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NHTSA vehicle safety data

2005 Saturn Relay Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

The 2005 Saturn Relay has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns and 91 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Saturn dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2005 Saturn Relay, plus NCAP crash-test ratings. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

Pre-purchase inspection checklist → Reliability & 5-year cost forecast →

2005 Saturn Relay owner complaints

Owners have filed 91 complaints with NHTSA about the 2005 Saturn Relay, describing incidents dated December 1, 2004 to July 5, 2018.

Most-cited components

  • Service Brakes 40 complaints
  • Electrical System 24 complaints
  • Structure 10 complaints
  • Latches/Locks/Linkages 9 complaints
  • Exterior Lighting 7 complaints
  • Fuel/Propulsion System 6 complaints

Of the 91 complaints on file, 2 report a crash and 1 a fire; across all 91 complaints, owners report 1 injury (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

  • ODI #11111967 · Filed

    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.

  • ODI #11048779 · Filed

    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.

  • ODI #10885096 · Filed

    TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN RELAY. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE SPEED SENSOR AND TRACTION CONTROL SENSOR LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND THE BRAKING DISTANCE INCREASED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRONIC BODY CONTROL…

Read all 91 complaints

Owner-reported

2005 Saturn Relay mileage at failure

79 of the 91 complaints on file for the 2005 Saturn Relay give the vehicle's mileage when the problem happened.

Mileage at failure by component, from owners' complaints to NHTSA
Service BrakesMedian 40,000 milesMiddle half 18,000–80,000 milesBased on 35 complaints

A component's median is its 50th percentile, and its middle half runs from its 25th to its 75th percentile.

Owners give the mileage themselves, often as a round number, and NHTSA doesn't check it. A complaint that names several components counts under each one, and mileages that can't be right, such as 999,999, or 50 miles on a five-year-old car, are left out.

These figures describe the complaints owners filed. They don't predict when a particular vehicle will have a problem, and vehicles that never had one aren't counted.

Mileage from NHTSA's complaints file of October 31, 2026. How these figures are worked out

NHTSA defect investigations

NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2005 Saturn Relay in 3 investigations. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.

Open and recently closed NHTSA defect investigations

STEERING KNUCKLE BREAKING/LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL

NHTSA #09E005000 · Steering · NHTSA notice

Reported February 17, 2009 · DORMAN PRODUCTS, INC.

Potentially affected: 979 vehicles

Owners notified February 23, 2009

Defect description

DORMAN IS RECALLING 979 STEERING KNUCKLES, DORMAN P/NOS. 697-902 AND 697-903, SOLD UNDER DORMAN'S "OE SOLUTIONS<SUP>TM</SUP>" BRAND NAME, AND NAPA P/NOS. 7-8502 AND 7-8503 WHICH WERE SOLD FOR REPLACEMENT USE ON THE VARIOUS VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. A POTENTIAL MATERIAL OR DESIGN DEFECT COULD RESULT IN THE STEERING KNUCKLE BREAKING IN THE HUB AREA.

Safety consequence

A BROKEN STEERING KNUCKLE COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL AND A POSSIBLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Manufacturer remedy

DORMAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE STEERING KNUCKLES FREE OF CHARGE AND REIMBURSE THE REPAIR FACILITY OR OWNER FOR LABOR. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 23, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DORMAN'S TOLL-FREE HOTLINE AT 1-800-523-2492 AND PRESS 5.

Notes

THIS RECALL ONLY PERTAINS TO AFTERMARKET DORMAN STEERING KNUCKLES AND HAS NO RELATION TO ANY ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT INSTALLED ON VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BY GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION.OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO <A HREF=HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV>HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV</A> .

PARKING BRAKE LEVER SLIP/FMVSS 135

NHTSA #05V287000 · Parking Brake · NHTSA notice

Reported June 20, 2005 · GENERAL MOTORS CORP.

Potentially affected: 14,600 vehicles

Manufacturer campaign 05059 · Owners notified November 14, 2005 · Vehicles built February 1, 2005 – April 30, 2005 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 135, 'PASSENGER CAR BRAKE SYSTEMS.' TO MEET THE STANDARD, THE VEHICLE MUST NOT MOVE FOR FIVE MINUTES WHEN STOPPED ON A STEEP HILL WITH THE PARKING BRAKE APPLIED AND THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL (N). SOME OF THESE VEHICLES FAILED THIS TEST.

Safety consequence

WHEN THE PARKING BRAKE IS RELEASED, THE DRIVER MAY NOTICE UNINTENDED BRAKING WHEN ACCELERATING, DECELERATING, OR COASTING, AND A NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. UNINTENDED VEHICLE MOVEMENT COULD OCCUR INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Manufacturer remedy

DEALERS WILL INSPECT FOR PARKING BRAKE LEVER SLIPPAGE AT EACH REAR BRAKE CALIPER AND REPLACE THE CALIPER IF LEVER SLIPPAGE IS IDENTIFIED. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 14, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668, OR SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876.

Notes

GM RECALL NO. 05059. CUSTOMERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV.

REAR SEAT LATCHES

NHTSA #05V061000 · Seats — Mid/Rear Assembly · NHTSA notice

Reported February 18, 2005 · GENERAL MOTORS CORP.

Potentially affected: 18,850 vehicles

Manufacturer campaign 05015 · Owners notified April 5, 2005 · Vehicles built June 1, 2004 – January 31, 2005 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

ON CERTAIN MINIVANS, THE OUTBOARD RELEASE HANDLE ON THE IMPACT-SIDE SECOND-ROW BUCKET SEAT MAY BE ACTUATED AND THE REAR LATCHES MAY UNLATCH EARLY IN A SIDE IMPACT CRASH. THIS WAS DISCOVERED IN A SIDE IMPACT TEST RUN BY GM, UNDER CONDITIONS SIMILAR TO NHTSA'S NEW CAR ASSESSMENT PROGRAM (NCAP) SIDE IMPACT TEST.

Safety consequence

IF THE REAR LATCHES OF THE SEAT RELEASE EARLY IN A SEVERE SIDE IMPACT, THE FRONT OUTBOARD LATCH MAY DISENGAGE AND INCREASE THE POTENTIAL FOR INJURY TO THE OCCUPANT OF THE SEAT.

Manufacturer remedy

DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE SEAT LATCH RELEASE HANDLE AND INSTALL A BLACK PLASTIC CAP OVER THE EXPOSED METAL STUD TO ELIMINATE THE SIDE IMPACT SAFETY CONCERN FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 5, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, AND PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668.

Notes

GM RECALL NO. 05015.CUSTOMERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV.

Other Saturn Relay model years

Check your 2005 Saturn Relay VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Saturn Relay at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

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