2003 SAAB 9-5 Complaints

DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE - EXITED ONTO AN INTERCHANGE RAMP AT 50 MPH - AND THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. VEHICLE AT REAR NEARLY REAR-ENDED MINE - BUT MISSED BY A HAIRS WHISKER. ANOTHER PIECE OF LUCK WAS THAT I WAS AT THE CREST OF THE RAMP SO MANAGED TO "COAST" TOWARDS THE SHOULDER. WAITED FOR A BIT - THE CAR WOULDN'T RESTART. HAD TO SPEND PERILOUS TIME ON THE LEFT SHOULDER BEFORE GETTING MY CAR TOWED. AT THE TIME OF WRITING - THE CAR IS SITTING IN THE DEALERS LOT. NOTHING SPECIAL HAPPENED PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. PREVIOUSLY A SIMILAR INCIDENT HAD OCCURRED JUST OUTSIDE MY RESIDENCE - AND THE DEALER CHECKED IT OUT AND SAID IT MIGHT JUST BE "BAD GAS". SAAB'S CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM WAS USELESS. BASED ON THE OTHER INCIDENTS REPORTED - REFER TO ODI #S: 10162804, 10137685, 10097342 - THERE IS SOMETHING DEFINITELY WRONG WITH THIS VEHICLE. PLEASE TAKE ACTION BEFORE SOMEONE LOSES THEIR LIFE.*JB

PURCHASED A "CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED" 2003 SAAB 9.5 AERO IN LATE AUGUST 2006 BEGAN HEARING HORRIBLE (AND WORSENING) GRINDING NOISE SOON AFTER PURCHASE. WE WERE THINKING IT WAS THE BRAKES NEEDING TO BE REPLACED...TOOK IT TO A WELL RESPECTED NATIONAL BRAKE SHOP WHO TOLD US WE NEEDED NEW RIGHT SIDE WHEEL BEARING AND THE COST WOULD BE OVER $700.00 THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 60000 MILE ON IT AND I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH TO FIND THAT I AM NOT THE FIRST PERSON TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE/MODEL THINK IT IS A DEFECT THAT COULD PROVE FATAL IF NOT ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY.*JB

2003 SAAB 9-5 AERO TRANSMISSION LEAKING DIRECTLY THROUGH PORES IN METAL CASING (NOT SEAM OR GASKET) AT LESS THAN 51000 MILES (LESS THAN 1000 MILES OVER WARRANTY) REQUIRING FULL TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT. SAAB USA OFFERS TO PAY ONE THIRD ($1700) OF $5100 ESTIMATED COST. ALTHOUGH CAR HAD BEEN IN A WRECK WHEN IT WAS ABOUT A YEAR OLD, THIS COULD NOT BE RELATED. ALL RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE WAS PERFORMED BY THE DEALER AT OR BEFORE THE PRESCRIBED MILEAGE WAS REACHED.*JB

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH AND THE ENGINE SUDDENLY SHUT DOWN WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE CAR COMPLETELY LOST POWER AND I HAD TO QUICKLY COAST TO THE SHOULDER. I WAS NOT ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR AND IT HAD TO BE TOWED TO SAAB DEALER. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A FAULT IN DI CASSETTE. *NM

SOME OR ALL SAAB 9-5'S WERE MANUFACTURED WITH DEFECTIVE REAR AXLE SUBFRAMES. THESE SUBFRAMES FATIGUE AND DEFORM RESULTING IN TIRE FAILURES, UNSAFE HANDLING, PREMATURE TIRE WEAR, AND/OR OTHER POTENTIALLY FATAL PROBLEMS. I EXPERIENCED A BLOWOUT AT HIGHWAY SPEED, PREMATURE TIRE WEAR, EXCESSIVE TIRE NOISE, AND UNSETTLED VEHICLE DYNAMICS FOR OVER 6 MONTHS WHILE SAAB FOUGHT NOT TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. ONLINE BULLETIN BOARDS SUCH AS WWW.SAABNET.COM INDICATE THAT NUMEROUS OTHER OWNERS OF 9-5 SEDANS AND WAGONS, MY 1999-PRESENT HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR PROBLEMS, ALMOST ALWAYS RELATED TO USING THE VEHICLE AT OR NEAR ITS GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RATING, WHICH I BELIEVE TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY OVERSTATED BY SAAB. THE 9-5'S SUSPENSION CANNOT WITHSTAND A FULLY OR NEAR FULLY LOADED VEHICLE FOR ANY SIGNIFICANT LENGTH OF TIME AND/OR MILEAGE. *NM

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON 2003 SAAB 9-5 AERO DIAGNOSED AS FAILING IGNITION CASSETTE WHICH IS THE SAME FAULTY PART FOR RECALL ON THE 2000-2002 CARS ONLY. A COMPLETE FAILURE WHILE DRIVING WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE ENGINE TO TOTALLY SHUTDOWN. THIS PART WAS REPLACED AT MY COST, BUT THE ORIGINAL PART NUMBER WAS INSTALLED VS. THE NEWER UPGRADED VERSION TO HOPEFULLY PREVENT FUTURE FAILURES. RE: CAMPAIGN ID# 05V399000. SHOULDN'T THE FAULTY "ORIGINAL" PART BE PULLED FROM DEALER STOCK AND WHY HAS THE 2003 MODEL YEAR AND OTHER YEARS BEEN EXCLUDED SINCE THE FAULTY PART IS EXACTLY THE SAME? *NM

2003 9-5 AERO SPORT SUSPENSION FAILED RESULTING IN TIRE BLOW OUTS AND EXCESSIVE WEAR TO FRONT AND REAR TIRES. CONSUMER HAD SHOCKS AND SPRINGS REPLACED. *TS *NM

THE VEHICLES GVWR IS OVERSTATED. THIS IS BASED UPON MY OWN AND OTHER OBSERVATIONS OF PERMANENT DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE AND TIRES WHEN USING THE VEHICLE NEAR THE STATED GVWR. I PERSONALLY HAD A TIRE BLOW OUT ON ME AND HAVE HAD PERMANENT DAMAGE TO THE TIRES AND/OR THE VEHICLE AND/OR THE VEHICLES SUSPENSION COMPONENTS. THE MANUFACTURER HAS TO DATE NOT BE ABLE TO FIX MY VEHICLE UNDER WARRANTY, DESPITE REPLACING THE ENTIRE REAR SUSPENSION. THE VEHICLE SQUATS DANGEROUSLY WHEN LOADED RESULTING IN UNSAFE HANDLING. *JB

THE VEHICLE CANNOT BE LOADED ANYWHERE NEAR IS GVWR AND MAINTAIN ITS ORIGINAL RIDE HEIGHT (OR ANYTHING CLOSE TO THE UNLOADED RIDE HEIGHT) AT THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. WHEN LOADED THE CAMBER SHIFTS (DUE TO THE REAR SUSPENSION TYPE) VERY NEGATIVE CAUSING POOR HANDLING AND EXTREME TIRE WEAR ON THE INSIDE EDGE OF THE REAR WHEELS. I HAD A BLOWOUT AT HIGHWAY SPEED DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. *NM

CAR STALLED WHILE CRUISING AT 75 MILES PER HOUR ON A BUSY INTERSTATE. CAR COULD NOT BE RESTARTED, EVEN AFTER PULLING TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. NO PRIOR INDICATION OF IMMINENT FAILURE WAS GIVEN'THE ENGINE SIMPLY CUT OUT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. DEALER DIAGNOSED AS THE FAILURE OF AS A BAD THROTTLE BODY. THIS IS A KNOWN WEAKNESS IN THE CAR FOR WHICH SAAB HAS BEEN TRYING TO FIND A SOLUTION FOR YEARS. THE SERVICING DEALER WAS SURPRISED THAT THE PART WAS NOT IN STOCK SINCE IT FAILS OFTEN. MANY PEOPLE HAVE THROTTLE BODY PROBLEMS WHICH TRIGGER LIMP HOME MODE AND REQUIRE A CLEANING AND/OR REPLACEMENT OF THE THROTTLE BODY. REPORTEDLY NEWER SOFTWARE TRIGGERS A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BEFORE COMPLETE FAILURE. THIS EARLY WARNING WAS NOT GIVEN THIS CASE. IT IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE THAT THIS SHOULD STILL BE AN ISSUE ON A 2003 MODEL YEAR VEHICLE WHEN THE PROBLEM FIRST SHOWED ITSELF IN 1998. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO DIE IN A REAR END COLLISION BEFORE SAAB OR THE NHTSA WILL ACT ON THIS? *NM