AI Damage2006 Saturn Relay: common problems
Owners of the 2006 Saturn Relay filed 19 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 19
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 21% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 21% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel system 16% of all complaints
- 4 Latches, locks, linkages 16% of all complaints
- 5 Structure 16% of all complaints
- 6 Air bags 11% of all complaints
- 7 Electrical system 11% of all complaints
- 8 Electronic stability control 11% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 4 complaints (21% of all).
- Service brakes: 4 complaints (21% of all).
- Fuel system: 3 complaints (16% of all).
- Latches, locks, linkages: 3 complaints (16% of all).
- Structure: 3 complaints (16% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.5 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- 3.9 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: FWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 19 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
My 18 year old son had an accident. He rolled the van multiple times, hit trees ,damaged all sides, and roof of the van. The only door that would easily open was the drivers door. The front axle broke, windshield broken.
Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle was involved in a collision and the airbags did not deploy. The contact was stopped in the center lane, when another vehicle attempted to get into the same lane.
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.
After starting vehicle, with foot on brake, gear selection lever would not move from park and parking brake would not disengage as result. Shut down engine, restarted with same result.
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.
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.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 saturn relay. The contact stated that within three months, the interior of the vehicle darkened by three shades. The contact stated that there was a strong metallic smell inside the vehicle that had even affected her breathing.
I started getting "service traction control system" warning message and light with "service abs system" warning message and light and "service stability system". All are always at the same time.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 8,437 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 23% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Relay has 41 complaints (3 years in the data). This year has 19, below average.
What to check before buying
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Latches, locks, linkages. Door, hood and tailgate latches, especially near the impact.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Saturn Relay?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, service brakes, fuel system. Total complaints: 19. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: knocking, grinding or other noise (16%), warning lights, check engine (16%), jerking, harsh shifts (11%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2006 Saturn Relay?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2006 Saturn Relay from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2006 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.