What breaks most · 2005 to 2007 model years
Saturn Relay problems by year
Owners have filed 122 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Saturn Relay across model years 2005 to 2007. Three years stand out: 2005 for brakes (hydraulic) complaints, 2006 for powertrain and transmission complaints and 2007 for body and structure complaints.
- Years to check closely: 2005, 2006, 2007
- Complaints on file
- 1222005 to 2007, all trims
- Worst year
- 200591 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 41 fires · 3 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 42kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 6Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 91 | 2 | 3 | Brakes (hydraulic) (26) | |
| 19 | 2 | 2 | Powertrain and transmission (4) | |
| 12 | 0 | 1 | Body and structure (4) |
What fails on the 2005 Saturn Relay
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 29% |
26 | 1 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 2005 Saturn Relay |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 26% |
24 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2005 Saturn Relay |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 11% |
10 | 0 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2005 Saturn Relay |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 10% |
9 | 1 | Shop brakes parts for the 2005 Saturn Relay |
| Latches and locksDoor latches and actuators | 10% |
9 | 0 | Shop latches and locks parts for the 2005 Saturn Relay |
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 8% |
7 | 0 | Shop exterior lighting parts for the 2005 Saturn Relay |
| Brakes (electric)Brake sensors and controls | 5% |
5 | 0 | Shop brakes (electric) parts for the 2005 Saturn Relay |
| Traction Control System | 5% |
5 | 0 | — |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
ABS system warning light comes on intermittently. ABS system shuts down while light is on. Ebcm was replaced by GM dealer, but problem persists.
-
Starter sometimes engages, sometimes doesn't engage, sometimes stays engaged. Took to dealership few times and was finally told that's the way it is.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Saturn Relay years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2005, 2006, 2007 carry the most filings on the Saturn Relay. The 2005 alone has 91 complaints, led by brakes (hydraulic).
What is the most common Saturn Relay problem?
On the 2005 model year, the most-reported component is brakes (hydraulic) with 26 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Saturn Relay problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Saturn Relay complaints that include mileage is about 42,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.