2001 SAAB 9-5 Complaints

DRIVING ON THRUWAY,CRUISE WENT OFF SUDDEN LOSS OF SPEED,CK ENGINE LIGHT ON. ENGINE STALLED WOULD ONLY IDLE AND SHAKE WOULDN'T MOVE. HAD IT TOWED TO SHOP CLEARED CODE RAN 1/2 DAY OK THEN CK LIGHT CAME BACK ON, PULLED IT BACK INTO MY SHOP. I SEARCHED INTERNET FOR SOLUTIONS POINTED TO FAULTY THROTTLE BODY. I"M A CERTIFIED FOR 34 YEAR MOTORCYCLE TECHNICIAN SO I TOOK IT OFF AND DISASSEMBLED IT AS I WANTED TO GET TO THE BOTTOM AS IT"S REASON FOR FAILURE. I DISCOVERED EVERYTHING WAS OK EXCEPT ALL OF THE WIRE INSULATION WITHIN THE INTERNAL AREA OF THE THROTTLE BODY HAD FAILED AND PEELED AWAY CAUSING A ELECTRICAL SHORT OR SPIKE. THIS IS DUE TO THE USE OF INFERIOR WIRE INSULATION NOT DESIGNED FOR IT"S APPLICATION. DLR HAD NEW $457.00 PART IN STOCK. I INSTALLED IT,WORKED FINE DLR INSPECTED IT. I LEFT THE OLD PART WITH THEM FOR POSSIBLE SPECIAL WARRANTY CONSIDERATION WITH SAAB USA.SAAB DECLINED WARRANTY 01/02/07, I NOW HAVE THE OLD PART. THIS CAR HAS ALSO HAD 12 IGN SWITCH PROBLEMS WHERE 6 TIMES IT WAS REPLACED,THE LAST ONE WAS 11/17/06 COVERED BY WARRANTY,ALSO 6 HEADLIGHTS & 6TAIL LIGHTBULBS REPLACED & COUNTING NOT WARRANTY. I HAVE ALL WORK ORDERS. *NM

GASOLINE LEAK - I WAS DRIVING WITH MY TWO SMALL CHILDREN IN THE CAR (2001 SAAB 9-5 WAGON (4-CYLINDER) WHEN SOMEONE PULLED UP BESIDE ME TO TELL ME THAT GAS WAS POURING OUR OF MY CAR. I STOPPED THE CAR AND THE REMAINDER OF THE TANK EMPTIED ON THE GROUND. ONCE THE FIRE CHIEF OKAY'ED THE CAR FOR TRANSPORT, (THIS WAS REQUIRED BY THE TOWING COMPANY.) I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT THE CLIP FOR THE FUEL LINE HAD COME UNDONE AND THAT THE FUEL LINE HAD COME LOOSE. THEY ALSO INDICATED THAT "THEY HAD SEEN THIS BEFORE". THEY REMOVED THE FUEL TANK, REPLACED THE FUEL LINE, REPLACED THE FUEL TANK AND PLACED A CLAMP OVER THE LINE. THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE SAAB 9-3 FOR A RELATED FUEL CLIP PROBLEM. BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE (AND OTHER 9-5 DRIVERS I HAVE SEEN VIA THE INTERNET), I THINK SAAB NEEDS A RECALL OR CHECK ON THIS...*JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE ENGINE DIED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING 60 MPH, ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THE SERVICE DEALER DETERMINED THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. THE CONSUMER HAD THE ENGINE REPLACED. UPDATED 01/26/07. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, A DRAMATIC DECREASE IN THE GAS GAUGE WAS NOTICED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO REPLACED THE GAS LINE TO THE FUEL PUMP WHICH CAUSED A RAPID LOSS OF FUEL. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, # 04V557000, REGARDING THE HOSES, LINES/PIPING AND FITTINGS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.

I AM NOT SURE IF THIS IS WHERE I FILE A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD MY 2001 SAAB 9-5 CE ,THE HEAD ON THE ENGINE IS LEAKING OIL DOWN THE ENGINE BLOCK, NEAR AND ONTO THE EXHAUST PIPE. THE LEAK IS ON THE BACK REARWARD SIDE OF THE ENGINE TOWARD THE DRIVE BELT. HAVING BEEN ON THE SAABNET.NET FORUM FOR SAAB OWNERS , I REALIZE THAT I AM NOT ALONE WITH THIS PROBLEM. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THERE WAS A LOSS OF ALL VEHICLE POWER, AND THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP WHO DETERMINED THE SERPENTINE BELT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AFTER THE REPLACEMENT OF THE SERPENTINE BELT, THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS AGAIN INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE THROTTLE BODY CASING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE RECALL WORK FOR NHTSA RECALL # 05V399000, PERTAINING TO THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IGNITION MODULE WAS PERFORMED UNSATISFACTORILY. THE DEALER SERVICE MANAGER WAS CONTACTED, WHO DETERMINED A SECOND REPAIR WOULD NOT BE DONE WITHOUT CHARGE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO CONTACTED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, HOWEVER THERE WAS NO RETURN CALLS PROVIDED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING THERE WAS A NOTICEABLE LOSS OF POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN THE SERVICE DEALER WHERE A 24 POINT INSPECTION WAS PREFORMED AND THE THROTTLE BODY WAS CLEANED. WHILE TRAVELING AT 35 MPH., ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, ON A CLEAR, DRY DAY, THERE WAS LOSS OF ALL POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE SERVICE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THE ENGINE SUFFERED A COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE AND NEEDED TO BE REBUILT. THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED TO COVER $2,000.00 OF THE ESTIMATED REPAIR COST HOWEVER THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO PROCEED WITH THE REPAIR WORK. SINCE THEN A RECALL NOTICE (05V399000) WAS RECEIVED REGARDING THE IGNITION DISCHARGE MODULE (SAAB RECALL # 05087). THE CONTACT BELIEVED THAT THE RECALL DEFECT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ENGINE FAILURE.

AT 8:00 PM THIS EVENING, I WENT TO DINNER. EVERYTHING WAS WORKING NORMALLY ON MY CAR. AT 8:20 PM, TWENTY MINUTES LATER, I START MY CAR AND IT ENTERS "LIMP-HOME" MODE WITH A BLINKING CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, INDICATING MISFIRE. GIVEN THE WAY THE CAR WAS ACTING, THE TIMING BELT HAS BROKEN. IN MY RESEARCH, I HAVE FOUND THIS MOTOR IS A GM L81 MOTOR, 3.0L V6. THIS MOTOR HAS ALSO BEEN USED IN THE SATURN VUE AND CADILLAC CATERA. ACCORDING TO THE NHTSA RECORDS, THERE WAS A RECALL ON TIMING BELTS FOR THE 97-2002 CATERAS. AS STATED EARLIER, THIS IS THE SAME MOTOR IN MY 2001 SAAB 9-5 SE V6 3.0L. *JB

2001 SAAB 9-5, CONSUMER HAS NOT RECEIVED REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE RECALL WORK DONE ON THE VEHICLE. *KB THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER IN THE MAIL ONE MONTH LATER, AFTER THE REPAIRS WERE ALREADY PAID FOR. WHEN THE CONSUMER CALLED TO INQUIRE ABOUT HER REFUND, SHE WAS TOLD BY THE MANUFACTURER, THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE ALL OF THE PAPERWORK AND ALSO THEY DIDN'T HAVE HER ADDRESS. NINE MONTHS LATER, THE CONSUMER STILL HAS NOT RECEIVED REIMBURSEMENT. THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS REPLACED. *JB