2005 SATURN RELAY Complaints

WITH A 1/4 OF A TANK OF GAS MY SATURN RELAY 2005 SHUT OFF ON A DECLINE CAUSING THE LOSS OF POWER BRAKES AND STEERING. THE MANUFACTURE SAID THE VEHICLE IS OPERATING AS DESIGNED! *NM

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. THEIR DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM ISN'T 100% ACCURATE. I FOUND ANOTHER DRIVER ONLINE WHO HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE SAME YEAR AND MODEL VAN. *AK

THERE IS A DEFINITE PROBLEM WITH EITHER THE ENGINE OR THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM ON THE 2005 SATURN RELAY. WE HAVE BEEN TO DEALERSHIPS AND COMPLAINED ABOUT THESE PROBLEMS, BUT THEY HAVE BRUSHED US OFF BY SAYING THAT IT COULD BE THE WEATHER, AND THEY DID NOT SEE ANY PROBLEM. THE CAR ACTUALLY GOES DOWN IN RPMS AND THE WHOLE DASHBOARD AND LIGHTS DIM WHEN IN IDLE. ALSO, THE IDLE IS VERY ROUGH. THIS SHOULD BE LOOKED AT SINCE AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ON SOME WEB SITES THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WITH THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE AND THEY ARE ALSO BEEN GIVEN MANY DIFFERENT ANSWERS. P PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS SINCE WE HAVE A ONE YEAR OLD AND I DO NOT WANT ANYTHING TO HAPPEN TO HER WHILE WE ARE USING THIS MINIVAN. THANK YOU. *AK

LIGHTS ON DASH AND EXTERIOR DIM AND FADE ERRATICALLY. RADIO DECIDES TO MUTE ITSELF IF CAR IS UNLOCKED AND TAIL GATE IS OPENED FIRST. THEY DON'T KNOW THE MILEAGE FOR OIL CHANGES. HAS A HESITATION FROM ROLLING START THAT MAKES THE WHEELS BREAK FREE AS IF A TURBO. SATURN DEALER CAN NOT "SEE" ANY OF THIS EVEN WHEN SHOWN. ALSO THEY SAY I MUST CONTACT SATURN TO FIND OUT HOW TO FIX. SATURN IS NOT RETURNING MY CALLS. *JB

HEADLIGHTS FLICKER EVEN AFTER 5 REPAIR ATTEMPTS. HEATER INTERMITTENTLY INOPERATIVE AFTER 5 REPAIR ATTEMPTS. POWER SLIDING DOORS DO NOT CLOSE PROPERLY AFTER 4 REPAIR ATTEMPTS. DIFFICULT STARTING AFTER 3 REPAIR ATTEMPTS. FUEL GAUGE ERRATIC BELOW QUARTER TANK. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATES THERE WAS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR LIGHTING. WHILE DRIVING, THE HEADLIGHTS AND THE DASHBOARD PANEL LIGHTS FLICKERED FROM BRIGHT TO DIM. ALSO, THE IDLE WAS VERY LOUD AND ROUGH. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR. THIS DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO ACCURATELY DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM, AND NO FURTHER REPAIRS WERE MADE. *AK UPDATED 12/27/2005. THE HORN SPRINGS WERE DEFORM WHICH RESULTED IN THE HORN BEING INOPERATIVE. THE SLIDING DOOR WOULD CHIME AS IF THE DOOR WAS NOT CLOSED. THE TECH ADJUSTED THE TOP MIDDLE AND BOTTOM LATCHES. THE BRAKES PULSATED WHEN BRAKING. THE TECHNICIAN HAD TO RESURFACE BOTH FRONT ROTORS. *NM

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 . WHAT AM I SUPPOSE TO DO I HAVE 3 KIDS AND I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS VAN FOR FEAR OF IT CATCHING FIRE, THANKS. *NM

PURCHASED 2005 SATURN RELAY TO GET BETTER GAS MILEAGE THAN PREVIOUSLY OWNED YUKON @ 11 MPG, AFTER IN DEPTH DISCUSSION WITH LAFAYETTE LA. SATURN DEALERSHIP SALESMAN ABOUT THE REASON FOR NEW CAR PURCHASE. ASKED IF THE STICKER INFO OF 18 MPG (WITH A STATED RANGE OF 15-21) CITY WAS RELIABLE. I WAS ADAMANTLY ASSURED THAT IT WAS. AFTER FIRST 22 GALLONS USED, YIELDED APP. 12.6 MPG- THIS VEHICLE HAD APP. 2600 MILES AT TIME OF PURCHASE. I ASKED FOR ANOTHER RELAY AFTER APP. 2 WKS AND FIRST TANK OF GAS, (20 GALLONS) YIELDED 11.9 MPG. SATURN TESTED THE VEHICLE BY DRIVING 20 MILES IN TRAFFIC AND FILLED TANK AGAIN X 2 AND GOT APP 16-17 MPG. I STATED THAT THIS TESTING DID NOT REPLICATE USING ALMOST AN ENTIRE TANK OF GAS. THEY RECORDED MY GAS MILEAGE AFTER THE NEXT FILL UP, I DROVE A FEW DAYS IN THE CITY GOING APP 163 MILES AND USED 13.798 GALLONS, YIELDING 11.8 MPG. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP RECOMMENDED I TAKE THE PROBLEM TO THE SATURN CORPORATION CUSTOMER SERVICE. SATURN CUSTOMER SERVICE ASSURED ME THAT THE DOCUMENTATION OF MY COMPLAINT WOULD BE PASSED ON THE APPROPRIATE PARTIES BUT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE FOR ME.

HEADLIGHTS, DASH LIGHTS AND INTERIOR LIGHTS GO DIM/BRIGHT/DIM/BRIGHT ETC. AT NIGHT WHEN ACCELERATION WITH FOOT OR WITH USE OF CRUSE CONTROL. NOTIFIED SATURN AND ALSO DEALER. THEY BOTH SAID THIS IS A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE RELAY. DEALER ALSO SAID THEY HAD THE SAME PROIBLEM WITH THE L SERIES. SATURN NOR DEALER HAVE ATTEMPTED TO TALK DIRECTLY TO ME OR FIX IT DESPITE E-MAILS, LETTERS, PHONE CALLS. I WORRY THAT AN 18 WHEELER MIGHT THINK I AM FLASHING HIM THAT IT IS OK TO PULL OVER TO THE RIGHT. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND THE NEW 05 SATURN RELAY SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN RELEASED FOR SALE TO THE PUBLIC IF THEY HAD THE SAME PROBLEM LAST YEAR WITH THE L SERIES. CHECK "MYCARSTATS.COM" FOR SAME COMPLAINTS ON THE L SERIES.