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Saturn IonModel year report

2006 Saturn Ion Problems

Complaints
1,235filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
66,913miles, 1,072 complaints with mileage
Recalls
4campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
24 mpgcombined, 2.2L 4-cyl FWD · 21 city / 29 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2006 Saturn Ion (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of the 2006 Saturn Ion report two dominant themes: sudden loss of electric power steering assist, often announced by a "PWR STR" message and temporarily restored by restarting the car, and a gasoline smell with fuel leaking around the fuel pump module on top of the tank. A third recurring theme is the ignition key sticking in the switch or failing to turn off, sometimes leaving the engine running. Complaints cluster in the 30,000-100,000 mile range, with fuel leaks and stall complaints tending to appear at higher mileage.

  1. Steering

    Sudden loss of power steering assist

    • 509 complaints (41%)
    • median 64,590 mi at 5.2 yrs old (476 state mileage)
    • 17 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $1,000 (median of 53 quotes)
    • filed 2006–2025

    Complaints describe the steering suddenly becoming very heavy, usually with a chime and a "PWR STR" or power steering warning on the display, sometimes with no light at all. Owners frequently say that switching the ignition off and back on restores assist for a while before it drops out again, and many note it happens mid-turn or at low speed. According to complaints, dealers replaced the steering column or the assist motor in some cases, and several owners were told no recall applied to their vehicle at the time. Reported across a wide range, most often between about 25,000 and 120,000 miles, without a consistent pattern of speed or temperature.

    Recall 14V153000

    What to check: On a test drive, start the car and watch for a "PWR STR" message; try turning at low speed in a parking lot. Ask whether the electric power steering recall (14V153000) was performed and whether the steering column or assist motor has been replaced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I was driving down route 1 in key west, florida when a bell beeped and my power steering light came on and I almost got in an accident when I tried to get off the road to check & see if the fluid had leaked out. No one could find the fluid container. When we restarted the car, the light went out for awhile and it was ok but it continued to come on till I got it home & parked it.”

    NHTSA complaint #10286966, filed 2009-10, 37,500 miles

    “I was rear ended on the freeway on 11/17/13. I went to get it fixed about a week later. They had my car for about 3 days. When I went to pick up my car, there was no power steering. When the gentleman tried to put power steering fluid in it, he noticed it was electric. He said it must have gone out. Now I have to pay to fix my power steering and I didn't have my car when it went out!”

    NHTSA complaint #10558428, filed 2014-01, 111,000 miles
  2. Fuel system

    Fuel smell and leak at the fuel pump module

    • 248 complaints (20%)
    • median 79,000 mi at 6.7 yrs old (213 state mileage)
    • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $597 (median of 28 quotes)
    • filed 2008–2025

    Owners describe a strong gasoline smell in and around the car, especially after parking, and in some cases visible fuel dripping from the top or side of the tank near the rear wheel. Several say the car became harder to start or stalled, and some had to loosen and refit the fuel cap to get it running again. Complaints describe dealers or shops identifying the fuel pump module or tank module as the source and recommending replacement. Mostly reported between about 40,000 and 175,000 miles; several owners mention the smell becoming noticeable or worse in warm weather.

    Recall 09V419000

    What to check: Smell around the rear of the car and look under the tank near the driver's side rear wheel for wetness or drips after the car has sat. Ask whether recall 09V419000 (fuel pump module) was completed, since it covered only certain states.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I started smelling gas when getting out of car. Then it got progressively stronger gas smell that lingered on strong an hour after the car had been sitting. So I checked for gas leak on exterior of gas tank and found extreme amount of gas coming from both of the fuel lines of the fuel module on top of tank. This didn't start until the weather has become warm in the 80 s and 90s.”

    NHTSA complaint #11329472, filed 2020-06, 123,456 miles

    “My fuel pump module needs replacing. No accident occurred to initiate this issue. Started smelling a fuel odor and it has gotten stronger over the past few months. This problem seems premature, everything that I read online says a good fuel pump should last at least 300,000 miles.”

    NHTSA complaint #10653150, filed 2014-11, 115,000 miles
  3. Electrical system

    Ignition key stuck or won't turn off

    • 239 complaints (19%)
    • median 63,000 mi at 5.5 yrs old (212 state mileage)
    • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $500 (median of 40 quotes)
    • filed 2007–2023

    Complaints describe the key not coming out of the ignition after parking, or the switch not turning to Off so the engine keeps running; some owners disconnected the battery or pulled a fuse to shut the car down. Turning the wheel or restarting sometimes freed the key. According to complaints, dealers replaced the ignition lock cylinder or switch assembly, and some owners noted the problem returned after repair. Reported from roughly 45,000 to 160,000 miles, often described as intermittent and happening after the car is parked.

    Recall 14V171000Recall 14V047000

    What to check: With the engine running, check that the key turns freely to Off and comes out in Park, and ask whether the ignition switch recalls (14V171000, 14V047000) were performed.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Could not shut off engine. Had ignition, keys and electrical replaced at my expense of $751.40. Gmc dealer refuses to reimburse me for the expense I incurred for recall 14063 and national highway traffic safety administration campaign id number for this redall is 14v-047.”

    NHTSA complaint #10572817, filed 2014-03, 100,771 miles

    “The vehicle was in great condition, the incident was all a sudden. I could not turn off my car and the key wouldn't come out. Because it was a holiday, I had to sit in my vehicle all night until it ran out of gas. I had it towed to the dealership and they replaced my ignition system for $451.51+tax. I had a conversation with a mechanic at a different dealership and was told that the failure was common with my make and model of vehicle.”

    NHTSA complaint #10296719, filed 2009-12, 60,000 miles
  4. Engine

    Engine stalls while driving

    • 139 complaints (11%)
    • median 61,000 mi at 5.1 yrs old (128 state mileage)
    • 9 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $750 (median of 19 quotes)
    • filed 2007–2023

    Owners report the engine quitting without warning at city and highway speeds, sometimes with the ability to restart right away and sometimes not. A few tie the stall to a fuel smell or to opening and closing the fuel cap before it would restart, and some mention warning lights or fluctuating RPM beforehand. Complaints describe mechanics being unable to reproduce the problem or find a cause. Mostly reported between about 40,000 and 160,000 miles, at both low and highway speeds.

    Recall 14V171000

    What to check: Ask about any history of stalling or hard starting and whether ignition switch and fuel pump recalls were completed; note that a stall can be tied to more than one of the issues listed here.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “The first time it happened, I was driving about 20 MPH in traffic when my Saturn ION shut off in the middle of the road. The person behind me was only inches away from hitting me; she had to slam on brakes. I was able to start right back up, but it was very close to causing an accident. The incident with the car shutting off has happened multiple times. Mechanic could not figure out the problem, the problem is still happening, and I'm afraid to drive my vehicle.”

    NHTSA complaint #10594467, filed 2014-05, 60,020 miles

    “The rpms jump around and the A/C makes noise and lights flicker at times. The car will just stall in the middle of an intersection or when I'm turning onto another road. It's quite scary with children in the car. My main concern is a large SUV put it in reverse and hit the front of my car before ending up on the hood near the windshield. She was going pretty fast and pushed my car pretty far but no airbag! Then on a separate occasion I was doing 55 miles when a large animal darted out in front of me. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11400399, filed 2021-03, 154,123 miles

Buying note. Check the steering assist and the fuel system carefully on a test drive and after parking, and confirm which of the open recalls for this year were actually performed. Service records showing ignition switch and fuel pump work are worth asking for, since several of the reported issues recur.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 1,235 consumer complaints for the 2006 Saturn Ion. 1,072 of the complaints include a mileage, and 28% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 66,913 miles. Of all complaints, 44 involved a crash, 7 a fire, 33 an injury, 1 a death, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns and 736 technical service bulletins for this model year.

Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Suspension (14), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (14), Brakes (13), Latches, locks and linkages (12), Electronic stability control (11), Equipment (7), Exterior lighting (7), Tires (7), Seat belts (5), Wheels (3), Interior lighting (1).

Example complaints

Steering: “I was driving on interstate 10 in san antonio texas in 5 p.m. Traffic when my car lost power steering control lights blink in the dash and I had to pull over to the side of the road I was on the left side shoulder for 2 hours waiting for a tow truck same problem happened in 2014 when the car was recalled for the power steering issue and fixed for free in 2014”

NHTSA complaint #11209397, filed 2019-05, 244,000 miles

Electrical system: “In april 2014, I took my car to john bowman chevrolet in clarkston, michigan for the recall notice 14063, ignition switch. Since the installation of the new ignition switch I am not able to place the car in park, turn the engine off and remove the key. The key will not remove from the ignition. I must repeatedly restart the vehicle until I am able to remove it.”

NHTSA complaint #10871379, filed 2016-05, 107,500 miles

Fuel system: “A few weeks ago I noticed a smell of fuel coming from my car when I stop, or slow down. The last couple days the smell has bin getting stronger.. I see all these complaints, but nothing being done or it only for a few states. As a single mother of two I don't feel safe having my kids in the car.”

NHTSA complaint #10849854, filed 2016-03, 160,000 miles

Air bags: “I hydraplained, did a 360 and got hit head on. I had my set belt on, but it did not catch and lock in place, and the air bag did not inflate....to stop me from hitting to rear view mirror with my head, my chest on the shearing wheel and my legs with the under part of the dash...I was on a main hwy...I do not have the police report , but I do have a few picture..”

NHTSA complaint #10984760, filed 2017-05, 145,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

28% of the 1,072 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 46,900 and 93,100 miles.

2%0–103%10–2522%25–5032%50–7518%75–10018%100–1505%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (1,072 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 66,913 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’07’10282’13’16’19’22’25
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2006 Saturn Ion. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Ion · sedan FWDnot rated5 / 5———
Ion · coupe FWDnot rated5 / 5———

Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2006 Saturn Ion version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Ion FWD2.0L 4-cyl5-speed manual202723$3,550
Ion FWD2.2L 4-cyl5-speed manual233226$2,600
Ion FWD2.2L 4-cyl4-speed automatic212924$2,800
Ion FWD2.4L 4-cyl5-speed manual223125$3,300
Ion FWD2.4L 4-cyl4-speed automatic212924$3,400

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2006 Saturn Ion → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

NHTSA investigations

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 736 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 736 bulletins →

Other model years of the Saturn Ion

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
200787666,5005—24Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20061,23566,9134—24Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200557360,5003—24Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200489869,9368—24Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200375871,0005—24Not compared (before 2008)Falling

All Saturn Ion model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2006 Saturn Ion?

Owners of the 2006 Saturn Ion report two dominant themes: sudden loss of electric power steering assist, often announced by a "PWR STR" message and temporarily restored by restarting the car, and a gasoline smell with fuel leaking around the fuel pump module on top of the tank. The issues reported most often: Sudden loss of power steering assist; Fuel smell and leak at the fuel pump module; Ignition key stuck or won't turn off.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2006 Saturn Ion have?

NHTSA recorded 1,235 consumer complaints for the 2006 Saturn Ion as of Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2006 Saturn Ion is reported most often?

Steering is named most often, in 544 complaints (44% of the total), followed by electrical system with 392.

Has the 2006 Saturn Ion been recalled?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2006 Saturn Ion get?

The EPA rates the 2006 Saturn Ion (Ion, 2.2L 4-cyl) at 24 mpg combined, 21 city and 29 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,800 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2006 Saturn Ion reported?

Among the 1,072 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 66,913 miles and the middle half falls between 46,900 and 93,100 miles; 28% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.