2005 Saturn Relay consumer reviews

I purchased this car used with 73,000 miles on it. For the first year it was the best purchase I ever made! That changed once I got past that 20,000 mile mark I had to replace the alternator, the rubber trim fell off around both back sliding doors. I had to remove some of the fuses because the interior lights would randomly come on ( when car was turned off and nobody operating it) so the battery would go dead of course! I replaced the transmission, water pump, fuel injectors, rail and harness and the abs light stays on even though several mechanics say there’s nothing wrong with the brake system! The van seems possessed if you ask me and I would not be able to recommend this vehicle to any family with a clear conscience! I have taken very good care of the vehicle with oil changes, tune ups etc… It’s also had problems with the neck of the muffler detaching from the body of the van. Had that replaced, back wiper doesn’t work, back door won’t open plus more minor problems too many to list. Power locks sometimes don’t respond sometimes they do. Please DO NOT purchase!! Worst car I have ever owned!!

I absolutely love my Saturn relay I have had to replace many parts myself due to a previous owner not taking care of it probably but it has more power than I've seen any van or SUV have going up a hill I will pass every car I love the power of this car has

I love my car and every thing about it. It has everything I want and need except more power. I Bought it right of the showroom floor.

would like to get into simple things like comfort or appearance, but, mechanically, this vehicle is a shameful example of why GM had to take billions in taxpayer bailout. Bought this car with 18 k, now has 73k. Headlights and all other lights constantly flicker making you feel as if the headlights are going to go out on you, and oncoming traffic thinks I'm asking for their dims. Wheel hubs in front went out at about 30k and are at this time needing replaced again. The rears are so noisy now at 73k that you can barely hear the radio. The rear wiper motor has been replaced twice and is now again intermittent again and needing attention. And worst of all, the reason we went with the Saturn was for the all wheel drive which has never worked. I was completely stopped with the front driver side wheel on a patch of ice in my driveway, flat level ground. the vehicle would not move , drive wheel just sat and spun round and round until some big boys pushed us a foot off the icy patch. Absolutely pathetic. Will never even consider anything produced by GM ever again. Thia vehicle also struggles on hills, extremely under powered which also causes terrible gas mileage , in the range of 15 mpg highway, a little better if driving on level roads.

Only had the Relay a month now, but am very happy with it inside and out. Would give 5 stars all the way around, but do not know much about performance, other than it performs well enough for a family driver, and we have only had the car a month so can't say how reliable it is at this point.

I would recommend buying the Kia Sedona (even though they are not reliable) before this piece of junk! I have to admit when we bought this vehicle we had in mind the quality and reliability that Saturn has provided us thoughout the years. We were wrong. so far I have put on 90,00 miles and the following problems we have occured: lights flickering and RPM is not constant at idle (Saturn IS aware of this problem and has not addressed it) rear wiper boke at 38,000 (still looking for a new motor), gas lift support (for liftgate) broke, turn signal lights went out, interior noise on highway, trim (yes trim) fell off, rear quarter panel fell off while driving, rotors and cv joints shot at 37,000 miles. DVD player occasionally works, center consule broke after placing a full soda can in it, I have more items to address but not enough time in the email. We have documented this with SATURN but we are told that each item was designed to MANUFACTURER SPECIFICATIONS. Now we bought this vehicle with 81 miles on it NEW. No one at Saturn wanted to help us after the warranty went past 36,000 miles so PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, do not buy this vehicle (or its counterparts). Spend the money and buy a Toyota, Chrysler, Hyundai or Honda Minivan. DO NOT BUY THIS MINIVAN. Look if you don't believe me ask why did they stop making them (they knew these problems exist). Also look on the web of similar stories that we experienced. Please stay away!!

This is the 3rd Saturn I have owned and by far the best one. The features DVD player are worth every penny and I do like the dual a/c system in it. Since I take grandkids on trips it is a extreme luxury to have them entertained with the DVD. At the present it has 49,285 miles on it and no problems with it mechanically. Just keep it in prper repair and all should be ok.

I have owned the car for 20 months and it has been in the shop A LOT!! Three major problems that I have experienced include a faulty transmission, a faulty sliding door on the driver's side and a mysterious shimmy on the right front end. The transmission slips and has been in the shop more than 6 times for this problem--the dealer's response is "no problem found". Then I drive the car and a passenger will invariably remark about the transmission making noise and slipping. The sliding door on the driver's side has never shut correctly. In speaking with someone who has dealt with the lemon laws and this vehicle, she immediately asked, before I could tell her what I believed the problems to be, if the door was a problem. Further she told me this is not repairable. One of the service advisors at the dealership told me that only women had trouble with this door! Finally, I have had a shimmy in my right front tire beginning at about 1500 miles. I have had everything done including replacing the brakes twice, replacing the tires, having the tie rods replaced and still the car bounces in the front ride side. It was very SCARY to have a service tech at Saturn tell me, " That could be a problem, it's your main drive tire". I have owned four Saturns and this is the first time I have been unhappy with one of their cars. I understand that many of the Relays have been bought back by Saturn because of the problems.

We are approaching 2 years with our Van. Happens to be our 5th Saturn, so servicing is an enjoyable social occasion. Thats a good thing because every oil change is accompanied by a small repair under warranty. Most repairs have been of the cosmetic variety, ripping seat stitching, exterior cladding coming loose. Some mechanical, front sway bars came loose and were grinding. Bad alternator cause dimming head lights and dash lights. Some unresolved, Don't park this van pionting down a slope with less than 1/4 of a tank of gas... Fuel pump will not be able to pick up gas, leaving you stranded if there is someone parked in front of you. Preventing you from rolling to a level surface where it will start. So it's sub par in quality, wasn't really expecting that. What we were expecting has been a decent long haul cruiser with decent mileage. Again it doesn't really deliver. Adequate we'll call it. The 3.5L V6 is ok for power unless your loaded on a mountain road. MPG is low 20's on the highway, certainly not stellar. The biggest design flaw is having a 3rd row that DOESN'T fold into the floor. Missing the well in the floor of the cargo area really limits the amount of luggage you can carry compared to it's competitors. Probably 20% less! So has all these short comings left me bitter. No. It still keeps running every day, it does everything we ask it to. Just not with the polish of it's competitors. It's saving grace for us was it's price, good incentives, 0% financing for 5 years and a dealer that probably barely broke even on our trade in made this van a good deal. Because of that we can look past its deficiencies (sp?). Why I would recommend this van still is because it has horrible resale, so it's a good used deal. If someone buys new, hopefully all the bugs are worked out by now.

This vehicle has good room for a family of four and you can't beat the Saturn customer service and service. For an american vehicle it comes with more standard features such as DVD system which is great for kids and is affordable, unlike the Toyota and Honda base vans. The vehicle is reasonably quiet, takes bumps nice and fuel economy averages 21.6 miles combined which is not bad considering size of van. The van has a nice clean interior, easy to use controls, 17 inch tires for stable ride, numerous cupholders, suggest getting van with rear air , automated rear side vent windows, roof rack and storage bins in trunk as the seats lay flat. This vehicle came with all of these features for $25000. The van has an old style engine 3.5 l v6 but it is reliable and GM transmissions will go long time with no problems. This vehicle is worth looking into, my family loves it, epsecially the children. We have had a few minor issues, flicking lights which was repaired with more powerful alternator. If your on a budget, check out the Relay!!