NHTSA Complaint #10425517 — 2006 SATURN ION

WHILE TRAVELING AT CITY SPEEDS (APPROX 35MPH), THE VEHICLE'S INFORMATION CENTER SOUNDED A "DING" AND DISPLAYED A MESSAGE READING "PWR STR". THIS OCCURRED SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. ACCORDING TO THE OWNER'S MANUAL, THE MESSAGE "PWR STR" INDICATES A POWER STEERING FAILURE, AN INDICATION CONFIRMED BY THE FACT THAT TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT, REQUIRING A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF EFFORT TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL BEYOND 1-2 DEGREES FROM ITS PRESENT LOCATION. I ESTIMATE THIS EFFORT WOULD EXCEED THE ABILITIES OF SOME DRIVERS, GIVEN THE SUDDEN ONSET AND DIFFERENCE IN EFFORT REQUIRED TO TURN THE WHEEL BEFORE AND AFTER THIS PROBLEM OCCURS. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, INCLUDING WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS (55-65MPH) AND WHILE TRAVELING IN A PARKING LOT (5-15MPH). TURNING THE ENGINE OFF AND RESTARTING IT SHORTLY THEREAFTER SEEMS TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM; THE MESSAGE IS NO LONGER DISPLAYED AND THE STEERING WORKS AS EXPECTED. HOWEVER, I HAVE NOTICED WITH THE RECENT INCIDENTS THAT TURNING THE ENGINE OFF AND ON AGAIN ONLY FIXES THE PROBLEM FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE OF TRAVEL BEFORE THE PROBLEM OCCURS AGAIN. TO DATE, I HAVE MANAGED TO AVOID GETTING INTO A COLLISION AS A RESULT OF THIS SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING, HOWEVER I FEEL THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM THAT COULD RESULT IN INJURIES OR DEATHS IF THE PROBLEM WERE TO OCCUR WHILE THE DRIVER IS ACTIVELY TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL (E.G. TURNING, CHANGING LANES, NAVIGATING A PARKING STRUCTURE) OR IF THE DRIVER LACKS THE STRENGTH NECESSARY TO TURN THE WHEEL WITHOUT FUNCTIONAL POWER STEERING. IT WOULD SEEM THIS PROBLEM IS ALREADY UNDER INVESTIGATION (NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: RQ10004), AND I WOULD URGE YOU TO HAVE THIS COMPONENT RECALLED AS IT IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN. *KB