SAAB Complaints

STRONG SMELL OF RAW FUEL AT COLD START UP. OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE APPROXIMATELY 15F. THE SMELL GOES AWAY AFTER THE CAR IS WARMED UP AFTER A PERIOD OF DRIVING. SUBSEQUENT OCCURRENCES THROUGHOUT EACH WINTER WHEN TEMPERATURES ARE BELOW 20F. CONCERNED THAT THE LEAKAGE COULD RESULT IN A FIRE OR TOXIC FUMES BEING PASSED INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. FUEL LEAKAGE APPEARS TO BE RELATED TO A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE SUBARU IMPREZA PLATFORM ON WHICH THIS CAR IS BASED.

MY 1999 SAAB'S DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE HAS FAILED -- A VERY COMMON OCCURRENCE IN THIS MODEL, FOR WHICH A RECALL WAS ISSUED. THAT RECALL, HOWEVER, EXCLUDED 1999 MODEL YEARS FOR REASONS UNKNOWN TO ANYONE I HAVE SPOKEN WITH. MY CAR IS ESSENTIALLY IDENTICAL TO A 2000 SAAB 9-5, WHICH IS COVERED UNDER RECALL. HAD MY PART FAILED WHILE DRIVING, I WOULD HAVE BEEN LEFT WITH NO POWER BRAKES, STEERING, ETC... THIS IS MY WIFE'S CAR, IN WHICH WE CARRY OUR NEWBORN DAUGHTER. IT'S A VERY LOW-MILEAGE CAR (83K MILES) THAT I TAKE METICULOUS CARE OF. THIS PART SHOULD NOT FAIL, AND SHOULD CERTAINLY BE RECALLED IF A PATTERN OF FAILURES EXISTS (WHICH IT DOES). THANK YOU! *TR

TO WHOM THIS MAY BE CONCERNED: I JUST CALLED SAAB CORP AND MY LOCAL SAAB DEALER, AND THEY'RE ACTING LIKE IT'S NO BIG DEAL???? I THINK IT'S A VERY BIG DEAL AND ACCORDING TO MY PERSONAL NON-SAAB MECHANIC, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A LIFE-THREATENING ORDEAL IF THE COIL-SPRING WOULD HAVE BROKE AT A HIGHER SPEEDS... IT'S JUST PLAIN WRONG THAT SAAB-CORP IS NOT MAKING A BIGGER DEAL ABOUT THIS ISSUE??? WHY??? ANY AND ALL INFO WILL BE APPRECIATED. ALSO I'M THINKING ABOUT REPORTING THIS TO MY OUR LOCAL CONGRESSMAN AND STATE SENATOR?? THANK YOU AND SAFE-DRIVING:: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2004 SAAB 9-3 CONVERTIBLE WITH PIRELLI P6 TIRES, LINE SIZE 215/55/16. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VALVE STEM WOULD CONTINUOUSLY FRACTURE CAUSING THE TIRE TO DEFLATE ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES FOR THE SAME FAILURE. THERE WERE NO FURTHER REPAIRS NOR WERE THE TIRES REPLACED. THE ESTIMATED MILEAGE ON THE FAILED TIRE WAS 13,400. THE DOT NUMBER WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT VEHICLE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

I HAVE A 2006 SAAB CONVERTIBLE. I LEFT TO GO TO WORK THIS MORNING AND THERE WAS A HORRIBLE NOISE IN THE FRONT. I DRIVE THE INTERSTATE PART WAY TO WORK AND THE NOISE SEEMED TO LESSEN. WHEN I GOT OFF THE INTERSTATE AND CAME TO A STOP LIGHT THE NOISE WAS EXTREMELY LOUD. I TURNED AROUND AND TOOK MY CARE TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I HAD PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE. I FOUND OUT THAT BOTH OF THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS HAD FRACTURED AND ONE WAS STUCK IN MY PASSENGER SIDE TIRE. THE TIRE ON THE INSIDE HAD BEEN CUT ALL THE WAY AROUND THE WHEEL. I WAS TOLD THAT THE SERVICE PEOPLE COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT I DID NOT GET IN AN ACCIDENT. I HAD TO INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE WITH SAAB'S ON THE INTERNET IN ORDER TO FIND THAT IT WAS A PROBLEM. I THEN CALLED SAAB DEALERSHIP (THE ONLY ONE IN THE AREA) 30 MILES AWAY AND FOUND OUT THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE COILS BREAKING. I NOW HAVE TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED ALL THAT WAY AND THEY ARE NOT SURE IF SAAB IS GOING TO COVER A RENTAL CAR FORE ME. I HAVE TO BE ABLE TO GET TO WORK AND NOW WILL HAVE TO BE OUT THE EXPENSE OF A RENTAL CAR. SAAB SHOULD COVER ALL OF MY EXPENSES. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT SHOULD BE ON THE RECALL LIST AND NOT PUT PEOPLE IN SUCH DANGER WHEN SAAB IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE. I HAVE ALWAYS TOLD EVERYONE HOW MUCH I LOVE MY SAAB AND THEY WOULD LOVE ONE TOO. NOW I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR WHEN IT IS FIXED, BECAUSE I DON'T TRUST THAT THERE ISN'T SOMETHING ELSE WRONG THAT COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. *TR

1. THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE. NONE 2. THE FAILURE, HOW OFTEN IT OCCURS, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES. PERIODIC UNCOMMANDED CHANGES IN THROTTLE. DEALERSHIP TEST EQUIPMENT SHOWS EVIDENCE OF DATA CORRUPTION ON CHANNEL 1 OF THE TWO CHANNEL THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR (TPS) OCCURRING EVERY COUPLE OF SECONDS. DRIVER PERCEPTION OF PROBLEM IS IN FORM OF JERKY THROTTLE RESPONSE AT LOW THROTTLE WITH ONE INSTANCE OF SUDDEN, UNCOMMANDED ACCELERATION. THE SUDDEN THROTTLE CHANGES HAVE RESULTED IN TRACTION LOSS ON SLIPPERY ROADS SEVERE ENOUGH THAT THE VEHICLE DEPARTED THE ROADWAY. 3. WHAT WAS DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE; I.E, PARTS REPAIRED OR REPLACED (AND IF OLD PART IS AVAILABLE) DEALERSHIP REPLACED THROTTLE BODY, WIRING HARNESS, AND ENGINE CONTROL MODULE IN AN ATTEMPT TO RESOLVE TPS DATA CORRUPTION PROBLEM AND DRIVABILITY PROBLEMS, BUT WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR PURSUIT. DEALERSHIP REQUESTED ASSISTANCE FROM THE MANUFACTURER'S FIELD ENGINEERING TEAM. A FIELD ENGINEER WAS DISPATCHED, EVALUATED THE VEHICLE, DECLARED THAT IT WAS "OPERATING WITHIN MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATIONS", AND TOLD THE DEALERSHIP TO IGNORE WHAT THEIR TEST EQUIPMENT WAS TELLING THEM. WHEN REQUESTED TO PROVIDE THE SPECIFICATIONS, WHAT TESTS WHERE PERFORMED TO DETERMINE COMPLIANCE, AND THE RESULTS OF THOSE TESTS, THE MANUFACTURER REFUSED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE PASSENGER FRONT SEAT AIR BAG WAS INOPERABLE. THE DEALER WAS INFORMED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE CONTACT DID NOT INFORM THE MANUFACTURER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 48,029. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 36,200.

2004 SAAB 9-3. CONSUMER STATES THAT HE RECEIVED A RECALL FOR THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT SEAT BELT TENSIONING MAY FAIL. CONSUMER WOULD LIKE TO BE REIMBURSED SINCE HE PAID FOR THE REPAIR OUT OF HIS POCKET. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED HE SUBMITTED THE NECESSARY PAPERWORK, BUT HE STILL HAS NOT RECEIVED REIMBURSEMENT. THE CONSUMER STATED HE HAS SINCE RECEIVED A SECOND LETTER REGARDING THE RECALL. *JB

1.) ALL THE WIRING ISSUES STARTED OCCURRING SINCE FEB 2009- CURRENTLY. 2.) MY 2003 SAAB 9-3 LINEAR WIRING IS DYSFUNCTIONAL CAUSING MANY WIRING/ELECTRICAL ISSUE FAILURES TO OCCUR THROUGHOUT MY VEHICLE. -MY ALARM WILL GO OFF WHENEVER IT WANTS TO WHILE I AM AT WORK OR AT HOME SO I HAD TO UNPLUG MY HORN (WHICH IS DANGEROUS AND COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT SINCE I CAN'T USE MY HORN TO WARN PEOPLE OF AN ACCIDENT.) -ALSO, ON MY DISPLAY UNIT SHOWS "A RED NO PRESSURE" FOR MY PASSENGER SIDE SEAT SEAT WHICH HAS ME ALWAYS HAVING TO LEAVE IT BUCKLED WHEN NO ONE IS IN THE CAR IN ORDER FOR THE DISTRACTING LIGHT TO GO OFF. - MY RADIO WORKED FINE UNTIL MY BACK AMP COMPLETELY QUIT ABOUT 1 MONTH AGO FOR NO REASON. I NEVER PLAY MY MUSIC LOAD AND DO NOT USE BASE AND TO GET THIS FIXED WILL COST ME OVER $900. - THE ELECTRICAL ISSUES HAVE ALSO AFFECTED MY ELECTRICAL WINDOWS AS WELL. I WILL BE DRIVING AND PUT MY WINDOW DOWN AND IT WILL NOT GO BACK UP AND STICK TO WEAR I HAVE TO STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO MANUALLY PULL IT UP WITH MY HANDS. 3.) I HAVE TAKEN MY VEHICLE INTO TWO DIFFERENT DEALERS TO HAVE THEM FIND OUT WHAT THE CORE ISSUE OF MY WIRING/ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS ARE AND THEY BOTH CAME BACK AND TOLD ME THAT THEY HOOKED MY VEHICLE UP TO THE COMPUTER BUT THEY CAN'T FIND WHAT IS WRONG WITH IT? THIS IS VERY ODD BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S NOT MY IMAGINATION AND IT SEEMS LIKE EACH WEEK, SOMETHING GOES WRONG "ELECTRICAL" AND THE FACT THEY CAN NOT FIND THE SOURCE IS A LITTLE RIDICULOUS CONSIDERING IT'S A SAAB DEALER? THERE IS SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH MY VEHICLES ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IN ORDER FOR IT TO BE HAVING THIS MANY ISSUES WITHIN A YEARS TIME. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SAAB 93. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT RETRACT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THEY WERE NOT GOING TO COVER THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH THE REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY INCLUDED AND REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V226000 (SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR) YET THE FAILURE PERSISTED FOLLOWING REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000. UPDATED 01/18/11 *BF UPDATED 01/31/11