I just helped my daughter buy a 2005 Saturn Ion, hoping it would be her first dependable car. It has 57,000 miles on it. It makes a slight noise in the front left when backing up, and I thought it might be the CV joint. It has a short warranty (60 days, 3,000 miles), so we took it to the dealer. They tell us it’s the power steering rack, but that it’s very common to Saturns, and shouldn’t present any future problems, other than a slight noise. They say they can fix it, but that we’re better off keeping the original equipment, since the replacement parts would be “after market” and not as good of quality as the (defective) rack that’s in the car now. Should I insist they repair it, or is the service department telling the truth?
It’s a no-brainer!
If this problem is actually because of the rack & pinion assembly, get it replaced under warranty. A defective OEM rack & pinion is better than a new aftermarket?
Think about it.
Tester
Insist on the repair. Moog offers reman racks and I would buy a Moog part over an OEM anyday.