WHILE DRIVING BACK FROM WORK TODAY I GOT THIS MESSAGE // POWER STEERING SERVICE ESC// MESSAGE AFTER PUTTING THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE WHILE TRYING TO TURN.THE STEERING BECAME UNCONTROLLABLE AFTERWARDS. AFTER TURNING IGNITION OFF AND BACK ON THE ERROR MESSAGE WENT AWAY AND THINGS WENT BACK TO NORMAL.
2009 Saturn Aura steering problems
moderate 209 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $700
Complaints
209
Recalls
0
Crashes
3
Avg fix
$700
What owners are reporting 10 most recent
Power steering keeps going off. Have to restart car to get it to work. Now it won’t work at all.
POWER STEERING FREEZES FOR A FEW SECONDS AND IS BACK TO NORMAL AGAIN. THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS APPROXIMATELY IN SEPTEMBER 2014 AND THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE THEN. ONCE A MESSAGE APPEARED ON THE INFORMATION SCREEN 'POWER STEERING......', BUT WENT AWAY BY THE TIME IT COULD BE COMPLETELY READ. *TR
Wife has repeatedly mentioned loss of power steering and for a petite woman each incident was quite scary for her. I drove it for two days before it happened to me. It was much worse than simply a car with no power steering, which I've owned before. It seemed like something was actively working to prevent the steering wheel from turning. The force required was at my own limits to steer adequately…
I WAS PULLING OUT OF MY JOB, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY CAR STARTED SLIDEING A LITTLE TO THE RIGHT AND I HAD NO POWER STEERING. THEN IN MY DASH IT KEPT BLINKING POWER STERRING ESC, ITS DONE IT 3 TIMES NOW..IVE TAKEN IT TO GM MOTOR AND PEP BOYS AND BECAUSE IT DIDN'T HAPPEN TO THEM THEY WONT FIX IT.
I BOUGHT MY 2009 SATURN AURA IN SEPTEMBER OF 2015. JUST RECENTLY IN DECEMBER OF 2016, WHENEVER I STARTED THE VEHICLE, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD BEGIN TO VIBRATE FOLLOWED BY THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATING. UPON DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THE POWER STEERING GOES COMPLETELY OUT AT ANYTIME. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SATURN AURA. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING AND THE POWER STEERING WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.
POWER STEERING INTERMITTENTLY GOES OUT WHILE DRIVING, ONLY WAY TO GET IT BACK IS TO RESTART THE CAR. HAPPENED 4 TIMES WITHIN 30 MINUTES WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY.
MY CAR PULLS TO THE LEFT DESPITE HAVING IT ALIGNED 3 TIMES AT 2 DIFFERENT SHOPS. THE POWER STEERING HAS FAILED COMPLETELY 3 TIMES WITHIN THE LAST 3000 MILES. FAILURE WAS NOTED AS POWER STEERING WHINE FOLLOWED BY A BLOWN HOSE OR SEAL AND LOSS OF ALL FLUID AND POWER STEERING ASSISTANCE. THERE IS A RECALL #14116 FOR MY MAKE MODEL AND YEAR WHICH MATCHES THE SYMPTOMS OF MY PROBLEMS BUT WHEN CONT…
The power steering fails intermittently while driving causing the vehicle to become extremely difficult to steer. This can happen at any speed and in any conditions.
Common questions
How serious is the steering problem on the 2009 Saturn Aura?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 209 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $700 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the steering typically fail?
Mileage data is limited for this issue. Owners report failures across a wide range, suggesting cause is more about driving conditions and maintenance than mileage alone.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $700 for steering repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to steering?
No active recalls currently cover steering issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Other problem areas on this vehicle
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities.
Repair cost estimates are independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area.
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