Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
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).
On 1/12/15, while my 2005 Saturn Relay was parked in my garage, started on fire. Vehicle was not started or going at the time. Last drove the vehicle approximately one hour prior. It was determined that the ceiling component that has the buttons to open the back sliding doors, OnStar and garage opening, is what started the electrical fire, which burned a whole in my roof, burned the drivers side visor, which in turn burned the driver side seat and car seat behind the driver's door. GM determined it was not there problem because the vehicle was 10 years old and no other cases were on file. A very very very scary situation.
The first time I was parked and the van would not start. I was told it might be the fuel pump. I had the van tow to a service center. They said it was the fuel Relay. I paid to have the fuel Relay replaced. A few days later same thing happened again. The van would not start. This time we thought it was the battery or spark plugs. I paid to have a new battery, new spark plugs, spark plug cables. A few days later I was leaving from work and the van would not start again. I had it tow and they said it might be the fuel pump. They were going to replaced the fuel pump but then noticed the wires located on the passenger side of the van. The mechanic wiggled the wires and the van started. A few weeks later I was driving down the road doing about 50 and the van just lost power. It was as if it ran out of gas. I was able to safely pull over and had the van towed again. …
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
Driving around 10 MPH, car died. Took it to the shop and they said it was the ignition switch. Looked on GM website and there is a recall for this same problem, however not for the Relay. I believe there should be a recall for all saturns! I am very lucky I was not driving on the freeway when this incident occurred.
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.
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.
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. …
We purchased a Saturn Relay from Saturn of charleston huntington ,sept 05 , we were told it had a previous owner but they had brought it back because they didn't like the color , at Saturn you have 30 days or 1500 miles to do this . It had 665 miles on it . Almost like brand new right? Well the first week I had it had to go back in to have a part serviced in the dvd player .now I have had it 4 weeks and have had nothing but electronic trouble and Saturn says there is nothing wrong with it and I know there is , the speedometer goes up and down when I am doing about 20 MPH , and now the headlights and the dashboard are blinking from light to brighter as I drive at night time , they say they can only fix this problem if they can duplicate it . B ut since their service department closes before dark how can they do this , they had it one time for 3 days and said they couldn't fix it . …
I have a problem with the ABS/traction control light coming on and the braking system will not opererate properly. There has been a few times where the brakes will not stop the vehicle properly or have locked up a couple of times. We also had to replace the EGR valve do to a code 0414/0414. We also had to replace the PCM because the system locked up and deleted all the codes causing the engine to fail to start while tring to update the PCM to recognize the new EGR. I also have proplems with the lights flickering and dimming all the time. These problems exist every day and I feel the vehicle is getting unsafe to drive. I have contacted GM several times and took the vehicle to a local dealership to get the PCM replaced. They would not give me the old PCM but I have the original delphi EGR valve. …
NHTSA investigations
Electrical harness damage
The office of defects investigation opened this investigation on November 29, 2005, based on one consumer report to odi and a technical service bulletin issued by general motors.the bulletin, no. 1613174, issued on February 21, 2005, states in part, some customers May report a stall and/or no crank, no start condition after the wipers are used.analysis of the available data indicates that the problem experience…
Electrical complaints in other Relay years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2005 Saturn Relay?
NHTSA has 24 complaints about the electrical system of the 2005 Saturn Relay, 26% of the model year's 91 complaints. The component named most often is ignition (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Saturn Relay electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2005 Saturn Relay, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2005 Saturn Relay electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 86,000 miles, and 35% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to electrical system 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.