2003 SAAB 9-3 Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY REFUSED TO TURN TO THE ON POSITION AND A STEERING WHEEL LOCK MALFUNCTION MESSAGE APPEARED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

DRIVING STEADY PACE, SID FADES OUT, RADIO SHUTS OFF, GAUGES TURN OFF, AND ENGINE SHUT OFF. PULLED OVER AND WHITE SMOKE CAME OUT FROM ENGINE BAY. IT WAS FROM THE SOLENOID ON THE STARTER. I GOT A NEW STARTER AND THE BATTERY WAS DEAD. I THEN BOUGHT A NEW BATTERY AND THE SAME ISSUE OCCURRED. I HAD TO CHARGE THE BATTERY UP TO 100% TO GET THE CAR STARTED. THE ALTERNATOR WAS FINE SO MY BELIEF IS THERE IS AN OPEN CIRCUIT SOMEWHERE IN THE CAR. JUST RECENTLY THE SAME SITUATION HAPPENED AGAIN, STARTER MOTOR BURNED UP AND BATTERY DRAINED. *TR

AS I WAS DRIVING IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF THE 3 NORTHBOUND LANES OF U.S. 23, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STALLED. I WAS GOING ABOUT 62 MPH. I ACTIVATED MY EMERGENCY FLASHERS, SHIFTED THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION TO NEUTRAL, AND SHUT OFF THE IGNITION KEY. I THEN TURNED THE IGNITION KEY TO RESTART THE ENGINE AND IT RESTARTED. THIS IS ABOUT THE 5TH TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST 5 MONTHS. THIS VEHICLE SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN GMS IGNITION RECALL!!! *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STALLED. SLOWED AND STOPPED VEHICLE OFF SIDE OF ROAD. TURNED KEY TO OFF POSITION, THEN RE-STARTED VEHICLE WHEN TURNED KEY TO ON. CAR RAN FINE AFTER RE-STARTED. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES. SUSPECT DEFECTIVE IGNITION SWITCH, BUT THIS VEHICLE IS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST. *TR

I HAVE ALSO BEEN HAVING ISSUES WITH THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SUSPENSION. I WOULD HAVE TO CHECK MY RECORDS, BUT I BELIEVE IT STARTED WHEN THE CAR HAD ABOUT 25K MILES ON IT. THE SPRINGS ARE STILL IN TACT, BUT I WOULD NOTICE A VERY LOUD CREAKING NOISE GOING OVER SPEED BUMPS IN PARKING LOTS, ESPECIALLY IN COLD TEMPERATURES. I BROUGHT IT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE DEALERSHIP WHILE IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND THEY DID NOT OFFER ANY RESOLUTION. AFTER READING THE LARGE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS OF BROKEN SPRINGS, I NOW KNOW WHY I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR ON THE FREEWAY. I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO GET THIS FIXED UNDER A RECALL BEFORE IT CAUSES AN ACCIDENT AND SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. *TR

MICHELIN PILOT SPORT A/S 3 DOT: B9N) 11RX 3213 THESE TIRES HAVE TO BE DEFECTED!!!! WITH NO WARNING, THE PILOT SPORT A/S 3 TIRE JUST BLEW! BAM CAR PULLED HARD TO THE SIDE OF THE FLAT TIRE AND DRIVER STEERED OVER TO THE SHOULDER OF I95 THE TIRE'S THREADS COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM BOTH THE INNER & OUTER WALLS OF THE TIRE. THE RIM WAS STILL HOLDING ONTO A THIN STRIP OF THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE TIRE- WHERE THE RIM AND TIRE CONNECT. A WEEK PRIOR TO THE INCIDENCE THE CAR HAD THE 40K SERVICE INCLUDING TIRES ROTATION. NITROGEN AIR WAS AT THE CORRECT INFLATION LEVEL AS WELL. AND THE DAY PRIOR TO THE BLOW OUT. NEW BREAKS WERE INSTALLED AND ALL THE TIRES AND ALIGNMENT WERE CHECKED AGAIN-- WITH NO PROBLEMS TO BE FOUND. JUST PULLING OUT OF A SERVICE STATION THAT INSPECTED THE TIRES TO NOTE ONLY MINOR WEAR. LOW MILES ON THE TIRES AND NOT HITTING ANYTHING TO CAUSE A FLAT= SOMETHING WRONG NOT RIGHT WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS TIRE. TIRES WERE: 6 MONTHS OLD, FROM COSTCO, WITH ABOUT 5,000 MILES TOPS. THE DOT CODE STATES THAT IT WAS A 2013 TIRE. THOSE LITTLE TIRE NUBS HAVEN'T EVEN HAD A CHANCE TO WEAR DOWN YET. PLEASE LOOK INTO THESES TIRES!! I GO TO COSTCO TOMORROW FOR A REPLACEMENT. I AM AFRAID THAT THESE ARE DEFECTED TIRES AND I HAVE 3 MORE ON THE CAR. I WILL KEEP THE SHREDDED TIRE IN CASE IT IS NEEDED FOR INVESTIGATION PURPOSES. *JS

I WAS DRIVING AND THE CAR SHUT DOWN 2 TIMES WHILE DRIVING. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND IT IS A KNOW PROBLEM THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH ON THE 2003 SAAB 9-3 CAUSES STALLING AND LOCK SYSTEM FAILURES. IF FACT AT ONE POINT THE IGNITION SWITCHES WERE BACK ORDERED FOR THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS A SPORADIC PROBLEM AND COMES AND GOES. *TR

DRIVING DOWN STREET AT 30 MPH. LEFT SIDE FRONT SPRING BROKE. SPRING STUCK OUT AND SHREDDED TIRE. LEFT SIDE OF CAR DROPPED, WHICH THEN CAUSED RIGHT SIDE SPRING TO COME OFF AND CUT RIGHT SIDE TIRE. HAD TO REPLACE BOTH FRONT SPRING / STRUT ASSEMBLIES, AND REPLACE 2 TIRES. RESEARCHED PROBLEM, FOUND THAT GM MANUFACTURED THESE CARS IN 2003 - 2006 AND WAS OFFERING A WARRANTY TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. MY SAAB IS SEVERAL MONTHS PAST THE WARRANTY DATES BUT NOT THE MILEAGE LIMIT. HOWEVER, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE ORIGINAL PARTS WERE FAULTY OR DEFECTIVE. VERY DANGEROUS, AS IF CAR WERE TRAVELING FASTER IT COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I WOULD HOPE GM WOULD CORRECT OR PAY FOR A TRUE SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

THE VEHICLE WILL BECOME ALMOST IMMOBILE IN FIRST AND SECOND GEAR (MANUAL TRANSMISSION). ONCE IN THIRD GEAR, PERFORMANCE IS BACK TO NORMAL. IF DRIVER IS NOT AWARE OF SITUATION (CRUISE LIGHT OFF IS ONLY INDICATION IF CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM IS TURNED ON), DRIVER CAN EASILY GET INTO BAD SITUATION AS CAR WILL NOT PERFORM AS USUAL (VERY SIGNIFICANT DEGRADATION OF PERFORMANCE). ALL THAT IS NEEDED TO RESET PROBLEM IS TO TURN THE KEY OFF AND RESTART THE ENGINE AND THE CONDITION WILL GO AWAY FOR AS LITTLE AS 10 MINUTES OR UP TO AS MUCH AS 2 HOURS OF DRIVING. IT IS SUSPECTED THAT THIS PROBLEM COULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE AIR MASS SENSOR AS REPLACING AIR MASS SENSOR WITH USED PART, PROBLEM DISAPPEARED FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE IF DRIVER IS NOT AWARE AND TRIES TO MAKE A QUICK MANEUVER INVOLVING TIGHT TRAFFIC (LEFT TURN WHEN PERFORMANCE IS PARAMOUNT). WHATEVER THIS CONDITION IS THAT THE ELECTRONICS/ENGINE CONTROLS IS/ARE ENTERING IS UNACCEPTABLE AND THIS PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED BY THE MANUFACTURER IN A RECALL. *TR

MY VEHICLE WAS COVERED UNDER A SEAT BELT RECALL, AND WAS SERVICED IN 2005. I PURCHASED THE CAR USED, BUT ACCORDING TO THE PREVIOUS OWNER, THE SEAT BELT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE HAS BEEN BROKEN FOR AT LEAST A YEAR. THE REPLACEMENT DID NOT FIX THE ISSUE, IN THIS CASE. *TR