1999 SAAB 9-5 Complaints

THE LED FOR SID WHICH PROVIDES PERTINENT DATA FOR AUTO ENGINE FUNCTIONS AND INFORMATION FOR THE RADIO, TEMPERATURE, TRIP DATA, ETC. IS ILLIGIBLE DOES NOT FUNCTION AS I AM CERTAIN MANY OTHER SAAB OWNERS EXPERIENCE. OF GREATER CONCERN IS GM'S RESISTANCE TO ACKNOWLEDGE ANY REQUESTS CONCERNING THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM.

WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY STALLED. THIS CAUSED LOSS OF STEERING AND THE BRAKES. DEALERSHIP REPLACED 3 TIMES THE CASSETTE IGNITION MODULE, PART 9197559 AT CONSUMER'S EXPENSE OF $400.OO. *AK

1) SOME OIL LEAKAGE. OIL BACK-UP SLUDGE IN OIL PAN. 2) DRIVING ON HIGHWAY MY CAR BEGAN TO HESITATE, THEN SMOKE POURED OUT THE REAR OF MY CAR. I TOWED IT TO THE DEALER. THE TURBO CHARGER WENT BAD. I WAS TOLD THAT COULD HAVE BEEN A BAD OIL CHANGE?? (OIL HAS BEEN CHANGED AT EVERY 5,000 MILES, PER THE DEALERS RECOMMENDATION). I'VE SEEN SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON NHTSA.GOV AND SAABNET.COM. WHY IS NOTHING BEING DONE ABOUT THIS CLEARLY FAULTY SYSTEM? MY CAR NOW STILL HESITATES INTERMITTENTLY. WE ARE TAKING IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP, BUT IF DIAGNOSTICS COME BACK CLEAN AND CAR STILL HESITATES IT MIGHT CAUSE CRASH IF INSUFFICIENT SPEED IS NOT ACHIEVED DURING A FULL STOP OR WHILE TURNING IN FRONT OF TRAFFIC. *AK

I OWN A 1999 SAAB WAGON WHICH HAS HAD REPEATED PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE AND TURBO SYSTEM. THE CAR WITH 78,000 MILES NOW REQUIRES A NEW ENGINE ESTIMATED AT BETWEEN 7-10 THOUSAND DOLLARS... ABOUT THE VALUE OF THE CAR.. THE CAR HAS REQUIRED MAJOR REPAIRS INCLUDING REPLACING THE TURBO, CRANKSHAFT, HEAD GASKET AND OIL PRESSURE SWITCH, THE WATER PUMP AS WELL AS THE THROTTLE HOUSING AND DI CASSETTE. THE VEHICLE HAS REPEATEDLY FAILED WHILE DRIVING, STALLING AND BUCKING UPON ACCELERATION. THESE INCIDENTS LED TO MOMENTS OF TWO FOOT DRIVING AND NUMEROUS TOWS. RECEIVING NO HELP FROM DEALERSHIP OR MANUFACTURER VEHICLE HAD TO BE ABANDONED AT DEALERSHIP. CUSTOMER BELIEVES THERE IS AN INHERENT DEFECT IN THE ENGINE/TURBO. *JB

I OWN A 1999 SAAB WAGON WHICH HAS HAD REPEATED PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE AND TURBO SYSTEM. THE CAR, WIH 92,000 MILES, NOW REQUIRES A NEW ENGINE. ESTIMATED COST BETWEEN 6 - 10 THOUSAND DOLLARS...ABOUT THE VALUE OF THE CAR. LAST YEAR, THE CAR REQUIRED A NEW TURBO SYSTEM (72,000 MILES) AT A COST OF $1200 PLUS. AT LEAST FOUR TIMES, THE VEHICLE FAILED WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC. IT EITHER LOST ALL ELECTRICAL POWER OR WOULD STALL UPON ACCELERATION, REQUIRING "TWO PEDAL" DRIVING. THE CAR REQUIRED 5 TOWS BECAUSE OF MECHANICAL BREAKDOWN. CAR HAS REPEATED INTERNAL OIL LEAKS WHICH LEADS TO CLOGGED OIL PAN, A $600 REPAIR. CUSTOMER BELIEVES THERE IS AN INHERANT DEFECT WITH TURBO SEALS.*AK

CAR STARTED RUNNING BADLY (MISFIRING). BASED ON NUMBER OF FAILURES REPORTED ON THE SAABNET WEBSITE, I FIGURED THE DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE WAS FAILING. REMOVED IT AND FOUND A CRACKED COMPONENT IN THE CASSETTE. REPLACED THE CASSETTE WITH NEW ONE ($414 LIST PRICE) AND PROBLEM CURED. SAAB NOW WANTS FAILED CASSETTE BACK AND IS CHARGING A $250 CORE CHARGE IF IT'S NOT RETURNED. ANOTHER EXPENSIVE AND COMMON FAILURE WITH THE 9-5.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE ON A SNOWY. THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE WAS THEN STRUCK ON THE SIDE AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY, HOWEVER THE CONSUMER NOTICED THE AIR BAG LIGHT HAD ILLUMINATED AFTER THE INCIDENT. *JB

1999 SAAB 9-5 STALLING PROBLEM. SOMETIMES WHEN IN TRAFFIC. HAPPENED WHEN TRAVELING AT LOW SPEEDS (25-40 MPH). DEALER KEPT CAR FOR ONE WEEK THEN DIAGNOSED PROBLEM AS DEFECTIVE "ECU" WHICH IT REPLACED AT A COST OF MORE THAN $900. THIS HAPPENED MANY TIMES IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER, 2003.

VACUUM BRAKE BOOSTER DEVELOPED AN INTERNAL LEAK, CAUSING MOMENTARY LOSS OF BRAKING ACTION WHEN FIRST STEPPING ON BRAKE PEDAL DURING AN EMERGENCY STOP. DURING "NORMAL" BRAKING THE BRAKES WORKED FINE. IMPORTANT!...THE BIG DANGER HERE IS THAT YOU DON'T KNOW THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE BOOSTER TILL YOU HAVE TO MAKE A QUICK STOP WHERE YOU NEED TO JAM ON THE BRAKES QUICKLY!! YOU SUDDENLY FINE THERE IS VIRTUALLY NO BRAKES FOR A SECOND OR TWO!! IN NORMAL BRAKING THEY WORK FINE.*AK

FAILURE OF DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE. VEHICLE (1999 SAAB 9-5 SE) STOPS RUNNING IN TRAFFIC AND CANNOT BE RESTARTED. BASED ON REPORTS IN SAABNET.COM, THIS IS A RELATIVELY COMMON FAILURE. *AK