2006 SAAB 9-3 Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SAAB 9-3. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED. IMMEDIATELY, THE BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR PEDALS FAILED TO RESPOND AND THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE ENGINE FAILED TO RESTART AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE IDLING WITHIN THE COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS FOR IDENTICAL FAILURES. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE FAILURES WERE RELATED TO THE TEMPERATURE SENSOR, WHICH WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE CONTINUED AND THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY BEING REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 40,550.

LOSS OF BRAKE POWER ASSIST AFTER A COLD START UP. THE VEHICLE IS VERY HARD TO STOP, REQUIRING HIGH PEDAL PRESSURE, UNTIL THE CAR HAS WARMED UP FOR ~30 SECONDS. THIS HAS OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES OVER THE PAST 6 MONTHS. *TR

I HAVE A 2006 SAAB 9-3 AERO, MANUAL TRANSMISSION, APPROXIMATELY 26,500 MILES. SINCE AS EARLY AS OCTOBER, 2007 THE INSTRUMENT PANEL OCCASIONALLY GOES BLANK WHILE THE CAR IS OPERATING. THIS OCCURS IN ALL MANNER OF DRIVING CONDITIONS. IT IS AS IF THE CAR HAS BEEN TURNED OFF. HOWEVER, THE CAR CONTINUES TO RUN. WHEN THIS OCCURS, THE BRAKE LIGHTS, TURN SIGNALS, WINDSHIELD WIPERS, RADIO, WINDOWS AND AIR CONDITIONING SHUT OFF OR DO NOT OPERATE. ON OCCASION, PARTICULARLY WHEN THE CAR HAS BEEN LEFT IN THE SUN, IT WILL NOT START AND THE KEY FOB WILL NOT OPERATE THE DOORS. THE CAR HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER FOUR TIMES FOR THIS ISSUE. THEY HAVE REPLACED A STEERING CIM (?) AND, AFTER THE LATEST INCIDENT, ON JUNE 2, 2009, THE IGNITION SWITCH. NONETHELESS, ON JUNE 7, 2009, THE CONDITION OCCURRED AGAIN. *TR

FOR THE SECOND TIME IN 24 HOURS THE COOLANT TANK HAS FAILED. THIS TIME IT REQUIRED THE CAR TO BE TOWED BACK TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS. TANK LEAKED ALL THE COOLANT FROM THE SYSTEM DUE TO TANK FAILURE. *TR

MAJOR LEAKAGE FROM COOLANT EXPANSION TANK. SAAB DEALER REPORTED THE TANK HAD CRACKED AND REQUIRED REPLACING. TANK REPLACED. SERVICE MGR STATED THAT SAAB HAS AN ISSUE WITH THESE TANKS ON THE 2.8 V6 TURBO ENGINES. *TR

IN AUGUST 2007, WE HAD TO HAVE OUR 2006 SAAB 9-3 SPORTCOMBI TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, AS THE COOLANT EXPANSION TANK RUPTURED WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY AND ALL THE COOLANT HAD LEAKED FROM THE ENGINE. THE COOLANT EXPANSION TANK WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. IN OCTOBER 2008, WE AGAIN EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE COOLANT EXPANSION TANK LEAKING AND AGAIN HAD TO HAVE IT REPLACED AT A COST OF $389.32 PLUS THE COST OF A RENTAL CAR, AS THE PARTS WERE NOT IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN HAS BEEN ISSUED BY SAAB REGARDING THIS RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THE TURBO V-6 ENGINE, AS THE TURBOCHARGER IS LOCATED TOO CLOSE TO THE EXPANSION TANK. I DO NOT FEEL THAT IT IS REASONABLE TO HAVE TO REPLACE THE COOLANT EXPANSION TANK TWICE WITHIN A 14 MONTH PERIOD ON A CAR THAT IS LESS THAN 3 YEARS OLD. I FILED A CLAIM WITH SAAB CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY RESPONDED THAT SINCE IT HAD BEEN MORE THAN ONE YEAR SINCE THE PARTS HAD BEEN REPLACED, AND THE CAR WAS NO LONGER COVERED UNDER THE BUMPER-TO-BUMPER WARRANTY, THEY WOULD NOT TAKE ANY ACTION. ALSO, THE ORIGINAL REPAIRS WERE MADE AT A DEALERSHIP THAT HAS SINCE CLOSED AND CONSOLIDATED AT A SECOND DEALERSHIP THAT IS SOME DISTANCE AWAY (IN SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA). THE DEALERSHIP IN SAN FRANCISCO SAYS THAT THE REPAIRS IN SAAB'S SYSTEM INDICATE THAT ONLY THE COOLANT EXPANSION TANK CAP WAS REPLACED THE FIRST TIME, WHICH DOES NOT AGREE WITH THE INVOICE THAT I HAVE. IN SUMMARY, I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A FAULTY DESIGN INVOLVED, AND THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD COVER THE COST OF THE REPAIRS, NOT US. I AM CONCERNED REGARDING THE RELIABILITY OF THE CAR, AND SHOULD WE CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS WITH THE COOLANT SYSTEM, WE WILL HAVE TO REPLACE THE VEHICLE. *TR

CAR WILL NOT STOP WHEN IN REVERSE AFTER MORNING START-UP. NO BRAKING POWER IN REVERSE EVEN AT IDLE. PROBLEM HAS BEEN ADDRESSED 3 TIMES BY DEALERSHIP. CAR IN AGAIN FOR SAME PROBLEM ONLY 5 DAYS AFTER PREVIOUS "FIX" IN SHOP AGAIN NOW ALMOST 2 WEEKS AS OF TODAY. *TR

THE COOLANT SYSTEM TANK RUPTURED SPRAYING ENGINE COOLANT OVER TURBO AND ENGINE. THE COOLANT TANK HAS BEEN REPLACED 2 TIMES IN THE PAST 9 MONTHS. IT IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP AWAITING A NEW COOLANT TANK. *TR

I OWN A 2006 SAAB 9-3 AERO SPORT COMBI. TWO WEEKS AGO, AFTER THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED FOR 24 HOURS, I STARTED THE VEHICLE AND PLACED THE GEAR SHIFT IN REVERSE. THE VEHICLE STARTED ROLLING OUT OF THE DRIVE WAY. THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS ROCK HARD AT THE TOP OF THE STROKE. IT TOOK ME NEARLY 75 FEET TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING AT 2-3 MPH. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE THE BRAKE BOOSTER IS BACK ORDERED. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR THIS COMPLAINT. EACH TIME THE AUX. BRAKE BOOSTER WAS REPLACED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SAAB 9-3. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. NO WARNING LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A TEN FOOT BARRIER. GM SENT AN ENGINEER TO GATHER EVIDENCE AND SURVEY THE DAMAGE. ONE OCCUPANT WAS INJURED AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. GM STATED THAT THEY WILL TAKE APART THE VEHICLE TO FIND OUT WHY IT STALLED AND CRASHED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 36,000.