2003 SAAB 9-3 Complaints

OVER A SPAN OF TWO MONTHS, MY 2003 SAAB 93 HAS HAD A VACUUM PUMP REPLACED 3 TIMES. ON EACH OCCASION, THE DEALER, CHERRY HILL CLASSIC CARS, HAS ADVISED ME THAT THE PART IS ON BACK ORDER, AND THAT SAAB "MUST BE HAVING PROBLEMS" WITH OR, OR THAT "SABB IS REDESIGNING" THE PART. AFTER EACH TIME THE DEALER REPLACED THE PART, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AGAIN. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED, THE CAR WOULD HESITATE UPON ACCELERATION, OR WOULD "SPUTTER". THE DEALERSHIP NOW CLAIMS THAT THE SYSTEM TO WHICH THE VALVE IS CONNECTED IS "FILLING UP WITH WATER". AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THE VALVE RECIRCULATION ENGINE EXHAUST TO HELP THE ENGINE WARM UP AND/OR BURN FUEL MORE EFFICIENTLY. SAAB CUSTOMER SERVICE, IF YOU CAN CALL IT THAT, WAS UNAWARE OF THE PROBLEM. CUSTOMER SERVICE HAS NO WAY OF TRACKING THE PROBLEM AS "EACH DEALER IS INDEPENDENTLY OWNED". AS A RESULT, THE DEALER HAS HAD MY CAR FOR ALMOST A TWO MONTH PERIOD, AND THE PART IS STILL ON BACK ORDER. *JB

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT GAS GAUGE FAILURE. WHEN CONSUMER STARTED VEHICLE GAS GAUGES WERE OKAY. HOWEVER, WHEN DRIVING GAUGES SUDDENLY DROPPED. SOMETIMES WHEN THIS HAPPENED VEHICLE SHUT OFF. THERE HAD BEEN INCIDENTS WHERE VEHICLE TURNED OFF WHILE DRIVING. NO INJURY REPORTED. *AK *TC

THE CONSUMER IS EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE ACCELERATION. WHEN THE PEDAL IS APPLIED, THE VEHICLE HESITATES. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO BE INSPECTED AND HE WAS TOLD IT WAS NORMAL. *JB

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 25-30 MPH AND THE VEHICLE LOST STEERING AND BRAKE POWER. CONSUMER LOOKED AT THE DASHBOARD AND SAW THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ILLUMINATED. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER, AND WAS ADVISED BY THE MANUFACTURER TO UPDATE THE COMPUTER. HOWEVER, THE DEALER COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE DEFECT WHICH OCCURRED. *AK

A REOCCURRING ERROR WILL DISPLAY ON THE SAAB INFORMATION MANAGEMENT DISPLAY INDICATING A WHEEL LOCK ERROR. THIS ERROR SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING WITH INCREASING FREQUENCY. SAAB HAS REVIEWED THE VEHICLE MORE THAN FOUR TIMES, EACH TIME REPLACING PARTS; THESE PARTS HAVE BEEN: A NEW KEY, A NEW STEERING WHEEL COLUMN, AND TWO NEW SOLENOIDS IN THE STEERING COLUMN. THE SAAB DELEARSHIP HAS INDICATED THAT THERE IS POSSIBLY A FAULTY SOLENOID BUT IS UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING BUT TO KEEP REPLACING PARTS. *AK

RECALL ISSUES ABOUT SAAB AND PIRELLI. *BF AT 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD HYDROPLANE. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THE TREAD WEAR DID NOT QUALIFY THE TIRES FOR THE RECALL. *SC RECALL# 03V006000 PER THE CONSUMER *JB

THIS IS A SECOND COMPLAINT AND UPDATE TO 1/1/04 COMPLAINT PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED. SINCE THEN CAR HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER 2 ADDITIONAL TIMES FOR TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE WITH NO RESOLUTION. ALSO CAR HAS BEEN IN FOR BROKEN FRONT SEAT, FAULTY FINISH ON DOOR HANDLES AND DASH BOARD, BRAKE SQUEAL, AND PROBLEMS CLOSING SUN ROOF. ALL PROBLEMS CURED OTHER THAN TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE AND STEERING ALIGNMENT. CALLED SAAB USA PREVIOUSLY WHOM ADVISED TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH THE DEALER, WHO CAN NOT FIX. TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE CAN BE DANGEROUS WHEN DEPENDING ON AN AUTO TO REACT A CERTAIN WAY IN ACCIDENT AVOIDANCE SITUATIONS AND AUTO RESPONDS DIFFERENTLY. IN MY OPINION THIS PROBLEM COUPLED WITH ALL THE OTHERS IS A VIOLATION OF EXPRESS WARRANTIES OF THE MANUFACTURE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE ISSUE AS THERE ARE MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ON THIS MESSAGE BOARD. THANK YOU.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH VEHICLE SUDDENLY SURGED FORWARD AND THE ENGINE STALLED. THE DEALER STATDS AXLE EXPLODED. AS A RESULT, VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED. *AK

AFTER PUTTING THE VEHICLE IN PARK ENGINE REVVED AT A HIGH RATE, CAUSING VEHICLE TO HIT A WALL. CONSUMER SUSTAINED INJURIES. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK *TS

EXPERIENCED A SIDEWALL BLOWOUT OF THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE ON MY RECENTLY-PURCHASED SAAB 9-3 LINEAR. THE VEHICLE HAD 13.5K MILES WHEN PURCHASED, THE TIRE BLEW AT 14.2K. WAS DRIVING 50 MPH ON A LOCAL HIGHWAY, DID NOT HIT ANYTHING, TIRES HAD VERY RECENTLY BEEN INSPECTED FOR WEAR AND INFLATION, THERE WAS NO PRECIPITATING EVENT PRIOR TO HEARING A LOUD "POP"; SHORTLY THEREAFTER FELT AND HEARD THE EFFECTS OF THE DEFLATED TIRE. TIRE REMAINED ON THE WHEEL, BUT WAS FLAT WITH A SIGNIFICANT HOLE IN THE SIDEWALL. THE TIRES ON THE VEHICLE WERE PIRELLI P6 FOUR SEASON TIRES 215/55R16.*AK