1999 SAAB 9-5 Complaints

DT: THE ENGINE JUST SHUT DOWN WITHOUT WARNING AND THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE RESTARTED. THERE WAS ONLY A CLICKING NOISE. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN OVER. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. THE FIRST INCIDENT, THE IGNITION CASSETTE WAS REPLACED, AND THIS SUBSEQUENTLY HAPPENED AGAIN. MORE REPAIR WORK WAS DONE AND THIS HAPPENED FOR A THIRD TIME. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY IN SHOP. *AK THE THROTTLE BODY HAD TRIPPED AND WENT INTO LIMP MODE ON THE THIRD INCIDENT. THE DEALER COULD NOT DETECT THE ROOT CAUSE. *SC *JB

THIS COMPLAINT IS REPRESENTS AN ADDITIONAL EVENT UNDER NHTSA ACTION # PE05017. ON MAY 15, 2004 THE AUTOMOBILE WAS APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE FROM MY RESIDENCE, HAVING BEEN USED TO DO LOCAL ERRANDS, WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED BUCKING AND SURGING. GIVEN THE CLOSENESS OF THE RESIDENCE TO THE START OF THE PROBLEMS, THE CAR LIMPED HOME, WAS STOPPED IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE, AND THE IGNITION WAS SHUT OFF. AT THAT POINT, A BURNING SMELL PERMEATED THE AIR. AFTER THE CAR COOLED DOWN, WE TRIED TO START IT AGAIN, TO NO AVAIL. WHEN THE CAR TURNED OVER, WE COULD SEE WISPS OF SMOKE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. A TOW TRUCK WAS CALLED AND THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP, WHICH INSTALLED TWO DI CASSETTES AT A COST OF $1200.

ABS BRAKES LOCK UP WHEN DRIVING. ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS WHEN DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS. AS AN EXAMPLE, TYPICALLY BRAKES LOCK UP WHEN IN STOP AND GO HEAVY TRAFFIC, COMMONLY AT MORNING AND EVENING RUSH HOURS. DANGEROUS WHEN TRAFFIC CLEARS UP AND THERE IS SUDDENLY NEED TO ACCELERATE TO KEEP PACE WITH TRAFFIC FLOW AND THE CAR LOCKS UP.

DROVE CAR (COLD) FROM HOME TO NEXT TOWN - MAYBE 10MILES APART. LET THE CAR SIT FOR @45 MINS. DROVE BACK IN THE DIRECTION OF HOME - ABOUT 8 MILES INTO DRIVE HOME, CAR STARTED TO CHUG WITH NO WARNING, WAS NOT SPEEDING, LOCAL ROAD WITH TRAFFIC, "CHECK ENGINE"LIGHT CAME ON - PULLED OFF TO NEAREST GAS STATION - ABOUT MILE DOWN THE ROAD. CHECKED OIL - CAR DID NOT NEED OIL. DROVE CAR TO MECHANIC - ANOTHER MILE FROM GAS STATION - CAR CONTINUING TO CHUG. TECHNICIAN TESTED CAR WITH COMPUTER AND SAID THE #2 CYLINDER IN THE DIRECT IGNITION, WAS NOT FIRING PROPERLY AND THAT WAS THE PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHTS, ALL THE GAUGES READ "NORMAL" CAR IS SERVICED PROPERLY. WHY SHOULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED? THE CARE IS RARELY DRIVEN THROUGHOUT THE WEEK - I COMMUTE VIA FERRY SO THE CAR IS GENERALLY COLD OR DRIVEN 10-15 MILES REGULARLY. OCCASIONAL LONG TRIPS @90MILES AT MAX. PLEASE INVESTIGATE - I DO NOT THINK I SHOUDL HAVE TO PAY FOR "NEW IGNITION" ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE WAS NO WARNING FROM THE CAR'S SYSTEM AND THE CAR IS SERVICE REGUARLY. THE CAR IS 1999 SAAB 9.5SE 4 CYLINDER WITH @90K MILES. I DO NOT EXPECT THIS FROM SAAB - MY FAMILY HAS ALWAYS HAD SAABS AND EXPECT BETTER PERFORMANCE. PLEASE CONTACT ME ASAP. THANK YOU. MARIA ROSE

TRANSMISSION DIED AT 70,000 MILES, WITH NO WARNING, CAUSING BRAKES AND OTHER COMPONENTS OF THE CAR TO FAIL, NEARLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT ON A MAJOR THOROUGHFARE. THE CAR WAS SMOKING ALL THE WAY HOME AND I BARELY MADE IT. I WAS SHAKING BY THE TIME I GOT OUT OF MY CAR.

IGNITION CASETTE FAILURE--SECOND REPLACEMENT IN 12 MONTHS!!!! EVEN THOUGH THE DEFECT WAS FOUND (AND DOCUMENTED!) IN JANUARY 2005 (LESS THAN 12 MONTHS AFTER THE INITIAL REPLACEMENT IN FEBRUARY OF 2004), SAAB WILL NOT PAY FOR REPLACEMENT AND REPAIRS AS IT IS CLAIMING THAT IT WAS NOT REPAIRED UNTIL APRIL.

THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED THREE COMPLETE ENGINE AND ELECTRICAL FAILURES ON THE 1999 SAAB 9-5. *MR THERE WERE NO WARNINGS. THE DI CASSETTE AND THROTTLE BODY WAS REPLACED. *SC THE CONSUMER STATED HE HAS EXPERIENCED BULB FAILURES FAILURES ON A REGULAR BASIS AND HE TRULY BELIEVED THE VEHICLE HAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. *JB

CAR IS A SAAB 9-5 2.3L, LPT WAGON, 1999. THE DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE FAILED, FORTUNATELY THE CAR WAS NOT TOTALLY DISABLED AND WE COULD GET TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS, WITH THE CELL ON. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS REPORTS OF THE FAILURE OF THIS PART AT HIGHWAY SPEED, WHICH RISKS A CATASTROPHE. THIS VEHICLE BEGAN TO RUN BADLY AND WITHIN 4 DAYS THE CELL CAME ON AND THE NEXT TIME IT WAS DRIVEN WAS TO THE DEALER. THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AND THE DIG AND PLUGS REPLACED. THE CAR IS 5 MONTHS OLD ON A 4 YEAR WARRANTY, BUT MILEAGE IS ON 35,900 AT THE DEALER. AFTER DISCUSSION WITH SAAB CONSUMER SERVICE, SAAB AGREED TO PAY FOR ALL PARTS BUT NOT THE LABOR. APPARENTLY THEY ARE AWARE INTERNALLY OF THIS PROBLEM ON 1999 AND LATER SAAB 9-5'S AND THE DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE. THERE OUGHT TO BE AN ABSOLUTE RECALL FOR THIS, AND IF SO WE SHOULD ALSO BE REIMBURSED OUR LABOR CHARGE. WE ARE ALSO UNCERTAIN AS TO WHETHER THE CASSETTES NOW PRODUCED ARE EQUALLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO FAILURE.*AK

CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF UPPER IDLER PULLEY ON '99 2.3LITER LOW PRESSURE TURBO ENGINEE ON SAAB 95SE. THE PULLEY DISINTEGRATED ON STARTUP OF THE VEHICLE. CAUSED PIECEES OF PLASTIC OUTHER RING MATERIAL TO BE SCATTERED AROUND THE ENGINE COMPARTMETN AND OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. SEPENTINE BELT SLIPPED DOWN ONTO THE HUB AND CAUSED FAILURE OF ACCESSORIES SUCH AS: POWER STEERIGN PUMP, LETERNATOR ETC.*AK HAD THIS OCCURED DURIGN DRIVIGN ON THE HIGHWYA, THE IMEDIATE LOSS OF POWER AND ACCESSORIES WOUDL HAVE GENERATED MAJOR PROBLEM AND MIGHT HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THE CAR IS 1999 MODEL YEAR, WITH ~ 50,200 MILES DUING INCIDENT. PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO CALL ME IF YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS AT 512-301-7425. I HAV EFOLLOWE DUP ON WEB BASED OWNER AND ENTHUSIAST NETWORKS. IT APPERAS THAT THIS FAILUR EIS BECOMIGN AN COMMON COURENCE ON 99 & 2000 SAABS95 OPERATED IN SOUTHERN USA. PLEASE CHECK OR SEARCH AT WWW.SAABNET.COM : HTTP://WWW.SAABNET.COM/TSN/BB/9-5/SEARCH.HTML?QUERY=IDLER+PULLEY THIS SEARCH INDICATES 256 MESSAGES RELATED OT THE PROBLEM MOST OF THEM OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS. I HAD THE PULLEY REPLACED AT THE LOCAL DELERSHIP UNDER EXTENDED THIRD PARTY WARRANTY, HOWEVER I BELIVE THAT THIS IS A CASE OF BAD SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THIS APPLICATION. THE PULLEY BODY WAS MADE OUT OF PLASTIC, THAT IS CRACKIGN AND FAILURING DUE TO HEAT EXPOSURE. I HAVE PIECES OF PULLEY AVAILABLE FO RYOUR INSPECTION IF NEEDED. JERZY

COMPLETE, INSTANTANEOUS SHUTDOWN OF THE ENTIRE VEHICLE AT SPEED. LOSS OF POWER, LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKES, HAD TO ANGLE ACROSS TWO LANES OF HIGH SPEED TRAFFIC WHILE COASTING! THANKFULLY, NO ONE HIT ME! HAD TO REPLACE THE "DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE". THIS FAILED COMPLETELY. *NM