SAAB Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SAAB 9-3. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND CHANGING GEARS, THE PLASTIC SHIFT KNOB FELL OFF INTO THE CONTACT'S HAND. THE DEALER ADVISED HIM TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH NHTSA. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 61,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,000. UPDATED 09/17/08. *LJ UPDATED 09/25/08. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SAAB 9-3. THE AIR CONDITIONER BLOWER STOPPED WORKING IN THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR AND DISCOVERED THAT THE HEAT FROM THE BLOWER MELTED THE WIRING IN THE ENGINE. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE HAS NOT YET BEEN DETERMINED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 60,000.UPDATE 10/01/08 *CW UPDATED 10/02/08.*JB

DOOR HANDLES AND SIDE BODY MOLDING ARE FADING ABNORMALLY. DOOR HANDLES ARE PRETTY MUCH WHITE IN COLOR. THEY WERE ORIGINALLY BLACK. THIS SHOULDN'T HAPPEN AFTER ONLY 4 YEARS, ESPECIALLY WITH A CAR LIKE A SAAB (FOR WHICH YOU THINK YOU ARE PAYING FOR QUALITY). *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 SAAB 900 CONVERTIBLE. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS SITTING IN THE VEHICLE WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG SUDDENLY DEPLOYED. THERE WERE NO WARNINGS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 80,000.

I OWN A 2004 SAAB 9-5 WAGON, WHICH WAS PURCHASED IN NOV 2004. THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY 31,800 MILES ON THE CAR AT THE TIME OF THIS FAILURE, WHICH OCCURRED IN LATE JULY 2008. (IRONICALLY, LESS THAN 2 WEEKS AFTER HAVING TAKEN THE CAR FOR ROUTINE SERVICE/OIL CHANGE/TIRE ROTATION.) AFTER HAVING RUN 2 ERRANDS (I.E. TWO STOPS & STARTS), I WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON A RELATIVELY BUSY 4-LANE ROAD. JUST AFTER HAVING COME DOWN A HILL & ROUNDING A CORNER, WITH ESTIMATED SPEED 35MPH, THE CAR'S ENGINE CUT OUT, THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT, & THE BRAKES SEEMED NOT TO WORK APPROPRIATELY. I WAS FORTUNATE TO BE IN THE RIGHT LANE, AND WOUND UP COASTING TO A STOP IN THE LANE OF TRAFFIC, AS I HAD SO LITTLE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE THAT I WAS NOT EVEN ABLE TO MOVE TO WHAT LITTLE SHOULDER WAS AVAILABLE (THE VEHICLE FINALLY STOPPED WHILE ON A BRIDGE). THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART. FORTUNATELY, TRAFFIC BEHIND ME BECAME AWARE THAT THE CAR HAD DIED, AND NO ACCIDENTS OCCURRED. HAD THIS FAILURE OCCURRED EVEN 5 OR 10 SECONDS EARLIER, HOWEVER, IT WOULD ALMOST UNDOUBTEDLY HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT AS I WOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY UNABLE TO NAVIGATE THE TURN COMING DOWNHILL. AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE SAAB DEALERSHIP, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE "CRANK SENSOR FAILED ELECTRICALLY." FORTUNATELY, IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY & WAS REPLACED. I WOULD NOT HAVE EVEN THOUGHT TO REPORT THIS HAD I NOT SEEN REPORTS OF SIMILAR FAILURES IN OTHER SAAB MODELS. *TR

THIS IS THE SIXTH FAILURE ON THE ENGINE. MY WIFE WAS IN MARYLAND WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON (THIS IS NOT THE 1ST TIME). THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AN HOUR AWAY IN BALTIMORE. THE THROTTLE BODY FAILED, IT WAS REPAIRED AND THEN SHE HAD TO GET HER OWN RIDE TO THE DEALER (WE ARE FROM OHIO). THIS STARTED HAPPENING AFTER THE ENGINE WAS USING A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF OIL. THERE WAS A RECALL BECAUSE THE FACTORY ALIGNED ALL THE RING GAPS IN THE SAME DIRECTION. AFTER THE ENGINE WAS TORN DOWN AND REPAIRED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT KICKS ON EVERY 400 TO 1000 MILES. THEY HAVE REPLACED THE RINGS, COMPUTER, THROTTLE BODY TWICE, AIR BOX AND OTHER SMALLER ITEMS. BY THE WAY EACH TIME THIS HAPPENS THE ENGINE GOES INTO LIMP MODE AND DOESN'T GO ABOVE THIRTY MILES AN HOUR. THIS IS REAL SAFE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SAAB 9-5 (GARY FISHER EDITION). THE VEHICLE STALLED INTERMITTENTLY WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE FAILURE INCREASED THE RISK OF A CRASH AND SERIOUS INJURY. IN ORDER TO RESTART THE VEHICLE HE HAD TO UNPLUG THE FUSE TO THE ECM, RE-INSERT IT, THEN THE VEHICLE RESUMES NORMAL FUNCTION. HE HAS NOT HAD THE VEHICLE REPAIRED BECAUSE THE TECHNICIANS CANNOT PROPERLY DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 132,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 135,233.

I BOUGHT A USED 2.0L 2000 SAAB 9-3 A YEAR AGO. SINCE THEN, THE CAR HAS HAD PROBLEMS THAT MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THIS SIMILAR MAKE/MODEL/YEAR HAVE HAD. I'VE REPLACED THE THROTTLE HOUSING, SERPENTINE BELT, BELT TENSIONER, CRANKSHAFT SENSOR, AND MOST RECENTLY THE WATER PUMP. NOW, I'M GETTING A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FAULT CODE P1312 AND P1334, WHICH POINTS TO THE DIRECTION IGNITION MODULE. I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A RECALL OF THE DIRECT IGNITION MODULE IN CERTAIN SAABS FOR THIS MAKE/MODEL/YEAR, BUT IT'S ODD THAT MY CAR COINCIDENTALLY HAPPENS TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I'M THINKING THAT THE PROBLEM IS LARGER THAN INITIALLY ANTICIPATED WITH THE ORIGINAL RECALL. *TR

ON JULY 25 2008, MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING MY 2004 SAAB 9-3 SPORT SEDAN. SHE WENT OFF THE ROAD, SIDE SWIPING 2 TREES BEFORE SLAMMING INTO A DRAINAGE PIPE/EMBANKMENT. THE LEFT SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAGS WERE THE ONLY ONES THAT DEPLOYED. THE CAR IS A TOTAL LOSS WITH EXTENSIVE FRONT-END DAMAGE. IF NOT FOR HER WEARING HER SEAT BELT, I WOULD LIKELY BE MAKING FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS. THIS IS THE SECOND FRONT-END COLLISION WITH THIS VEHICLE WITHOUT THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYING. I QUESTIONED SAAB IN 2004 ABOUT THE FIRST INCIDENT WHICH THEIR REPLY WAS THAT THE CAR PERFORMED AS IT WAS DESIGNED. THAT ACCIDENT WAS SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO TRIGGER ALL THE SEAT BELT SENSORS AND FRY THE MAIN COMPUTER. *TR

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID # 04V557000 AND 06V126000 ARE RECALLS WHICH NECESSITATED SAAB TO INSPECT THE FUEL PUMP BRACKETS. THE 2001 SAAB 9-3, WHICH I OWN, WAS FIRST REPAIRED BECAUSE THE FUEL LINES WERE CORRUPTED AND CAUSED FUEL TO PUMP OUT INTO THE OPEN ON TOP OF THE GAS TANK. THIS WAS REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY AND WAS NOT UNDER RECALL AT THAT TIME. MUCH LATER, I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR AN INSPECTION OF THE FUEL PUMP BRACKET TO MAKE SURE THE A "NEW" BRACKET HAD BEEN INSTALLED. THESE TWO INSPECTIONS REQUIRED THE LOWERING OF THE FUEL TANK. I RECEIVED A CODE 0442 A FEW MONTHS LATER AND HAD THE SAAB DEALER INSPECT POSSIBLE CAUSE. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE VENT HOSE FILLER PIPE HAS A LEAK AS DETERMINED BY A "SMOKE" CHECK. LATER, AT A DIFFERENT SHOP, WHILE HAVING A TIRE ROTATION, THE TECHNICIAN HAD ME COME OUT AND CHECK THE RIGHT WHEEL AREA WITH THE WHEEL ASSEMBLY REMOVED. WHAT WAS REVEALED WAS A "RUB" HOLE IN THE VENT HOSE CAUSED BY CONTACT WITH THE SHOCK ABSORBER. I HAVE DIGITAL PHOTOS OF THE DAMAGE. THE DAMAGED VENT LINE IS EITHER 1) POOR ENGINEERING OF THE VENT LINE IN RELATION TO THE SHOCK ABSORBER, OR 2) THE DAMAGE WAS THE ACT OF POOR RE-INSTALLMENT OF THE FUEL TANK EITHER ON THE REPAIR OR LATER INSPECTION. MY QUESTION IS THIS, " HAS THERE BEEN ANY REPORTS OF SHOCK ABSORBERS, OR OTHER PARTS, CAUSING HOLES IN THE VENT LINES WHICH PASS NEAR THE RIGHT WHEEL ASSEMBLY?" SAAB HAS NOT BEEN VERY HELPFUL IN TRYING TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. *TR