NHTSA Complaint #10282652 — 2004 SATURN ION

I DRIVE A 2004 SATURN ION. ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO MY POWER STEERING STARTED TO GO OUT AT RANDOM TIMES, HOWEVER, WHEN I WOULD TURN THE CAR OFF AND THEN BACK ON IT WOULD BE FINE. I DID BRING IT IN TO A MECHANIC AND HAD IT LOOKED AT. HE FOUND NO ERROR CODES AND NO DUPLICATE OF THE PROBLEM BECAUSE IT WAS AT RANDOM TIMES. A COUPLE WEEKS AGO IT STARTED TO TURN OFF A COUPLE TIMES A DAY. I FINALLY BROUGHT IT IN AGAIN WHEN IT TURNED OFF ON ME ON THE FREEWAY AND I ALMOST CRASHED WHEN A BIG RIG SWERVED. MY MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO VERIFY THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE POWER STEERING COLUMN & MODULAR. THAT PART WAS $560.53 (NOT INCLUDING LABOR). FURTHER RESEARCH INTO THIS PART ON MY CAR WITH THE HELP OF MY MECHANIC SHOWED THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE WITH MY SATURN MAKE. HOWEVER, THE STORY DOES NOT END HERE. AFTER REPLACEMENT OF THIS PART MY MECHANIC DISCOVERED THE CAUSE FOR THE STEERING BREAKING. THE MOTOR IN THIS COLUMN PIECE FRIES THE WHOLE MODULAR. THE REPLACEMENT PART FOR THIS WAS ANOTHER $175.00. THE SATURN FACTORY HAS PLENTY OF STEERING COLUMNS IN STOCK HOWEVER BECAUSE OF THE INCREASE IN DEMAND FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE MOTOR, THE PART WAS ON BACK ORDER FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS. YES THE WHOLE PROCESS WAS FRUSTRATING AND EXPENSIVE BUT HAVING POWER STEERING GO OUT UNEXPECTEDLY IS VERY DANGEROUS. SOMEONE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO DIE OR BE INJURED IN AN ACCIDENT BEFORE A SAFETY RECALL IS FORCED UPON SATURN. *TR