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2005 Saturn Relay AWD

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2005 Relay AWD.

Body VANTransmission Automatic 4-spd

The 2005 Saturn Relay AWD is a van equipped with an automatic four-speed transmission and EPA fuel-economy ratings of 15 mpg city, 21 mpg highway, and 17 mpg combined. Its reliability record for this model year is captured in 91 owner complaints, with Service Brakes, Hydraulic standing out as the top reported issue area, alongside three recalls. That data set makes the 2005 Relay AWD a concrete reference point for understanding this model year's documented service and recall activity.

Model year2006 2005

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Lug nut torque100 ft-lbsOEM · verified

EPA fuel economy15/21/17 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 34 · 600 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12731175. Note the factory serpentine belt and cabin air filter are now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 34 · 600 CCAOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	12731175
Engine air filter	10354942
Spark plug	12681664
Front wiper blades	15192144 alt 15192143
Serpentine belt	12587999 discontinued · alt 12571918
Thermostat	24507563 alt 10226107
Cabin air filter	10322538 discontinued

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

Transmission

Automatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	204.7 in
Overall width	72 in
Overall height	72 in
Wheelbase	121.3 in
Curb weight	4222 lb
Track (front / rear)	63 / 63 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	56/44

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined	15 / 21 / 17 mpg
Drivetrain	4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuel	Regular Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 100 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 18.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-4-2-5-3-6. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission Fluid	ATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity	7.4
Automatic Transmission Fluid	ATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity	8.7
Brake Fluid	DOT 3

Engine torques

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts	118 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	13 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	18.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts	100 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Fill Plug	21.0 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Drain Plug	24.0 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub	118 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub	192 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-4-2-5-3-6
Spark Plug Manufacturer	AC Delco
Spark Plug Gap	0.060 in
Spark Plug Torque	11.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	1.50-3.00 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	46
Oil Capacity	7.00-7.77 oz
Standard BCI Group Number	34
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	600 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test	15 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	195-205 °F
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)	50-60
Injector Primary Resistance	11-14 na ohms
Engine Compression	100
Engine Oil Pressure	30-45 psi
Engine Oil Pressure RPM	1850 rpm

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket	40 ft-lbs / 25 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	137 ft-lbs / 96 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 in
Rotor Max Parallel Variation	0.001 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.002 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From	1.27 in / 0.472 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To	1.27 in / 0.472 in
Rotor Minimum Machining	1.22 in / 0.425 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 2 stages

1	44 ft. lbs.	44 ft. lbs
2	140 degrees.	140 degrees

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant at 150,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 150,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 25,000 mi	Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Fuel System (inspect)
Every 50,000 mi	Engine Air Filter Element (replace)
Every 100,000 mi	Spark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Transmission Fluid & Filter (replace)
At 150,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Owner complaints about the 2005 Saturn Relay AWD top in one area — the service brakes, hydraulic, 14 of 91 reports (15%), well ahead of the next concern. None of this vehicle's 3 recall campaigns target the service brakes, hydraulic, so those reports read as owner-reported wear-and-tear rather than an acknowledged defect. 2 of the reports describe a crash and 1 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the service brakes, hydraulic pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

547

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

Owner complaints

2 involved a crash · 1 a fire

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 91 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic14

Electrical System10

Structure9

Latches/Locks/Linkages5

Service Brakes4

Fuel System, Gasoline4

Service Brakes, Electric4

Electrical System,Exterior Lighting,Service Brakes2

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 3 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

05V061000Seats:Mid/Rear AssemblyReported 18/02/2005

ON CERTAIN MINIVANS, THE OUTBOARD RELEASE HANDLE ON THE IMPACT-SIDE SECOND-ROW BUCKET SEAT MAY BE ACTUATED AND THE REAR LATCHES MAY UNLATCH EARLY IN A SIDE IMPACT CRASH. THIS WAS DISCOVERED IN A SIDE IMPACT TEST RUN BY… Remedy: DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE SEAT LATCH RELEASE HANDLE AND INSTALL A BLACK PLASTIC CAP OVER THE EXPOSED METAL STUD TO ELIMINATE THE SIDE IMPACT SAFETY CONCERN FREE OF CHARGE. THE…

09E005000SteeringReported 17/02/2009

DORMAN IS RECALLING 979 STEERING KNUCKLES, DORMAN P/NOS. 697-902 AND 697-903, SOLD UNDER DORMAN'S "OE SOLUTIONS<SUP>TM</SUP>" BRAND NAME, AND NAPA P/NOS. 7-8502 AND 7-8503 WHICH WERE SOLD FOR REPLACEMENT USE ON THE… Remedy: DORMAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE STEERING KNUCKLES FREE OF CHARGE AND REIMBURSE THE REPAIR FACILITY OR OWNER FOR LABOR. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 23, 2009…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 547 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
PIT3532C	2026-01-30	Unknown Or Other	This PI directs technician to training regarding sliding door operation.
PIP5601C	2025-07-18	Unknown Or Other	This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic…
PIT5074R	2025-05-30	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIT5074R	2025-05-30	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIT5074R	2025-05-30	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Relay AWD. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 34 battery Engine oil filter 12731175 Engine air filter 10354942 Spark plug 12681664 Front wiper blades 15192144

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

Does the 2005 Relay AWD have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Relay AWD get?

EPA figures are 15 city / 21 highway / 17 combined mpg.