2003 SAAB 9-3 Complaints

2003 SAAB 9-3 BRAKES DOES NOT STOP VEHICLE WHEN DEPRESSED. *TS THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE WHILE BRAKING. THE BRAKES WERE TESTED BUT THE TECHNICIAN INDICATED THAT THE BRAKES WERE FINE. THE CONSUMER ALSO EXPERIENCED PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION THAT CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO LURCH FORWARD WHILE STOPPED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG. *NM

I HAD MY HEADLIGHTS CHANGED AT 65K BECAUSE THE BEAM WAS GETTING TO LOW AND IT WAS HARD TO SEE AT NIGHT. WHILE THE LIGHTS WERE GETTING CHANGED THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE WIRES CONNECTING THE LIGHT TO THE CAR WERE MELTING. THREE MONTHS LATER AT 80K THE DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT LOW BEAM FINALLY DIED. THE SID SAYS LOW BEAM FAILURE, WHICH IS DUE TO THE MELTING OF THE WIRES. *JB

GEARBOX MALFUNCTION HAS OCCURRED TWICE LEAVING ME STRANDED ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE CAR WILL NOT GO OVER 5 MPH. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS THIS OCCURS UNEXPECTEDLY IN TRAFFIC. DEALER FIXED BOTH TIMES, BUT TRANSMISSION STILL SLIPPED AND I FEARED DRIVING IT. THE DEALER TOOK IT IN AGAIN AND HAD THEIR TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST DRIVE AND INSPECT IT. THE DEALER SAYS THAT THERE IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE 2003 9.3 SAABS WITH CONTAMINATION OF THE TRANSMISSION FLUID CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO FAIL. THE TRANSMISSION FLUID IS COOLED WITHIN A SECTION OF THE RADIATOR. THE BLOCK THAT SEPARATES THE COOLANT FROM THE TRANSMISSION FLUID IS BAD AND CAUSES THE COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. I WAS SCHEDULED FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION, A NEW RADIATOR (UNDER WARRANTY), BUT THE CAR FAILED A 3RD TIME WHEN I WAS TRYING TO DRIVE TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE. THEY HAD ANOTHER 9.3 SCHEDULED AT THE SAME TIME FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. ADDITIONALLY, THEY ARE TELLING ME THAT I NEED FRONT AND BACK BRAKES - NOT UNDER WARRANTY - WILL COST ME $1,000. THIS IS THE MOST SERIOUS OF THE PROBLEMS I HAVE HAD WITH THIS CAR, BUT HAVE HAD IT IN THE SHOP 16 DAYS FOR NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH HEADLIGHTS, ON STAR, SID, LOCKS, DOOR ISSUE, WINDOW ISSUE, OIL LEAKS. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT A CAR WITH THIS SAFETY RATING CAN HAVE THIS MANY PROBLEMS AND ESPECIALLY THE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TRANSMISSION ISSUES THAT LEAVE YOU STRANDED IN TRAFFIC. *NM

APPROXIMATELY 14 MONTHS AFTER LEASING A NEW 2003 SAAB 9.3 I WAS DRIVING AND MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP FOR NO REASON. I GOT THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THAT IT WAS FIXED. APPROXIMATELY 12 MONTHS LATER I AM MERGING ONTO I75 FROM I285 AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS AGAIN AND THANKFULLY I WAS NOT IN AN ACCIDENT. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SAAB 93 LINEAR. APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS AGO THERE WAS COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE WHILE TRYING TO STOP AT A STOP LIGHT ON DRY PAVEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP, AND THEY STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES. THIS WAS THE FIRST TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE. BUT SINCE THE PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE, WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED THERE WAS VIBRATION IN THE PEDAL WHILE IN REVERSE AND WHILE TRYING TO STOP. THIS HAS BEEN A CONSISTENT PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE SINCE THE DAY OF PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE. THIS PROBLEM DID NOT OCCUR EVERY TIME THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM . THEY SAID THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO BECAUSE THE SERVICE DEALER SAID THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES. *AK

BRAKE PADS & ROTORS, SEAT BELT, BATTERY REPLACEMENT, TIRE, TRANSMISSION, SUNROOF MALFUNCTION. *NM

THE LEASE ON THIS VEHICLE BEGAN ON OCTOBER 6, 2003. IT HAS HAD MULTIPLE ELECTRICAL ISSUES STARTING LESS THAN 30 DAYS AFTER DELIVERY. MOST RECENTLY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2005. I HAVE BEEN STRANDED THREE TIMES AND HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TWICE. EACH TIME THE ONSTAR DID NOT WORK BECAUSE OF ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTIONS. WE NO LONGER HAVE ANY CONFIDENCE IN THIS VEHICLE AND IF WE OWNED IT WE WOULD SELL IT. PROBLEMS INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO: * CD PLAYER STOPPED WORKING AND WAS REPLACED WITHIN FIRST 30 DAYS OF LEASE. * BRAKES REPLACED WITHIN FIRST 60 DAYS OF LEASE. * ONSTAR COMPUTER REPLACED WITHIN FIRST 60 DAYS OF LEASE. * VEHICLE COMPUTER UPDATED WITHIN FIRST YEAR OF LEASE. THIS LEFT ME STRANDED AND ALMOST REQUIRED A TOW DUE TO INOPERATIVE TRANSMISSION BUT, THE VEHICLE EVENTUALLY SHIFTED INTO LIMP MODE BEFORE THE TOW TRUCK ARRIVED ALLOWING US TO DRIVE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. * VEHICLE COMPUTER UPDATED AGAIN WITHIN FIRST YEAR OF LEASE. * ONSTAR COMPUTER REPAIRED AGAIN WITHIN FIRST YEAR OF LEASE. * DOOR HANDLES FADED AND REPLACED WITHIN SECOND YEAR * PARKING BREAK STUCK AND VEHICLE REQUIRED A TOW WITHIN SECOND YEAR OF LEASE. * ENGINE IMMOBILIZER MALFUNCTION REQUIRING ANOTHER TOW OF THE VEHICLE WITHIN SECOND YEAR OF LEASE. WE WERE TOLD THAT THE BATTERY ABRUPTLY DIED. * TRIP COMPUTER MUST BE RESET AFTER GAS IS ADDED IN ORDER TO SHOW CORRECT DISTANCE TO EMPTY. * MILES BETWEEN OIL CHANGES SEEM INCORRECT. WE ARE AT 27000 MILES AND HAVE ONLY HAD ONE OIL CHANGE. THE DEALERSHIP CONTINUES TO TELL US TO WAIT UNTIL THE COMPUTER REQUESTS THE SERVICE. *NM

DT: FRONT BRAKE ROTORS AND PADS WORE OUT COMPLETELY WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF BRAKE DUST THE LAST 10,000 MILES. THE DEALER STATED THAT THIS WAS NORMAL AND THAT THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CALLED THREE TIMES AND THEY SAID THIS WAS NORMAL WEAR. THE CALLER ONLY HAS 26,000 MILES ON VEHICLE AND HE BELIEVES THIS IS NOT NORMAL. *NM

2003 SAAB 93 FAILS TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP IN A TIMELY MANNER. DELAY CAN BE AS LONG AS 5 SECONDS BEFORE REASONABLE RATE OF ACCELERATION IS ACHIEVED WITH LIGHT OR HEAVY APPLICATION OF THE GAS PEDAL. CAN OCCUR WHEN TURNING OR IN STRAIGHT LINE ACCELERATION. ONLY OCCURS IN VERY HOT WEATHER (PHOENIX, SUMMER). IN NORMAL WEATHER, AUTO EXHIBITS TYPICAL, SLIGHT TURBO LAG, BUT NOTHING NEARLY AS SEVERE AS THIS CONDITION. AUTO DID NOT EXHIBIT PROBLEM DURING ITS FIRST SUMMER IN 2003, BUT WAS SERVICED IN 2004 FOR SAME CONDITION. UPDATED ENGINE CONTROL SOFTWARE WAS LOADED AND SLIGHT IMPROVEMENT RESULTED. THIS TIME (2005), CAR WAS AGAIN SERVICED WITH UPDATED ENGINE CONTROL SOFTWARE, BUT ABSOLUTELY NO IMPROVEMENT RESULTED. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS CONDITION, AND REQUIRES EXCEPTIONAL CARE WHILE DRIVING. I CONSIDER IT AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN, AND HAVE WARNED SEVERAL INDIVIDUAL AT THE SERVICING DEALER, KACHINA CADILLAC/SAAB OF HTIS. PER SAAB'S OWNER'S MANUAL INSTRUCTIONS, I AM CONTACTING YOU. I HAVE CONTACTED SAAB DIRECTLY TODAY AFTER DEALER FAILED TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM, WAS UNRESPONSIVE AND SEEMED COMPLETELY UNINTERESTED IN DOING ANY ANYTHING TO CORRECT THIS EXTREMELY UNSAFE CONDITION.

MY SAAB HAS HAD A LITANY OF PROBLEMS SINCE I HAVE OWNED THE CAR. IT ALL STARTED WITH LITTLE ITEMS. IGNITION WOULDN'T START THE CAR. HEAD LIGHTS BURNT OUT. DASH PEELING, DOOR HANDLES DISCOLORING, EMERGENCY BRAKE GETTING STUCK AND BEING ABLE TO OPERATE MY CAR. ENGINE WARNING LIGHT BECAUSE MY GAS CAP WASN'T ON CORRECT. STEERING WHEEL LOCKING WHILE I WAS DRIVING. WHEEL LOCK LIGHT REMAINING ON WHILE I WAS DRIVING. BRAKES REPLACED DUE TO FACTORY RETRO FIT. SEAT BELTS BEING RECALLED. COMPUTER CONSTANTLY NEEDING TO BE REPLACED SO THE CAR WOULD FUNCTION. ELECTRONIC KEY FAILING SO I COULDN'T START MY CAR. MY CAR IS A 5 SPEED AND THE SHIFTER HANDLE HAS AN CONTINUES TO COME OFF IN MY HAND. A MINIMUM OF 3 FUSES NEEDING TO BE REPLACED. THE DASH BOARD GOES BLANK AT TIMES SHOWING NO FUNCTIONS OF THE CAR. WINDOW WOULDN'T GO UP OR DOWN AND REQUIRED THE REGULATOR TO BE REPLACED. ERRACTIC IDLE. SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON BUT, DEALER DOESN'T KNOW WHY. BRAKES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT 30,000 MILES AND ROTORS TOO.