2004 SAAB 9-3 Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SAAB 9-3 PURCHASED OCTOBER 2006. WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 20 MPH, SHE HEARD A LOUD WHIZZING NOISE, AND THEN NOTICED THAT THE SEAT BELT WAS STILL CONNECTED TO THE PILLAR, BUT THE TENSIONER HAD BECOME DISLODGED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP, BUT THEY COULD NOT PERFORM THE WORK BECAUSE THERE WAS A RECALL. HOWEVER HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER 04V226000 (SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR). NO REPAIRS WERE MADE TO DATE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE UNDER 79,037.

DRIVER SIDE FRONT COIL SPRING "BROKE" WHILE DRIVING MY 2004 SAAB 9-3 ON THE HIGHWAY AT OVER 50 MPH. CAUSED SIGNIFICANT STRUT DAMAGE AND RATTLING OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS AS I WAS WORKING TO SCHEDULE IN A MECHANIC VISIT. THEY FINALLY QUOTED ME $930 IN REPAIRS TO REPLACE BOTH FRONT SPRINGS, STRUTS AND TO PERFORM AN ALIGNMENT. APPARENTLY, A LOT OF OTHER SAABS OF THE SAME MODEL HAS HAD THIS ISSUE ARISE FOR THEM, I THINK THE SPRINGS SHOULD BE RECALLED. IT IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SAAB 93. THE FRONT DRIVER-SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR WOULD NOT RETRACT THE SEAT BELT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE RETRACTOR. THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS EXCLUDED FROM RECALL CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V226000 (SEAT BELTS FRONT:RETRACTOR). THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REPAIRED FOR THE MALFUNCTION. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE UNKNOWN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SAAB 9-3. THE DRIVER-SIDE FRONT SEAT BELT RETRACTOR HAD BROKEN WHICH CAUSED THE BELT WEBBING TO NOT RETRACT. HE CONTACTED THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER IN REFERENCE TO RECALL NUMBER 04V226000 (SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR). HE WAS ADVISED THAT HE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, SO HE WAS INELIGIBLE FOR A FREE REMEDY. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 106,000.

I OWN A 2004 SAAB 9-3 SEDAN. A FEW DAYS I EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE FRONT SEATBELT RETRACTOR AS DESCRIBED IN THIS REPORT : PE09048. I CALLED SAAB IN REFERENCE TO RECALL #5938 FOR SOME 2004 MODELS, BUT THEY CLAIM THAT MY CAR WAS NOT PART OF THAT RECALL. *TR

UPON DRIVING OUR 2004 SAAB 9-3 INTO A PARKING LOT WE NOTICED THE CAR WAS NOT HANDLING CORRECTLY. FRONT END WAS VERY LOW TO GROUND, CAR NOT TURNING CORRECTLY, AND MAKING A NOISE. UPON HAVING IT TOWED TO THE DEALER IT APPEARED ONE OF THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS HAD SNAPPED. BASED ON NUMEROUS OTHER REPORTED COMPLAINTS SIMILAR TO OURS, WE WERE VERY LUCKY THAT IT HAPPENED VERY CLOSE TO WORK, AFTER GETTING OFF OF THE MASS PIKE OR WE COULD HAVE HAD A BLOWN TIRE AT 70 MPH. AFTER DISCUSSION WITH THE SAAB DEALER AND THEIR DISTRICT MANAGER, SAAB REPLACED BOTH FRONT COIL SPRINGS AT NO COST TO US WITHOUT ANY ARGUMENT. IRONICALLY A FRIEND OF OURS HAD JUST HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM A MONTH EARLIER WITH THE SAME OUTCOME. *TR

NOTICED A SUDDEN STEERING PULL AND THUMP/RATTLE IN FRONT END. DROVE TO NEAREST SHOP TO HAVE A LOOK AND WAS TOLD MY FRONT COIL SPRINGS WERE BROKEN AND LUCKY THAT THE SPRING DID NOT SHRED THE TIRE AND CAUSE A LOSS OF CONTROL/ACCIDENT! I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS HAS BEEN A SOMEWHAT COMMON DEFECT ON SIMILAR YEAR MODELS. SHOP RECOMMENDED REPLACE BOTH SPRINGS BEFORE DRIVING AGAIN. *TR

AS I WAS PUTTING ON MY SEATBELT I HEARD A SNAP AND AN UNROLLING SOUND IN THE DOOR OF THE CAR AND THE SEATBELT LOST TENSION. THE SEATBELT WOULD NOT REGAIN TENSION. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT THE RETRACTOR HAD BROKEN. THERE IS A RECALL ON 2004 SAAB 93 SEATBELT RETRACTORS, BUT THEY SAID THAT MY CAR WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL AND THEREFORE I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR ($455). THEY DID NOT HAVE THE PART IN STOCK TO FIX IT SO THEY SENT ME HOME, WITHOUT OFFERING A RENTAL CAR EVEN THOUGH I EXPRESSED MY CONCERN THAT I WAS LACKING A CRITICAL SAFETY FEATURE OF MY CAR. *TR

FRONT SPRING COIL IS BROKE. DURING OIL CHANGE, DEALER CHECKED AND FOUND A PIECE OF THE COIL MISSING. I WOULD LIKE SAAB TO REIMBURSE FOR THIS $400+ REPAIR JOB. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SAAB 9-3. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS EXAMINING THE VEHICLE SHE NOTICED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE COIL SPRING SNAPPED AND PUNCTURED THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 45000.