SAAB Complaints

I AM ANOTHER SAAB OWNER WITH THE PROBLEM DESCRIBED COMPLAINT "INVESTIGATION # PE08051." THIS WAS DISCOVERED DURING OTHER WORK BEING PERFORMED ON THE CAR. ALONG WITH OTHER NUMEROUS PROBLEMS, THIS MAY EXPLAIN WHY WE HAVE GONE THROUGH MANY SETS OF TIRES AND ALIGNMENT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PROBLEM. THE 1ST AND LAST SAAB I WILL EVER OWN. *TR

IN AUGUST 2007, WE HAD TO HAVE OUR 2006 SAAB 9-3 SPORTCOMBI TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, AS THE COOLANT EXPANSION TANK RUPTURED WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY AND ALL THE COOLANT HAD LEAKED FROM THE ENGINE. THE COOLANT EXPANSION TANK WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. IN OCTOBER 2008, WE AGAIN EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE COOLANT EXPANSION TANK LEAKING AND AGAIN HAD TO HAVE IT REPLACED AT A COST OF $389.32 PLUS THE COST OF A RENTAL CAR, AS THE PARTS WERE NOT IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN HAS BEEN ISSUED BY SAAB REGARDING THIS RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THE TURBO V-6 ENGINE, AS THE TURBOCHARGER IS LOCATED TOO CLOSE TO THE EXPANSION TANK. I DO NOT FEEL THAT IT IS REASONABLE TO HAVE TO REPLACE THE COOLANT EXPANSION TANK TWICE WITHIN A 14 MONTH PERIOD ON A CAR THAT IS LESS THAN 3 YEARS OLD. I FILED A CLAIM WITH SAAB CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY RESPONDED THAT SINCE IT HAD BEEN MORE THAN ONE YEAR SINCE THE PARTS HAD BEEN REPLACED, AND THE CAR WAS NO LONGER COVERED UNDER THE BUMPER-TO-BUMPER WARRANTY, THEY WOULD NOT TAKE ANY ACTION. ALSO, THE ORIGINAL REPAIRS WERE MADE AT A DEALERSHIP THAT HAS SINCE CLOSED AND CONSOLIDATED AT A SECOND DEALERSHIP THAT IS SOME DISTANCE AWAY (IN SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA). THE DEALERSHIP IN SAN FRANCISCO SAYS THAT THE REPAIRS IN SAAB'S SYSTEM INDICATE THAT ONLY THE COOLANT EXPANSION TANK CAP WAS REPLACED THE FIRST TIME, WHICH DOES NOT AGREE WITH THE INVOICE THAT I HAVE. IN SUMMARY, I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A FAULTY DESIGN INVOLVED, AND THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD COVER THE COST OF THE REPAIRS, NOT US. I AM CONCERNED REGARDING THE RELIABILITY OF THE CAR, AND SHOULD WE CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS WITH THE COOLANT SYSTEM, WE WILL HAVE TO REPLACE THE VEHICLE. *TR

ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2008 AT APPROXIMATELY 4:45 PM I EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN VEHICLE ENGINE STOP. THIS OCCURRED ON A RESIDENTIAL 4-LANE STREET WHILE TRAVELING IN THE RIGHT HAND LANE AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS A 2001 SAAB 95 ARC WAGON. . THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STARTED TO RUN ROUGH AND THEN THE ENGINE COMPLETELY SHUT OFF. THIS CAUSED ME TO HAVE TO GLIDE THE AUTO TO THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE THERE WAS A CURB. I THUS REMAINED IN A LANE OF TRAFFIC WITH A DISABLED VEHICLE. THE CAUSE WAS A DEFECTIVE CRANK SHAFT POSITION SENSOR. WHEN THIS BECOMES INOPERATIVE THE COMPUTER THAT CONTROLS ENGINE MANAGEMENT SHUTS DOWN AND DISABLES THE CAR. THIS REQUIRED A TOW TO THE DEALER REPAIR SHOP. AND IT REQUIRED A NEW CRANK SHAFT SENSOR PART TO BE INSTALLED. THE OLD PART IS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MAIN IRK ABOUT THIS IS THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I HAVE REPLACED THIS PART IN 15 MONTHS. THE ORIGINAL SENSOR THAT CAME WIT THE CAR WHEN I PURCHASED IT NEW LASTED 87,199 MILES AND 5.5 YEARS. THE SECOND SENSOR WAS REPLACED ON JULY 16, 2007. THE THIRD SENSOR WAS REPLACED AT 101,507 MILES...A MERE 15 MONTHS AND 13 DAYS WITH A MILEAGE USAGE OF 14,308 MILES. HAD THIS FAILURE IN OCTOBER 2008 OCCURRED JUST 5 MINUTES BEFORE WHEN I WAS TRAVELING ON A SIX-LANE INTERSTATE AT 60 MPH I WOULD HAVE HAD A SERIOUS PROBLEM DRIFTING ACROSS SEVERAL LANES OF TRAFFIC IN ORDER TO PULL OVER FOR SAFETY. I BELIEVE THAT SAAB HAS A SUPPLIER PROVIDING THEM WITH AN INFERIOR PART. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SAAB 9-5. WHILE THE CONTACT'S DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC AND THEY STATED THAT THE FUEL PUMP FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THREE WEEKS LATER, THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V087000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS). APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR LATER, THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE FUEL PUMP FAILED AGAIN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,000.

2003 SAAB 9-3 SE CONV (73K MIKES AT TIME OF INCIDENT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH ON HIGHWAY CAR SUDDEENLY QUIT RUNNING DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE FAILED AND RUINED CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND O2 SENSORS SAAB FORCED TO RECALL THIS PART UP TO YEAR 2002. MY 2003 IS OLD SAAB BODY STYLE WITH DEFECTIVE DI CASSETTE. PART NUMBER ON CASSETE IS FROM THE 2002 AND EARLIER MODEL YEARS. *TR

FRONT SPRING FAILURE FROM CORROSION DAMAGE ' FRONT PASSENGER SPRING BROKEN, COMPLETELY BROKEN OFF PIECE APPROXIMATELY 5-6' FOUND. EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN OVER A ROUGH ROAD SURFACE (AKA POTHOLE, DIRT ROAD, SPEED BUMP), A VIBRATION / RATTLING NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. ORIGINALLY, IT WAS BELIEVED THAT THE NOISE WAS DUE TO A WHEEL OR BRAKE ISSUE, SO WE DROVE THE CAR FOR QUITE SOME TIME THINKING IT WAS JUST A MINOR ANNOYANCE, NOT A SERIOUS SAFETY RISK (SOME DRIVERS HAVE HAD THE SPRING SHOOT OUT AND SHRED THEIR TIRES WHILE DRIVING!). WE GOT THE TIRES / WHEELS BALANCED, ROTATED AND ALSO REPLACED THE BRAKES, NONE OF WHICH HELPED THE PROBLEM. THEN ANOTHER MECHANIC CONFIRMED THE PROBLEM DURING AN OIL CHANGE WHEN THEY FOUND THE BROKEN OFF PIECE OF SPRING WHICH WAS CAUSING THE RATTLE. THE BROKEN OFF PIECE HAS A SIGNIFICANT CONCENTRATION OF RUST THE LAST 1' OR SO WHERE THE BREAK OCCURRED. THERE IS A RUBBER SHEATH THAT PARTIALLY COVERS THAT SECTION OF THE SPRING, BUT IT IS OBVIOUSLY FLAWED IN KEEPING WATER FROM CORRODING THE SPRING AS THERE IS A LOT OF RUST ALL THROUGHOUT. THE OTHER SPRING HAS RUST ON IT AS WELL, BUT HAS NOT FAILED YET' WE PLAN TO REPLACE BOTH SPRINGS NOW, HOPEFULLY WITH THE NEXT MODEL YEAR'S SPRINGS WHICH I HEARD HAVE A BETTER SHIELD TO PREVENT THIS FROM OCCURRING. RESEARCHING ONLINE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS, I FOUND THAT THIS PROBLEM ALSO OCCURS ON THIS MODEL YEAR SAAB IN THE UK AS FOUND ON THE SAABSCENE.COM FORUM AND I READ THAT THE NHTSA JUST STARTED INVESTIGATING THIS ISSUE AUGUST 28, 2008 AS INVESTIGATION # PE08051. *TR

I HAVE A 2008 9-5 SAAB AND THE PASSENGER AIRBAG TURNS ITSELF ON AND OFF WHILE SOMEONE IS SITTING IN THE SEAT AND THE CAR IS MOVING. THE SENSOR IS SUPPOSED TO BE SET TO TURN AIRBAG ON FOR 90 LBS BUT MY WIFE AND KIDS WEIGH ABOUT 120 LBS AND THE ONLY WAY TO KEEP THE AIRBAG SENSOR ON IS TO PULL YOURSELF DOWN IN THE SEAT AND HOLD ON. I HAVE NOTIFIED SAAB ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND THEY CANNOT FIX NOR DO THEY SEEM WILLING TO TRY. MY WIFE SAT IN OTHER 2008 9-5?S AND HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AT THE DEALERSHIPS AND THEY WITNESSED THE PROBLEM SO IT IS NOT JUST OUR CAR. I HOPE SOMEONE AT SAAB/GM WILL TAKE THIS UP AND GET IT FIXED BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED OR HURT DUE TO FAULTY AIRBAGS ON ALL 2008 9-5 MODELS! THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE SENSOR IS LOCATED SUCH THAT THE WEIGHT OF THE PERSON SITTING IN THE SEAT IS DISTRIBUTED AWAY FROM THE SENSOR AND THE ?REPAIR? NOTED IN THEIR MANUAL DOES NOT WORK. THEY DO NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM IN THEIR OTHER LINE OF CARS AS THEY HAVE DIFFERENT SENSORS. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP NOTIFIED ME THAT THEY KNOW GM ALSO HAS THIS PROBLEM IN THEIR LINE OF VEHICLES WITH THE SAME SENSOR/SEAT PROBE. I HOPE BY GETTING THIS INFORMATION OUT TO THE PUBLIC, NO ONE WILL BE HURT OR KILLED IN A CRASH INVOLVING A 2008 9-5 SAAB WHEN THE AIRBAG DOES NOT DEPLOY BECAUSE THE PERSON IS LESS THAN 140 LBS AND SITTING IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 SAAB 9-5. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THERE WAS EXCESSIVELY LOW POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING ROUGHLY AND WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE IGNITION CASSETTES. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. ON A SEPARATE OCCASION, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR AN IDENTICAL FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 109,000.

THE 2008 SAAB 95 PASSENGER AIR BAG TURNS ITSELF ON AND OFF WHILE A PASSENGER IS SITTING ON THE SEAT WHILE DRIVING. IT SUPPOSEDLY IS SET FOR 90 LBS PRESSURE BUT MY WIFE AND CHILDREN ARE OVER 120LBS. YOU MUST PULL YOURSELF DOWN WHILE SITTING IN THE SEAT TO KEEP AIR BAG FUNCTIONING. MY WIFE SAT IN OTHER 2008 95 SAAB'S AND THE SAME THING HAPPENS. THEY HAVE A FAULTY SWITCH ON THAT SEAT FOR THE AIR BAG SENSOR. *TR

2000 9-3 HAD THE IGNITION MODULE RECALL DONE A FEW YEARS AGO. WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH THE MOTOR STOPPED. LOST ALL ELECTRICAL POWER. CAR WOULD NOT RESTART. THE REPAIR SHOP REPLACED THE CATALYTIC BECAUSE IT WAS PLUGGED. THEY SAID IT COULD BE CAUSED BY THE IGNITION MODULE. *TR