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
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Saturn SL. While coming out of a left turn at an unknown speed, the power steering failed. The steering wheel seized and excessive force was required to steer the vehicle. The failure caused the contact to drive into a ditch, over a levee, and crash into a pipe. Once the vehicle came to a stop, the contact noticed the ignition key was on the floor. The air bags deployed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence and was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 114,000.
My car has a lot of problems. The steering system has been replaced 2 times. The climate blower motor has been replaced 2 times. It has broken down 2 times. This car is a lemon and GM will do nothing to help with any problems I have.. They just give me the run around. And my windshield wiper system has been replaced 1 time.. Which still never corrected the problem.. The speed of the wipers when on high are slower then most cars resulting in poor vision. The air bags never went off when I got in to a head on collision at 45 MPH.. This has to be the worst car out there.
Fingers bent and twisted index and middle fingers bent towards the baby fingers. Thumbs is bent outward from the hands. Extreme shoulder pain and restricted movement. Both shoulders are painful left arm is very restricted in movement. Can not raise left arm to 90% or cross left arm over chest. Both arms have pain radiating down from the shoulder. Steering is extremely tight/hard like the Chevrolet impala. Pictures of hands can be seen on http://photos.yahoo.com/miketomich. This information submitted on behalf of michelle by mike tomich [phone].
Saturn 2001 ion ignition - car won't start because key won't turn this is a known problem with saturns and is a bad safety issue. People are stranded with vehicles that won't start or sometimes even turn off. This is awful, and Saturn knows about it, and GM is asking for a bailout? This should be a recall. If government won't force a recall on known issues, the company winds up going extinct due to poor quality issues. Recall this!
Had a few months, hot summer and key would not turn in ignition. Manual that came with car said this could happen and if it did to turn the wheel, jiggle the shift, etc. Would not have this trouble except in hot weather. On oct 29, 2010 I had lock cylinder & keys replaced at my expense by an authorized GM dealership. Now it is doing it again (6/26/2014) with only 44,000 actual miles on it. Only authorized dealership has ever worked on this vehicle. This has happened to my daughter who has a newer Saturn and to a Saturn of my granddaughters. I hate to have to spend another $310 at my expense to fix this known defect.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Saturn SL. The contact stated that while traveling at unknown speeds, the key could be removed and the vehicle would continue to operate as normal. In addition, the contact stated that the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the entire ignition system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 80,000.
While driving at 60-65 MPH steering wheel will start to shake. Contacted dealer, and the dealer could not find problem after nine attempts. Consumer states rough idle when warm. Dealer replaced PCM/ECM, but problem still exist. Power steering fluid low. Experiencing shimmy when braking. Noise from gas tank when coming to a stop.
While driving steering wheel started to get harder and harder to turn. Took vehicle to dealer, and steering hydroboost unit was replaced. 2 months later,steering hydroboost unit broke again. Please provide any further information.
Related recalls (2)
Steering › Gear box (other than rack and pinion)
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with manual steering. The pinion bearing cage in the steering gear can separate under high steering system load conditions, such as parking lot or similar low speed maneuvers.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the manual steering gear assembly.
Steering › Gear box (other than rack and pinion)
The steering gear pinion shaft was improperly heat treated causing the shaft to fracture during vehicle operation.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the manual steering assembly.
Frequently asked questions
Which Saturn SL years have steering problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1995 (37), 1996 (20), 1997 (10), 2000 (10) and 2002 (8) model years. Steering complaints make up 10% of all complaints for the 1995.
Is there a recall for Saturn SL steering problems?
Yes — 2 recalls, including 97V-138 (gear box (other than rack and pinion), Aug 29, 1997); 94V-170 (gear box (other than rack and pinion), Sep 14, 1994). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Saturn SL steering problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 97,000 miles; 18% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the steering wheel/handle bar (18 mentions), followed by the rack and pinion (13).
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.