WAY. PARK AND RESTART. AFTER RESTART POWER STEERING WAS BACK BUT ONLY FOR SHORT PERIODS OF TIME. HAS BEEN AN OFF AND ON REOCCURING PROBLEM SINCE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN ION. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT HAD TO APPLY FORCE TO THE STEERING WHEEL IN ORDER TO STEER THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER AND REPAIRED PER A RECALL. AFTER THE REPAIRS, WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE AIR BAG AND CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE RECALL SPECIFICS WERE UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 141,000. UPDATED 10/19/16*LJ *TR