1999 SAAB 9-3 Complaints

I HAVE A 1999 9-3 CONVERTIBLE, BOUGHT CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED FROM THE DEALER (SANTA MONICA SAAB) IN 2002. LAST SUMMER, THE CEL CAME ON AT ABOUT 38K, SO I HAD THE ENGINE SERVICED AT THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED BY THE MANAGER THAT THE CODES INDICATED A DI CASSETTE FAILURE AND ALSO POSSIBLE OXYGEN SENSOR FAILURE AS A RESULT. AT THAT TIME, I HADN'T EXPERIENCED ANY ENGINE STALLING OR FAILURE AS A RESULT OF THIS PROBLEM BUT WAS WARNED THAT IT MIGHT FAIL WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING IF THE DI CASSETTE WASN'T REPLACED. I TOOK THAT RISK, DRIVING ONLY LIMITED DISTANCES (IN/AROUND TOWN ONLY) FOR A FEW MONTHS W/THE CEL INTERMITTENTLY ON BUT OTHERWISE NO DISCERNABLE PROBLEMS. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, I FOUND A SAAB MECHANIC AND ASKED HIM TO REPLACE THE DI CASSETTE ON APRIL 1, 2005 (LABOR COST WAS MINOR; THE PART, HOWEVER, WAS $500). I ALSO HAD THE O2 SENSOR REPLACED AS WELL BUT SINCE THEN HAVE EXPERIENCED SOME STALLING AT IDLE, THE CAUSE OF WHICH IS STILL TO BE DETERMINED (THROUGH A PROCESS OF ELIMINATION...AND CONTINUED VISITS TO MY MECHANIC). I SHOULD NOTE THAT I WAS TOLD BY BOTH THE DEALER SERVICE MANAGER AND MY MECHANIC THAT THE DI CASSETTE FAILURE HAPPENS RATHER FREQUENTLY. BUT CONSIDERING THAT MY CAR AT THE TIME OF FAILURE HAD LESS THAN 40K AND WAS WELL-MAINTAINED, I WAS SURPRISED THAT THIS HAPPENED, IN MY OPINION, THROUGH NO FAULT OF MY OWN. THROUGH READING OF AND POSTING TO THE SAABCENTRAL FORUM, I'VE DISCOVERED QUITE A FEW OTHER SAAB OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, ALL OF US WONDERING WHAT GM/SAAB IS DOING TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. SOME OWNERS, IT SEEMS, HAVE RESIGNED THEMSELVES TO FREQUENT DI CASSETTE FAILURES. THOUGH I DIDN'T EXPERIENCE THE ENGINE FAILURE AS SOME DRIVERS HAVE, I STILL THINK THAT A $500 PART SHOULDN'T FAIL SO EARLY AND OFTEN,AND I FIND THE SUGGESTED SOLUTION (DRIVING AROUND W/A SPARE DI CASSETTE) UNACCEPTABLE.

DASH INFORMATION DISPLAY PIXELS BURN OUT/DISAPPEAR. WHILE ANNOYING FOR TIME AND RADIO DISPLAY, THIS COULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE AS THIS DISPLAY REPORTS TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE (IN ICY CONDITIONS) AND MECHANICAL/FUNCTIONAL PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR. IF THE DISPLAY IS ILLEGIBLE A DRIVER COULD MISINTERPRET A PROBLEM.

FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG DEPLOYED WHILE CAR WAS PARKED IN HOME DRIVEWAY. DRIVER SHUT HIS DOOR NORMALLY AND AIRBAG DEPLOYED, HITTING PASSENGER WHO WAS STILL GETTING ADJUSTED IN HER SEAT.*AK

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO RESTART VEHICLE, AND HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. MECHANIC INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED ON A DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE, AND THE COMPUTER RECORDED A CODE REFERRING TO THE COMPUTER SYSTEM. *AK

VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOSES POWER WHEN THE FUSE TO THE FUEL PUMP BLOWS. *MR THE MECHANICS SUGGESTED THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THEY DID NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESS. *SC *JB

WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND PULLED OVER. CONSUMER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE, AND NOTICED THAT FLUID WAS LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*AL

PROBLEMS WITH AIR BAG SYSTEM IN 1999 SAAB.*MR THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE AUTOMOTIVE GROUP TRIED FOUR TIMES TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THE FIRST THREE TIMES THEY DID NOT REPAIR ANYTHING, THEY JUST TURNED OFF THE AIR BAG LIGHT AND THE LAST TIME THEY REPLACED A PART, HOWEVER THEY PROBLEM CONTINUED. *JB

THE AIR BAG ALARM IS "ON" IN THE CAR, FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME IT WILL BE IN THE SHOP FOR REPAIR OF THIS DEFECT WITHIN THE LAST 15 MONTHS! APPARENTLY, THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE DRIVER'S SEAT?? *JB SINCE THERE IS NO WAY TO DETERMINE IF THE AIRBAGS WILL WORK WHILE THE LIGHT IS "ON", AND SINCE THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH A SAFETY FEATURE, IT COULD BE A SERIOUS PROBLEM. AFTER ALL, THE CAR IS STILL DRIVABLE WHILE THE LIGHT IS ON. *JB

HEATER BOX FROZE UP UPONE TURNING THE CONTROL DIAL TO DEFROST WINDSHIELD...INTERNET DISCUSSION BOARDS SAY SAAB KNOWS OF THIS PROBLEM. VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR TO FIX PROPERLY AND PERMANENTLY...PROBABLY TAKING THIS TO SMALL CLAIMS BASED UPON WHAT I'VE READ...

TWISTED SEAT BELTS; FRONT AND REAR ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE DEALERSHIP HAS UNTWISTED THESE BELTS ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. IN A FEW CASES, IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF WEEKS BEFORE I HAD TO RETURN TO HAVE THEM UNTWISTED AGAIN. THE DEALERSHIP WAS ALSO VERY FORTHCOMING INFORMING ME THAT THIS IS A ONGOING OCCURENCE IN THIS SAAB MODEL. I CANNOT SEE WHY THEY HAVE NOT BEEN RECALLED, SINCE SAAB KNOWS OF THEIR FAULTY DESIGN. THEY ARE UNSAFE, AND I CANNOT SEE HOW THEY WILL FUNCTION PROPERLY IN AN ACCIDENT.*AK