2000 SAAB 9-3 Complaints

WHILE DRIVING MY CAR I HAD TO PUSH ON THE BRAKES FAIRLY HARD. THE SEAT BELT RETRACTED AND THEN STAYED RETRACTED. I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR A PROPER REPLACEMENT FOR THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT AND HAVE YET TO FIND ONE FOR LESS THAN $200.00 FOR A USED ONE AND OVER $300.00 FOR A REFURBISHED ONE. GM JUST HAPPENS TO HAVE NEW ONES BUT THEY ARE ALMOST $500.00 ACCORDING TO THE REP FROM GM.THESE SEAT BELTS HAVE A CHARGING CYLINDER ON THEM THAT SETS OFF THE AIR BAG. THAT ALONE CAUSES YOU TO HAVE TO SHIP IT AS A HAZARDOUS MATERIAL.IF YOU CAN FIND SOMEONE TO SHIP IT AT A REASONABLE COST. (NOT HAPPENING)IF YOU GO WITH THE "UNIVERSAL" SEAT BELT SOLD BY SOME COMPANIES THEY DON'T EVEN WORK AND YOU ARE TOLD TO JUST CUT THE SEAT BELT TO MAKE IT FIT. KIND OF DESTROYS THE INTEGRITY OF THE SEAT BELT BY DOING THAT I WOULD THINK. I HAVE MADE TWO COMPLAINTS WITH GM ABOUT THIS AND CONSIDERING THEY HAD JUST RECALLED THE 2004-2009 SAAB'S FOR THE EXACT SAME ISSUE I THOUGHT THEY MIGHT WORK WITH ME TO SOME EXTENT. I KNOW NOW THAT IT IS NOT THE CASE. THANK YOU FOR ANY HELP YOU CAN PROVIDE. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR UPDATED 3/13/2015 *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVERS SEAT BELT WAS NOT RETRACTING PROPERLY WHICH PREVENTED HIM FROM BEING PROPERLY SECURED. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO WEAR THE SEAT BELT SINCE IT WAS NOT LONG ENOUGH TO CONNECT TO THE LATCH BECAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS SCHEDULED FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135,000.

I WAS DRIVING DOWN MY NEIGHBORHOOD STREET GOING APPROXIMATELY 15MPH WHEN MY PASSENGER SIDE IMPACT AIRBAG SPONTANEOUSLY DEPLOYED CAUSING A LOUD EXPLOSION SOUND AND MY PASSENGERS SIDE INSIDE DOOR HANDLE WAS EJECTED FROM THE DOOR. I HAD NOT HIT ANYONE OR ANYTHING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SAAB 9-3 CONVERTIBLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT RETRACT AND BECAME TIGHT AROUND THE CONTACT. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT BEGAN CHOKING FROM THE PRESSURE OF THE SEAT BELT BECOMING TIGHTER. THE CONTACT SPOKE TO THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE SEAT BELTS WERE NOT UNDER WARRANTY. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 112,334.

I WAS DRIVING TO THE STORE WHEN I HEARD BOOM AND SEEN SMOKE AND I REALISE THE SIDE AIRBAG OPEN. I DID NOT COME IN CONTACT WITH ANYTHING . THE DRIVER SEATBELT WENT ABOUT A YEAR AGO, IT BEGAN JAM MEACHICAN SAIDED THAT PULLEY JAM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED WHEN SHE EXPERIENCED EXTREME DIFFICULTY PULLING THE FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT BELT OUT OF ITS PRETENSIONER. THE FAILURE RECURRED WHENEVER THE SEAT BELT WAS OPERATED. APPROXIMATELY FIVE YEARS LATER, THE PRETENSIONER FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, BUT WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT STATED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS HE WAS TAKING THE VEHICLE FOR EMISSIONS TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS REJECTED DUE TO THE CODES THAT SHOWED ON THE EMISSION TEST. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC WHO ADVISED THAT THE IDM CODE, WHICH IS THE IGNITION DISCHARGE MODULE, CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL, OVER HEAT AND FOR THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED WHO INFORMED HIM TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN BECAUSE IT WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 05V399000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: IGNITION: MODULE). HE THEN TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY LATER INFORMED HIM THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AND HE WOULD HAVE TO PAY $700 FOR THE REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHO CONFIRMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL AND HE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE WAS MILEAGE 106,871.

GAS STARTED LEAKING AT A STEADY STREAM FROM THE TOP OF THE TANK WHENEVER THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. FROM THE DEALER REPAIR STATEMENT: "CUSTOMER STATES CHECK RAW GAS LEAKING FROM ABOVE THE FUEL TANK, ONLY WITH CAR RUNNING. FUEL TANK RETAINER CLIP BROKEN. REPLACED FUEL TANK RETAINER CLIP." MY CONCERN: THIS EXACT SAME PROBLEM (FUEL TANK RETAINER CLIP FAILURE AND LEAKING GAS) WAS A SAFETY RECALL FOR 2001 AND NEWER SAAB 9-3S. SAAB SHOULD HAVE INCLUDED 2000 MODELS AS WELL SINCE THEY HAVE THE SAME DESIGN (ACCORDING TO THE DEALER AND COMMENTS ON THE WEB). OVERALL, THIS IS A GOOD CAR, BUT SAFETY MATTERS!

I HAVE A 2000 SAAB 9-3 CONVERTIBLE. I WAS CLEANING THE VEHICLE AND HAD THE DRIVER DOOR OPEN. I SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE AREA BETWEEN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AND THE RIGHT DOOR. I OPENED THE RIGHT DOOR TO FIND THE LIGHT FIXTURE IN THE RIGHT QUARTER PANEL HAD FALLEN OUT AND WAS BURNING THE SEAT COVER BY THE AIR BAG. THE LAMP REFLECTOR IS METAL AND BURNED THE SEAT COVER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SAAB 9-3. IN 2006, THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 05V399000. THE FAILURE WAS NOT PRESENT AT THE TIME, BUT THE IGNITION CONTROL MODULE WAS REPLACED AS A PRECAUTIONARY REMEDY. AFTER THE REPAIR, THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE AND OFTEN STALL. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE RECALL REPAIR WAS PERFORMED; THEREFORE, THEY WOULD NOT ASSUME ANY FURTHER LIABILITY. THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTY STARTING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED CORRECTLY. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,200 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 107,000.