2006 Saturn ION problems
Owners have filed 1,537 complaints about the 2006 Saturn ION with NHTSA. Steering accounts for 35.8% of them — narrowly the most common, ahead of electrical system at 26%.
Complaints1,537
Crashes72
Fires7
Injuries46
Deaths1
What owners report breaking
Steering 35.8% · 551
Electrical system 26.0% · 399
Fuel system, gasoline 8.9% · 137
Fuel/propulsion system 7.2% · 111
Air bags 4.0% · 62
Engine 2.7% · 41
Power train 2.4% · 37
Engine and engine cooling 2.0% · 30
Severity
Of those complaints, 72 describe a crash, 7 describe a fire, 46 report an injury and 1 report a death.
Reading the numbers
Across the 5 model years of the Saturn ION in this data, 2006 draws the most complaints of any of them.
Filings have fallen off, 7 in the last three years against 21 in the three before. That is normal as a generation leaves the road.
The median odometer reading at the time of complaint was 67,149 miles.
In owners' own words
While driving a "pwr str" light came on and the power steering stopped working while driving. Turning off the car and cranking again fixes the problem. This creates a hazard while driving as its behavior is unpredictable. This car was left out of a previous Saturn recall with similar complaints. A google search of "Saturn ION steering not working" will return many results of owners with similar complaints. Steering · reported at 67,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Saturn ION. While driving approximately 25 mph, there was a complete loss of the power steering and the warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact applied force to the steering wheel and continued with caution. When the engine was turned off and restarted, the steering wheel began to function normally. The failure was not diagnosed. The failure mileage was 53,000. Steering · reported at 53,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Saturn ION. The contact stated that while driving, the power steering would sporadically become inoperable. The dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but denied any assistance with repairs to the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 106,000. ..Updated 09/29/11 *bf the power steering motor failed on the vehicle. Updated 01/03/12 Steering · reported at 106,000 miles
Verbatim from NHTSA filings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.
Safety recalls
Checking NHTSA for open recalls…