2003 SAAB 9-3 Complaints

BRAKE PADS WORE THROUGH AND ROTORS WERE DAMAGED ON THE FRONT END. NO INDICATION OF BRAKE WEAR FROM DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT REGULAR SERVICE INTERVALS. SAAB HAS A LONG APPROXIMATELY 15,000 ENGINE SERVICE INTERVAL. CONSEQUENTLY BRAKES MAY ONLY BE INSPECTED EVERY 15,000 MILES. NEITHER DEALER NOR MANUFACTURER CAN ADVISE CUSTOMER OF WHEN BRAKE PADS SHOULD BE REPLACED. CUSTOMER HAS NO AVENUE TO RECEIVE ADVICE REGARDING BRAKE WEAR AND REPLACEMENT. ULITMATELY PADS ARE WORN OUT COMPLETELY WITHOUT WARNING, AND ROTORS ARE DAMAGED, CREATING A SAFETY ISSUE. ALL PARTS ARE REPLACED AT A COST TO THE CONSUMER OF $800.*AK

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY HESITATED AND STALLED. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER, WHO DID NOT WANT TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. ALSO, CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, WHO REFUSED TO ASSIST THE CONSUMER.*AK

2003 SAAB 9-3 VECTOR HAS PROBLEMS WITH SUNROOF, FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT, ALARM SYSTEM, GAS CAP, SIDE VIEW MIRRORS AND THE BOARD COMPUTER. ***NO ANSWER REQUIRED***. *MR THE ONBOARD COMPUTER COULD NOT BE FIXED AFTER 3 SERVICE VISITS, UNTIL FINALLY THE VEHICLE WAS RECALLED AND EXCHANGED FOR ANOTHER. THE GAS CAP WOULD NOT CLOSE PROPERLY, THE ALARM SYSTEM WENT OFF INADVERTENTLY, THE SIDE VIEW MIRRORS WOULD ADJUST THEMSELVES AFTER THE CONSUMER TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF. THE CD PLAYER MALFUNCTIONED. THE SEAT BELT LIGHT CAME ON EVEN WHEN THERE WERE NO PASSENGERS. THE FRONT SPOILER IS FALLING APART. *JB

WHEN ACCELERATING FROM 55 TO 65 MPH IN THE PASSING LANE WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE UP TO 90 MPH. CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES HARD TO REDUCE THE SPEED DOWN TO 70 MPH, BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATES UP TO 95 MPH. CONSUMER REAPPLIED THE BRAKES AND GOT THE VEHICLE DOWN TO 10 MPH WHEN HE SHIFTED THE VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL AND TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF. A FIRE HAS TEMPORARY DEVELOP IN BOTH FRONT WHEELS AND EXTINGUISH ITSELF WITHIN 5 MINUTES. CONSUMER GOT BACK INTO THE VEHICLE AND DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. DEALER IS REPLACED THE COMPLETE BRAKING SYSTEM AND THE CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH. *AK

WHILE DRIVING OWNER SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING AND THOUGHT IT WAS COMING FROM OUTSIDE. OWNER PARKED THE VEHICLE AND WENT INTO THE DEPARTMENT STORE TO SHOP.OWNER WAS IN THE STORE FOR APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES. WHEN THE OWNER RETURNED TO THE VEHICLE FIRE TRUCKS WERE OUTSIDE EXTINGUISHING THE FLAMES. IT APPEARED THAT THE FIRE STARTED UNDER THE HOOD. OWNER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER, AND THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE. *AK

WHILE DRIVING OWNER SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING AND THOUGHT IT WAS COMING FROM OUTSIDE. OWNER PARKED THE VEHICLE AND WENT INTO THE DEPARTMENT STORE TO SHOP. WHEN THE OWNER RETURNED TO THE VEHICLE FIRE TRUCKS WERE OUTSIDE EXTINGUISHING THE FLAMES. IT APPEARED THAT THE FIRE STARTED UNDER THE HOOD. OWNER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER, AND THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE. *AK

DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW CONTINUES TO EITHER FAIL OR NON-OPERATE. AUTOMATIC DRIVERS WINDOW HAS: 1) MALFUNCTIONED TO WHERE IT WOULD NOT GO UP AFTER 5 - 10 MINUTES OF TRYING, 2) COMPLETELY BROKEN ONCE TO WHERE IT WOULD NOT GO DOWN, 3) WAS REPLACED AND SAME PROBLEMS WERE EXPERIENCED TO WHERE IT WILL NOT GO UP AFTER 5-10 MINUTES OF TRYING. 4) WAS REPLACED A SECOND TIME 5) HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS AS THE FIRST TWO WINDOW LIFTS TO WHERE IT TAKES 5 - 10 MINUTES SOMETIMES TO LIFT UP AND IS MAKING THE SAME NOISES AS THE FIRST TWO WHEN THEY BROKE. NO MAJOR CONSEQUENCES, EXCEPT THAT I HAVE HAD TO LEAVE MY WINDOW OPEN SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE IT WILL NOT LIFT UP. A COUPLE OF TIMES IT HAS BEEN RAINING, BUT LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO FIND A GARAGE TO PARK IN. I HAVE TALKED WITH ANOTHER 9-3 OWNER AND THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME ISSUE AND HAVE HAD THE WINDOW MODULAR REPLACED TWICE AS WELL. I'VE HAD THE CAR INTO THE DEALER 4 TIMES FOR THE WINDOW LIFT, ONCE TO HAVE IT COMPLETELY REPLACED AND THE NEW LIFT IS STARTING TO MAKE THE SAME NOISES AS THE FIRST ONE DID WHEN IT BROKE

AFTER BLOWING A TIRE BY RUNNING OVER A POTHOLE, I DISCOVERED THAT MY PIRELLI TIRES WERE SERIOUSLY WORN MUCH EARLIER THAN ANYONE SHOULD EXPECT. MY TIRES HAVE ROUGHLY 12,000 MILES ON THEM AND THEY ARE WORN DOWN TO THE WEAR TREAD INDICATORS. AFTER A BRIEF CONVERSATION WITH MY DEALER I DISCOVERED THAT SAAB AND PIRELLI ARE AWARE OF THE SITUATION, BUT THEY HAVE FAILED TO LAUNCH A RECALL TO FIX THE PROBLEM. INSTEAD, THEY ARE REPLACING TIRES ON AN "AS-DISCOVERED" BASIS. IN OTHER WORDS, AS SAAB OWNERS DISCOVER THEY HAVE A TIRE ISSUE AND ACTUALLY REPORT THIS TO THE DEALER, THE TIRES ARE THEN REPLACED. SO, IF A SAAB OWNER DOES NOT THINK TO COMPLAIN TO THE DEALER, HIS/HER TIRES WILL NOT BE REPLACED AT NO CHARGE. THIS TO ME IS A SEVERE SAFETY HAZARD AS NO DRIVER SHOULD EXPECT TIRES TO BE WORN TO NEAR BALDNESS AFTER ONLY 12,000 MILES. A BLOWOUT HAZARD SEEMS TO BE QUITE POSSIBLE, YET NEITHER SAAB NOR PIRELLI SEEM INCLINED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT UNTIL THEY'RE FORCED TO REPLACE THE TIRES OF ONLY THOSE WHO COMPLAIN.*AK

THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED MANY PROBLEMS WITH 2003 SAAB 9-3 LINEAR AS ENGINE FAILURE LIGHT APPEAR AND ECT. *BF THERE WERE REPEATED PROBLEMS WITH THE SUN ROOF REMAINING STUCK OPEN, STABILITY CONTROL PROBLEMS, LOW FRONT HEAD BEAM, GETTING AIR TO THE GAS CAP, THE MUD FLAP WAS CRACKED, AND ON ONE OCCASION WHEN DRIVING UP A HILL THE CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING. *SC *JB

THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STILL RUNNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER REPLACED THE IGNITION MODULE. THE REPAIRS WORKED FINE FOR TWO WEEKS, THEN THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *JB THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED, THE FOG AND HEAD LIGHTS WOULD GO OUT ONCE A MONTH, THE TRACTION CONTROL WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY, THE SEAT BELTS DID NOT RECOIL TO PROVIDE SECURITY FOR THE PASSENGERS, THE CLUTCH PEDAL DID NOT HAVE THE PROPER PRESSURE WHEN APPLIED, THE ENGINE WOULD NOT "SPIN OVER," THERE WAS A BLOWN FUEL PUMP FUSE, THE DRIVER WINDOW WAS INOPERATIVE, THE SUNROOF DEFLECTOR DID NOT COLLAPSE WHEN CLOSING THE GLASS CAUSING THE GLASS TO RE-OPEN ON IT'S OWN, THE DRIVER DOOR PANEL DID NOT FIT THE FLUSH TO THE DOOR PANEL, THE RADIO AND THE ONSTAR FEATURE DID NOT WORK. *SC *JB