Steering complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
When turning right or left, typically at lower speeds, the steering nearly freezes up making it almost impossible to turn. I have taken the car to the shop - can't figure out what it is, and I have called my dealer - says it's no longer under warranty and no recall issued for this type of thing so I would be wasting my time to bring it in. The car is only at 90,000 miles and I'm afraid this issue May result in a crash and or injury to my family and I have no idea what to do. There is no leaking from any areas including the power steering pump and rack and pinion.
Intermittent loss of power steering when trying to park in a space in a parking garage. It also happened when turning in motion into a street off a highway while braking. Power steering fluid levels were full both times.
I bought this 2009 Saturn Outlook yesterday from a used dealership they said there was nothing wrong with the car well I live over 100 miles away from where I bough it and about halfway home it's it was dark outside I was driving on the highway going up a hill the motor was acting like it wanted to jump out f the car (I'm not sure exactly how to describe it) anyways it only did ur for just a second then stopped all went back to normal and today just died while driving and now it wont start wont even turn over
Travel us hwy when encountering rain condition vehicle had rear wheel loss of control into hydroplane, when attempting to correct steering into skid the steering failed to respond as if no power steering. The vehicle cruise control was on until point of first applying brake. The vehicle impacted ravine at frontal impactof grill atb high speed then flip side over side without one air bag deploying. Driver,passenger side, passenger/driver-side of seat, or pillar post air bags failed. The yellow airbag indicator light was always on and believed to be normal. After pressing on-star , emergency connection failed to which on-star claims antenna must of been damaged, though photos show intact. On star complaint about failure of system been on going since purchase. …
The contact owns a 2008 Saturn Outlook. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact pulled over however, the steering functionality did not return. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed and repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000.
I bought this car in nov 2015 and by jan 2016 had lost my power steering twice. Each time the dealer had to replace a hose. It was fine for about a month before starting to become very loud again. At this point I went back and forth with him and he finally replaced the pump and I paid a deductible. It has been 3 weeks and I lost my power steering again. The steering wheel is very squeaky while turning at slow speeds. There is clearly an issue going on that is causing these hoses to keep blowing, I am also reading similar issues by people all over the web. I have two children who I drive around all day long and I have been very lucky we haven't been in an accident due to this yet. Once it was on a very busy high speed road. While I do not know why this keeps happening, this is an issue that clearly needs GM's attention, and it should be fixed by GM. …
I was driving my 2007 Saturn Outlook when the power steering went out and I went off the road hitting a culvert head on. The frontal air bags failed to deploy. The driver seat on impact broke off of the frame of the vehicle. The only thing that saved my life was my seatbelt. The vehicle was towed to a dealership and after they hooked it up to their diagnostics, they found that there was a mistake in the sensor codes. The code showed that the vehicle rolled over. The vehicle never did roll over whatsoever. Also the power steering pump was defective and later a recall came out informing owners of this. After research I found that previously there was a recall for a defective air bag module. This had been replaced. However the airbag still did not deploy during the front impact collision.
Loss of power steering while driving through dangerous terrain. Multiple times on all types of roadways. Whole package is leaking and dealer states that the power steering rack, pump and lines need replacement along with alignment, vehicle now has 83000 miles on it. Cost per the dealer is around $2800. Mostly noticed while braking and attempting to turn steering wheel. Can regain steering by releasing brake and accelerating. Speed does not matter as it happens both from stand up to 70 miles per hour. Direction does not matter as it seizes up turning both to the left and right. Not safe for travel especially with occupants.
Frequently asked questions
Which Saturn Outlook years have steering problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2007 (60), 2008 (45), 2009 (42) and 2010 (7) model years. Steering complaints make up 12% of all complaints for the 2007.
Is there a recall for Saturn Outlook steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for any Saturn Outlook model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Saturn Outlook steering problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 74,000 miles; 28% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the hydraulic power assist › hose, piping, and connections (2 mentions), followed by the electric power assist system (2).
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.