NHTSA Complaint #10312136 — 2005 SATURN ION

ON JAN 16 2010 MY 18 YEAR OLD SON WAS DRIVING OUR 2005 SATURN ION AND HE CALLED ME ON MY CELL TO TELL ME THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING. I TOLD HIM TO PULL OVER, (HE ALREADY DID) TURN THE CAR OFF, AND WAIT A FEW MINUTES. HE DID THAT AND CALLED ME BACK ABOUT 15 MINUTES LATER TO SAY HE DID MAKE IT HOME AND THE PS FAILED AGAIN RIGHT BEFORE HE GOT HOME. HE THEN TOLD ME HE NOTICED THE POWER STEERING LIGHT ON THE DASH WOULD COME ON IF THE RADIO WAS ON SO HE DID NOT HAVE THAT ON FOR THE REST OF THE WAY HOME. IT DID NOT MAKE ANY SENSE AT THE TIME UNTIL I WAS TOLD T THE CAR HAS ELECTRIC STEERING. THE NEXT DAY (SUNDAY), I DROVE THE CAR TO SEARS TO HAVE THE BATTERY TESTED THINKING THAT WAS THE PROBLEM AS I HAVE NEVER CHANGED OUT THE BATTERY SINCE THE PURCHASE OF THE CAR. SEARS SAID THE BATTERY WAS FINE AND THEY SAID MY PROBLEM WITH THE POWER STEERING WAS PROBABLY NOT RELATED TO THE BATTERY AND THEY RECOMMEND I TAKE IT TO THE DEALER. DURING THE DRIVE THAT DAY TO SEARS THE POWER STEERING WAS FINE BECAUSE I DID NOT TURN ON THE RADIO OR HEADLIGHTS (THE PS LIGHT ALSO CAME ON WHEN THE LIGHTS WERE TURNED ON). HOWEVER, ON THE WAY HOME THE PS AGAIN FAILED ANYWAY RIGHT BEFORE WE GOT HOME. THE CAR WAS NOT DRIVEN THE REST OF THE DAY. THE NEXT DAY, MONDAY THE 18TH, I DROVE THE CAR TO THE SATURN DEALER (SATURN OF TUCSON) AND THE STEERING WAS FINE THE WHOLE WAY OVER. THE DEALER REPLACED THE POWER STEERING MOTOR AND THEIR EXPLANATION WAS IT SHORTED OUT. I ASKED IF THIS WAS SOMETHING I CAUSED AND THEY SAID NO. THEY ALSO HAD NO EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THIS HAPPENED GIVEN THE CAR HAD ONLY 61,000 (APPROX) MILES AND IT WAS ONLY 4.5 YEARS OLD. THE REPAIR COST WAS $296.00. *TR