NHTSA Complaint #10435239 — 2006 SATURN ION

AT APPROXIMATELY 35,000 MILES ON APPROXIMATELY DECEMBER 2, 2008, (THIS DATE IS APPROXIMATE AS I DON'T HAVE RECORDS OF THE FIRST FAILURE, GM WOULD HAVE RECORDS OF THE REPAIR WITH EXACT DATE AND MILEAGE) WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY AT 70 MPH ON A SLUSHY DAY, POWER STEERING FAILED. WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE THE NEXT EXIT AND HAPPENED TO BE NEAR A SATURN DEALERSHIP. WE STOPPED THERE IMMEDIATELY AND THE CAR WAS KEPT THERE WHILE THE STEERING COLUMN WAS REPLACED AS WARRANTY WORK. THE CAR NOW HAS 105,000 MILES ON IT THIS PART WITH APPROXIMATELY 60,000 MILES ON IT FAILED AGAIN AND POWER STEERING WAS LOST ON OCTOBER 21, 2010 WHILE DRIVING DOWN A HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH WITH MY DAUGHTER IN THE CAR. WE WERE ABLE TO PULL THE CAR OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, SHUT IT OFF AND RESTART IT WHICH CAUSED THE POWER STEERING TO RETURN. WE COMPLETED THE TRIP WITH NO MORE OCCURRENCES, BUT IN DRIVING IN TOWN, THE POWERSTEERING HAS CONTINUED TO FAIL. I HAVE STARTED RIDING THE BUS AND DON'T FEEL IT IS SAFE TO DRIVE MORE THAN A FEW BLOCKS AT A TIME. I HAD RECEIVED A LETTER INDICATING THAT IF THERE WERE POWER STEERING ISSUES WE SHOULD CONTACT THE DEALER. WE DID SO AND THE GM DEALER TOLD US THAT OUR CAR DOES NOT HAVE WARRANTY WORK AVAILABLE AND THAT THEY ARE UNAWARE OF ANY ISSUES WITH STEERING ON THE SATURN ION. WE HAVE CONTACTED GM AS WELL, BUT THEY HAVE NOT RESPONDED. *TR