Your vehicle report

2005 Saturn Relay

The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.

NHTSA data through October 2026View original NHTSA data Change vehicle

Your vehicle at a glance

Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.

Owner complaints
91
Received Mar 2005 to Jul 2018
Official recalls listed
2
Naming this model year; check your VIN for applicability
BrakeNews flagged problems
0
Statistical signals, not official defect findings or recalls

Owner reports

Most reported problems

  1. 1
    Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up26 complaints · 29% of this vehicle’s complaints
  2. 2
    Rear door latch fails to open or close15 complaints · 16% of this vehicle’s complaints
  3. 3
    Headlights dim or fail at night4 complaints · 4.4% of this vehicle’s complaints
See all reported problems

Official NHTSA records

Recalls to check

  • Recall #05V287000Certain 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.
  • Recall #05V061000On 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.
View recall details

BrakeNews signals

Flagged complaint patterns

Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.

No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.

How flags are identified

Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 2 crashes, 1 fire, 1 person injured, 0 deaths.

Explore by system

Where do owners report problems?

Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.

Schematic car with five system shortcutsGeneric side view, with the front on the left. Numbered links explore engine, brakes, steering, electrical, and body complaints. Text controls below provide the same choices.12345FRONTSCHEMATIC VIEW

Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.

View selected problems

Showing all 6 listed problems by system.

Engine & powertrain

Brakes

Electrical & lights

Airbags, belts & seats

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Steering, suspension & tires

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Body, doors & glass

Driver assistance

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Other

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Complaint history

When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.

Complaints received about the 2005 Saturn Relay
15
Show as a table
YearComplaints
20055
200615
200712
20089
200912
20108
20116
20124
20133
20147
20157
20161
20171
20181
20190
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 (to Oct 2026)0
Total91

Problems owners report

Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.

ProblemComplaintsShareShare ratioStatus
Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up2629%–
Rear door latch fails to open or close1516%–
Headlights dim or fail at night44.4%–
Unintended acceleration despite braking44.4%–
Ignition key sticks or will not turn33.3%–
Fuel gauge reads erratically or incorrectly33.3%–

AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.

Recalls

  • NHTSA recall #05V287000June 20, 200514,600 vehicles affected

    parking brake

    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.

    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.

    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.

  • NHTSA recall #05V061000February 18, 200518,850 vehicles affected

    seats: mid/rear assembly

    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.

    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.

    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.

About this data

NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2005 Saturn Relay.

Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.

Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN