2006 SAAB 9-3 Complaints

WHILE DRIVING AT 11:30 PM ON A SMALL (PAVED) COUNTRY ROAD WITH MY HIGH BEAMS ON, MY WARNING SYSTEM INDICATED "LEFT HIGH BEAM FAILURE. I CONTINUED DRIVING AND ABOUT A MINUTE LATER I NOTICED SPARKS ALONG THE LEFT SIDE OF THE CAR. I PULLED OVER TO SEE WHAT WAS WRONG AND THE LEFT HEAD LIGHT WAS IN FLAMES. WITHIN 15 MINUTES THE ENTIRE FRONT HALF/ENGINE OF THE CAR WAS IN FLAMES AND THE ENTIRE FRONT HALF OF THE CAR ESSENTIALLY BURNED TO THE GROUND. *TR

ON JULY 22ND 2010 AT APPROXIMATELY 1500 EST, I STARTED MY CAR, A 2006 SAAB 9-3 AERO SPORT SEDAN AND PLACED IT INTO REVERSE TO EXIT MY GARAGE/ DRIVEWAY ON MY WAY TO WORK. AS I NEARED THE STREET I DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL TO SLOW DOWN AND ENTER THE STREET BUT THE BRAKE PEDAL SEEMED TO BE INEFFECTIVE AND I ENDED UP PUTTING THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL AND ENTERING THE STREET AT AN ANGLE. AFTER I HAD STOPPED IN THE STREET I PUMPED THE BRAKES AND PUT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ON AND SHORTLY (2MIN) I WAS ON MY WAY WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I REPORTED THIS INCIDENT TO MY SAAB DEALER, AND THEY SAID THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF THIS BEFORE AND SAID THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO AS IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. DURING THE REST OF THE SUMMER I DROVE THAT CAR I HAD NO FURTHER PROBLEMS. (IT IS MY PARENTS CAR THAT I DROVE WHEN I WAS HOME FOR THE SUMMER). I LATER FOUND OUT THAT MY PARENTS ALSO HAD THIS PROBLEM INTERMITTENTLY SO I BEGAN SEARCHING ONLINE AND FOUND OTHERS THAT HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM AND REFERENCED A REPORT PE08005 WHICH SEEMED TO DESCRIBE MY PROBLEM. I BROUGHT THIS REPORT TO THE SAAB DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME THEY HAD NEVER SEEN IT AND COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. *TR

LOW OF VEHICLE POWER BRAKE ASSIST. AFTER SITTING FOR SEVERAL HOURS, WHEN THE CAR WAS FIRST STARTED THE POWER BRAKE ASSIST WOULD NOT WORK OR WOULD WORK AT A REDUCED RATE. THERE WERE NOT CHECK ENGINE OR BRAKE LIGHTS TO NOTIFY US OF A FAILURE. THIS ALMOST RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT. IT TOOK NEARLY 20 FT TO GET THE VEHICLE TO A COMPLETE STOP. HAD THIS OCCURRED IN A PARKING LOT OR IN ANOTHER LOCATION WERE A PERSON OR VEHICLE WAS CLOSE BY AN ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. THE VACUUM PUMP WAS REPLACED I BELIEVE THE PART # IS 12822387. HAD A NOTIFICATION BEEN GIVEN THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE SUCH AS A CHECK ENGINE OR BRAKE LIGHT, THIS WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AS BIG OF AN ISSUE. *TR

I HAVE A 2006 SAAB CONVERTIBLE. I LEFT TO GO TO WORK THIS MORNING AND THERE WAS A HORRIBLE NOISE IN THE FRONT. I DRIVE THE INTERSTATE PART WAY TO WORK AND THE NOISE SEEMED TO LESSEN. WHEN I GOT OFF THE INTERSTATE AND CAME TO A STOP LIGHT THE NOISE WAS EXTREMELY LOUD. I TURNED AROUND AND TOOK MY CARE TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I HAD PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE. I FOUND OUT THAT BOTH OF THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS HAD FRACTURED AND ONE WAS STUCK IN MY PASSENGER SIDE TIRE. THE TIRE ON THE INSIDE HAD BEEN CUT ALL THE WAY AROUND THE WHEEL. I WAS TOLD THAT THE SERVICE PEOPLE COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT I DID NOT GET IN AN ACCIDENT. I HAD TO INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE WITH SAAB'S ON THE INTERNET IN ORDER TO FIND THAT IT WAS A PROBLEM. I THEN CALLED SAAB DEALERSHIP (THE ONLY ONE IN THE AREA) 30 MILES AWAY AND FOUND OUT THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE COILS BREAKING. I NOW HAVE TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED ALL THAT WAY AND THEY ARE NOT SURE IF SAAB IS GOING TO COVER A RENTAL CAR FORE ME. I HAVE TO BE ABLE TO GET TO WORK AND NOW WILL HAVE TO BE OUT THE EXPENSE OF A RENTAL CAR. SAAB SHOULD COVER ALL OF MY EXPENSES. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT SHOULD BE ON THE RECALL LIST AND NOT PUT PEOPLE IN SUCH DANGER WHEN SAAB IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE. I HAVE ALWAYS TOLD EVERYONE HOW MUCH I LOVE MY SAAB AND THEY WOULD LOVE ONE TOO. NOW I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR WHEN IT IS FIXED, BECAUSE I DON'T TRUST THAT THERE ISN'T SOMETHING ELSE WRONG THAT COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. *TR

1. THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE. NONE 2. THE FAILURE, HOW OFTEN IT OCCURS, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES. PERIODIC UNCOMMANDED CHANGES IN THROTTLE. DEALERSHIP TEST EQUIPMENT SHOWS EVIDENCE OF DATA CORRUPTION ON CHANNEL 1 OF THE TWO CHANNEL THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR (TPS) OCCURRING EVERY COUPLE OF SECONDS. DRIVER PERCEPTION OF PROBLEM IS IN FORM OF JERKY THROTTLE RESPONSE AT LOW THROTTLE WITH ONE INSTANCE OF SUDDEN, UNCOMMANDED ACCELERATION. THE SUDDEN THROTTLE CHANGES HAVE RESULTED IN TRACTION LOSS ON SLIPPERY ROADS SEVERE ENOUGH THAT THE VEHICLE DEPARTED THE ROADWAY. 3. WHAT WAS DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE; I.E, PARTS REPAIRED OR REPLACED (AND IF OLD PART IS AVAILABLE) DEALERSHIP REPLACED THROTTLE BODY, WIRING HARNESS, AND ENGINE CONTROL MODULE IN AN ATTEMPT TO RESOLVE TPS DATA CORRUPTION PROBLEM AND DRIVABILITY PROBLEMS, BUT WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR PURSUIT. DEALERSHIP REQUESTED ASSISTANCE FROM THE MANUFACTURER'S FIELD ENGINEERING TEAM. A FIELD ENGINEER WAS DISPATCHED, EVALUATED THE VEHICLE, DECLARED THAT IT WAS "OPERATING WITHIN MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATIONS", AND TOLD THE DEALERSHIP TO IGNORE WHAT THEIR TEST EQUIPMENT WAS TELLING THEM. WHEN REQUESTED TO PROVIDE THE SPECIFICATIONS, WHAT TESTS WHERE PERFORMED TO DETERMINE COMPLIANCE, AND THE RESULTS OF THOSE TESTS, THE MANUFACTURER REFUSED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE PASSENGER FRONT SEAT AIR BAG WAS INOPERABLE. THE DEALER WAS INFORMED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE CONTACT DID NOT INFORM THE MANUFACTURER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 48,029. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 36,200.

I OWN A 2006 SAAB 9-3 AERO WAGON WITH APPROXIMATELY 33,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AND THE WIPER SYSTEM IS BROKEN. THE WIPERS FAILED WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT ON A RECENT TRIP AND WE WERE 200 MILES AWAY FROM HOME. WE HAD TO DRIVE AT NIGHT IN THE RAIN WITH NO WAY TO CLEAR THE WINDSHIELD. THE FAILURE WAS NOT SIMPLY A BROKEN WIPER BLADE AS I COULD HAVE EASILY REPAIRED THAT, BUT INSTEAD THE WIPER LINKAGE BROKE. THE PLASTIC PIECES IN THE SYSTEM SHOW SIGNS OF CRACKING AND WILL NOT STAY IN PLACE. *TR

1. NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS MANUAL SHIFT MODEL 2. SHIFT HANDLE AND ASSEMBLY "FLEW OFF" WHILE DRIVING CAUSING IT TO BE VERY DIFFICULT TO SHIFT IN TRAFFIC 3. DEALERSHIP "GLUED" THE SHIFTER BACK ON. *TR

1. NORMAL DRIVING LEADS TO ISSUE. 2. LOW OIL INDICATOR ILLUMINATES WHEN DRIVING FOR MORE THAN 1 HOUR AT HIGHWAY SPEED. 3. NOTHING DONE TO CORRECT ISSUE, DEALERSHIP SAYS SAAB IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE, BUT NO CORRECTIVE ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN. *TR

FOUND BOTH FRONT COIL SPRINGS BROKEN IN HALF FOLLOWING A NOTICEABLE DETERIORATION OF RIDE QUALITY OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS. MY MECHANIC HAD TO REPLACE BOTH FRONT COIL SPRINGS, STRUTS, AND SWAY BARS IN ORDER TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE AND NOTED THAT THE BREAK ON THE RIGHT COIL SPRING WAS APPROXIMATELY A HALF INCH FROM THE TIRE POTENTIALLY RESULTING IN A PUNCTURED TIRE. *TR