1997 SAAB 900 Complaints

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 1997 SAAB 900S CONVERTIBLE - THE CLUTCH CABLE HAS BROKEN 3 TIMES IN 3 YEARS. EACH TIME, I HAVE BEEN ON THE ROAD ONLY TO HAVE THE CABLE SNAP AND THE CLUTCH GO ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. ON SEPT 8, 2004 - THE CABLE BROKE FOR THE 3RD TIME - MY 5 YEAR OLD AND I WERE ON THE HIGHWAY - NARROWLY ESCAPING A MAJOR ACCIDENT OCCURING. MY IMPORT MECHANIC TELLS ME THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE SAAB MANUFACTURER WHO ATTRIBUTES IT TO A POOR DESIGN. EACH FIX IS COSTING - $300 FOR LABOR AND PARTS AS WELL AS THE USE OF A RENTAL CAR FOR 1 WEEK BECAUSE OF A LONG DELAY IN GETTING PARTS FROM THE MANUFACTURER. I AM PURCHASING ANOTHER CAR FOR THE SAFETY OF MYSELF AND MY CHILD. HOWEVER, I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP MY SAAB (FOR SUNNY DAYS) AS WELL. IS SAAB ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE? APPARENTLY THERE IS A PLASTIC PART AT THE END OF THE CABLE WHICH SNAPS OFF BECAUSE IT CAN'T TAKE THE CONSTANT PRESSURE. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS! WHAT IS THE FIX?*AK

WHILE AT A STOP VEHICLE REVVED AT A HIGH RATE. CONSUMER SWITCHED TO NEUTRAL/SHUT OFF VEHICLE TO TEMPORALLY STOP THE PROBLEM. ON ONE OCCASION CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED. DEALERSHIPS MECHANIC TRIED TO REPAIR VEHICLE 3 TIMES, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WHEN THE THROTTLE BECAME STUCK. *PH WHILE LOOKING AT THE NHTSA WEBSITE, THE CONSUMER SAW THAT THE PROBLEM HE EXPERIENCED WAS THE SUBJECT OF A RECALL (97V-046000). IT APPEARED THAT THE RECALL WAS NOT DONE ON THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE PRIOR TO HIM PURCHASING IT. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT IT WAS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CONSUMER TO MAKE SURE THE RECALL WAS DONE. *NM

PROBLEMS WITH ABS ON A 1997 SAAB 9000 CS.*MR THE ABS ECM UNIT WAS REPLACED AT 45900, AT 55393 MOST OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM HAD TO BE REPLACED, THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THAT THIS TYPE OF BRAKE WORK SHOULD NOT OCCUR AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE, ALSO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND RADIATOR HAD TO BE REPLACED. *JB *NM

CONSUMER IS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE. WHILE DRIVING, THE ENGINE ACCELERATED, WHEN THE CONSUMER STEPPED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL IT DID NOT WORK. DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND HAS NOT SEEN THE VEHICLE. PH

MY CONCERN IS NOT ABOUT MY CAR. MY COMPLAINT IS ABOUT THE TYPE OF BRIGHT BLUE/WHITE HEADLAMPS (HALOGEN?) THAT I SEE WITH INCREASING FREQUENCY. I DO A LOT OF HIGHWAY DRIVING, AND WHETHER IN THE CITY OR IN LESS WELL LIT AREAS. WHEN A CAR WITH THESE HEADLIGHTS APPROACHES ME THE EFFECT IS LIKE HAVING FLASHBULBS GO OFF IN FRONT OF MY EYES. I'M LITERALLY BLINDED AND INSTANTLY BECOME A COMPROMISED DRIVER. THE EFFECT IS ONLY SOMEWHAT DIMINISHED WHEN A CAR WITH THESE HEADLAMPS IS BEHIND ME. I CAN SWITCH MY REARVIEW MIRROR TO NIGHT BUT CAN'T DO MUCH ABOUT THE SIDEVIEW MIRRORS. I'VE TAKEN AN INFORMAL POLL WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY AND THE GREATER PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE HAVE A SIMILAR RESPONSE TO MINE. MY EYE DOCTOR SAID THAT PEOPLE WITH FAIR SKIN AND LIGHT EYES (LIKE ME) HAVE A MUCH GREATER SENSITIVITY TO LIGHT. HELP! I DON'T WANT TO BE AN UNSAFE DRIVER AND I FEEL DEFENSELESS AGAINST THESE PIERCING LIGHTS! THANK YOU. DT

I WAS DRIVING TO WORK GOING 25MPH WHEN THE CAR STARTED ACCELERATING. I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE AND I WAS BARELY ABLE TO STOP. SINCE I WAS IN TRAFFIC, I CONTINUED TO A STOP SIGN WHERE THE CAR STOPPED AFTER A SHORT LUNGE FORWARD. I CHECKED TO BE SURE THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS OFF AND I CHECKED THE DASHBOARD AND THERE WERE NO WARNING MESSAGES FLASHING. WHEN I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE AND WITH MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELELERATOR, THE CAR GAINED SPEED QUICKLY AND I WAS ONLY ABLE TO SLOW IT DOWN BY KEEPING MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. I PULLED INTO A PARKING SPACE, SHIFTED THE AUTOMATIC CAR INTO "PARK" WHERE THE CAR STARTED RACING/REVVING AT A VERY HIGH RATE OF SPEED WHEREBY I IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF THE CAR. I HAD THE SAAB TOWED TO MY DEALER. THE DEALER SAID THAT THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG AND THAT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO DO ANYTHING FOR ME. THEY TOLD ME TO DRIVE THE CAR TO THEM IF THE PROBLEM HAPPENED AGAIN--I TOLD THEM THAT THEIR RECOMMENDATION TO DRIVE TO THEM WOULD PUT MY PASSENGERS AND ME AT RISK. THAT EVENING, I CALLED SAAB USA'S CUSTOMER SERVICE NUMBER WHERE I FILED A FORMAL COMPLAINT WITH SAAB (SAAB'S FILE # FOR MY COMPLAINT IS 1-32268057).AND WAS TOLD THAT THE DEALER SHOULD HAVE KEPT THE CAR FOR SEVERAL DAYS TO TEST IT OUT MORE THOROUGHLY GIVEN THE RISK THAT EXISTS IF A FUTURE PROBLEM OCCURS. I ALSO EXPRESSED MY FEAR OF DRIVING THIS CAR AGAIN WITH ME AND MY FAMILY IN IT. THE WOMAN AT SAAB USA SAID SHE WOULD CALL THE DEALERSHIP AND GET BACK TO ME GIVEN MY CONCERN. I HAVE HEARD NOTHING AS OF TODAY, MAY 25, 2002. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THIS CAR AND SAAB HAS DONE NOTHING TO ALLEVIATE MY FEARS AND THEY ARE OFFERING NO SOLUTION EXCEPT TO SAY THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. I PAID FOR THEIR DIAGNOSIS AND I WOULD PAY ANYTHING REASONABLE TO CORRECT A PROBLEM WHICH COULD HAPPEN AGAIN. I HAVE ALSO OWNED SAABS SINCE 1983 AND IT IS SAD THAT SAAB'S RESPONSE TO THIS PROBLEM IS TO SEND ME AWAY.*AK

BOTH SUNVISORS BROKE WIHTIN THREE MONTHS. PLASTIC ATTACHMENT FAILED. SAFETY HAZARD FOR DRIVER WITH SUN AT LOW ANGLE AT THIS TIME OF YEAR. MANUFACTURER HAD NO EXPLANATION FOR FAILURE.*AK

VEHICLE HAS BEEN AT DEALER SINCE OCTOBER WAITING FOR A PART TO COME IN TO FIX POWER ADJUSTING SEAT. DEALER SAID THERE WAS A NATIONWIDE NEED FOR THE PART. ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER WAS RETOOLING THE PART TO SUPPLY SAAB MANUFACTURER. ELECTRIC MOTOR ON BOTH SIDES MALFUNCTIONED. CABLES MALFUNCTIONED SO THEY COULDN'T BE MOVED. IT WAS REQUIRED AND NEEDED TO BE A CONVERTIBLE.*AK *SLC

CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE RIMS FIVE TIMES. WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE GOES TO THE RIGHT AND TO THE LEFT. DEALER CAN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK