2001 SAAB 9-3 Complaints

DIC FAILURE DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE FAILUER DI CASSETTE FAILURE. THOSE ARE THE TERMS I'VE HEARD FOR THIS PROBLEM THAT AFFECTS ALL SAABS IN THE MODEL YEARS 99-04. I HAVE A 2001 9-3 CONVERTIBLE AND IT LOST POWER ALL OF A SUDDEN BECAUSE OF A DEFECTIVE PART THAT IS IN EVERY SINGLE SAAB FOR MANY YEARS. LOSING POWER AT HIGH SPED IS NOT ONLY INCONVENIENT, BUT DANGEROUS AND FRIGHTENING. SAAB NEEDS TO BE FORCED TO RECALL ALL SAABS AND REPLACE THE DI CASSETTE WITH ONE THAT WORKS. PLEASE ORDER THIS IMMEDIATELY. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AFFECTING THOUSANDS OF CARS. THANK YOU.

DT: FUEL LINE CAME LOOSE ON THE CAR. WHILE DRIVING I SMELLED GAS AND STOPPED LOOKED UNDERNEATH AND GAS WAS POURING OUT ONTO THE GROUND. TURN ED CAR OFF, CRANKED IT UP AGAIN, AND WAS LEAKING EVERYWHERE. HAD TOWED TO DEALER, AND LINE HAD COME LOOSE AT THE CLAMP. CONNECTED THE LINE WITH NEW CLAMP AT THE COST OF $ *AK

I WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON THE HIGHWAY FROM SYRACUSE TO CORTLAND TO NEW YORK WHEN ABOUT QUARTER WAY THEIR MY CAR SHUT DOWN RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY AND I WAS ALMOST INVOLVED IN A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT DUE TO THIS FAILURE. THE FAILURE WAS A BAD DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE WHICH CAUSED MY CAR TO SHUT DOWN IMMEDIATELY. APPARENTLY THE SAME PART HAS BEEN USED AND FAILING FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS TO THIS DATE. WHEN I BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR THE DIC REPLACEMENT IT COST ME $500.00 FOR 5 SEC. OF TIME. WHEN I TOLD THE MECHANICS ABOUT THE PROBLEM THEY LAUGHED AND SAID THEY NEW WHAT IT WAS AND THAT IT HAD BEEN FAILING FOR YEARS AND THEY MAKE GOOD MONEY OFF OF THE PART AND THIS IS THE SAME THING I AM HEARING FROM OTHER SAAB 9-3 DRIVERS. I THEN PROCEEDED TO RESPOND TO SAAB CORPORATION WITH WHICH THEY WOULD NEITHER REIMBURSE ME FOR THEIR PART FAILURE AND THEY AVOIDED MY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIIS TYPICAL FAILURE AND HOW IT FAILED. I WOULD LIKE TO QUIT BEING AVOIDED AND GET SOME ACTION OR RESPONSE FROM THIS CORPORATION

I OWN A 2001 SAAB 9-3 AND WISH TO ALERT YOU TO A PROBLEM WITH THE SAAB DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE. A DISCUSSION ON WWW.SAABNET.COM INFORMED ME THAT THE FAILURE RATE OF THIS PART IS APPARENTLY 100%. THE DI CASSETTE CAN GO AT ANY TIME AND CAUSE THE ENGINE TO SUDDENLY STOP IN TRAFFIC. IT HAPPENED TO ME ON A RAINY DAY AS I WAS TAKING MY ELDERLY MOTHER TO HER DOCTOR. SHE HAD HAD HIP REPLACEMENT AND SPINAL SURGERY, AND HAD GREAT DIFFICULTY GETTING INTO THE TOW TRUCK CAB. (SHE DIED TWO MONTHS LATER, NOT RELATED TO THIS INCIDENT- BUT SHE WAS FRAIL). MY CAR'S WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED AND IT COST $600 TO HAVE TO DI CASSETTE REPLACED, NOT COUNTING TOWING EXPENSES AND OTHER HARDSHIP. APPARENTLY SAAB KNOWS THIS IS A DEFECT, AND IT IS POTENTIAL SAFETY RISK WAITING TO HAPPEN.

DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE FAILED WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH. CAR LOST POWER, INCLUDING ELECTRICITY AND POWER STEERING. WAS ABLE TO RESTART CAR, BUT SHUT DOWN AGAIN ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER. *AK

WHILE STOPPED THE CONSUMER SMELLED FUEL COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE EXITED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED FUEL LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. IT WAS TOWED TO A DEALER FOR INSPECTION, THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK *SC *JB PHONE INTERVIEW UPDATE: THE COMPLAINANT SMELLED FUEL ODOR AND SAW A TRAIL OF LEAKED FUEL BEHIND THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT AND NO NOTICABLE LOSS OF VEHICLE PERFORMANCE.

WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH VEHICLE SHUT OFF. DEALER STATED ENGINE NEED TO BE CLEANED OF SLUDGE. *AK

2001 SAAB 9-3 TURBO-CHARGER FAILED ON START-UP ON FEB. 1, 2005; OIL WAS BLOWN INTO EXHAUST SYSTEM; CAR WAS REGULARLY MAINTAINED, NO PRIOR WARNING; MANUFACTURER DENIED COVERAGE BECAUSE OUT OF 50,000 MILE WARRANTY AND REPAIR SHOP DONE BY LOCAL SHOP, NOT DEALER.*AK

WE HAD OUR CAR IN FOR WARRANTY WORK IN THE FALL BUT THE SERVICE PROVIDER NEEDED TO ORDER PARTS THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WE WERE CONCERNED BECAUSE THE PARTS WOULD NOT ARRIVE, AND WE COULDN'T GET TO AUTHORIZED SERVICE PROVIDER UNTIL AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRED. THEY TOLD US "NO PROBLEM" THIS WOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE WE WERE THERE PRIOR TO WARRANTY EXPIRATION. THEY NEVER CALLED TO TELL US PARTS HAD ARRIVED (WE LIVE OVER AN HOUR AWAY FROM SERVICE PROVIDER) AND THEY'RE NOT OPEN ON WEEKENDS SO DIFFICULT TO GET TO. WHEN WE TOOK THE CAR THERE A FEW WEEKS AGO THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T KNOW IF THIS WOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. OBVIOUSLY WE WERE UPSET ABOUT THIS NEW REPRESENTATION BUT THEY SAID THEY'D CALL SAAB. THEY CALLED US BACK AND SAID THAT THEY DISCOVERED WE NEEDED A NEW HEAD GASKET ON THE CAR. THIS IS A 2001 WITH 38,000 MILES, NOT DRIVEN HARD. WE WERE SHOCKED AS THIS WAS AFTER OUR WARRANTY EXPIRED. THEY SAID THAT THEY CALLED SAAB AND THAT SAAB WOULD PAY FOR APPROXIMATELY HALF OUR BILL (THE TOTAL OF THE WARRANTY WORK AND THE HEAD GASKET. WE HAVE TALKED TO ANOTHER INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO SAID THERE IS NO WAY A HEAD GASKET SHOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AT THIS STAGE UNLESS THERE WAS A DEFECT. SAAB WILL NOT AGREE TO PAY FOR ALL THE REPAIR. WE'VE PAID OVER $600 TOWARD THE HEAD GASKET AND WARRANTY WORK THEY WOULDN'T COVER. *AK

COMPLETE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WHILE TRAVELING AT 55 MPH ON LIMITED ACCESS HIGHWAY IN LEFT LANE. LOSS OF POWER WAS DUE TO DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE FAILURE (ELECTRICAL FAILURE IN ENGINE IGNITION SYSTEM). *NM