SAAB Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SUSPENSION COIL SPRING FRACTURED AND PUNCTURED THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE AND WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC SHOP WHERE THE FAILURE WAS CONFIRMED. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED THAT THE PARTS NEEDED FOR THE REPAIR WERE ON A NATIONAL BACK ORDER AND THE DEALER WAS UNAWARE OF WHEN THE PARTS WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE WHO STATED THEY WERE NOT SURE WHEN THE PARTS WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE AND OFFERED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000.

I WAS BACKING OUT OF MY GARAGE WHEN I HEARD A LOUD CLUNK COMING FROM THE FRONT LEFT AREA OF MY CAR, ACCOMPANIED BY A BURNING RUBBER SMELL EMANATING FROM SOMEWHERE. I GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND THOUGHT IT LOOKED A LITTLE LOWER ON THE LEFT SIDE. I FELT IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE DUE TO THE LOUD NOISE WHEN I PUT IT IN REVERSE, NOT TO MENTION THE SMELL OF BURNING RUBBER. I GOT MY CAR TOWED FOR $75, ONLY TO FIND OUT I WAS CORRECT IN MY ONLINE ASSESSMENT OF THE PROBLEM BEING MY FRONT SUSPENSION COIL BEING BROKEN (AS PER A LOCAL AUTO BODY DIAGNOSTIC), DUE TO THE NUMEROUS AND VERY SIMILAR SOUNDING COMPLAINTS ESPECIALLY FOR THE 2003 AND 2004 SAABS. I'M LUCKY THAT I DIDN'T END UP SHREDDING MY TIRE AND LOSING CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE AS I AS ABOUT TO EMBARK ON AN HOUR DRIVE, USING HIGHWAYS, TO MEET A FRIEND. HOWEVER, NOW I COME TO FIND OUT THAT SAAB, SINCE GOING BANKRUPT IN MID-DECEMBER OF 2011 NO LONGER IS MANUFACTURING OR RELEASING ANY PARTS - SO I AM LEFT WITH A CAR THAT IS NOT DRIVE-ABLE UNTIL I CAN FIND A SOLUTION TO THIS VERY FRUSTRATING PROBLEM. *TR

FRONT RIGHT TIRE STARTED SMOKING, FOLLOWED QUICKLY BY BLOWOUT. AFTER REMOVING TIRE, DISCOVERED THE SPRING PART OF THE SUSPENSION HAD FRACTURED INTO 2 PIECES, ONE PIECE LOOSE AND UNATTACHED, THE OTHER STILL INTACT WITH THE CAR. THE PIECE STILL ATTACHED TO THE CAR WAS OUT OF PLACE AND IN THE WAY OF THE TIRE WHICH CAUSED IT TO RUB UP AGAINST THE TIRE AND CAUSED IT TO BLOW OUT AFTER CUTTING THROUGH THE ENTIRE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE TIRE. *TR

THE FRONT-RIGHT COIL SPRING HAS BROKEN (WHEN TURNING 180 DEGREE, AT 3 OR 5 MPH); *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY SAAB 9-3 2007 I STARTED HEARING SOME RATTLING NOISE FROM THE FRONT LEFT SUSPENSION. I STOPPED THE VEHICLE BUT COULD NOT SEE ANYTHING UNUSUAL. WHEN I REACHED MY GARAGE I WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THE FRONT WHEEL AND NOTICED ABOUT 6 INCHES OF THE BOTTOM SPRING COIL WAS BROKEN OFF FROM THE REST OF THE SPRING. I CONTACTED SAAB EXCHANGE DEALER IN LAKE BLUFF, ILLINOIS AND WAS TOLD THE 2007 SAAB DOES NOT HAVE ANY RECALLS RELATED TO THE SPRINGS AND THE REPLACEMENT COST WOULD BE ABOUT $1250. THIS IS DEFINITELY A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE REPAIRED BY SAAB (GM IN THIS CASE). *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, SHE HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO DRIVE DIFFERENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN STRAIGHT TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY ADVISED HER THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE COIL SPRINGS WERE FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY ADVISED HER THAT THEY HAD ISSUED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY BUT HER VEHICLE WAS NOT ONE OF THE AFFECTED UNITS THAT THE WARRANTY WOULD COVER. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 42,000.

FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT DISPLAY THE CORRECT FUEL LEVEL. FUEL GAUGE WILL INDICATE FULL WHEN TANK IS EMPTY, OR EMPTY WHEN TANK IS FULL. HAS CAUSED A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

A FEW WEEKS AGO, I BEGAN TO NOTICE A CLUNKING SOUND NEAR FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS IN THE ROAD. UPON INVESTIGATION THIS WEEK, I COULD SEE THAT THE COIL SPRING WAS BROKEN RIGHT THROUGH THE METAL. I HAD NEVER HEARS OF ANYTHING LIKE THAT. MILEAGE IS APPROXIMATELY 77,000. DROVE IT TO THE MECHANIC, WHO CONFIRMED THAT THERE IS A BROKEN SPRING. THEY INFORMED ME THAT, ALTHOUGH THE PART IS NOT EXPENSIVE, THERE ARE NONE AVAILABLE, THAT THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT, AND THE PART IS ON A NATIONAL BACKORDER! I NEVER REC'D ANY SORT OF NOTIFICATION FROM SAAB ABOUT THIS. THE MECHANIC ALSO SAID THAT I WAS INCREDIBLY LUCKY THAT THE BREAK DIDN'T HAPPEN ON THE FREEWAY, THAT IT COULD HAVE TAKEN OUT THE BRAND NEW FRONT TIRE. I HAVE A YOUNG DAUGHTER AND I VOLUNTEER TO DRIVE OTHER SCHOOL KIDS ON A WEEKLY BASIS--THIS COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. UNTIL A NEW SPRING IS FOUND, I WAS TOLD NOT TO DRIVE THE CAR, THAT IT COULD BLOW OUT THE TIRE AT ANY TIME. THERE IS NO ETA ON THE NEW PART. EVEN THOUGH SAAB IS BANKRUPT, THERE'S A LOCAL DEALER STILL IN BUSINESS, SO I'M THE WAIT LIST FOR THE PART WITH THEM AS WELL. IN THE MEANTIME, I'M STUCK. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SABB 9-3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT RETRACT. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE MANUFACTURER IN REGARDS TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 10V043000 (SEAT BELTS: FRONT: RETRACTOR) BUT WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 112,000. UPDATED 03/30/12