NHTSA Complaint #10345703 — 2007 SATURN ION

I HAVE A 2007 SATURN ION. IT HAS WORKED FINE UP UNTIL ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF AGO (TODAY'S DATE IS JULY 27, 2010). WE WERE DRIVING ON A NORMAL DAY, NO EXCESSIVE HEAT OR COLD, AND THE POWER STEERING JUST WENT OUT. IT COMPLETELY STOPPED WITHOUT WARNING, WITHOUT APPARENT CAUSE. WE WERE ON A HIGHWAY AROUND CARS DRIVING HEAVY SPEEDS, SO WE HAD TO PULL OFF QUICKLY. AFTER STOPPING AND STARTING THE CAR, IT SEEMED TO BE BACK TO NORMAL. WE THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A FLUKE. BUT THEN IT HAPPENED ABOUT A WEEK LATER, AND IT CONTINUES TO HAPPEN MORE FREQUENTLY. FOR INSTANCE, THE POWER STEERING STOPPED ABOUT 20 YARDS FROM MY FRONT DOOR YESTERDAY, AND DURING A FIFTEEN MINUTE TRIP, IT WENT OUT THREE TIMES. GIVING IN TO THE FACT THAT THE PROBLEM WAS GETTING MUCH WORSE VERY QUICKLY, I CHECKED ON THE EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT I HAD BOUGHT WHEN I PURCHASED MY CAR. IT COVERED ALL ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, AS I HAD REMEMBERED, BUT UPON FURTHER REVIEW, I REALIZED THAT POWER STEERING WAS LISTED COMPLETELY SEPARATELY, AND IN FACT, WAS NOT COVERED. AT THAT POINT I DECIDED TO DO SOME RESEARCH TO SEE HOW COMMON THIS PROBLEM WAS IN SATURN ION'S, AND I HAVE FOUND THAT THE PROBLEM IS NOT ONLY OCCURRING IN 2004-2007 ION'S, BUT HAD ALSO OCCURRED IN OTHER GM VEHICLES. THE DIFFERENCE BEING, THAT THOSE OTHER VEHICLES OF SIMILAR MAKE BUT DIFFERENT BRANDS HAVE BEEN RECALLED, BUT SATURN HAS NOT. I HAVE READ MULTIPLE INSTANCES OF PEOPLE'S LIVES ALMOST BEING LOST DUE TO ACCIDENTS IN WHICH THE STEERING STOPPED AND SENT PEOPLE INTO HEAD-ON TRAFFIC (MUCH LIKE IT DID WITH MY FAMILY), AND YET GM REFUSES TO RECALL THESE VEHICLES. I WISH SOMEONE WOULD ANSWER EVERYONE'S QUESTION OF WHETHER IT IS GOING TO TAKE THE DEATH OF A PERSON OR A FAMILY IN A CRASH DUE TO POWER STEERING FAILURE TO MAKE SOMEONE PAY ATTENTION TO THIS PROBLEM? *TR