Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Saturn Relay owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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 module was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Also, the sliding door chime activated even though both sliding doors were closed. Also, the steering wheel suddenly became very difficult to turn. The cause of the failures were not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was invalid. The failure mileage was 90,000. Updated 09/08/16
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Saturn Relay. The contact stated that while reversing from a driveway, the brakes failed with the illumination of the ABS warning lights. As a result, the contact crashed into a mailbox from the driver's side. The contact did not sustain any injuries. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis where it was advised that the driver's side wheel hub needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the brake failure persisted. The manufacturer was not notified. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Saturn Relay. While driving approximately 40 MPH, the ABS warning light illuminated intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the ABS hub sensor was replaced. In addition, the brakes pulsated when the brake pedal was depressed. The failure recurred after the repair was performed and the computerized system was updated. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 184,000.
Repeated problems with ABS & t/c warning lights, brakes seized up was unable to move van had it towed to a shop, t/c engages without any adverse weather or road conditions. I have spent over $2000 trying to repair the problems. Brake pads wear down quickly, replace brake pads twice a year since having the vehicle.
I had a 2005 Saturn. I loved everything about it. I would have rated it as the most liked car of my life. However, the steering or brakes failed and actually caused my car to accelerate. I was in a church parking lot, getting ready to park my vehicle and when I applied the brakes, the car accelerated and I was headed for a tree,when I ran over a piece of playground equipment that stopped my wild ride. When I took it to Saturn of lakeland, they said nothing had shown up on a computer but they did test drive it and could find nothing. They told me that I must have had my foot on the gas instead of the brake. I had a similar incident, must less dramatic before that when I was pulling in to park. Both times I was making a left turn. That time I was almost stopped but did run into the curb. …
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. …
I bought a used 2005 Saturn Relay 3 in January 2010. I have 2 major issues going on: power sliding doors will not recognize that they are closed and will continue to ding as if I was driving with them open...on a few occasions I have heard the power door motor start on its own as if it was trying to open the doors while I am driving! Second issue is ABS/traction control lights have been coming on sporadically since I purchased it. Of course, no one can find the problem because they can't replicate it. It doesn't matter the driving conditions, driving time, weather or anything else. Both have happened at various speeds. Currently the lights are staying on more than off and yesterday while driving, the warning lights were off until I stepped on the brakes, felt and heard a clunking sound, the brake petal gave way some, and the service ABS/no traction control lights came back on again. …
The traction control system engaged while driving at freeway speed on state highway 153 in chattanooga, tn, causing the vehicle to veer right out of the lane. The system immediately shut off and a "service traction control system/ABS system/stability system" warning appeared in the dash readout. After turning off the vehicle, the warning went away. Then a week later the same thing happened on a city street at low speed, and again the warning appeared, and again, it disappeared. I've contacted Saturn who stated the fault was in the electronic brake control module (ebcm) and it would have to be replaced at a cost of over $1,000. I have been in contact with other Relay owners who have experienced the same occurrence. This is obviously a safety related issue that can cause loss of control of the vehicle and result in death or serious injury. …
There have been several occasions where ABS brakes and traction control needed to be activated. Whenever they activated they failed. They will activate for about 1 second and then shut down with warning coming on the display and saying to service the ABS brakes and the traction control. Also, the icons on the dashboard come on, indicating the ABS and traction control are shut down. Until recently there wasn't a major problem , but on 1/23/2006 when brakes shut down van almost ended up in a river with 2 year old child in the van with me. According to my repair receipt the following was done. Customer states when hitting bump, traction control shuts off and ABS activates, technical service bulletin 0108450050 stated checked female terminals and none were loose. Packed connector with grease and drove vehicle 10 miles. Could not duplicate. …
We purchased our 2005 Saturn Relay 2 in nov. 2007 with 24,000 miles. At around 34,000 miles our service ABS system light started coming on. I took it in to the Saturn dealership and they replaced the sensor in the wheel. I picked it up and within 5 minutes into my drive home the service ABS system light appeared again. I called the dealership and scheduled another appointment. This time they said the ebd sensor was dirty and cleaned it. After that the light would intermittently come on. I was reluctant to take it to the dealer since my warranty had expired a couple thousand miles after the dealership had tried to fix it. The light coming on has been more and more frequent and on May 19, 2010 with approx. 55,000 miles the ABS light came on accompanied by a chime and shortly after the brake light. The brakes began pulsating and the steering wheel shook while coming to an abrupt stop. …
Related recalls
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).
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.
Brake complaints in other Relay years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2005 Saturn Relay?
NHTSA has 41 complaints about the brakes of the 2005 Saturn Relay, 45% of the model year's 91 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (6 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Saturn Relay brake problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 05V-287 (parking brake, Jun 20, 2005). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2005 Saturn Relay brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 42,000 miles, and 33% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to brakes problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.