2006 SAAB 9-3 Complaints

UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE AFTER SITTING, THE BRAKES HAD GREATLY INCREASED PEDAL EFFORT TO APPLY AND GREATLY REDUCED BREAKING RESULT. THE CAR FAILED TO STOP AND STRUCK A POLE WHILE BACKING UP.

WINDSHIELD WIPER TRANSMISSION BROKE AT 60MPH ON A TWO LANE ROAD WHILE PASSING A SEMI DURING HEAVY RAINFALL. COMPLETE LOSS OF WINDSHIELD WIPERS OCCURRED, LOOSING ALL VISIBILITY WHICH BECAME VERY DANGEROUS GIVEN THE VEHICLE POSITION, SPEED AND OTHER TRAFFIC. I OWN AND OPERATE A SAAB REPAIR SHOP AND THIS IS A VERY COMMON FAILURE ON ALL 2003-2011 SAAB 9-3 MODELS WHERE THE PLASTIC LINKAGE POPS OFF DRIVE MOTOR CAUSING COMPLETE OR PARTIAL LOSS OF WIPERS. HAVE REPAIRED 13 OF THESE 9-3S IN SHOP OVER FIVE YEARS. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS SERIOUS ISSUE. I MYSELF HAD NEVER BEEN PUT INTO THIS POSITION BEFORE BUT WILL NOW BE SUGGESTING REPLACEMENT OF THIS ASSEMBLY TO ALL MY 9-3 CLIENTS. SAAB PART NUMBER 12755304 IS CURRENT REPAIR UNIT FROM SAAB PARTS NA. PLEASE SEE THIS EBAY SELLER SELLING NEW LINKAGE REPAIR KITS TO SHOW A SMALL EXTENT OF FAILURES. HTTP://WWW.EBAY.COM/ITM/NEW-WIPER-LINKAGE-KIT-FOR-YOUR-SAAB-9-3-LIFETIME-WARRANTY-/190701796906?PT=MOTORS_CAR_TRUCK_PARTS_ACCESSORIES&FITS=MAKE%3ASAAB%7CMODEL%3A9-3&HASH=ITEM2C66B67E2A&VXP=MTR. *TR

2 INCIDENTS OCCURRED. I HAVE OWNED THE CAR FOR 1 WEEK AND, OCCASIONALLY ON COLD STARTS, WHEN ATTEMPTING TO BACK UP AND STOP, THE BRAKE PEDAL IS HARD TO DEPRESS MAKING BRAKING EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. ADDITIONALLY, ON OCCASION, IF I ACCELERATE AND THEN ATTEMPT TO DEPRESS BRAKE PEDAL, THE PEDAL IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO DEPRESS MAKING STOPPING DIFFICULT. THIS HAS ALMOST RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT DURING HGH TRAFFIC SITUATIONS. *TR

TWO ITEMS: 1. THE SEATBELT FAILED TO CATCH WHEN PULLED FORWARD AND WOULD UNRAVEL AND NOT RETURN. THE SEATBELT FAILS TO STOP THE PASSENGER SHOULD THERE BE A SUDDEN STOP. 2. BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLIES HAVE SHORTED AND MELTED AT THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION. *TR

I HAVE A 2006 SAAB 9-3 AERO. MY ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME ON. I HAVE TRIED TO GET THIS SERVICED SEVERAL TIMES. EACH TIME THE DEALERSHIP/OTHER MECHANIC RESETS THE CODES AND TELLS ME THERE IS NOTHING WRONG. NOW THEY TELL ME IT IS A EVAPORATOR CANISTER PURGE VALVE. THEY TELL ME THAT THE PART COSTS $425. NO LABOR INCLUDED. I HAVE FOUND THIS PART FOR UNDER $45. THIS IS CRAP!!! I HAVE EVEN FOUND TUTORIALS ON HOW TO DO IT, 1 HOUR JOB. I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET THIS FIXED SINCE IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY TWO YEARS AGO. NOW THEY FIND THE PROBLEM? A LITTLE SUSPICIOUS IF YOU ASK ME! *TR

I HAVE HAD MY 2006 SAAB 9-3 IN FOR SERVICE 4 TIMES FOR AN ABS/TRACTION CONTROL/STABILITY CONTROL FAILURE. EACH TIME I TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY TELL ME THAT THE COST IS AROUND $385 FOR A HUB ASSEMBLY, NO LABOR INCLUDED. I HAVE TALKED TO MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. THE REAL PROBLEM IS THAT THE WIRE LEADING TO THE WHEEL CORRODES. NOW MY CAR IS AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE SAME PROBLEM AND THEY WANT TO PUT IN A REAR HARNESS FOR THE SAME SYSTEM AND WANT TO CHARGE ME $315 JUST FOR THE PART, DOESN'T INCLUDE LABOR. THIS PART HAS BEEN FOUND FOR AROUND $120 ELSEWHERE. THIS IS VERY FRUSTRATING AS THE CAR ACTS AS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT ANIMAL WHEN IT IS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. EVERY TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED THE TEMPERATURE HAS BEEN 40 DEGREES F OR LOWER. *TR

I WOULD LIKE TO REPORT THAT ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2013, I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT WHICH DESTROYED THE FRONT END OF MY CAR. THE CAR WAS SUBSEQUENTLY DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY. IN SPITE OF THE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT, MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. TO CONFIRM THAT THIS WAS A MALFUNCTION WITH THE CAR, THE CAR'S INFORMATION SCREEN DENOTED AN AIRBAG MALFUNCTION. I HAVE PHOTOS OF THE MESSAGE ON THE INFORMATION SCREEN IF NEEDED. MY FEAR IS THAT THIS IS AN ERROR ON MORE CARS THAN MINE AND THIS SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO FOR ALL 2006 SAAB VEHICLES. *TR

HAD BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH A VERY ROUGH IDLE. THEN WHEN PUTTING CAR INTO REVERSE FROM A COLD START THE BRAKES WOULD BE INOPERABLE (BRAKE WOULD NOT PRESS DOWN). THROWING CAR INTO A DIFFERENT GEAR WAS ONLY WAY TO STOP CAR. VERY SCARY WHEN PARKED ON AN INCLINE ONE MORNING AND REVERSED INTO TRAFFIC BUT COULDN'T STOP. TOOK TO SERVICE REPAIR TO FIND THE BRAKE BOOSTER NEEDED REPLACED. SAID THIS WAS UNACCEPTABLE FAILURE IN CAR OF THIS AGE/MILEAGE WHO HAS VERY REGULAR SERVICE RECORD. *TR

THE FRONT DRIVER COIL SPRING BROKE AND THE BROKEN END OF THE COIL WAS PRESSED AGAINST THE SIDE WALL OF THE TIRE. WHEN THE TIRE WAS REMOVED A 1/4" DEEP GOUGE WAS OBSERVED IN THE SIDE WALL. THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED WHILE PARKED, I NOTICED A LOUD BANG AND A STRANGE NOISE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING. I IMMEDIATELY REMOVED THE TIRE TO CHECK FOR PROBLEMS AND FOUND THE BROKEN SPRING AND GOUGE. IF THIS OCCURRED ON THE HIGHWAY (MY COMMUTE IS APP 80 MILES ROUND TRIP) IT COULD HAVE EASILY PUNCTURED THE TIRE AND CAUSED A MORE SERIOUS PROBLEM. OR LEFT ME STRANDED IN AN UNSAFE LOCATION. *TR

INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH DOOR LOCKS, SOMETIMES THE DRIVER'S SIDE, SOMETIMES ONE OF THE OTHER 3 DOORS, THE DOOR LOCK WILL NOT LOCK THE DOOR; OR SOMETIMES IS THE OPPOSITE WHERE IT WILL NOT UNLOCK THE DOOR *TR