Problems · NHTSA complaints

2005 Saturn Relay problems

Owners filed 91 complaints about the 2005 Saturn Relay with NHTSA between Mar 2005 and Jul 2018. The most-cited component is service brakes, hydraulic (26).

Complaints
91
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
2
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Service brakes, hydraulic26
  2. Electrical system24
  3. Structure10
  4. Service brakes9
  5. Latches/locks/linkages9
  6. Exterior lighting7
  7. Traction control system5
  8. Service brakes, electric5
  9. Electronic stability control (esc)4
  10. Fuel system, gasoline4
  11. Suspension4
  12. Power train4
  13. Steering3
  14. Tires3

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20055
200615
200712
20089
200912
20108
20116
20124
20133
20147
20157
20161
20171
20181

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Service brakes, hydraulic

26 reports1 crash
“12/19/2011 WIFE WAS DRIVING CAR ON 4 LANE HIGHWAY WHEN BRAKES ENGAGED FOR NO REASON. FOOT WAS NOT EVEN ON THE PEDAL. VAN LURCHED, TIRES SQUEALED, DRASTICALLY REDUCED SPEED DOWN TO 20 MPH, AND CAR PULLED TO THE RIGHT. SHE PULLED OFF ONTO SHOULDER OF ROAD. T/C LIGHT CAME ON. VAN DROVE NORMALLY AFTER THAT UNTIL 1/5/12 WHEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN. THIS TIME IT HAPPENED AT A LOWER SPEED, WHILE SLOWING TO TURN LEFT THROUGH AN INTERSECTION. MADE CAR SKID AND SHE ALMOST MISSED THE TURN. IT HAPPENED AGAIN ON 1/6/11 WHILE TURNING INTO A PARKING LOT. SAME SYMPTOMS, THIS TIME CAR PULLED TO LEFT. I INSPECTED VEHICLE TO FIND THAT RIGHT REAR BRAKE CALIPER WAS LEAKING BRAKE FLUID. THOUGHT THAT WOULD SOLVE PROBLEM, HOWEVER, IT WAS AN UNRELATED ISSUE. HAPPENED 5 TIMES ON 1/10/11, ONCE AGAIN ON 1/11/11 AT 60 MPH, AND ON 1/12/11 AT A LOWER SPEED. DIAGNOSIS BY A GM CERTIFIED MECHANIC DETERMINED THE PROBLEM TO BE THE EBCM. CURRENTLY THE FUSE HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE ABS AND ABS PUMP TO PREVENT THIS VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. SWITCH IN CAR TO DEACTIVATE TRACTION CONTROL WAS NOT STOPPING IT FROM MALFUNCTIONING. MY WIFE AND KIDS USE THIS CAR, AND I WAS VERY WORRIED…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 13, 2012Service brakes, hydraulic, Electrical system, Electronic stability control (esc)ODI 10443718

Electrical system

24 reports1 fire
“EXACT SAME ISSUE AS DESCRIBED IN APRIL 2014 GM RECALL 14063. SUDDEN LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER WHILE DRIVING CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SHUT OFF. UNPREDICTABLE VERY DANGEROUS. SEEMS TO BE THE IGNITION SWITCH. OTHER SATURNS ARE LISTED IN THE 2014 RECALL BUT MINE IS NOT. IT SHOULD BE LISTED.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 17, 2018Electrical systemODI 11111967

Structure

10 reports
“ELECTRIC SLIDING DOOR WILL OPEN BY ITSELF ON MY 2005 SATURN RELAY. HAVE TO DISABLE DOOR TO BE SURE IT DOES NOT OPEN WHILE DRIVING, BUT WILL ENABLE ITSELF AND START OPENING BY ITSELF AGAIN. AS SATURN IS OUT OF BUSINESS, DO NOT KNOW WHERE TO TURN. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 15, 2010StructureODI 10370728

Service brakes

9 reports1 crash
“THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT AND TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM (TCS) WARNING LIGHT CONTINUE TO LIGHT UP AND STAYS ON I HAVE SEEN SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON VARIOUS CHAT SESSIONS.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 27, 2017Unknown or other, Service brakesODI 11048779

Latches/locks/linkages

9 reports
“PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR CHIMED AND REOPENED WITHOUT BEING OBSTRUCTED. RELAY WAS ORIGINALLY PURCHASED IN 2005 AND PROBLEMS WITH DOORS BEGAN WITHIN ONE YEAR. INITIALLY REPAIR WAS DENIED AS DEALER "COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM." THE SENSORS HAVE BEEN SERVICED 3 TIMES BY DEALER, AND MOTORS WERE REPLACED ONCE WHILE VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY. THIS PROBLEM IS CONCERNING AS MANUFACTURER AND DEALERS ARE AWARE OF ISSUE, AND REPORTS ON SATURN FORUM AND EDMUNDS.COM HAVE NUMEROUS OWNERS EXPERIENCING FAILURE OF DOORS. DOORS HAVE OPENED WHILE CAR IS IN GEAR, BUT STOPPED. CONCERNED THAT DOORS WILL OPEN WHILE CAR IS MOVING AND CHILDREN WILL BE EJECTED OR INJURED BY DEBRIS ENTERING VEHICLE. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 27, 2009Latches/locks/linkagesODI 10281963

Exterior lighting

7 reports
“WHEN I DRIVE AT NIGHT I HAVE TO TURN MY HEADLIGHTS OFF TO USE MY TURN SIGNALS. I HAVE NOTICED THAT THE TURN SIGNAL ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE 2005 SATURN RELAY WILL NOT WORK UNLESS THE HEADLIGHTS ARE TURNED OFF. I HAVE NOT HAD ANY ACCIDENTS...YET. THIS IS A REAL SAFETY ISSUE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 22, 2015Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Visibility/wiperODI 10758510
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.