Leaving a residential neighborhood I was traveling about 25 mph when my power steering signal chimed on. Instantly after I noticed the power steering went out, creating difficulty in turning the steering wheel. I continued the short distance to my house, not wanting to be stranded. The next day went to start my car and the power steering alert was gone. However in just driving less than a 1/2 mile down my street the power steering went out once again. I did not drive it again until I drove it into a local mechanic, and the power steering failed on this trip as well. My car is currently at the auto mechanic and I am waiting for an estimate. I was told it will most likely be pricey because it is an electronic power steering system. After research online I realize that this is happens to occur often, posing a safety hazard. My car has slightly less than 60,000 miles on it. Additionally, this happened only a few months after I experienced the ignition freeze-up that many have also experienced. Two very costly repairs in one summer is unfortunate.

- Norman, OK, USA

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that the power steering warning light would intermittently illuminate followed by a loss of power steering assist. The contact stated that steering would become extremely difficult, especially when attempting a turn. The vehicle was taken to a local repair facility where the contact was advised by the mechanic that he was unable to repair the failure. The manufacturer advised that the vehicle was not under recall and would not provide any further assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000 and the current mileage was 55,922.

- Boymton Beach, FL, USA

I have a 2006 Ion with 65,000 miles it isn't paid for yet. The power steering is gone out. I am a widow. I do not have 500 dollars to put into this car. I went on line and many people seem to be having the same trouble. Is GM doing a recall on this. It is very dangerous to be driving and all of a sudden your power steering is gone.. I need help!

- Casselberry, FL, USA

2006 Saturn Ion power steering failure - 4 times during drive on the interstate and once when driving in residential area today. This is the second time that this has occurred. Power steering light comes on and the power steering fails completely while driving. Turning the car off and on again will bring power steering back until the next time that the light comes on.

- Dade City, FL, USA

Loss of power steering 2006 Saturn Ion 2.

- Kingsland, GA, USA

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. The contact was driving approximately 5 mph with a sudden loss of power steering. The power steering warning light indicator illuminated. There was extreme difficulty steering the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The power steering motor and steering column would need to be replaced. In addition, the front passenger door would stick unless body pressure was applied to the door. The vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. The failure mileage was 30,000. The VIN was unavailable.

- Sonoma, CA, USA

Power steering has been shutting off for no apparent reason sense the day I've owned the car. It happens in many cases but will always happen on every drive, let it be on startup, after 5 mins of driving, during a turn while on the freeway going about 65-70mph all the time no power steering, a recent recall has happen to two other cars with the same power steering issue/hazard with the same power steering motor and steering column but for whatever reason my car was left out of the recall so now im stuck with a issue that I've had and might I had many others have had for sometime and GM will not even consider fixing it unless its a grand or so in costs.

- El Cajon, CA, USA

When I am driving, at any time, my odometer area chimes a few times and reads power steering and I am barely able to steer my car. This is so unsafe, I can barely drive it anywhere now! this is a common problem for my car and was already recalled for the cobalts and G5S but not our Saturn Ions!! it happens twice a day and I'm really getting scared. I looked to see how much it would be at my local GM place and they quoted me at least 1,000 dollars but the cobalts and G5S had the same problem with the same power steering set up and they get it for free??

- Toms River, NJ, USA

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. The contact stated when driving at any speed, the power steering warning alarm would chime followed by a loss of power steering assist. She stated she would shut off the engine and when restarting, the vehicle would resume normal operation. The manufacturer advised having the dealer diagnose the vehicle. The manufacturer stated that depending on the results of the diagnostic test, they would possibly assist with repair costs. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 41,000.

- Florence , SC, USA

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10mph and attempting a left turn into a parking lot when the power steering warning chime sounded. The power steering warning light then illuminated followed by a loss of power steering assist capabilities. The contact shut off the vehicle and when restarting, the vehicle resumed normal operation. The vehicle was neither diagnosed for the failure or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure and current mileage was approximately 49,000.

- Lavista , NE, USA

My vehicle is a 2006 Saturn Ion 3. the power steering message comes on and there is a failure for the power steering, and it becomes very hard to steer. This has happened twice in one week. I know that GM has recalled the same thing in the Chevy cobalts. And the cobalt also had the issue with the fuel pump cracking that the 2006 Saturn Ion 3 had. I think that there is a correlation between the two and that the electric power steering should all be recalled in the Saturn.

- The Woodlands, TX, USA

I was on the highway driving my 2006 Saturn Ion II, not even five minutes, heading straight. The car dinged three times and I glanced at the information cluster (where the speedometer is, etc) and the words "pwr str" where on. I did not understand what it meant until I had to exit the highway, and the power steering was gone making the vehicle very difficult to steer. Upon making it home, I turned the car off, and then back on to realize the problem had seemed to fix it self. The "pwr str" message was gone, and the car turned like it normally did. I then went back out, and on my way home again, heading straight under 30 mph, the car made a dinging sounds three times and the message reappeared. I have visited a local mechanic chain store, and was told that it could have been a slew of things. I searched the incident on the internet to find this is a very common problem, and that General Motors has recalled other vehicles with the same system and the same problem, but neglected to include Saturn in the recall. For this, I am reluctant to shell out large sums of money on a part that was proven faulty and recalled.

- Greer, SC, USA

Power steering assist motor shorted out, luckily not in the act of driving but is a safety concern nonetheless.

- Phoenix, AZ, USA

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. While driving, the power steering alarm activated and the power steering light came on. The steering wheel immediately became inoperable. When she turned the ignition off and restarted the vehicle, the power steering began to function normally. The failure seemed to be more pronounced in the evening than any other time. Saturn was notified and the vehicle will be taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The failure and current mileages were approximately 71,000.

- Griffin , GA, USA

On June 22nd while pulling into a parking lot the pwr steering warning came on my dash cluster after this came on I lost power steering and it took great effort to turn the steering wheel. I ck for a broken belt or fluid leak but found neither. After returning to my car and restarting my car the warning light went off and the power steering went back to normal. The problem didn't occur for about 1 week so I thought it was a one time thing. Then my wife was driving the car and the light came on again and the power steering failed, she was barely able to get the car off the road. She called me and I had her shut off the car and restart it. Again the problem went away and she was able to drive home. Since this time the problem has occurred over and over. At high speeds low speeds, and while turning. I called Saturn complaint line 1-800-972-8876 and talked to tarcaria and was told there was no recalls on this problem and was given the address and number to a local dealer who could assist me with the problem. I went to the dealership and talked to the service manager and parts department and was told there was told that the electric steering motor would have to be replaced at an estimated cost of $400 parts and labor. I was also told that there were recalls on this problem on other GM products (Chevy cobalt) that used the same type of steering as my Saturn Ion but my 2006 Saturn Ion was not on this list, but it could be added later. If this problem occurs with someone who does not have upper body strength it could lead to accident.

- Oklahoma City , OK, USA

Have a 2006 Saturn Ion, it has less than 50,000 miles and I've had 2 different problems with the steering column. The first problem was 2 years ago and I could not get the ignition to turn off, took it to the Saturn dealership and was fixed under warranty. Now the problem is the power steering is going out and I have to replace the whole steering column to get this fixed. I have read that there are multiple people with the same problem. Called the Saturn dealership and there are other recalls concerning this car, but not for this problem.

- Duncan, OK, USA

While driving, my 2006 Saturn ion2's power steering shuts off. This car has an electric assist steering motor vs. A power steering pump. During normal driving conditions, the power steering will shut down making it very hard to steer. If you turn the car off, then back on, the motor will reset itself for a while before shutting down again. This same motor has been recalled by GM on different GM cars, but not the Saturn as of yet. I have an appointment this week to look at it. I have been dealing with this problem for three weeks now. Mostly driving straight has posed limited danger, however, the other day I was on the highway on a curve when it shut down on me which caused me to drift into oncoming traffic. It's very scary and I have little confidence in my car at the moment, but I have to get to work.

- Yuma, AZ, USA

Steering assist shut down while in a turn causing car to momentarily enter lane with oncoming traffic.

- Longmont, CO, USA

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. While driving at 55 mph, the power steering light illuminated and the power steering wheel became very difficult to steer. The contact was able to pull over and shut off the vehicle. When restarting, the vehicle resumed normal operation and the warning light was no longer illuminated. The dealer advised the power steering motor potentially would need to be replaced but advised having a diagnostic performed on the vehicle to determine the exact cause of the failure. The vehicle was neither diagnosed nor repaired. The contact stated the failure occurred three additional times. The failure mileage was 53,445 and the current mileage was 53,465.

- Stafford, VA, USA

Power steering went out in my 2006 Saturn Ion today while driving on the interstate. No recall has been made on this as of now, but after researching this is a major problem happening to many people besides myself. I hope this gets taken care of before someone gets hurt if that has not already happened. The power steering resets when the car gets turned off.

- Columbia, TN, USA