SAAB Complaints

IN FEB 2010 I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM SAAB SAYING THAT THE FRONT SPRINGS OF MY CAR COULD FAIL DUE TO CORROSION. THEY SAID COULD CAUSE THE HEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE TO DECREASE BY AN INCH OR TWO. WHAT THEY NEGLECTED TO SAY WAS THAT THE BROKEN SPRING CAN HIT THE TIRE AND CAUSE THE TIRE TO FAIL, WHICH IS WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME AND MAY OTHER SAAB OWNERS. THEIR LETTER SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED THIS SINCE TIRE FAILURE CAUSED MY CAR TO BREAK DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY ROAD WHICH HAD NO SHOULDER AND I HAD NO WARNING THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN. *TR

ONGOING DURING ROUTINE DRIVING: THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2005 SAAB 9-3 BURN OUT ON APPROXIMATELY A MONTHLY BASIS REQUIRING REPLACEMENT OF THE BULB. ACCORDING TO KNOWLEDGEABLE SOURCES THIS IS DUE TO A CORROSION ISSUE WITH THE HEADLIGHT SOCKETS KNOWN TO THE MANUFACTURER AND SERVICE PROVIDERS. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN DUE TO THE FACT THAT WHEN ONE HEADLIGHT BULB BURNS OUT - THE OTHER HEADLIGHT BULB BURNS OUT SHORTLY THEREAFTER EXPOSING ME TO FOUR OCCURRENCES WHERE I HAVE LOST ILLUMINATION IN BOTH HEADLIGHTS WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. IN ADDITION, THE HEADLIGHT SOCKETS ARE OF POOR CONSTRUCTION AS I HAVE HAD TWO OCCURRENCES OF ONE OF THE THREE TABS WHICH SECURE THE HEADLIGHT SOCKET INTO THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY BREAK OFF. THIS INITIALLY CREATES A SITUATION WHERE THE HEADLIGHT BULB MOVES OUT OF ALIGNMENT CAUSING IMPROPER ILLUMINATION OF THE ROADWAY AHEAD. ULTIMATELY, THE BROKEN TAB ON THE SOCKET LEADS TO BULB FAILURE DUE TO VIBRATION ASSOCIATED WITH VEHICLE OPERATION. REPLACEMENT SOCKETS AVAILABLE FROM THE MANUFACTURER ARE OF THE SAME CONSTRUCTION AND THE UNDERLYING ISSUES HAVE NOT BEEN ADDRESSED. *TR

THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR BROKE. THE SEAT BELT COMPLETELY UNWOUND. ALSO THE PASSENGER SIDE RETRACTOR IS VERY SLOW TO RETRACT. *TR

WHENEVER TURBO BOOST IS ENGAGED IN MY SAAB TURBO X (2008), RISK OF MISFIRE, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BEGINS TO BLINK, CAR SHUDDERS, "LIMP HOME MODE" ENGAGES (CAR LOSES POWER), AND HAVE TO MOVE TO SIDE OF ROAD AND RESTART THE CAR. THIS HAS HAPPENED BOTH IN SECOND GEAR, AND IN FIFTH GEAR WHILE TRYING TO BOOST ON THE HIGHWAY. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL SIMILAR REPORTS ON THE WEB BY OTHER OWNERS RELATED TO BAD IGNITION COILS IN THE VEHICLES. CAR IS BRAND NEW. TOOK THIS INTO DEALER ONCE AND THEY SAY NO CODES WERE ON THE COMPUTER, BUT THEY HAVE OFFERED ANOTHER VISIT TO INSPECT. NOTE: THIS IS NOT YOUR EVERYDAY 9-3, BUT A LIMITED EDITION SAAB (TURBO X), WITH ONLY 600 TOTAL SHIPPED TO THE US. *TR

THIS IS ON A 2003 SAAB 9-3 2.0T LINEAR MODEL. THERE WERE NO INJURIES THIS TIME BUT THE POTENTIAL IS VERY MUCH THERE. MY WIFE WAS PULLING OUT FROM A STOP LIGHT AND HEAR A LOUD POP FOLLOWED BY A LOUD GRINDING NOISE. SHE PULLED OFF IMMEDIATELY. WHEN I ARRIVED ON SCENE, I FOUND THAT THE DRIVERS FRONT WHEEL WAS PUSHED UP INTO THE WHEEL WELL. WHEN I REMOVED THE TIRE I FOUND THAT THE SPRING HAD BROKEN IN TWO (THE BOTTOM LAST RING BROKE OFF) AND HAD DROPPED DOWN TO WHERE THE JAGGED END (STILL ATTACHED/WRAPPED AROUND THE SHOCK) WAS POKING INTO THE TIRE. IT HAD LEFT A RELATIVELY DEEP GOUGE ALL THE WAY AROUND THE TIRE. I AM SURE I DON'T HAVE TO EXPLAIN TO YOU WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF THE SPRING WERE TO BREAK ON THE INTERSTATE AT 70MPH AND PUNCTURE THE TIRE. I AM QUITE CERTAIN THAT IF MY WIFE WOULD HAVE KEPT DRIVING ANY DISTANCE THAT THE SPRING WOULD HAVE DUG ITS WAY THROUGH THE SIDE WALL AND PUNCTURED IT. REMEMBER, WE CANT ALWAYS JUST PULL OFF THE INTERSTATE OR STOP AT THE DROP OF A HAT. IF YOU HAVE EVER DRIVEN THROUGH ATLANTA YOU WILL KNOW THIS TO BE TRUE ;) ANYWAY, WENT DIGGING ON THE INTERNET TRYING TO PURCHASE REPLACEMENT SPRINGS AND FOUND OUT THAT SAAB HAD ISSUED A SPECIAL WARRANTY FOR SPRING FAILURES ON SOME OF THE 9-3'S (INCLUDING MINE). APPARENTLY,SAAB IS AWARE THAT ROAD DEBRIS CAN GET JAMMED IN THE SPRING MOUNT AND EAT AT THE COATING AWAY ON THE BOTTOM COIL AND ALLOW CORROSION TO WORK ITS MAGIC RESULTING IN THE SPRINGS BREAKING/FAILING. SO, I CALL SAAB. THEY TELL ME THAT I AM NOT COVERED BECAUSE I DO NOT LIVE IN WHAT THEY CONSIDER TO BE THE SNOW BELT. WHICH IS THE UPPER/MORE NORTHERN STATES. THEY TELL ME THAT THE FAILURE HAS BEEN REPORTED MORE IN THESE STATES AND IT IS DUE TO ROAD SALTING. FURTHERMORE, I AM TOLD THAT THEY ARE ONLY REPLACING THE SPRINGS AFTER THEY HAVE FAILED. AS THESE CARS START TO GET SOME AGE ON THEM, I THINK WE ARE GOING TO START SEEING MORE AND MORE OF THESE FAILURES. WILL IT TAKE SOMEONE DYING FOR THEM TO ISSUE A RECALL CAMPAIGN? *TR

WHILE ACCELERATING ON A FREEWAY ON RAMP, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO MISFIRE AND STUTTER. TRYING TO MERGE WITH THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC, POWER WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE ENGINE OPERATED NORMALLY WHEN NOT ACCELERATING. THE CAR WAS UNABLE TO KEEP UP WITH THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC AND WOULD ONLY MAINTAIN A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH. PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR MORE CAUSES MORE STUTTERING. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FLASHED ON BRIEFLY AND THEN WENT AWAY. THE PROBLEM RESOLVED ITSELF AFTER PULLING OVER AND SHUTTING DOWN AND RESTARTING THE ENGINE. THE PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN THE NEXT DAY UNDER THE SAME CONDITIONS... NORMAL OPERATING TEMPERATURE AND MODERATE TO HEAVY ENGINE LOAD FOR ACCELERATING. TOOK THE CAR TO DEALER WHO REPLACED THE COIL PACK FOR CYLINDER #6. THE PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED, BUT THERE ARE STILL OCCASIONAL STUTTERS, JUST NOT CONSTANT STUTTERS THAT CAUSED THE LOSS OF POWER. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE ON MESSAGE BOARDS AND THE PROBLEM IS NOT UNIQUE TO MY CAR. MANY OTHERS HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH THE COIL PACKS AND SOME REPORTING THE SAME CYLINDER #6. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SAAB 93. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH SHE HEARD SOMETHING SNAP AND NOTICED THAT THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT WAS LOOSE AND HAD BROKEN. SHE WAS UNABLE TO SECURE OR TIGHTEN IT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THEY NEEDED TO ORDER A SEAT BELT MECHANISM TO REPAIR IT. THE SEAT BELT WAS REPAIRED AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 103000. UPDATED 4/7/2010 *CN UPDATED 06/02/10*JB

2000 SAAB 9-5 FAILED IGNITION CASSETTE. SAAB SAID THEY WILL NOT PAY FOR REPAIR EVEN THOUGH THE PART HAD BEEN RECALLED. RECALL # 05V399000. *DT ALSO THE FUEL PUMP FAILED. *JB

2004 SAAB 9-3 FRONT RIGHT SPRING COIL FAILURE. NO WARNING PRIOR TO DEFECT. LOUD NOISE IN WHEEL WELL FIRST/ONLY SIGN UPON STARTING CAR AND PULLING OUT OF DRIVEWAY. RETURNED HOME IMMEDIATELY AND MADE APPOINTMENT WITH INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. DROVE APPROX. 2 MILES TO MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED FRONT RIGHT SUSPENSION SPRING COIL FRACTURED/BROKEN. MADE APPOINTMENT WITH SAAB DEALER WHO ASSURED ME IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE CAR TO DEALER. DROVE APPROX. 1.5M WHEN BROKEN COIL SPRING PUNCTURED TIRE RESULTING IN BLOWN-OUT TIRE. SAAB TOWED CAR, REPLACED BOTH FRONT SPRING COILS AND TIRE AT NO CHANGE. *TR

MY FRONT DRIVER SIDE COIL HAS SNAPPED AND I'VE FOUND OUT THIS IS A RECURRING ISSUE FROM SAAB. THIS IS QUITE A DANGEROUS SITUATION. I'VE NOT SEEN ANY LETTER WARNING US OF THIS POTENTIAL DANGER. *TR