1999 SAAB 9-5 Complaints

CAR WAS RUNNING FINE AND SUDDENLY WOULD NOT START. TOWED TO DEALER, DIAGNOSED AS DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE FAILURE. DEALER REPLACED PART. *NM

DT: THE CONSUMER OWNS A 1999 SAAB MODEL 95 THAT EXPERIENCED AN IGNITION PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WOULD START BUT WOULD NOT RUN PROPERLY. THE CAR WOULD LURCH OR CONVULSE WHILE DRIVING. THE ENGINE WOULD STALL AND THEN DIE COMPLETELY. THE VEHICLE WOULD RESTART BUT CONTINUE TO HAVE THOSE SAME PROBLEMS. THE VEHICLE HAS A MANUAL TRANSMISSION. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER SAID IT WAS AN ISSUE WITH DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE AND THE DIC WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. SINCE THE REPLACEMENT THERE HAVE BEEN NO FURTHER PROBLEMS. *AK

I WAS SHOPPING WITH MY WIFE AND 2 LITTLE CHILDREN, WHEN WE CAME OUT THE CAR WOULD NOT START, REQUIRED TOW AND ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION, TURNED OUT TO BE THE IGNITION MODULE OR DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE, REPLACED WITH NEW ONE AT DEALER AT MY EXPENSE OF $400. *JB

THE IGNITION CASSETTE ON MY 1999 SAAB 9-5 REQUIRED REPLACEMENT TWO YEARS AGO WHEN MY HUSBAND OBSERVED SMOKE COMING FROM THE UNIT. IT WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY, AND WE PURCHASED THE PART AND MADE THE REPLACEMENT OURSELVES (ONE OF THE FEW THINGS ON A SAAB THAT IS NOT DIFFICULT). I SEE NOW THAT SAAB HAS ISSUED A RECALL FOR CARS BECAUSE THIS PROBLEM, BUT INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, THE RECALL DOES NOT COVER THE 1999 MODEL. *JB

CAR STALLS WHILE DRIVING, NO WARNING LIGHTS ,NO PRECURSOR-VERY DANGEROUS AS IS UNPREDICTABLE- MECHANIC UNABLE TO FIND CAUSE-OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING AND IDLING, AM AFRAID FOR MY FAMILIES SAFETY TO DRIVE CAR. *JB

SAAB 1999 WAGON- PRIOR TO EVENT COMPUTER INDICATED REAR LIGHT FAILURE. THEN BRAKE FAILURE OCCURED, AND CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT DISENGAGE. CAR COULD NOT BE STOPPED, COLLISION WITH HIGHWAY WALL. CAR DESTROYED. NO INJURIES. *JB

2 DIRECT IGNITION MODULES FAILED ON MY SAAB 95 SE V-6 CAR WHICH CAUSED RAW GAS TO RUIN THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. REPAIR COST ~$2600. TOOK CAR IN FOR SERVICE IN APRIL COMPLAINING OF SURGING AND JERKING WHILE DRIVING. THREE DAYS LATER SAAB SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND A PROBLEM - THEY RESET THE COMPUTER WHICH ALLEVIATED THE SITUATION FOR SEVERAL DAYS. THE PROBLEM RETURNED. IN JULY THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY IDENTIFIED THE DIRECT IGNITION PROBLEM. WITH THE FREQUENCY THAT SAAB'S DI'S ARE FAILING, WHY HAVEN'T THEY RECALLED THE PART? IT CREATES A DANGEROUS SITUATION - BOTH FROM THE CAR FAILING AT HIGHWAY SPEED TO POTENTIAL FIRE. ALSO,IF MY PROBLEM HAD BEEN DIAGNOSED PROPERLY IN APRIL, I WOULD HAVE AVOIDED THE EXPENSE OF A NEW CATALYTIC CONVERTER ($1400 PLUS LABOR & TAX). AFTER INVESTIGATING SAAB USER NETS, THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM. WHY ISN'T SAAB DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THIS?

1999 SAAB 9-5 WITH V6 ENGINE. SUDDEN FAILURE OF BOTH IGNITION DISCHARGE MODULES (IDM) ON HIGHWAY RENDERED CAR INOPERABLE. ON A BUSINESS TRIP WITH TWO COWORKERS, DRIVING NORTH ON NEW YORK INTERSTATE 87 AT AROUND 65-70 MPH, CAR STARTED TO BUCK AND SURGE, WITH DRAMATIC LOSS IN ENGINE POWER. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I MANAGED TO CROSS TWO LANES OF TRAFFIC TO GET TO APPROACHING OFFRAMP. BUCKED AND WHEEZED MY WAY TO A BUSNIESS PARK, WHERE I CALLED FOR A TOW TO THE LOCAL SAAB DEALRSHIP. FAILURE WAS IMMEDIATE AND WITH NO WARNING. CONSEQUENCES WERE PUTTING THREE LIVES IN PERIL ON THE INTERSTATE BY SUDDEN LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, AND FORCED CANCELLATION OF BUSINESS TRIP DUE TO LACK OF TRANSPORTATION. DEALER DIAGNOSED CRITICAL FAILURE OF BOTH IGNITION DISCHARGE MODULES (ALSO REFERRED TO AS DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTES). BOTH MODULES REPLACED ALONG WITH 6 SPARK PLUGS, AT A TOTAL COST OF $835.33 TO ME.

VIBRATION AFTER CHANGING TIRES. HAD REBALANCED 3 TIMES AND NOTHING HELPED. I HAD THE CAR CHECKED FOR SUSPENSION PROBLEMS, NOTHING WAS FOUND. AFTER TALKING TO SEVERAL OTHER SAAB OWNERS, I REALIZED THAT I WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO IS EXPERIENCEING THIS.

AFTER REPLACING ALL FOUR TIRES ON MY WIFE'S 1999 SAAB 9-5 AND ON MY 1999 SAAB 9-5 A VIBRATION SHOWED UP AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. EACH CAR UNDERWENT NUMEROUS TIRE REBALANCINGS AT DIFFERENT TIRE SHOPS AS WELL AS OUR SAAB DEALER. NOTHING HELPED. ON MY CAR, I RETURNED THE TIRES AND BOUGHT NEW, MORE EXPENSIVE ONES THINKING THAT MAYBE THE PROBLEM WAS IN THE TIRES. AFTER THE NEW SET WERE INSTALLED, THE VIBRATION WAS STILL THERE. I POSTED MY CONCERNS ON A POPULAR SAAB WEBSITE SAABNET.COM FOR ADVICE FROM OTHER SAAB OWNERS. THE RESPONSE WAS OVERWHELMING. SEEMS AS THOUGH MANY OTHER SAAB 9-5 OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS EXACT PROBLEM AFTER CHANGING TIRES. NO ONE HAS FOUND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS, SOME WENT AWAY BY THEMSELVES AND OTHERS ARE JUST DEALING WITH IT. I THINK SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE 9-5 AND NOW THAT I KNOW MANY HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM, I AM VERY CONCERNED.