2002 SAAB 9-5 Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SAAB 9-5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE HAS NOT EXPERIENCED ANY FAILURES AT THIS TIME WITH THE AIR BAGS; HOWEVER, HE FEELS THAT THEY WILL NOT DEPLOY DURING A CRASH. HE ALSO BELIEVES THAT THEY MAY DEPLOY WITHOUT WARNING AT ANY TIME. THE AIR BAGS ARE RUNNING THROUGH A CENTRAL RIBBON CABLE AND NOTHING ELSE CONNECTED TO THAT CABLE IS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. THE CENTRAL WARNING LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED, WHICH COULD ALSO CAUSE THE AIR BAGS TO MALFUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED TWO WEEKS AGO AND THE CENTRAL WARNING LIGHT WAS ALSO ILLUMINATED AT THAT TIME. THE DEALER DID NOT DETERMINE WHAT CAUSED THE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 117,000.

LOSS OF REVERSING LIGHTS, TRUNK OPENING WARNING LIGHT AND CRUISE CONTROL FUNCTION WITH NO INTERNAL WARNING INDICATIONS. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE CAUSE WAS THE FAILURE OF TRUNK WIRING HARNESS AT 70K MILES - 2 WIRES WERE COMPLETELY SEVERED, ALL OTHERS (6) HAD LOST INSULATION. FAILURE IS AT THE FOLDING POINT JUST PRIOR TO ENTRY INTO THE TRUNK LID. CAUSE APPEARS TO BE EXCESSIVE TIGHTNESS OF THE INTERIOR WIRES. THE RUBBER BOOT WAS ENTIRELY INTACT, SEALED TO CONNECTORS IN THE BODY AND TRUNK LID AND THERE WAS NO VISIBLE INDICATION OF THE INTERNAL FAILURE. WIRES ARE SEPARATE INSIDE THE BOOT UP UNTIL THE TRUNK LID ENTRY WHERE THEY ARE WRAPPED WITH ELECTRICAL TAPE. THIS WAS DISCOVERED ONLY DURING SERVICE, NOT REPORTED BY SELF-CHECK DISPLAY WHICH ALWAYS REPORTS LIGHT BULB OUTAGES IN TEXT MESSAGES ON THE 2 LINE SAAB INFORMATION DISPLAY (SECONDARY FAILURE). PRIOR TO DISCOVERY A NUMBER OF CARS HAD ALMOST REAR ENDED THE CAR WHEN BACKING UP (REVERSING LIGHT FAILURE WAS NOT REPORTED OR KNOWN). CORRECTED TEMPORARILY BY SPLICING IN WIRES AND HEAT WRAPPING, WAITING FOR APPOINTMENT WITH THE SAAB DEALER TO REPLACE THE HARNESS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SAAB 9-5 ARC. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE ENGINE MISFIRED AND THE CONTACT NOTICED A BURNING SMELL. APPROXIMATELY TEN MINUTES AFTER SHE PARKED THE VEHICLE, THERE WERE FLAMES COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE NEAR THE FUEL TANK. THE FLAMES ENGULFED THE VEHICLE AND CAUSED DAMAGED TO THE TREES AND DRIVEWAY. THE FIRE DESTROYED THE VEHICLE. AS OF DECEMBER 5, 2007, THE INSURANCE COMPANY OR MANUFACTURER HAD NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT RECALL #07V087000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE: DELIVERY: HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS) WAS PERFORMED TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT FELT THAT THE RECALLED PART CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 66,500.

TRANSMISSION "CLUNK" OCCURRED WITH SHIFTING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE. DEALER DIAGNOSED VALVE BODY AND RECOMMENDED TRANSMISSION REBUILD. AAMCO DIAGNOSED SAME ISSUE RESULTING FROM METAL SHAVINGS BEING RELEASED FROM TORQUE CONVERTER INTO TRANSMISSION. ENTIRE TRANSMISSION INCLUDING TORQUE COVERTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT 74,000 MILES.*JB

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS SUMMARY: DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, PRESSURE LINE FROM FUEL TANK CAME LOOSE AND STARTED LEAKING MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF GAS ALL OVER THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND STREET. STREAM OF FUEL ON HIGHWAY ALERTED DRIVER. LOST UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF GALLONS OF GAS QUICKLY . HAD TO PULL OVER AND CALL FOR TOW TRUCK TO TAKE TO NEAREST FACILITY. I EVACUATED THE CAR DUE TO LARGE AMOUNTS OF GAS UNDER VEHICLE AND STREAMS OF FUEL NEAR HOT EXHAUST PIPES. TECHNICIAN DISCOVERED FUEL LINE HAD COME LOOSE AFTER LOOKING INSIDE PORT FROM UNDER BACK SEAT. NO EVIDENCE OF ANY BREAKAGE OR OTHER ISSUES THE FIRST EVENT-- THE LINE SIMPLY CAME LOOSE AND WAS EASILY RE-ATTACHED. THE SECOND EVENT HAPPENED IN JUNE 2007 AND FUEL AGAIN WAS POURING OUT FROM THE UNDERSIDE IN A PARKING LOT. I CALLED THE SAME INDEPENDENT DEALER WHO IMMEDIATELY HAD THE CAR TOWED . THIS TIME THE REPAIR WAS DONE WITH METAL STRAPS TO PREVENT ANY FURTHER COMING APART. I THEN RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER FROM SAAB AFTER THIS OCCURRENCE TWO TIMES. I WAS TOLD BY SAAB USA TO SUBMIT REPAIR ORDERS FOR REIMBURSEMENT WHICH I DID. I RECEIVED A DENIAL LETTER UNTIL AN AUTHORIZED SAAB DEALER COULD CHECK THE WORK COMPLETED BY THE INDEPENDENT DEALER. I WAS CALLED BY THE AUTHORIZED DEALER IN MARIETTA, GA AND TOLD THAT I MAY NEED A COMPLETE FUEL ASSEMBLY FOR $1100 DUE TO THE INDEPENDENT DEALERS REPAIRS AFFECTING ELECTRICAL WIRING. THE CAR IS AT THE DEALER FOR INVESTIGATION AND HOPEFULLY A SAAB USA WILL STAND BEHIND THE NEEDED REPAIRS. CONSULTATION ON INTERNET CHAT ROOM SAABNET.COM FINDS THAT AT LEAST 4 OTHER OWNERS OF SIMILAR VINTAGE SAAB 9-5 VEHICLES HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME PROBLEM. SAAB USA IS QUESTIONING MY REPAIRS AT THE INDEPENDENT DEALER. *TR

I AM EXPERIENCING A TRANSMISSION ISSUE WITH MY 2002 SAAB 9-5. JUDGING BY THE NUMBER OF MENTIONS I HAVE SEEN IN ONLINE FORUMS, THIS IS A PRETTY WIDE SPREAD ISSUE. THE SAAB TSB THAT RELATES TO THIS ISSUE IS 440-2497, OCTOBER 2004. MY LOCAL DEALER HAS ADVISED ME I NEED TO FOOT THE BILL FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION VALVE BODY. I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ISSUE. IT APPEARS VERY SIMILAR TO THE EXPLORER/MOUNTAINEER VALVE BODY ISSUE THAT WAS ELEVATED TO RECALL STATUS A FEW YEARS AGO. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SAAB 9-5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT HEADLIGHTS ARE DISCOLORED AND FOGGY. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN AT NIGHT, THE LIGHT BARELY SHINES THROUGH THE HEADLIGHTS. THE SAAB DEALER DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE AS NEEDING A NEW HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 70,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,002.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SAAB 9-5. THE CONTACT RECENTLY RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER REGARDING THE FUEL PUMP RETAINING TABS. HE STATED THAT THE ONLY LOCAL SAAB DEALER IN HIS AREA IS NO LONGER SERVICING SAAB, AND THE NEXT CLOSEST DEALER IS 151 MILES AWAY. HE DOES NOT WANT TO DRIVE HIS VEHICLE THAT FAR BECAUSE IT MAY FAIL OR HAVE A NEGATIVE EFFECT DUE TO THE RECALL. NO FAILURES HAVE OCCURRED AT THIS TIME. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 35,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SAAB 9-5. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE IN REFERENCE TO THE FUEL PUMP RETAINING TABS, WHICH MAY RESULT IN FUEL LEAKAGE AND A FIRE. HE STATED THAT THE NOTICE SUGGESTED HAVING THE REPAIR DONE AT AN AUTHORIZED DEALER SIX MILES AWAY, WHILE HIS AUTO MECHANIC SHOP IS RIGHT DOWN THE STREET. THE DEALER WILL NOT PROVIDE HIM WITH A LOANER VEHICLE. HE NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER ABOUT HAVING TO TAKE HIS VEHICLE TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE VIN, ENGINE SIZE, AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 85,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SAAB 9-5. WHILE DRIVING THE CONTACT SMELLED GAS AND PULLED THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE, AND FOUND A LARGE GAS LEAK DUE TO THE FUEL LINE LOOSENING FROM THE PIPE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, AND THE CONTACT FELT THE FAILURE WAS A SAFETY RISK. THE CURRENT MILEAGEWAS 29,500, AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,470.*AK