U.S. public vehicle records

2006 Saturn RELAY problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

19 owner complaints analyzed

1 distinct recall campaigns

67,500 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2006 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 18 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Power Train is the most frequently named component, appearing in 4 of 19 complaints (21.1%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	5	26.3%
Transmission and shifting	3	15.8%
Steering behavior	2	10.5%
Engine operation	1	5.3%
Electrical and battery issues	1	5.3%
Fuel system concerns	1	5.3%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Power Train

Air Bags

Electrical System

Electronic Stability Control (Esc)

Fuel System, Gasoline

Latches/Locks/Linkages

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Steering

Power Train: 4; Air Bags: 2; Electrical System: 2; Electronic Stability Control (Esc): 2; Fuel System, Gasoline: 2; Latches/Locks/Linkages: 2; Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 2; Steering: 2

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 5; 25,000 to 49,999: 3; 50,000 to 74,999: 1; 75,000 to 99,999: 2; 100,000 to 149,999: 7; 150,000 and above: 0

100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (7). 1 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2013

2014

2017

2006: 4; 2007: 2; 2008: 3; 2009: 1; 2010: 1; 2011: 2; 2013: 1; 2014: 4; 2017: 1

Pattern summary

Power Train leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 5 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 3 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 2 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10163004 · 2006-07-20 (July 20, 2006)

I WAS TRAVELING ON AZ STATE ROUTE 87 ON A 6 PERCENT DOWNGRADE. I HAD APPLIED THE BRAKES A TOTAL OF 3 TIMES FOR NO MORE THAN 3 TO 5 SECONDS AT A TIME, THIS OCCURRED OVER A 5 MINUTE TIME FRAME. ON THE THIRD APPLICATION THE BRAKES BEGAN TO CAVITATE VERY BADLY. THIS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SWAY AND BRAKES FADED OUT. THE BRAKES MADE A RUBBING SOUND FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED WHILE TURNING THEY MAKE A GRINDING SOUND/FEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN INTO SATURN OF ARROWHEAD PEORIA, AZ ON 07/06/06. THEY STATED NOTHING WAS FOUN…

Owner-reported narrative. 12,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10163004 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10240568 · 2008-09-02 (September 2, 2008)

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…

Owner-reported narrative. 34,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10240568 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10568780 · 2014-03-12 (March 12, 2014)

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 LIG…

Owner-reported narrative. 128,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10568780 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10568789 · 2014-03-12 (March 12, 2014)

ATTEMPTED LOW/MODERATE ACCELERATION FROM STOP; TRANSMISSION SEEMED TO SLIP WITH ENGINE RPM INCREASING BUT NO TRANSFER OF POWER BEYOND ABOUT INITIAL HALF-FOOT OF FORWARD MOTION, THEN HARD SHIFTED INTO GEAR (LURCHED THE VEHICLE) AND ACCELERATED RAPIDLY. THIS EVENT WAS INITIALLY INTERMITTENT AND NOT ABLE TO BE REPRODUCED BY MECHANIC. IT HAS NOW BECOME FREQUENT AND AFFECTS SHIFTING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AS WELL AS FROM STOP, MAKING CONTROL OF ACCELERATION UNPREDICTABLE IS HARD SHIFTING THROUGH MOST GEARS WHEN THIS IS OCCURRING, ALTHOUGH AT OTHER TIMES …

Owner-reported narrative. 129,100 miles reported. Look up ODI 10568789 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10161708 · 2006-07-06 (July 6, 2006)

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 BOT…

Owner-reported narrative. 2,505 miles reported. Look up ODI 10161708 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10335274 · 2010-06-08 (June 8, 2010)

MY 2006 SATURN ION ALL OF A SUDDEN LOST ITS POWER STEERING WHILE I WAS DRIVING! I ALMOST CRASHED! AND NOW IT GOING TO COST OVER 500 OR MORE TO FIX. I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED, I WAS GOING UP A HILL ON A CURVE. JUST ALL OF A SUDDEN THE BELL RANG AND IT POPPED UP PWR STR. I GOT THE CAR STOPPED AND TURNED IT OFF WHEN I TURNED IT BACK ON IT WAS FINE FOR ABOUT 5 FEET AND AGAIN IT DID IT. I GOT HOME AND CHECKED THE FUSE AND MADE SURE IT WAS OK. TODAY I DROVE ALL OVER AND IT WAS OK AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN AGAIN IT CAME ON AND THE STEERING WHEEL …

Owner-reported narrative. 82,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10335274 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10203316 · 2007-09-18 (September 18, 2007)

WE OWN A 2006 SATURN RELAY 3 THAT WE PURCHASED IN JUNE 2007. WE HAVE BECOME AWARE OF A DESIGN FLAW THAT EXISTS IN CHEVROLET UPLANDERS AND SATURN RELAYS THAT CAN LEAD TO DANGEROUS CONSEQUENCES. WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED BY OUR DEALERSHIP THAT GM IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND HAS DONE NOTHING TO RECTIFY IT. BECAUSE OF THE SHAPE OF THE GAS TANK, IF THE CAR IS IDLING WHILE ON AN INCLINE, GAS DISSIPATES FROM THE ENGINE AND THE CAR MAY STALL. THIS CAN OCCUR DESPITE THERE BEING MORE THAN A QUARTER TANK OF GAS IN THE CAR. FURTHER, THE CAR CANNOT BE RESTART…

Owner-reported narrative. 7,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10203316 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11030754 · 2017-10-01 (October 1, 2017)

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 FO…

Owner-reported narrative. 130,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11030754 at NHTSA ↗