SAAB Complaints

WHEN A BUMP IS HIT WHILE BRAKES ARE APPLIED, BRAKES MAKE A METAL-ON-METAL GRINDING SOUND. WHEN STEERING WHEEL IS TURNED AFTER BRAKING (PULLING INTO OR OUT OF PARKING SPACE) METALLIC CLICKING SOUND IS HEARD. BRAKES WORK BETTER AFTER CAR IS WARMED UP. *TR

2000 SAAB 9-3 WITH SEVERAL PROBLEMS AFTER REPAIRS WERE MADE. CONSUMER STATES THAT AFTER THE SERPENTINE BELT WAS REPLACED. THE NEW BELT SHRED. DEALER SAID TO PAY FOR THE SECOND REPAIR AND THEN GET REIMBURSED. *KB THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED FOLLOWING THE REPLACEMENT OF THE WATER PUMP WHICH FAILED TWICE, THE VEHICLE DEVELOPED A RATTLING SOUND. THE DEALER STATED THE PROBLEM WAS THE CLUTCH, HOWEVER THE CONSUMER DISAGREED WITH THEIR FINDINGS. THE DEALER THEN INSTALLED AN AC COMPRESSOR BRACKET INCORRECTLY WHICH RESULTED IN ANOTHER FAILURE OF THE SERPENTINE BELT. THE DEALER STATED THE FAILURE OF THE SERPENTINE BELT WAS NOT A RESULT OF IT BEING FAULTY, IT WAS DUE TO THE BELT BEING DAMAGED OR CRACKED. THE DEALER STATED THE AIR CONDITIONING BRACKET HAD BROKEN AND IN DOING SO, IT THREW THE BELT OFF OF THE PULLEYS. THE AC BRACKET WAS THE CASUAL PART FAILURE NOT THE BELT. THE BELT WAS DAMAGED WHEN IT CAME OFF. THE OIL PUMP RING AND CRANKSHAFT SEAL WERE REPLACED DUE TO AN OIL LEAK AT THE PUMP. *JB

MY CAR STOPPED ON MASS TURNPIKE AROUND MIDNIGHT. I HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO THE NEAREST SAAB DEALER. THEIR DIAGNOSIS WAS THE OIL SLUDGE. EVEN AT THAT TIME THE DEALER DID NOT MENTION ANYTHING ABOUT SPECIAL WARRANTY THE SAAB ANNOUNCED IN 2005. I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED ANY INFORMATION FROM THE SAAB AS WELL. AFTER I SEARCH THE INTERNET I FOUND OUT ABOUT THE SPECIAL WARRANTY. I FILED A CLAIM AND SUBMITTED ALL OIL CHANGE RECEIPTS I HAD ( IT IS THEIR REQUIREMENT TO QUALIFY FOR THE SPECIAL WARRANTY). THE CAR IS ALMOST 8YEARS OLD. THE ONLY THREE RECEIPTS I DID NOT SUBMIT WERE WHEN THE CAR HAD 10,000, 20,000, AND 30,000 MILES. MY CLAIM WAS REJECTED BASED ON THESE 3 MISSING OILCHANGE RECEIPTS. I AM A SECOND OWNER THEREFORE I DO NOT HAVE THESE RECORDS AND SAAB REFUSED TO PROVIDE ME WITH THE PREVIOUS OWNER'S NAME ( PRIVACY ACT) AND THEY ALSO REFUSED TO CONTACT THE PREVIOUS OWNER ON MY BEHALF. THE MILEAGE ON THE CAR AT THE TIME OF THE ENGINE FAILURE WAS 104,000 MILES. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THE OIL CHANGE IN THE FIRST YEAR OF THE CAR HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PROBLEM I HAVE EXPERIENCED. THE CAR WOULD NOT DRIVE FOR THE NEXT 7 YEARS. THE PEOPLE IN THE SAAB'S SPECIAL WARRANTY DEPT. WERE ARROGANT AND TOTALLY UNPROFESSIONAL. THEIR RESPONSE TO ME WAS " BUY A NEW CAR". AS OF NOW MY CAR IS UNDRIVABLE AND HAS NO VALUE. I STRONGLY FEEL THAT SAAB CORP. SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THAT PROBLEM UNDER THE SPECIAL WARRANTY. IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO HELP ME PLEASE DIRECT ME TO THE RIGHT PLACE. THAT CAR COST ME SO MUCH MONEY AND I REFUSE TO ACCEPT THEIR DECISION. *TR

LOSS OF BRAKE POWER ASSIST AFTER A COLD START UP. THE VEHICLE IS VERY HARD TO STOP, REQUIRING HIGH PEDAL PRESSURE, UNTIL THE CAR HAS WARMED UP FOR ~30 SECONDS. THIS HAS OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES OVER THE PAST 6 MONTHS. THE CAR HAS BEEN LEFT WITH 2 DIFFERENT DEALERS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, TO ALLOW THEM TO OBSERVE AND DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE IT. I HAVE GIVEN THE DEALERS INFO ABOUT THE CURRENT NHTSA INVESTIGATION (PE08005) PERTAINING TO THIS SAME COMPLAINT FOR THIS MODEL CAR FROM SEVERAL OTHER SOURCES, AND NOTED THAT EARLIER MODELS OF THIS CAR WERE RECALLED FOR A (POSSIBLY) SIMILAR DEFECT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO START HIS VEHICLE, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE VEHICLE CRANKED, BUT HE RECEIVED NO SPARK. HE ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE THE FUEL PUMP, WHICH DID NOT REPAIR THE FAILURE. HE ALSO REMOVED THE SPARK PLUG WIRES AND NOTICED THAT VARIOUS PARTS WERE CRACKED UNDERNEATH THE IGNITION. A JUNKYARD MECHANIC STATED THAT THE IGNITION WAS THE CAUSE OF THE MALFUNCTION. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 05V399000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE), WHICH PERTAINED TO THE 2000-2002 SAAB 9-3'S. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE REPAIR WOULD COST $464. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 118,356.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE AIR BAG LIGHT SWITCH WAS REPLACED BY A SAAB DEALER. IN ADDITION, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK FAILED. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT NOT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. THE IGNITION WAS REPLACED. THERE HAD BEEN NO FURTHER OCCURRENCES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,000.

THE DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE HAS BEEN REPLACED FOUR DIFFERENT TIMES. THE INITIAL REPLACEMENT WAS ONLY 8,000 MILES INTO THE ORIGINAL OWNERSHIP. THE LAST TWO WERE IN 2006 WITH 80,000 MILES. IT IS APPARENT CONTINUED PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCED WITH THIS VEHICLE. *TR

1. THERE IS A DISTINCT SOUND WHEN THE VEHICLE GOES OVER BUMPS, IT RATTLES ON THE DRIVER SIDE, STRUT. BROUGHT IT TO A SAAB DEALERSHIP THEY CAN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. BROUGHT IT TO A SMALL SHOP, THEY REPLACED THE DUST COVERS ON THE FRONT STRUTS AND AFTER BRINGING IT BACK SIX TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM THEY CAN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. BOTH SHOPS STATE THAT THE STRUTS ARE JUST FINE. RATTLES LIKE THE STRUT IS READY TO FALL OFF. HAVE NO MORE IDEA WHERE TO GO. SAAB DEALERSHIP STATES THAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO SOUND LIKE THAT BECAUSE OF A SPORT SEDAN. I DON'T BELIEVE IT. BATTERY DRAW. DRAWS BATTERY DEAD AFTER TWO DAYS LETTING IT SIT. BROUGHT IT TO AUTHORIZED SAAB DEALERSHIP THEY CAN'T FIND A DRAW. BROUGHT IT TO SMALL SHOP, THEY FOUND A DRAW OF 1AMP. AFTER THREE NEW BATTERIES, STILL DRAWS AND DEAD BATTERY. *TR

THE SERPENTINE BELT ON MY SAAB 9-3, MODEL YEAR 2000 HAS FAILED 3 TIMES ON ME. THE LAST TIME THE SERPENTINE BELT DISINTEGRATED INTO TINY PIECES WHILE THE CAR WAS DRIVEN AND ALMOST LED TO AN ACCIDENT. THIS HAPPENED LESS THAN 6 MONTHS AND 5,000 MILES AFTER THE BELT WAS REPLACED. ACCORDING TO THE REPAIR FACILITY THE DISINTEGRATION WAS DUE TO THE IDLER PULLEY SEIZURE AND THEY CLAIM IT HAPPENS FREQUENTLY ON SUCH CARS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SAAB 9-3. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT DROVE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE IGNITION CASSETTE FAILED. SHE THEN FOUND A RECALL ON HER VEHICLE FOR THE SAME FAILURE HER VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING; HOWEVER, THE DEALER STATED THAT HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE CONTACT BELIEVES THAT HER VEHICLE SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL BECAUSE IT IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME FAILURE. THE RECALL NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 82,347. UPDATED 05/20/08. *LJ THE DOOR HANDLE WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 05/20/08