2001 SAAB AERO Complaints

THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON WITHOUT NOTICE, AND HORN STOPS WORKING, TOOK TO DEALER WHO SAID IT WAS THE CLOCK SPRING AND THIS IS A TYPICAL PROBLEM. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS THE AIRBAG IS NEEDED TO PREVENT INJURIES. I HAVE HEARD OF OTHER PEOPLE BEING INJURED BY THIS. (THE 9-5 IS THE SAME AS THE 95 AND THE 952 AND THE AERO). *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, WHEN I NOTICED A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. THE STEERING AND BRAKES WERE DIFFICULT TO USE AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS FLASHING. I MANAGED TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CAR WOULD NOT START ONCE STOPPED, LATER I NOTICED THAT WHEN I TRIED TO TURN THE ENGINE OVER, GASOLINE WAS SPEWING OUT NEAR THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR AND NEAR THE EXHAUST PIPE! I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED TRYING TO START THE CAR AND LEFT FOR A CALL BOX TO GET A TOW. I GOT IT TOWED TO THE SACRAMENTO SAAB DEALER WHERE THEY SAID THE RETAINER FOR THE FUEL PUMP BROKE. I AM AWARE THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS RECALLED FOR THE SAAB 9-3 MODELS, HOWEVER THE 9-5 HASN'T BEEN SUBJECTED TO THIS RECALL AS OF YET. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION, HAD THE GAS IGNITED, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE. THEN AT THE DEALER, THE ENTIRE PUMP WAS REQUIRED TO BE REPLACED, EVEN THOUGH THE RETAINER (A SMALL PLASTIC CLIP) FAILED AND THE PUMP WAS STILL IN WORKING ORDER. *JB

CAR LEAKING DARK FLUID...TOOK CAR INTO DIFFERENT SAAB SERVICE CENTER STATED SEEN ISSUE A LOT SINCE LAST TIME I TOOK CAR INTO DIFFERENT SINCE SAAB DEALERSHIP NO ONE COULD FIGURE OUT THE IDM WAS DEFECTIVE UNTIL AFTER RECALL HEAD GASKET WENT BAD AND COOLANT SENSOR MELTED...IS THIS DUE TO DEFECT IN CAR OR IS THIS JUST THE BEGINNING OF MORE ISSUES TO COME...54000 MILES ON VEHICLE $1200 PART. *NM

THE DIRECT IGNITION MODULE/CASSETTE FAILED ON MY 2001 9-5 AERO AND I HAD TO HAVE IT REPAIRED AT THE DEALERSHIP. I JUST DISCOVERED ON THE SAAB BULLETIN BOARD (I.E. SAABNET) THAT THIS PART FAILS REGULARLY IN SAABS, PARTICULARLY IN THE 2001 9-5S. *JB

2001 SAAB AERO WHILE TRAVELING IN THE FAST LANE OF A FREEWAY AT 65 MPH WITHOUT WARNING EXPERIENCED COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER. FORTUNATELY, THE CAR MADE IT ACROSS 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC TO THE SHOULDER (RAINY DAY AT DUSK); THE EMERGENCY FLASHERS THEN FAILED WITHIN 25 MINUTES. DIAGNOSED AS A DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE (DIC) FAILURE, BUT FLASHERS FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. MECHANIC STATED THAT THE DIC FAILURE WAS COMMON, BUT REPLACEMENTS SELDOM FAILED. IN OUR SMALL CIRCLE, OUR NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR HAD DIC FAILURE WITH HIS 2000 SAAB 9-5 AND STATED WE WERE THE ONLY SAAB OWNERS HE HADN'T KNOWN TO HAVE THE PROBLEM; A COLLEAGUE OF MY WIFE'S HAD DIC FAILURE WHILE ALSO DRIVING ON A FREEWAY.

IN BOTH MY 2001 SAAB 9-5 AND MY 1999 SAAB 9-3, UPON ENTERING THE VEHICLE WHEN I LOCK THE ELECTRONIC DOORS AND TURN THE IGNITION KEY IN QUICK SUCCESSION, THE DOOR LOCKS OPEN. ALTHOUGH THIS PROBLEM WAS DEMONSTRATED TO THE SAAB DEALER, THEY COULD NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. I BELIEVE THEIR HAS BEEN A CHRONIC PROBLEM OF ELECTRICAL CHARGE BUILD-UP IN THE IGNITION CONSOLE (WHERE THE DOOR LOCK SWITCH IS LOCATED), AND WHEN LOCKING THE DOORS AND STARTING THE IGNITION ARE PERFORMED IN QUICK SUCCESSION, IT CAUSES AN ELECTRICAL SHORT WHICH POPS OPEN THE LOCKS. MY 1996 SAAB 900 HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM, BUT IN THAT CASE, AFTER LOWERING THE WINDOWS (SWITCHES ALSO IN IGNITION CONSOLE), THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL CHARGE BUILD-UP WHICH PREVENTED RAISING THE WINDOWS FOR APPROXIMATELY 3-5 SECONDS. *JB

FUEL AND VABOR LEAK, CAUSED ORDOR OF FUEL INSIDE MV AND ON OUTSIDE RIGHT REAR AREA. DEALER REPLACED PART # 54-62-288 FUEL FILLER TUBE, #48-99-621 FUELLINB235PLST AND # 79-74-546 O-RING

MICHELLEN MXM 17 IN. CONSUMER HAS NO OTHER TIRE INFO. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE PASSENGER FRONT AND REAR TIRE SHREDDED. CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED.

DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT HAVE HARD PROTRUSIONS WHICH INJURE THE COCYX AND RELATED LIGAMENTS WHILE RIDING IN THE CARE A SHORT TIME.