2005 SATURN RELAY Complaints

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. GIVEN THAT THE FAULT IS SEEN IN OTHER CARS OF THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL, I FEEL A MANDATORY RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED TO FIX THE PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE IS INJURED OR KILLED IN A CRASH. *JB

I HAVE A 2005 SATURN RELAY. THREE WEEKS AGO, THE "SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM" WARNING MESSAGE AND LIGHT AND THE "SERVICE ABS SYSTEM" WARNING MESSAGE AND LIGHT STARTED COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY (BUT BOTH ALWAYS AT THE SAME TIME). IF I CUT OFF THE IGNITION AND RESTARTED THE CAR, THE MESSAGES AND LIGHTS WOULD GO AWAY UNTIL I STARTED THE CAR THE NEXT DAY. IN A ONE-WEEK PERIOD, THESE WARNINGS AND LIGHTS CAME ON THREE TO FOUR TIMES. THE DEALERSHIP WARNED ME THAT WHEN THE WARNING LIGHTS WERE ON, MY CAR DID NOT HAVE ABS OR TRACTION CONTROL. SO I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND, BASED ON A COMPUTER DIAGNOSTIC, PAID $460 TO REPLACE THE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL HUB AND SENSOR. THREE DAYS LATER, THE WARNINGS AND LIGHTS CAME ON AGAIN. THIS TIME, THEY STAYED ON EVEN AFTER TURNING OFF THE IGNITION, REMOVING THE KEY AND LETTING IT SIT FOR A MINUTE. THE LIGHTS HAVE COME ON EVERY TIME I HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR SINCE. I HAVE YET ANOTHER SERVICE APPT. ON SEPT. 11. EVEN THOUGH TRACTION CONTROL AND THE ABS SYSTEM DO NOT AFFECT BRAKING AND VEHICLE CONTROL DURING NORMAL DRIVING SITUATIONS, THEY ARE PART OF A SAFETY SYSTEM--A SYSTEM FOR WHICH I AM RECEIVING A DISCOUNT ON MY INSURANCE. I HAVE ALSO LOCATED AT LEAST TEN OTHER 2005 RELAY OWNERS THROUGH ONLINE DISCUSSION BOARDS THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. MANY HAVE SAID THE PROBLEM IS A FAULTY EBCM MODULE. I WILL FIND OUT NEXT TUESDAY WHEN I TAKE MY CAR BACK INTO THE DEALER FOR THE THIRD TIME IF THIS IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD REPLACE. HOWEVER, I FEEL THE PROBLEM IS SERIOUS ENOUGH AND WIDESPREAD ENOUGH TO WARRANT A RECALL. PLEASE, PLEASE CHECK INTO THIS PROBLEM WITH THE 2005 SATURN RELAYS. EVEN IF THE PROBLEM HAS NOT LED TO A PERSONAL INJURY OR ACCIDENT, THE PROBLEM IS RELATED TO A SAFETY FEATURE THAT ALL DRIVERS DEPEND UPON. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN RELAY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN WHEN SHE PULLS THE HANDLE. THE LOCKING MECHANISM IS NOT RELEASING. SHE STATED THAT THE DOOR HAS PREVIOUSLY BEEN REPAIRED TWO TIMES FOR MOTOR FAILURE. THE FAILURE BEGAN INTERMITTENTLY TWO WEEKS AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED, BUT IS NOW OCCURRING MORE FREQUENTLY. SHE HAS TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER ON THREE OCCASIONS AND THEY FOUND NO FAILURE WITH THE DOOR. THE CONTACT MADE THREE RECORDINGS OF THE DOOR NOT OPENING. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 47,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,854.

BRAKE ROTORS HAVE WARPED 2 TWICE IN THE LAST 2 YEARS. SATURN OF BEAVERTON HAS RESURFACED THE ROTORS THE FIRST TIME AND HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKES (FALL 2006). THE 2ND TIME THEY ARE GOING TO RESURFACE AGAIN AS FAR AS PARTS I DO NOT KNOW AT THIS TIME. WAITING FOR SATURN TO SCHEDULE SERVICE. (JULY 2007)*JB

RIGHT DOOR POPPED OPEN WHEN IT WANTED TOO. AIR CONDITIONER (A/C )DID NOT PROPERLY COOL, SEVERE VIBRATION IN FRONT DRIVETRAIN. 09/01/05 CLEANED CONTACTS, 10/8/05 MOTOR AND CLUTCH ASSEMBLY FOR DOOR, 02/27/06 DOOR CONTACTS AND CABLE, 04/19/06 RETURNED TO DEALER, 07/18/06 REPLACED CONTACTS, 0 AND ON 8/16/06 RETURNED TO DEALER. DOORS WERE INOPERATIVE. THIS WAS WHAT THEY GAVE US FOR COPIES OF OUR RECORDS THEY NOW HAVE OUR RECORDS FROZEN SO WE COULD NOT VIEW THE HISTORY, DOORS WERE INOPERATIV AT THIS TIME. *AK

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN RELAY. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 5-45 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A BEEPING NOISE. THE NOISE INDICATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR WAS OPEN, HOWEVER, THE DOOR WAS CLOSED. SHE HAD TO OPEN AND CLOSE THE DOOR FOR THE BEEPING NOISE TO STOP. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY CLEANED THE DOOR PINS. APPROXIMATELY A YEAR AND A HALF LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY CHANGED THE HARD SIDE TRIM. APPROXIMATELY SIX MONTHS LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED FOR THE THIRD TIME. THE DEALER HAS NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 12,500 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN RELAY. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD AN UNFAMILIAR NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE SWAY BAR HAD FAILED AND THE ROTORS WERE PUNCTURING THE TIRES. THE DEALER REPLACED THE BAR AND ROTORS, HOWEVER THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE DEALER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 39,170 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,318.

ROTORS ARE WARPING EVERY 10,000 MILES OR LESS, TRUCK VIBRATES WHEN BRAKING, ROTORS WERE REPAIRED OR REPLACED 4 TIMES .I AM WORRIED ABOUT AN UNDERLYING PROBLEM THAT COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT.*AK

SATURN 2005 RELAY MAKES A LOUD GROANING NOISE WHEN TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT. THE NOISE CAN GET LOUD ENOUGH TO VIBRATE THE CAR AND MY INFANTS CAR SEAT. IT SCARES ME TO DRIVE A VEHICLE THAT VIBRATES MY BABY'S CAR SEAT. SATURN HAS TRIED TO FIX THE PROBLEM 6 TIMES. AFTER EACH ATTEMPT THEY TELL ME IT SHOULD BE SAFE TO DRIVE. THEY HAVE REPLACED THE STEERING COLUMN, GEAR, WHEEL BEARINGS, AXLE. PROBLEM IS STILL THERE THEY ARE NOW RE-REPLACING THE GEAR. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS FACING DOWN HILL MOVING OR PARKED, WITH 1/4 OF A TANK OF GAS OR LESS, THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATOR NEEDLE WOULD MOVE TOWARD EMPTY AND FUEL WOULD NOT FLOW TO THE ENGINE CAUSING A PROBLEM STARTING THE VEHICLE. ALSO, THIS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL WHILE THE VEHICLE MOVED DOWN HILL. THE SALES/SERVICE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED, AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED BY BOTH THE SERVICE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER, THAT THE DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE REQUIRED AT LEAST A HALF FULL TANK OF FUEL TO PREVENT ENGINE FAILURE. UPDATED 1/19/2007 - *NM