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2006 Saturn IONProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 1,235 owner complaints about the 2006 Saturn ION, most often about the steering. It is covered by 4 safety recalls, and for recall 14V-153 the manufacturer reports only 60% of affected cars repaired.

2006 Saturn ION
42
CarFlaw IndexSolid year1.4× the ION median · #1 of 5 years by complaints
Safety recalls4Lowest repair rate 60%Owner complaints1,23574 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage65kSteering, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through March 20, 2025. Updated daily. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2006 Saturn ION has problems

1,235 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Steering54419
Electrical system39216
Fuel system, gasoline1271
Fuel/propulsion system1114
Air bags6125
Engine412
Power train360
Engine and engine cooling301
Structure241
18 other systems11713

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

4 recalls

2006 Saturn ION recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

72%repaired · 2016 Q2

Electrical system: ignition

Recall 14V-171 · Apr 10, 2014 · 2,191,014 vehicles · 1,569,104 repaired

Risk. If the key can be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "off" position, the vehicle could roll away: (a) for an automatic transmission, if…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

60%repaired · 2016 Q2

Steering: electric power assist system

Recall 14V-153 · Mar 31, 2014 · 1,373,177 vehicles · 825,020 repaired

Risk. If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

72%repaired · 2016 Q2

Air bags

Recall 14V-047 · Feb 10, 2014 · 2,190,934 vehicles · 1,571,075 repaired

Risk. If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Saturn.

Mileage at failure

When do steering problems start?

65kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 505 steering complaints. 79% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
31under 30k miles397under 100k miles108100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Steering

53 owners mentioned a cost

$1,000median

Middle half: $600 – $1,000

Electrical system

34 owners mentioned a cost

$500median

Middle half: $318 – $638

Fuel system, gasoline

14 owners mentioned a cost

$588median

Middle half: $360 – $660

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

2006 vs. every other ION year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the ION median. How we score

'03'04'05'06'07'08
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2006 Saturn ION safety ratings

2006 Saturn Ion 4-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2006 Saturn ION frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crashNot rated
2006 Saturn ION side barrier test, NHTSA
Side barrierNot rated
  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
2 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2006 Saturn ION, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Electric Power Steering FailureEA11014 · closed Apr 15, 2014
    Led to recall 14V-153
  2. Electric Power Steering FailureRQ10004 · closed Oct 5, 2011
    No recall
In owners' words

What ION owners report

Recent steering complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. The contact stated that the instrument panel and radio were intermittently inoperable. The contact stated that the ignition switch failed to turn to the OFF position as needed intermittently. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving and turning the…
Complaint 11649410 · Mar 20, 2025 · 85,200 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Ion. The contact stated while exiting a driveway and making a turn, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact checked the power steering fluid reservoir and there was power steering fluid in the reservoir. The…
Complaint 11502837 · Jan 20, 2023 · 90,000 miles
We purchased this vehicle recently. 1 week later we discovered loss of power steering assist while attempting to parallel park. We spoke with the seller (repair shop) and they discovered the Recall Notice 14V153000: Loss of Power Steering Assist. When I attempted to schedule a recall service at a…
Complaint 11424752 · Jul 14, 2021

Own a 2006 ION?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.