2005 Saturn ION Steering Problems

NHTSA component category: STEERING · data through 07/12/2026

255Steering complaints

44.5%Of all 573 complaints

#1Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How steering ranks on this vehicle

STEERING255 · 44.5%

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM173 · 30.2%

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION38 · 6.6%

AIR BAGS29 · 5.1%

EXTERIOR LIGHTING23 · 4%

Share of the 573 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2005 Saturn ION overview page.

What owners report

“2005 SATURN ION ELECTRIC POWER STEERING QUITS WITHOUT WARNING. OCCURS AT LEAST ONCE EVERY 40 MILE TRIP. COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT IF CORNERING WHEN POWER…”NHTSA complaint 10282817 — filed 09/03/2009

“THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT HEARD A NOISE AND THEN THE POWER STEERING WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER…”NHTSA complaint 10277591 — filed 07/21/2009

“ELECTRIC POWER STEERING FAILING AFTER 5 MINUTES OF DRIVING ON 2005 SATURN ION-2.”NHTSA complaint 10274759 — filed 06/23/2009

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Steering complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2005 Saturn ION have steering problems?

Steering is the most-reported problem area on the 2005 Saturn ION: 255 of 573 complaints on file (44.5%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2005 Saturn ION have in total?

573 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/12/2026. Across all categories, 31 involved a crash, 4 involved a fire, 19 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's steering category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the STEERING category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/12/2026.