Most common 2006 Saturn Relay problems
Share of the 19 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Saturn Relay complaints by model year
Best Relay years: 2007, 2006. Years to avoid: 2005. Compare all years →
2006 Saturn Relay recalls (1)
Equipment › Other › Labels
Certain trucks and sport utility vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims." these vehicles were shipped with tire and loading information labels listing an inacccurate vehicle capacity weight.
Remedy: Owners will be provided with corrected labels and installation instructions. At the customer's option, a dealer can install the label for them. The recall began on March 31, 2006.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2006 Saturn Relay:
Power sliding door opening
Odi has received reports that the power sliding doors opened without command while the vehicle was in motion on model year 2005 and 2006 general motors minivans (Chevrolet uplander/venture, Pontiac montana sv6/montana, Buick terraza, and Saturn relay).some reports indicate that the door May not have been closed and latched before driving away causing the door to reverse (open) at low vehicle speeds.however, other…
Power sliding door
Odi evaluated general motors' (GM) data, conducted consumer interviews, inspected and tested my 2005-2007 GM minivans with regard to the alleged defect of a power sliding door (psd) opening while the vehicle is out of park.odi identified a high warranty claim rate.however, these claims are related to various problems associated with doors not properly opening or closing and not specifically to doors opening while…
What 2006 Saturn Relay owners say
Brakes
Service ABS and service traction control lights came on and have remained on for several days. Further messages continue flashing on the driver information center. This has been a recurring problem over the past year after ABS wheel sensors and the associated wiring were replaced. With the numerous complaints on the internet - I was thinking that surely a TSB or recall on these issues has been overlooked or simply ignored by the mechanics and service writers at the GM dealerships nationwide. I know that a tech ll scanner is required to check for any trouble codes for these very complex systems, but what is the known definitive fix for these potentially serious problems ? The lights and messages began appearing after moderate braking and while vehicle is/was in motion or stationary while turning or on a straight ahead stretch of roadway. …
I have a 2006 Saturn Relay. It was an executive driven car and was purchased with 400 miles on it and the warranty transferred over to me. The traction control on this vehicle is defective. When the traction control engaged it would knock out the stability control, traction control, and ABS system. Although I have breaks, they are manual breaks. At first Saturn said the system is working to factory specs until it happened to their vehicle. Then all of a sudden there was a problem with mine. I do not feel safe in the car because, I should not have to worry about what kind of breaking system I have when trying to engage my breaks. I do not want to cause harm to anyone or have any accident caused by this result in death. I do not want harm to me or my loved ones either. No one at Saturn or Saturn of greenfield senses the urgency of this situation. …
Transmission & drivetrain
Noted that driving lights flashed with wipers on delay setting. At next use, low oil pressure light & warning sounded but lights did not flash with delay wipers. Turning off engine and pulling hood latch & closing hood ended low pressure warning (oil pressure/ level were correct-false alarm). 2 days later, lights again flashed with wipers on delay but no oil pressure warning. Continued this back-and-forth (either oil warning or light flash with wiper use, but not concomitant) for 2 months, then low pressure warnings became constant, and the lights no longer flashed with the wipers at all.the low oil pressure warning can often be stopped by either turning off engine and carefully restarting or pulling hood latch and slamming hood. Shifting gears May also trigger the low pressure warning if it isn't already on.
After starting vehicle, with foot on brake, gear selection lever would not move from park and parking brake would not disengage as result. Shut down engine, restarted with same result. After several more attempts to move the shift lever, it finally released from park but had difficulty moving directly into reverse gear - it had to be "rowed" thru all gears to settle to reverse, and the transmission did not seem to engage in reverse initially. When it did engage reverse gear, the transmission "jumped," lurching the car (the parking brake had disengaged when gear selection lever finally moved from park). This is an intermittent problem, and seems to sometimes coincide with other drivetrain issue previously described.
Locks & latches
1) bought our Saturn Relay May 30, 2006 2) took it to the dealer it to the dealer because hood rattle, said it was nothing sent me home. 3) called about the low mileage the van was making, said it was OK 4) 1 month and 26 days car breacks down repairs are made on 6/26/06 -sending unit was replace -sensory kit was replace -hood not closing was corrected latch was replace -and hood bumper was fix -intermittent engine noise ( not fix) -steering wheel vibrates when making a sharp turn ( not fix) most important the middle seat that are both captain chairs do not have a arm rest so when the kids sit there and my mom they tend to loose there valance because there is nothing to hold them in place.--- they say that's the way they come and there is nothing to do about it.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Saturn Relay. The contact stated that both the driver and passenger side automatic sliding doors would not shut. When activated, the door would start to close but would not latch and then would reopen. The contact stated it takes a couple of hours and attempts before the door would close. The failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technicians were unable to duplicate the failure. The technicians performed adjustments to the door but the failure persisted. The vehicle was not further repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 53,000.
2006 Saturn Relay engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 16 / 23 / 19 |
| 3.9L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 16 / 23 / 19 |
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 15 / 21 / 17 |
EPA ratings. Class: Minivan.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2006 Saturn Relay a good car?
Based on 19 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2006 Relay rates better than average: 57% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Relay at the same age. It is one of the best Relay years by this measure. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2006 Saturn Relay?
The brakes — 4 complaints, 21% of all complaints for this model year, most often about foundation components › disc › rotor. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (4) and locks & latches (3).
How many recalls does the 2006 Saturn Relay have?
There is 1 recall for the 2006 Saturn Relay, the most recent from December 7, 2005 (labels). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Saturn Relay?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2007 and 2006. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2005. See the full Saturn Relay years comparison.
At what mileage do 2006 Saturn Relay problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 82,000 miles; 44% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.