SAAB Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED WHEN SHE EXPERIENCED EXTREME DIFFICULTY PULLING THE FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT BELT OUT OF ITS PRETENSIONER. THE FAILURE RECURRED WHENEVER THE SEAT BELT WAS OPERATED. APPROXIMATELY FIVE YEARS LATER, THE PRETENSIONER FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, BUT WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH DOOR LOCKS, SOMETIMES THE DRIVER'S SIDE, SOMETIMES ONE OF THE OTHER 3 DOORS, THE DOOR LOCK WILL NOT LOCK THE DOOR; OR SOMETIMES IS THE OPPOSITE WHERE IT WILL NOT UNLOCK THE DOOR *TR

THE SAAB WILL INTERMITTENTLY FAIL TO START. WHEN THE KEY IS TURNED IN THE IGNITION, ALL ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS OPERATE AS DESIGNED, HOWEVER THE CAR WILL NOT TURN OVER. THIS IS NOT A BATTERY OR STARTER PROBLEM. THE CAR DOES NOT MAKE ANY CRANKING SOUNDS OR STARTER CLICKS. RATHER, THERE IS NO ENGINE TURN OVER AT ALL. AFTER WAITING FOR 30 - 60 MINUTES, THE CAR WILL START AS IF THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WHATEVER. THE ISSUE APPEARS TO BE THE NEUTRAL SAFETY SWITCH. THERE IS NO ELECTRONIC DIAGNOSTIC TEST FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM IS NOT "RECREATABLE." IT IS 100% UNPREDICTABLE AS TO WHEN IT WILL OCCUR. A SEARCH OF THE INTERNET FOR "SAAB 9-3 (OR S900) INTERMITTENT START" WILL RETURN THOUSANDS OF POSTS FROM DRIVERS DESCRIBING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. FIXES INCLUDE POURING WATER OR SNOW ON TOP OF THE NSS, DRILLING A HOLE IN THE DASHBOARD AND RUNNING A BY-PASS SWITCH TO THE STARTER, AND REPLACING THE NSS. DEALERSHIP WILL TRY TO REPLACE STARTERS, BATTERIES, ECT AND CLAIM THEY HAVE NOT HEARD OF THE NSS PROBLEM. *TR

VACUUM BRAKE BOOSTER FILLED WITH OIL LEAKING FROM DEFECTIVE VACUUM PUMP RESULTING IN BRAKE FAILURE. DEFECTIVE ABS MODULE CAUSES BRAKES TO SUDDENLY LOCK UP IMMOBILIZING CAR. THIS IS A DESIGN FAILURE IN THE ELECTRONIC ABS BRAKING SYSTEM IN MY OPINION. *TR

WHILE PULLING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, I SUDDENLY HEARD A LOUD NOISE FROM THE ENGINE BAY AND COULDN'T TURN MY STEERING WHEEL TO EXIT THE DRIVEWAY. THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE RUBBER RING (INNER RING) OF THE ENGINE'S CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BECOMING MISALIGNED WITH THE METAL RING (OUTER RING), CAUSING THE BELT FOR THE POWER STEERING PUMP TO BECOME DETACHED FROM THE PULLEY. THIS CAUSED THE STEERING WHEEL TO BECOME SUDDENLY DIFFICULT TO TURN WHICH COULD HAVE POSED A DANGEROUS SITUATION IF I WERE DRIVING ON A BUSY ROAD. PLEASE NOTE MY VEHICLE'S ENGINE AND DRIVETRAIN IS IDENTICAL TO THE MORE POPULAR AND BETTER-SELLING 2005 SUBARU IMPREZA, SO THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED ON THAT VEHICLE AS WELL. MY MECHANIC HAS SEEN THIS PROBLEM ON MULTIPLE IMPREZAS, BUT SUBARU REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE WIDESPREAD PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1992 SAAB 900. THE VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH GOODYEAR ASSURANCE TIRES SIZE 195-60-R15, THE DOT NUMBER AND SERIAL NUMBERS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STAY IN A STRAIGHT LINE. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND LARGE BUBBLES ON THE FRONT DRIVER TIRE SIDEWALL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL TIRE SPECIALIST WHO EXAMINED THE TIRE AND ADVISED THAT THE TIRE WAS DEFECTIVE. THE TIRE WAS REPLACED. THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000. THE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 299,000.

MY CAR WAS BUILT IN 2002 AS WELL AS OTHERS REPORTED, I PURCHASED IT USED 3 YEARS AGO WITH 64K MILES. MY DIRECT IGNITION CONTROL IN 2003 9-5 LINEAR SEDAN 2.3T CEASED. UPON RESEARCH, MY DIC IS THE ORIGINAL PART 9197559 TK3.6 2000-2002 ARE RECALLED AND 'SOME' 2003 VIN'S. WITH THE OVER ABUNDANCE OF DIC FAILURES WITH THE EXACT SAME PART NUMBER, THESE NEED TO BE RECALLED AS A WHOLE. UPON REMOVAL OF THE DIC, THE ENGINE IS LEAKING AT THE SEAMS OF THE HEAD FROM WHERE THE BOLTS ARE LOCATED, INSIDE THE DIC AND ENGINE SECTION IS PERFECTLY CLEAN. BOLTS IN THE HEAD OF THE ENGINE LOOSE, 1 WAS LIFTED OUT ENOUGH TO JUST REMOVE STRAIGHT OUT. CAR BLOWS BLUEISH SMOKE WHEN IT WAS STARTING, SWITCHES ARE DEFECTIVE (GM KNOWN ISSUE), OIL / ENGINE / HEAD KNOWN ISSUES, SUSPENSION KNOWN ISSUES (AMONG OTHER SERIOUS SAAB FAILURES). I HAVE SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON THIS VEHICLE SINCE PURCHASE. THE KNOWN RECALLS MUST BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE THE PARTS, NOT JUST 'YEAR' OR 'SPECIFIC VIN'. THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A SAFE, RELIABLE CAR BUT INSTEAD IS CAUSING SERIOUS FINANCIAL ISSUES. PLEASE HELP THE OWNERS ALL OVER THE WORLD, WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR ALL OF THIS.. WE ALREADY PAID FOR THEIR 'BAILOUT'! SINCERELY~ CAN NOT TAKE ANY MORE REPAIRS!!! *TT

ALL OF THESE REPAIRS IN ABOUT A TWO YEAR PERIOD: ABS MODULE, OIL COOLER, THROTTLE BODY, UPPER RADIATOR HOSE, AND BOTH DIC CASSETTES. THIS IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE FOR WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY A $40K CAR. I HAVE LOVED SAAB'S SINCE MY CHILDHOOD, BUT THIS ONE CAR HAS COMPLETELY TURNED ME OFF OF THEM. FIRST THE ABS MODULE WENT, HAD IT REBUILT ($150) AND NO IMPROVEMENT. SO I BOUGHT A NEW ONE ($350). THEN JUST AFTER THAT THE THROTTLE BODY DIED ($450). THEN JUST A FEW MONTHS LATER THE OIL COOLER ($1100) WENT OUT. IT RAN SMOOTH FOR A SHORT TIME, BUT THEN BOTH DIC'S DIED AT THE SAME TIME ($850). IT IS TIME FOR THIS CAR TO GO AWAY, AND I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER SAAB. WHY IS THERE A RECALL ON THE DIC FOR ALL SUBSEQUENT YEARS, BUT NO THE 1999'S? THANK SAAB!!! *TR

THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AS IT NO LONGER FUNCTIONS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SAAB 9- 3 CONVERTIBLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRACT BACK IN PLACE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY ADVISED THAT THE VIN DID NOT QUALIFY FOR REPAIRS UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 10V043000 (SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 52,321.