2001 SAAB 9-5 Complaints

1. DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 40MPH, COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE WITH OUT ANY WARNING. 2. CAR COULD BREAK BUT POWER ASSISTED STEERING WAS NON FUNTIONAL, STEERING FUNCTIONED WITH OUT POWER ASSISTANCE, BUT VERY HARD TO SAFELY STEER VEHICLE. 3. WAS ABLE TO MOVE CAR OFF ROAD INTO GRASS DITCH AWAY FROM REAR TRAFFIC. 4. BLACK SMOKE CAME FROM DRIVERS SIDE OF ENGINE WITH SMELL OF BURNT PLASTIC AND RUBBER. 5. CERTIFIED SAAB MECHANIC DIAGNOSED CAR AND FOUND THAT THE IGNITION CASSETTE FAILED AND BURNED FROM WITHIN. REPLACED IGNITION CASSETTE AT A COST OF $500. 6. THERE ARE TWO IGNITION CASSETTES IN THE SAAB 95. THE REMAINING UNIT HAS 60,000 MILES ON IT. 7. IF THIS FAILURE TOOK PLACE ON A HIGHWAY IN FAST MOVING TRAFFIC, A TRAGIC ACCIDENT COULD RESULT. THERE IS NO WARNING OF THE FAILURE. I HAD THREE CHILDREN IN THE VEHICLE. 8. THERE WAS SOME MINOR SMOKE DAMAGE IN THE VEHICLE COMPARTMENT, THE FIRE WAS INTERNAL TO THE FAILED UNIT AND DID NOT SPREAD. HOWEVER TOXIC LIKE FUMES FROM THE BURNING PLASTIC EXISTED IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT CAUSING PASSENGERS TO COUGH. 9. SAAB USA KNOWS OF THIS PROBLEM. AFTER THE INCIDENT I REVIEWED MANY SAAB WEBSITES AND FOUND OTHER INCIDENTS OF COMPLETE ENGINE FALURE DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. IT IS AN EXPENSIVE PROBLEM TO FIX. IT ALSO POSES A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE THAT COULD RESULT IN TRAGIC CONSEQUENCES. 10. SAAB USA SHOULD FIX THIS PROBLEM AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMER.

ADD YET ANOTHER DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE FAILURE TO THIS LIST OF COMPLAINTS!! DRIVING HOME FROM THE GROCERY STORE THE CAR QUIT IN THE MIDDLE OF A VERY BUSY INTERSECTION. SMOKE AND FIRE ENSUED. WHERE IS THE RECALL??!?!?!?

DT: VEHICLE STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY. DRIVING AT ABOUT 50 MPH ,AND THE VEHICLE JUST STALLED AND STOPPED. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, AND DEALER REPORTED THAT THE IGNITION DISCHARGE MODULE WAS DEFECTIVE.*AK

DRIVING AT 65MPH IN FAR LEFT LANE OF HIGHWAY AND SUDDEN LOSS OF SPEED--COULD ONLY GO 20-30 MPH FOR A FEW MINUTES BEFORE BURNING SMELL. WAS ABLE TO COME TO RIGHT SHOULDER WHILE DODGING HIGHWAY TRAFFIC. DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE (DIC) FAILURE 1 OF 2 DIC'S IN 6 CYLINDER ENGINE). SECOND VISIT REQUIRED FOR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT--WAS CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THIRD VISIT FOR ANOTHER CEL FOR SECOND DIC FAILURE.*AK

I OWN A SAAB 9-5 WAGON, 2001. WHEN IT WAS ONLY 3000 MILES OUT OF WARRANTY, TWICE THE UNIT (ALARM SYSTEM) FAILED, PRESUMABLY BECAUSE IT HAD GOTTEN WET. SAAB SAYS THAT WHEN THE AC DRAINS ARE BLOCKED, IT CAN BACK UP INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT OF THE VEHICLE, THUS CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE TWICE UNIT. WHEN THE TWICE UNIT FAILS, IT BURNS OUT ALL 5 DOOR LOCK MOTORS, SINCE IT ERRONEOUSLY SENDS A CONSTANT ELECTRICAL SIGNAL TO THE MOTORS. I SEE THIS PROBLEM AS A MAJOR DESIGN FLAW. THE TWICE UNIT SHOULD NOT BE LOCATED UNDER THE DRIVER'S SEAT AND SHOULD NOT BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO WATER DAMAGE. ALSO, THE AC DRAINS SHOULD NOT GET BLOCKED SO EASILY, CAUSING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF DAMAGE. AND THE FAILURE OF THE ALARM SYSTEM SHOULD NOT CAUSE THE DOOR LOCK MOTORS TO BURN OUT. SAAB DOES NOT HAVE A VEHICLE SERVICE BULLETIN FOR THIS PROBLEM AND DOES NOT CONSIDER IT A MAJOR DEFECT OR DESIGN FLAW. IT COSTS THE CONSUMER OVER $2500 TO REPAIR. I HAVE HAD THE TWICE UNIT REPLACE, BECAUSE THE CAR WOULD NOT OPERATE WITHOUT A FAILED UNIT. THE DOOR LOCKS HAVE NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *JB

ADD ME TO THE LIST OF DRIVERS STRANDED ON THE HIGHWAY WITH TOTAL LOSS OF POWER BECAUSE DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE BURNT UP. THE CAR ONLY HAD 62,000 MILES. IT COST OVER $1,300 TO REPLACE. *JB

MULTIPLE TIMES THE CAR, WHEN WARM WILL JUST WITHOUT WARNING. ALL ELECTRICAL AND ENGINE SIMULTANEOUSLY QUITS LEAVING THE DRIVER TO DEAL WITH A SITUATION OF NO POWER BRAKES AND STEERING. MULTIPLE TRIPS TO DEALER HAS RESULTED IN NO DIAGNOSIS AND GENEARL APATHY ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THE CAR IS STIL UNDER WARRANLTY BUT IT OFFERS NO VALUE. CLEAR SAFETY ISSUE AS THE LAST EVENT WAS AT A ELEMENARY SCHOOL WHERE A CHILD WAS ALMOST HIT AS THE LACK OF BRAKING AND STEERING POWER. HOW CAN SUCH A SYMPTOM BETREATED WITHSUCH APATHY. WE WILL BE FORCED TO SEL THE CAR FOR SAFETY REASONS AND NO RESPONSIBILITY IS TAKEN BY SAAB. IRONICALLY WE HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH A 1994 9000.*AK

A FAILED FUEL LINE RETAINING TAB AT THE FUEL PUMP ON MY 2001 SAAB 1995. NHTSA RECALL # 04V557000 IS THE SAME PROBLEM I HAD WITH MY SAAB, BUT I OWN A 1995, NOT A 1993. THIS DEFECTIVE TAB ALLOWED GASOLINE TO SPRAY FREELY TO THE GROUND MUST BE CONSIDERED A SAFETY RELATYED ISSUE.*AK

WIFE WAS DRIVING ON HWY US 202 SB AND SUDDENLY THE CAR DIES WITHOUT ANY WARNING. SHE ALMOST GOT REAR ENDED BY THE TRAFFIC BEHIND HER. LUCKILY SHE WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SHOULDER. HE CAR WAS TOWED TO A DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE DIRECT IGNITION MODULE.*AK

THERE WERE NO UNUSUAL EVENTS LEADING TO THE FAILURE. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING A 2001 SAAB 9-5 STATION WAGON WHEN THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN AND SHE LOST ALL POWER. THANKFULLY SHE WAS DRIVING ON A LOCAL ROAD AND MANAGED TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART AND WE HAD IT TOWED TO A LOCAL GARAGE. THE PERSON WHO TOWED SAID HE THOUGHT IT WAS A "CRANK SENSOR" THAT FAILED AND WHEN IT FAILS IT COMPLETELY SHUTS DOWN THE GAS TO THE ENGINE. I HAD IT REPAIRED AND THE LOCAL MECHANIC CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS A SENSOR THAT HE CALLED DIRECT IGNITION WHICH INCLUDES THE CAM SENSOR . MY CONCERN IS THAT IF IT HAPPENED ON A HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW A CAR CAN TOTALLY SHUT DOWN LIKE THAT WITHOUT ANY WARNING. SAAB WOULD NOT TAKE MY COMPLAINT BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE IT CHECKED AT THEIR GARAGE. I THINK THAT POLICY, WHEN IT COMES TO SAFETY, IS LUDICROUS! *AK