NHTSA Complaint #10447004 — 2006 SATURN ION

I WAS BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY IN THE MORNING BEFORE HEADING TO WORK AND AS I SHIFTED THE CAR INTO DRIVE AND STARTED TO ACCELERATE THE PWR STR ALERT WAS DISPLAYED AND I FOUND IT VERY DIFFICULT TO MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL. I THEN SHUT OFF THE CAR AND TURNED IT BACK ON AND THE POWER STEERING WAS RESTORED. I MADE IT FINE TO WORK AND HAD NO PROBLEMS AFTER THAT. HOWEVER, THAT FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4TH, I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY ON MY WAY FOR A WEEKEND TRIP TO MI AND ONCE AGAIN THE PWR STR ALERT CAME ON AGAIN. I PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER AS SOON AS I COULD SO THAT I COULD ATTEMPT TO RESTART MY CAR TO HOPEFULLY REGAIN POWER STEERING. I RESTARTED MY CAR AND I WAS ABLE TO GAIN POWER STEERING AGAIN. HOWEVER, AFTER ABOUT 15 MINS ON THE ROAD, I LOST POWER STEERING AGAIN. IT WAS VERY HARD TO MANEUVER THE CAR AND I WAS VERY AFRAID OF WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF I HAD TO SWERVE TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. I FOUND IT ESPECIALLY HARDER TO TURN AT SLOWER SPEEDS SO MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN ONTO A SIDE STREET WAS VERY HARD. THEN ON SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5TH, I WAS DRIVING AGAIN AND AT FIRST THE POWER STEERING WAS WORKING FINE, BUT I FOUND THAT WITHIN 20 MINS OF MY TRIP THE PWR STR ALERT CAME ON AGAIN AND I HAD NO POWER STEERING AGAIN. I FIND THIS TO BE A MAJOR ISSUE AND IS VERY UNSAFE FOR ANY DRIVER ESPECIALLY YOUNG LADIES SUCH AS MYSELF WHO HAVE TO USE BOTH ARMS PULLING DOWN ON ONE SIDE OF THE STEERING WHEEL JUST TO MAKE A SLIGHT TURN AROUND A BEND. WHEN I WAS GETTING OFF THE HIGHWAY AND GOING DOWN THE OFF RAMP I FOUND THAT MY FRONT WHEELS WERE SKIPPING ON THE PAVEMENT AS I WAS MAKING THE TURN AND I WAS PULLING REALLY HARD ON THE STEERING WHEEL JUST TO BE ABLE TO TURN. I FEAR WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF IT WENT OUT AND THERE'S SNOW. I HOPE THAT SOMETHING IS DONE ABOUT THIS ISSUE TO INSURE THE SAFETY OF NOT ONLY THOSE DRIVING THE CARS THAT ARE LOOSING THEIR POWER STEERING, BUT ALSO FOR THE OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROAD. *TR