2006 Saturn ION Steering Problems

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

524Steering complaints

42.4%Of all 1,235 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

STEERING524 · 42.4%

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM310 · 25.1%

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM111 · 9%

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE93 · 7.5%

AIR BAGS57 · 4.6%

Share of the 1,235 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2006 Saturn ION overview page.

What owners report

“THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SATURN ION. SPORADICALLY, THE CONTACT EXPERIENCES DIFFICULTY TURNING THE STEERING COLUMN. TYPICALLY, AFTER HE RESTARTS THE VEHICLE, THE ELECTRIC POWER…”NHTSA complaint 10255891 — filed 01/21/2009

“I OWN A 2006 SATURN ION WITH APPROXIMATELY 41K MILES. THE CAR IS LESS THAN 5 MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THE POWER STEERING INTERMITTENTLY…”NHTSA complaint 10251390 — filed 12/10/2008

“THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SATURN ION. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MILDLY TURN THE STEERING COLUMN TO THE RIGHT, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO DRIFT FORWARD. WHEN…”NHTSA complaint 10250787 — filed 12/04/2008

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

Steering complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2006 Saturn ION have steering problems?

Steering is the most-reported problem area on the 2006 Saturn ION: 524 of 1,235 complaints on file (42.4%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2006 Saturn ION have in total?

1,235 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/12/2026. Across all categories, 44 involved a crash, 7 involved a fire, 33 reported injuries, and 1 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.