NHTSA Complaint #10447315 — 2006 SATURN ION

MY SON WAS DRIVING AND HE ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE WHEEL TO THE RIGHT TO CHANGE LANES AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. HE PULLED ON IT A BIT HARDER AND IT RELEASED WHICH MADE SPIN OUT AND HIS FRONT WHEEL HIT THE CURB WHICH PUSHED HIS WHEEL UP AGAINST THE FRAME OF THE CAR. WE HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE MECHANICS WHERE IT STILL SITS WHILE PARTS ARE BEING ORDERED. CAR BRANDS MAY DISAPPEAR FROM TIME TO TIME, BUT THE CARS THEMSELVES STICK AROUND FOR YEARS OR EVEN DECADES. AND WHEN DISCONTINUED MODELS HAVE PROBLEMS THAT MAY AFFECT SAFETY THEY GET THE SAME ATTENTION FROM FEDERAL REGULATORS AS CURRENT MODELS. SUCH IS THE CASE FOR THE SATURN ION, A COMPACT-CAR MODEL FROM A DISCONTINUED GENERAL MOTORS DIVISION WHOSE PRODUCTION ENDED A FEW YEARS AGO. THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION SAYS IT HAS INTENSIFIED ITS INVESTIGATION INTO COMPLAINTS ABOUT ALLEGED PROBLEMS WITH THE POWER-STEERING SYSTEMS ON IONS FROM THE 2004 TO 2007 MODEL YEARS. THE AGENCY HAD PREVIOUSLY OPENED A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION OF THE COMPLAINTS. NHTSA SAYS THERE HAVE BEEN ABOUT 4,150 COMPLAINTS FROM DRIVERS ALLEGING A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THE AGENCY SAYS IN 16 CASES THE LOSS OF POWER ASSIST RESULTED IN A CRASH, AND IN TWO CASES THE CRASHES RESULTED IN DRIVER INJURIES. NHTSA SAID IT BEGAN UPGRADED THE PRELIMINARY INQUIRY TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS FURTHER ASSESS THE FREQUENCY, SCOPE AND SAFETY CONSEQUENCES OF A SUDDEN LOSS OF STEERING ASSIST IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES?? INVESTIGATIONS LIKE THESE SOMETIMES GROW INTO SAFETY RECALLS IN WHICH THE CARS MANUFACTURER HAS TO CORRECT. *TR