SAAB Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SAAB 9-3. WHEN THE CONTACT TURNED THE VEHICLE, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A GEAR BOX MALFUNCTION. THE WARNING LIGHT DIMMED A FEW DAYS LATER. AFTERWARDS, THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED ACCELERATION FAILURES. AFTER IDLING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WOULD ALSO SHIFT UNEASILY. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MERGE ONTO THE FREEWAY, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT PICK UP SPEED AND ALLOW HER TO SHIFT GEARS. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE LACK OF ACCELERATION COULD CAUSE A CRASH WHILE MERGING INTO TRAFFIC. THE DEALER STATED THAT A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS NEEDED. SHE SPOKE WITH THE MANUFACTURER AND IS AWAITING A RETURN CALL; HOWEVER, SHE WAS INFORMED THAT THEY PROBABLY WOULD BE UNABLE TO ASSIST. THE SPEED WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 54,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 38,000.

2004 9-3 CONVERTIBLE, AERO. HAD DEVELOPED A SOUND FROM THE FAN BEHIND THE GLOVE BOX. USUALLY BEGINS TO GET LOUDER WHEN A/C IS ON. TAKEN TO MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP WHERE I INFORMED IT WAS NORMAL "WEAR & TEAR." COST TO FIX WAS ESTIMATED AT 500.00. THIS IS MY THIRD SAAB CONVERTIBLE AND IT'S ONLY PROBLEM AFTER 100, 000 MILES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 SAAB 900. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO MOVE THE SHIFT LEVER INTO REVERSE WHILE THE KEY IS REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION AND THE TRANSMISSION IS STILL IN NEUTRAL. HE CAN ALSO ACCIDENTALLY DISENGAGE THE REVERSE GEAR BY STRIKING THE GEAR LEVER. THE DEALER STATED THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 95V068000 (POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION); THEREFORE, THEY WOULD NOT ASSUME ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REPAIRS. THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 130,000. UPDATED 10-30-08 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE GEAR BOX WAS BAD. UPDATED 10/31/08. *JB

UNSAFE TO KNOW THAT MY NEW CAR HAS DOOR LOCKS THAT DO NOT UNLOCK FROM WITHIN THE CAR CABIN WHEN THE DOOR HANDLE IS PULLED. UNLIKE MY PREVIOUS CAR (VW) WHEREBY THE DOOR IS UNLOCKED WHEN THE DRIVER DOOR (FOR EXAMPLE) IS PULLED - DOOR OPENS OR MY BMW WHEREBY THE DOOR IS UNLOCKED BY PULLING THE HANDLE TWICE. IN A SAAB, THE DOORS CAN NOT BE OPENED UNLESS THE "UNLOCK" BUTTON IS PRESSED. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE EGRESS CAN NOT BE DONE QUICKLY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT OR OTHER EMERGENCY NEED FOR IMMEDIATE EGRESS. *TR

BOSCH ABS MODULE ON 2001 SAAB 9-5 SE V6 WITH 88,000 MILES FAILED WITH ABS, TCS, BRAKE, AND /!\ FAILURE LIGHTS DISPLAYED ON DASH. ABS NO LONGER OPERABLE. TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM NO LONGER OPERABLE. ENGINE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM NO LONGER OPERABLE. SPEEDOMETER NO LONGER OPERABLE. FROM READING MANY (OVER EIGHT!) MESSAGE BOARDS, THIS AN ENDEMIC PROBLEM WITH THE BOSCH ABS SYSTEMS IN MANY BMW, SAAB, CADILLAC CATERA, VW CARS. WHY CAN'T THE GOVERNMENT RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE? ABS IS BRAKES AND BRAKES ARE A SAFETY SYSTEM. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS. CONTACT BBA-REMAN IN TAUNTON, MA, THEY HANDLE FIXING THESE SYSTEMS AND THEIR LOAD IS VERY HEAVY. *TR

THE FRONT LEFT COIL SPRINGS SNAPPED IN HALF, SHOVING A JAGGED, BROKEN SPRING INTO THE INNER SIDE WALL OF THE TIRE WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR SON TO SCHOOL. THE ENSUING DRAMA CONSISTED OF A NEARLY UNCONTROLLABLE VEHICLE AND PLUMES OF SMOKE BILLOWING OUT FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. FEARING FOR THE SAFETY OF HERSELF AND OUR SON, MY WIFE PULLED HIM OUT OF THE CAR AND RAN A DISTANCE AWAY AS SHE FEARED IT WAS ABOUT TO CATCH FIRE. SHE CALLED ME FROM HER CELL PHONE, CRYING, AND IN A NEAR PANIC AS OTHER DRIVERS PULLED OVER TO HELP. EVERYTHING TURNED OUT OKAY FOR US, BUT I CAN?T SAY THAT THE SAME WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THE SPRING HAD BROKEN AFTER SHE DROPPED OFF OUR SON AND WAS ON THE INTERSTATE GOING TO WORK. WE ARE THANKFUL SHE WAS ONLY TRAVELING 35 MPH RATHER THAN 70 MPH. AFTER THIS OCCURRED, AND AFTER A COMPLETE LACK OF HELP OR EXPLANATION FROM OUR DEALER, WE WERE MOTIVATED TO RESEARCH THIS ISSUE FURTHER TO DETERMINE IF THIS WAS A ?FREAK ACCIDENT? OR IF IN FACT THERE WAS SOME ISSUE WITH THE DESIGN OF THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM. IT APPEARS FROM A CURSORY SEARCH OF THE INTERNET THAT THERE ARE AT LEAST SEVERAL DOZEN OTHER INSTANCES OF THIS HAPPENING TO THIS PARTICULAR YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL OF VEHICLE. IN MOST CASES, THE SAME THING HAPPENED EXACTLY AS IT DID TO US. AND WHEN WE LEARNED THAT SAAB HAD REDESIGNED THE FRONT COIL SPRING SEATS THE FOLLOWING YEAR (PRESUMABLY TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE), IT BECAME APPARENT THAT EVEN THE MANUFACTURER HAD ACKNOWLEDGED THAT A PROBLEM EXISTED. I AM HOPING THAT THIS WILL LEAD TO A FULL INVESTIGATION INTO THIS ISSUE WHICH COULD NOT ONLY POTENTIALLY PROTECT THE LIVES OF OTHER UNKNOWING OWNERS AND THEIR VEHICLE OCCUPANTS AS WELL AS OTHER DRIVERS, BUT ALSO TO HELP SHOULDER THE FINANCIAL BURDEN OF THIS PROBLEM. IN ALL CASES THAT I HAVE RESEARCHED, THE SPRINGS BROKE JUST AFTER THE FACTORY WARRANTY RAN OUT (AT 4 YEARS/50,000 MILES), AND CONSEQUENTLY, THE DEALERS HAVE BEEN CHARGING FOR THIS REPAIR. IN OUR CASE IT WAS $500.00!!! *TR

BLINKING CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. HAPPENS EVERY TIME I ACCELERATE HARD. THE FAILURE WAS IN THE DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE. CAUSING MISFIRE AND POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO THE CAT. DEALER WILL NOT REPLACE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A HILL (JACKMAN ST. AT WATER ST., APPLETON WI) WHEN MY '99 SAAB, WENT DEAD. AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL THERE IS A BLIND TURN TO THE LEFT, A STOP SIGN, AND A RAILROAD CROSSING JUST BEYOND THE INTERSECTION. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SPOT TO HAVE YOUR CAR FAIL AND HAVE NO POWER TO THE BRAKES OR STEERING. THE REASON MY CAR STALLED WAS A FAILURE OF THE IGNITION CASSETTE. THE FIRST TIME THIS PART FAILED, IN 2002, THE SITUATION WAS NOT AS DANGEROUS, AND THEN IT WAS COVERED BY WARRANTY. I CONTACTED SAAB CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SENT A PHOTO OF THE HILL. THEY RESPONDED BY PHONE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN NO RECALLS FOR THIS PART, NOR WOULD THERE BE A RECALL. THEY REFUSED TO COVER THE COST OF THE TOW AND REPAIR. I THINK THAT LEAVES SAAB OWNERS VULNERABLE TO ACCIDENTS. I WAS LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO PULL OFF AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL WITHOUT HITTING A TRAIN OR CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY TO ANYONE. *TR

ON TWO OCCASIONS OUR 2001SAAB,9.5 6 CYLINDER TRANSMISSION CASSETTE FAILED. LEAVING MY HUSBAND AND MY SELF STRANDED WITH A SMOLDERING CAR. ON OCT 19TH 05 WE WERE ABLE TO GET OFF THE HWY IN THE NICK OF TIME, HEAVY SMOKE HAD BEGUN TO POUR OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE FIRE WAS CONTAINED BUT THE IGNITION CASSETTE,THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE, THE WIRE HARNESS, BATTERY AND,SPARK PLUGS WERE DESTROYED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. AT THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENCE WE WERE DRIVING IN THE SOUTHERN SIERRAS IN A SEASONAL DRY FOREST AREA. IT WAS FORTUNATE THAT A WE WERE ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD IN A SAFE SPOT. ON AUG.15TH, 08. THE REPLACEMENT PART FAILED AGAIN AND AS BEFORE THE SPARK PLUGS, INSTALLED SEVERAL MONTHS PREVIOUSLY HAD TO BE REPLACED THE CONTINUED FAILURE OF THIS PART IN AN INTRINSIC MANUFACTURING DEFECT. SPECIFIC VIN NUMBERS OF THIS PART HAS BEEN RECALLED, BUT SAAB/ G.M NEEDS TO BE MADE TO RECALL ALL OF THESE AUTO'S AND REPLACE THE FLAWED IGNITION CASSETTE. NEITHER OF THE TWO IGNITION CASSETTES INSTALLED IN OUR CAR HAVE HAD THE VIN NUMBERS RECALLED. *TR

WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING TO WORK, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED. THERE WAS NO COLLISION AND ONLY THE SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED, NONE OF THE OTHERS DID. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT IF IT HAD BEEN ANY OF THE OTHER AIRBAGS, PARTICULARLY THOSE ON THE LEFT. AS IT WAS, THE NOXIOUS FUMES AND DUST FROM THE AIR BAG CAUSED SOME RESPIRATORY DISTRESS AND REDUCED THE VISIBILITY INSIDE THE VEHICLE. *TR