2005 SATURN RELAY Complaints

PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR CHIMED AND REOPENED WITHOUT BEING OBSTRUCTED. RELAY WAS ORIGINALLY PURCHASED IN 2005 AND PROBLEMS WITH DOORS BEGAN WITHIN ONE YEAR. INITIALLY REPAIR WAS DENIED AS DEALER "COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM." THE SENSORS HAVE BEEN SERVICED 3 TIMES BY DEALER, AND MOTORS WERE REPLACED ONCE WHILE VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY. THIS PROBLEM IS CONCERNING AS MANUFACTURER AND DEALERS ARE AWARE OF ISSUE, AND REPORTS ON SATURN FORUM AND EDMUNDS.COM HAVE NUMEROUS OWNERS EXPERIENCING FAILURE OF DOORS. DOORS HAVE OPENED WHILE CAR IS IN GEAR, BUT STOPPED. CONCERNED THAT DOORS WILL OPEN WHILE CAR IS MOVING AND CHILDREN WILL BE EJECTED OR INJURED BY DEBRIS ENTERING VEHICLE. *TR

ABS SYSTEM WARNING KEEPS LIGHTING UP. WENT TO DEALER AND THEY SAID SENSOR ARE BAD AND WILL $600 TO REPLACE. THERE ARE MULTIPLE REPORTS FROM THE SATURN FORUM REGARDING SAME FAILURES. THIS IS A HAZARD AND THERE NEEDS TO BE A BULLETIN FOR GM TO FIX IT FOR FREE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN RELAY. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE PASSENGER SIDE DOORS OPENED WITHOUT WARNING. THE DRIVER HAD TO STOP THE VEHICLE TO CLOSE THE DOORS; HOWEVER, THEY WOULD NOT CLOSE COMPLETELY AND CONTINUED TO PEN WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REINSPECTED BY A SATURN DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER ALSO STATED THAT SINCE THE MILEAGE WAS HIGH THEY WOULD NOT COMPENSATE THEM FOR ANY REPAIRS. THE IS AWARE OF THE SAFETY RISK SINCE HER CHILDREN COULD POSSIBLY BE EJECTED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

THERE ARE NO LATCH ANCHORS IN THE 3RD ROW OF ANY VEHICLE YOUR COMPANY OFFERS. AS A PARENT OF MULTIPLES AND AN ADDITIONAL CHILD GETTING THEM IN THE VEHICLE SAFELY IS A HUGE PRIORITY FOR ME. EVEN THOUGH THE SEATBELTS ARE SUPPOSED TO LOCK AND KEEP THE SEAT STABLE, THAT MEANS NOTHING WHEN YOU CAN NOT FIT THE NUMBER OF CARSEATS NEEDED IN THE VEHICLE PROPERLY DUE TO HAVING TO USE SEATBELTS IN PLACE OF THE LATCH. THERE IS ALSO ONLY 1 ANCHOR IN THE 3RD ROW FOR A CHILD SEAT, SHOULDN'T THERE BE ONE FOR EACH SEAT? *TR

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. I HAVE DRIVEN 49 YEARS AND THESE ARE THE ONLY TWO INCIDENTS WHEN I SUPPOSEDLY HAD MY FOOT ON THE GAS AND NOT THE BRAKE. IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKELY AT ALL TO ME. WELL THE FROSTING ON THE CAKE WAS THAT ABOUT TWO MONTHS LATER, I WENT OUT AND WAS GOING TO START MY CAR AND WHEN I TRIED TO PUT THE CAR IN GEAR THE SHIFTING LEVEL FELL OUT OF POSITION AND WAS ONLY HELD IN PLACE BY THE COVERING OVER IT. SATURN OF LAKELAND DID SAY THEY DIDN'T THINK I HAD DRIVEN THE CAR ROUGHLY BUT I DID REPAIR IT AT NY OWN COST. HOWEVER, THE LACK OF CONCERN BY SATURN OF LAKELAND, WHERE I HAD PURCHASED THIS CAR WAS LESS THAN PATHETIC. SO, EVEN THOUGH I LIKED THE CAR A LOT, I FELT IT WAS A SAFETY HAZARD TO BE DRIVING IT. I GAVE UP THE FIGHT IN HONOR OF MY OWN SAFETY AND BOUGHT ANOTHER CAR AT A MONETARY LOSS TO ME. SAFETY FIRST SATURN. *TR

2005 SATURN RELAY W/ ONLY 38,000 NEEDS LEFT FRONT HUB BEARING FOR WHEEL SPEED SENSOR REPLACED AT A COST OF ~$500. ABS & T/C ENGAGES DURING NORMAL BREAKING. OBVIOUSLY FAULTY PARTS THAT SHOULD WARRANT A RECALL BEFORE SOMETHING HAPPENS. *TR

MY WIFE PLACED OUR 2005 SATURN RELAY MINIVAN IN PARK, AND STEPPED OUT TO GET THE MAIL. THE VAN IMMEDIATELY STARTED BACKWARDS, WITH THE DOOR PUSHING HER DOWN. LUCKILY, AS IT PUSHED HER DOWN, SHE FELL TO THE INSIDE, AND WAS ABLE TO ACTIVATE THE PARKING BRAKE WITH HER HAND, STOPPING THE CAR. SHE DID RECEIVE A VERY MINOR KNEE INJURY, BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE. OUR TWO DAUGHTERS WERE BOTH IN THE CAR, WHICH WOULD HAVE ROLLED DOWN A HILL AND INTO A NEIGHBORS HOUSE, HAD SHE NOT STOPPED IT. MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS THAT SHE'D MADE A MISTAKE, BUT AFTER LOOKING AT THE SHIFTING MECHANISM, I CAN SEE HOW THIS HAPPENED. AS YOU KNOW, ON A STEERING MOUNTED SHIFTER (LIKE THIS) YOU PULL THE LEVER TOWARD YOU, MOVE IT TO THE APPROPRIATE GEAR, AND RELEASE IT, LOCKING THE MECHANISM IN THE NEWLY SELECTED GEAR. ON THIS VEHICLE, THERE IS A LARGE DEAD SPACE (FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD) BETWEEN REVERSE AND PARK. IT'S POSSIBLE TO RELEASE THE LEVER BEFORE THE SELECTOR IS FULLY IN THE PARK DETENT. WHEN YOU DO THIS, THERE IS NO OUTWARD INDICATION OF A PROBLEM, OTHER THAN AN UNUSUAL FEEL TO THE LEVER THAT'S EASY TO MISS IF YOU'RE IN A HURRY. ONCE YOU DO THIS, THE LEVER (AFTER A FEW SECONDS) WILL EITHER POP INTO PARK, OR INTO REVERSE. OBVIOUSLY, IF YOU'RE NO LONGER IN THE DRIVERS SEAT, THIS IS GOING TO BE A PROBLEM. I'VE CHECKED THIS ON OTHER SATURN RELAYS AND ON ONE CHEVROLET (SAME MODEL, DIFFERENT NAME) AND THEY ALL DID THIS. ALL OF THE ONES I CHECKED WERE 2005, SO I DO NOT KNOW ABOUT ANY OTHER YEAR MODELS. WE NOW ALWAYS SET THE PARKING BRAKE WHEN STOPPING, JUST IN CASE. THIS IS MORE A DESIGN DEFECT THAN A COMPONENT FAILURE, FROM WHAT I CAN SEE. *TR

1. CHIMING SOUND ALL THE TIME AS IF THE SLIDING DOORS ARE OPEN. DOOR OPENED ON ITS OWN WILLING DRIVING. THEY REPLACED THE MOTORS. 2. SAME PROBLEM AS ABOVE. REPLACED THE SENSORS 3. HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN RELAY. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE DOOR ALARM SOUNDS AND INDICATES THAT BOTH REAR PASSENGER DOORS ARE OPEN. THE CONTACT MUST PULL THE VEHICLE OVER AND CLOSE THE DOORS. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE ANY RECALLS; THEREFORE, SHE WOULD NEED TO PAY FOR A DIAGNOSTIC. THE CONTACT WILL TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 55,442. UPDATED 02/02/09.*LJ UPDATED 02/03/09. *JB

WE PURCHASE THE VAN MARCH 2006 AS THE FIRST OWNERS. THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM STARTED IN JUNE OF 2007 WHEN THE PASSENGER SIDE POWER SLIDING DOOR WOULD OPEN BACK UP WHEN CLOSING. WE TOOK THE VAN TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE DOOR JAM SWITCH. THE MILEAGE AT THE TIME WAS 11,584. FROM THAT TIME TO NOW DEC 2008, WITH 31,000 MILES, THE PROBLEM HAS CONTINUED AND ADDING IN THE DRIVER SIDE POWER SLIDING DOOR. THE PROBLEMS RANGED FROM DOORS CLOSING AND GETTING AN ALARM INDICATING THAT THE DOOR(S) WERE OPEN TO HAVING TO PLACE THE DOORS IN MANUAL IN ORDER TO CLOSE THEM AND STILL GETTING THE ALARM AS IF THE DOORS WERE OPEN. AFTER 15 VISITS TO THE DEALER AND ALL INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL PARTS REPLACED, THE PROBLEMS STILL COME BACK. THERE WERE TWO INSTANCES THAT WE FOUND, AFTER THE DOORS WERE REPAIRED, THEY WOULD NOT LOCK. THIS WAS FOUND BY ONE OF OUR CHILDREN OPENING THE DOOR BEFORE IT WAS UNLOCKED AND THE SECURITY SYSTEM SOUNDED. AFTER THE SECOND TIME, THE DEALER INFORMED US THAT IT WOULD NOT LOCK BECAUSE OF THE DOOR COMING OUT OF ALIGNMENT NOT ALLOWING IT TO ENGAGE. THIS MAKES ME WONDER IF THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE AND WE WERE NOT AWARE. ALSO THE FACT THAT IF IT DOES NOT LOCK, THEN IT COULD OPEN WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH SATURN CUSTOMER SERVICE NUMEROUS TIMES WITH OUR CONCERNS TO NO RESOLVE OF THE PROBLEMS. ALL THEY COULD DO IS OFFER MINIMAL COVERAGE THAT DOES NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEMS WITH THE DOORS AND I HAVE NO PEACE OF MIND WHILE TRAVELING IN THE VAN WITH MY FAMILY. I HAVE READ OF NUMEROUS OTHER 2005 SATURN RELAY OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS AS WE HAVE. I AM AFRAID THAT IT WILL TAKE A SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH BEFORE GENERAL MOTORS TAKES THIS PROBLEM SERIOUSLY. THEY OBVIOUSLY KNOW THERE IS A DEFECT/DESIGN PROBLEM DUE TO THE FACT THAT EVEN THE DEALER ACKNOWLEDGES CONTINUOUS REPAIRS TO THIS MODEL OF GM VAN AND A DESIGN CHANGE IN THE 2008 MODELS OF GM VANS WITH POWER SLIDING DOORS. *TR