2004 SAAB 9-3 Complaints

ON, 8/18/2009 AS I WAS DRIVING I HEARD SOMETHING SNAP IN THE DRIVER'S SIDE B-PILLAR TRIM AT THIS SAME MOMENT MY SEATBELT WENT COMPLETELY LOOSE. IT WILL NO LONGER RETRACT, THE BELT PULLS OUT FREELY WITH NO RESISTANCE AND IS NOW COMPLETELY OUT AND WILL NOT RETRACT. IN THE EVENT OF AN EVASIVE MANEUVER/CRASH I (THE DRIVER) WILL NOT BE HELD INTO THE SEAT PROPERLY AND RISK BEING EJECTED FROM THE VEHICLE. THERE IS CURRENTLY A RECALL IN THE 03/04 SAAB 9-3'S FOR THE FRONT SEATBELT RETRACTORS. I HAVE CONTACTED SAAB USA; THEY WILL NOT REPLACE THE RETRACTOR BECAUSE MY VIN FALLS RIGHT OUTSIDE OF THE COVERED RECALLED CARS. I BELIEVE THAT MY CAR IS SUFFERING FROM THE RECALLED ITEM, AND THAT THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO INCLUDE A LARGER VIN RANGE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SAAB 9-3. WHEN THE CONTACT RELEASED THE SEAT BELT, THE MECHANISM ON THE DOOR POST MADE A LOUD NOISE AND THE SEAT BELT FAILED. THE DEALER ADVISED HER TO CALL THE MANUFACTURER FOR ASSISTANCE. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED HER TO NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS AND THEN HAVE THE DEALER INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE SEAT BELT FAILED AND WOULD COST $400 TO REPAIR. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V226000 (SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR); HOWEVER, THE DEALER STATED THAT THIS RECALL DOES NOT EXIST. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 49,200. UPDATED 08/04/09 *BF THE RIGHT FRONT COIL SPRING WAS BROKEN. UPDATED 08/10/09.*JB

BOTH FRONT COIL SPRINGS WERE BROKEN WHEN THE CAR WENT IN FOR INSPECTION. EACH OF THE FRONT SPRINGS HAD APPROXIMATELY 3-4 INCH LONG PIECE BROKEN OFF WHERE IT MEETS THE BOTTOM RETAINER. AWAITING WORD FROM SAAB TO SEE IF THEY ARE GOING TO COVER THE REPAIR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SAAB 9-3. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 30-35 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A STRANGE NOISE UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE NOISE WAS FIRST NOTICED TWO WEEKS AGO. HE JACKED UP THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE COIL SPRING FAILED. THE CONTACT FEELS THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE A CRASH COULD HAVE OCCURRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 24,500.

SEVERAL MONTHS AGO I HAD PLACED MY 2004 9-3 SAAB IN PARK AND LEFT THE CAR RUNNING TO GET OUT AND TURN OFF MY SPRINKLERS. WHILE OUT OF THE CAR THE VEHICLE ROLLED UP THE DRIVEWAY AND HEADED TO WARDS MY GARAGE NARROWLY MISSING MY HOUSE. I RAN AFTER THE CAR AND JUMPED IN THE DRIVERS SEAT JUST AS THE CAR MADE CONTACT WITH THE GARAGE DOOR. I WAS ABLE TO PUT ON THE BRAKE AND STOP THE CAR BEFORE IT KNOCKED DOWN THE WHOLE GARAGE. I CONTACTED SAAB IMMEDIATELY AND THEY HAD THE CAR CHECKED BY THEIR MECHANICS WHO SAID THEY COULD FIND NOTHING. I KNOW THAT I HAD PUT THE CAR IN PARK BEFORE EXITING. THE CAR ALSO WAS PARKED ON AN INCLINE AND INSTEAD OF ROLLING BACKWARDS HAD IT NOT BEEN IN PARK IT ACTUALLY ROLLED UP THE DRIVEWAY AS IF IT WENT FROM PARK INTO DRIVE. I WAS UNAWARE OF THE ISSUE UNTIL I HEARD THAT GM HAS OTHER CARS WITH THE SAME ISSUE. SINCE THEY ARE TRYING TO SELL SAAB I AM SURE THEY ARE TRYING TO HIDE THAT THIS PROBLEM MAY ALSO EXIST IN THE SAABS AS WELL. *TR

2004 SAAB 93 ARC 63,000 MILES. BROKEN COIL SPRING. I WAS DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED WHEN I FELT A LARGE THUMP. MY STEERING WENT ERRATIC AND HEARD GRINDING NOISES. I PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY. CAR WAS TOWED. THE CAUSE AND DAMAGE WAS DETERMINED TO BE A BROKEN COIL SPRING WHICH CHAIN REACTED AND CAUSED THE FRONT STRUT TO BREAK, AND BEND THE STABILIZER BAR. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS, I HAVE FOUND THIS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM IN 03-05 SAAB 9-3 (LISTED WITH NHTSA AS WELL AS OTHER SOURCES) IT IS NOT RECALLED AND SAAB HAS YET TO DETERMINE IF THEY WILL FIX THIS AS A COURTESY. BILL, $1200. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SAAB 9-3 CONVERTIBLE. THE CONTACT WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH; HOWEVER, HIS AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO SERIOUS INJURIES, BUT THE DRIVER AND HIS SPOUSE COMPLAINED OF ACHES AND PAINS. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE DEALER WAS INFORMED OF THE AIR BAG FAILURE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 42,000. UPDATED 5/27/09 *CN

MY DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT WEBBING WILL NO LONGER RETRACT. THIS OCCURRED THIS MORNING DURING MY NORMAL COMMUTE TO WORK THIS MORNING, AT WHICH TIME THERE WAS A SUDDEN BREAKING SOUND FROM BEHIND THE MOLDING. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 SAAB 9-3 THAT HAS EXPERIENCED A FRONT SUSPENSION COIL SPRING FAILURE. THERE HAS BEEN NO DAMAGE AS OF YET BUT I WOULD LIKE GM TO PAY FOR REPLACING THE DEFECTIVE PART. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SAAB 9-3. WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO BUCKLE HER FRONT SEAT BELT, SHE NOTICED THAT THE RETRACTOR FAILED. THIS PREVENTED THE BELT WEBBING FROM RETRACTING. THE DEALER STATED THAT HER VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V226000 (SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR). IT WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $497 TO REPLACE THE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR ASSEMBLY. THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF HAVING THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 47,000.