NHTSA Complaint #10594472 — 2006 SATURN ION

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2006 SATURN ION ON A STATE HIGHWAY IN VT WHEN THE POWER STEERING ABRUPTLY CUT OUT ON THE CAR. SHE WAS BARELY ABLE TO STEER IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE SHE SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF AND THEN RESTARTED IT. THE POWER STEERING CONTINUED TO WORK FOR ANOTHER COUPLE OF MINUTES AND THEN CUT OUT AGAIN. WE RELY ON THIS CAR AND ARE STILL MAKING PAYMENTS ON IT. THIS INCIDENT DID NOT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT, HOWEVER IF SHE HAD BEEN IN A MORE RESIDENTIAL AREA OR IF IT HAD BEEN RAINING ME, MY WIFE, OUR 4 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER, A PEDESTRIAN, OR ANOTHER DRIVER COULD EASILY HAVE BEEN HURT OR KILLED. GM CUSTOMER SERVICE HAS BEEN ABSOLUTELY NOT HELPFUL WHEN I HAVE CONTACTED THEM MULTIPLE TIMES ABOUT THIS ISSUE. I HAVE CONFIRMED WITH A LOCAL DEALER THAT THIS IS PART OF AN ACTIVE RECALL ON THE POWER STEERING MOTOR, BUT GM COULD NOT EVEN GIVE ME AN ESTIMATION ABOUT WHEN I WOULD BE ABLE TO GET THIS FIXED. I AM AT A LOSS FOR WHAT TO DO BECAUSE THEY ARE FAILING TO ADDRESS THIS RECALL. I NEVER EVEN RECEIVED A NOTICE ABOUT THIS RECALL OR THE IGNITION SWITCH RECALL IN MARCH. I HAD NO IDEA THAT I WAS DRIVING AN INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS VEHICLE FOR TWO MONTHS!!! THIS ISSUE HAS IMPACTED OUR ABILITY TO PERFORM DAY TO DAY FUNCTIONS SUCH AS GETTING OUR DAUGHTER TO DAYCARE AND GETTING US TO WORK. WE LIVE IN A RURAL AREA AND CANNOT AFFORD TO JUST BUY OR RENT ANOTHER VEHICLE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO OR HOW LONG I AM GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE PAYMENTS ON A CAR THAT I CANNOT EVEN DRIVE BECAUSE THE MANUFACTURER FAILED TO BUILD IT PROPERLY AND TO NOTIFY ME AS AN OWNER OF ANY ISSUES. I AM ANGRY AND DISHEARTENED BY THIS AND I JUST WANT SOMEONE TO DO SOMETHING TO GET THIS FIXED. I AM NOW GOING TO HAVE TO USE MONEY THAT I DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR A REPLACEMENT PART FOR A CAR THAT IS RECALLED BECAUSE I SIMPLY CANNOT WAIT AN INDETERMINATE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR GM TO ADDRESS THIS RECALL. *TR