NHTSA Complaint #10485810 — 2006 SATURN ION

SYNOPSIS: MY SATURN ION EXPERIENCED A POWER STEERING FAILURE FOUR TIMES IN ONE DAY. GM DECLINED TO REPLACE THE STEERING MOTOR BECAUSE THE VEHICLE MILEAGE EXCEEDED ITS "SPECIAL COVERAGE" LIMIT BY 9,000 MILES. EVENT: I WAS DRIVING DOWN A MOUNTAIN ROADWAY, ELEVATION 9,000 FEET, AT ABOUT 35 M.P.H. WHEN AN ALARM SOUNDED IN MY 2006 SATURN ION. THE DASHBOARD NOTED A "POWER STEERING FAILURE," WHICH I HAD NEVER SEEN BEFORE. THE STEERING WHEEL FROZE, AND I WAS ONLY ABLE TO TURN IT LESS THAN A CENTIMETER IN EITHER DIRECTION. THERE WAS NO SHOULDER SO I PARKED THE CAR IN THE LANE, TURNED OFF THE ENGINE, WAITED AND RESTARTED. THE FAILURE WARNING WENT AWAY. I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO CONTINUE DRIVING BECAUSE OF WHERE I WAS. THE SAME FAILURE HAPPENED FOUR TIMES WITHIN 25 MINUTES DURING MY DRIVE BEFORE I WAS OFF THE MOUNTAIN. I BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE NOTED I WAS IN CONSTANT FEAR OF ANOTHER FAILURE AS I DROVE THE WINDING DOWNHILL ROAD WHERE QUICK STEERING WAS REQUIRED. IN JUNE 2012, GM MAILED ME NOTIFICATION THAT THIS PROBLEM COULD OCCUR. THE PROBLEM HAPPENED EXACTLY AS DESCRIBED IN "SPECIAL COVERAGE" BULLETIN 10187-2, BUT THAT BULLETIN STATES: "DO NOT TAKE YOUR VEHICLE TO YOUR GM DEALER AS A RESULT OF THIS LETTER UNLESS YOU BELIEVE THAT YOUR VEHICLE HAS THE CONDITION AS DESCRIBED." I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP, O'RIELLY CHEVROLET, AND TOOK THE CAR IN THE MOMENT THE DEALER OPENED. GM ASSIGNED ME CASE NUMBER [XXX], AND ULTIMATELY DECLINED TO REPLACE THE MOTOR OR OFFER COST ASSISTANCE BECAUSE I EXCEED THE "SPECIAL COVERAGE" LIMIT BY 9,000 MILES. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR