SAAB Complaints

WHEN PARKED ON HILL OVERNIGHT WITH CAR POINTED DOWN HILL, WHEN ENGINE IS STARTED AND SHIFT LEVER MOVED TO DRIVE AND HAND BRAKE RELEASED, THE FOOT BRAKE IS UNABLE TO PREVENT THE CAR FROM ROLLING AND HAND BRAKE MUST BE USED TO STOP VEHICLE. AFTER A FEW MINUTES OF DRIVING, THE FOOT BRAKES APPEAR TO FUNCTION NORMALLY. THIS COULD BE A SERIOUS PROBLEM FOR A WOMAN UNABLE TO WORK HAND BRAKE OR EXERT ENOUGH BRAKE PEDAL EFFORT TO ASSIST IN STOPPING THE CAR. SAAB EXPERT MECHANIC SAYS THIS IS A COMMON DESIGN PROBLEM AND I SHOULD REPORT IT AS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM. *TR

WAS DRIVING CAR SMELT FUEL PULLED OVER AND FOUND GAS SPRAYING OUT FROM UNDER CAR BY FUEL TANK NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND CAR RAN FINE BUT THERE WAS A LOT OF FUEL COMING OUT. FUEL LINES HAD STARTED TO COME OUT FROM FUEL PUMP LIKE REPORTED IN THE 2001 SAAB 93 RECALL. *AK

2000 9.5 IGNITION DISCHARGE CASSETTE HAD FAILED AND WAS FORCED TO BE REPLACED. *TS 04/12/07 ADD TO CUSTOMER WANTS MORE INFO IN THE LETTER**CC THE CONSUMER STATED HE HAD TO PAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT AT HIS EXPENSE EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS A RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO PAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT. *JB UPDATED 05/08/07. THE CONSUMER STATES THE DEALER WILL NOT REPLACE THE RECALL ITEM BECAUSE HE IS ONLY ENTITLED TO ONE FREE RECALL REPAIR , BUT THE CONSUMER JUST WANTS TO REIMBURSED FOR THE DEFECTIVE ITEM HE HAS REPAIRED. UPDATE 05/08/07*TR

TWO MONTHS AGO ONE OF THE TWO IGNITION COIL PACKS ON THE 2000 SAAB 9-5 SE FAILED AND LEFT ME STRANDED ON THE ROAD. I HAD THE CAR TOWED, AND DIAGNOSTICS INDICATED MULTIPLE MISFIRES ON A FEW CYLINDERS CONTROLLED BY ONE BANK OF TWO. THEN, A FEW WEEKS LATER THE THROTTLE BODY FAILED AND LEFT ME STRANDED AGAIN. THIS WAS REPLACED. THEN ,LAST WEEK THE CAR INDICATED ERRORS AGAIN, AND I LIMPED INTO THE SERVICE STATION AND DISCOVERED THE SECOND BANK OF IGNITION COILS WAS MISFIRING. THE 4 CYLINDER VERSION OF THE SAAB IGNITION COILS HAVE ALREADY BEEN RECALLED, AND I THINK THE 6 CYLINDER VERSION SHOULD BE TOO. *AK

(1) VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED USED FROM DEALER WITH VALID INSPECTION. CAR WAS STARTED 5 TIMES PRIOR TO FAILURE, TAKING LONGER TO START EACH TIME. (2) IGNITION DISCHARGE MODULE (IDM)E VEHICLE WAS RUNNING AND MOVING AT ROUGHLY AT 25 MPH. FAILURE LEFT DRIVER STRANDED WITHOUT A USABLE VEHICLE FOR SEVERAL DAYS. (3) THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR WAS REPLACED ON THE VEHICLE IN AN ATTEMPT TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM, TO NO AVAIL.,AN OBD II READER WAS USED TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM AFTERWARDS. A P1310 CODE WAS PRODUCED. ONCE THE CODE WAS CLEARED, ATTEMPTING TO RESTART THE ENGINE RESULTED IN THE P1310 CODE BEING PRODUCED AGAIN. TWO IDM CASSETTES (SAAB PART NUMBER #9187436 ) WERE PURCHASED AND INSTALLED BY OWNER TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM.*AK

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SAAB 9-5. WHILE DRIVING THE CONTACT SMELLED GAS AND PULLED THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE, AND FOUND A LARGE GAS LEAK DUE TO THE FUEL LINE LOOSENING FROM THE PIPE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, AND THE CONTACT FELT THE FAILURE WAS A SAFETY RISK. THE CURRENT MILEAGEWAS 29,500, AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,470.*AK

BRAKES HAVE FAILED TO WORK SEVERAL TIMES. THEY FEEL LIKE THEY ARE LOCKED AND NOT ABLE TO PRESS DOWN. TODAY AFTER ACCELERATING FROM 0 TO ABOUT 35 MILES PER HOUR THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE ON IT'S OWN. I FELT LIKE THE CRUISE CONTROL KICK IN. I TRIED TO PRESS ON THE BRAKES BUT THEY WOULD NOT WORK. I WAS DRIVING IN THE PASSING LANE TO AVOID HITTING ANY CARS. I NOTICED THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ON. I TURNED IT OFF AND THE BRAKES FINALLY STARTED TO WORK. THE DEALERSHIP CAN NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND CLAIMS HE HAS NEVER HEARD OF ANY SUCH COMPLAINTS. I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL OF THESE COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET. *JB

LETTER FROM INSURANCE COMPANY REGARDING LOSS OF SAAB DUE TO FIRE WITH REQUEST FOR PAYMENT**CC THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT ONE OF THE LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD HAD ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACT STRANGELY. THE CONSUMER ARRIVED HOME PARKED THE VEHICLE IN THE GARAGE AND THEN SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. *JB UPDATED

2003 SAAB 9-3'S STEERING LOCKED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY**CC WHEN THE STEERING LOCKED, THE CONSUMER CROSSED INTO THE ONCOMING LANE, HIT A SNOW BANK, A SNOW RAMP TO A FLOWER BED, WENT AIRBORNE AND HIT A WOODEN BUSINESS SIGN, CROSSED TO MORE PROPERTIES, AND CAME TO REST ON THE REAR END OF A PLEASURE BOAT. THE COMPUTER ON THE VEHICLE READ STEERING LOCK MALFUNCTION. THE CONSUMER HAD NO CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE DURING THE ACCIDENT; WHEN THE VEHICLE STOPPED THE STEERING WORKED AGAIN, BUT THE MESSAGE STEERING LOCKED MALFUNCTION REMAINED. *JB

MY DIRECT IGNITION MODULE FAILED RIGHT AS I WAS EXITING THE FREEWAY. THE CAR STARTED SHAKING VIOLENTLY AND I PICKED UP THE BURNING SMELL OF ELECTRONICS COMING FROM THE FRONT OF MY CAR. IF IT HAD HAPPENED MOMENTS BEFORE, I WOULD NOT WANT TO IMAGINE WHAT WOULD'VE HAPPENED. THIS HAS BEEN A WIDELY REPORTED ISSUE AND A RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER : 05V399000 . HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THAT SAAB IS SKIRTING ON THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES SINCE THE V6 MODEL USES THE EXACT SAME PART AS THE ONE COVERED UNDER THE RECALL. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS DEFECT AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED FOR ALL SAABS WITH THESE PART NUMBERS. *JB