SAAB Complaints

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THE 2001 SAAB 9-5 WITH 120000 FAILURE MILEAGE HE SMELLED A FUEL ODOR. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, EXITED THE VEHICLE, AND DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS FUEL GUSHING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT THE ATTACHMENTS TO THE FUEL PUMP WERE DEFECTIVE. THERE WAS RECALL 07V087000 ON THIS PARTICULAR YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL VEHICLE ISSUED IN APRIL 2007. *AK

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SAAB 93. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS SAFETY RECALL ON THE IGNITION DISCHARGE MODULE. THE FIRST TIME HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE SAFETY RECALL REPAIR WORK DONE WAS 04/17/2006. THE CONTACT DROVE BACK HOME AT 60 MPH FOR APPROXIMATELY 40 MILES, AND DURING THAT TIME AND FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE ENGINE LIGHT TURNED ON. THE CONTACT WENT BACK A SECOND TIME ON 05/11/2006 BECAUSE THE ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON AND, THERE WERE GAS FUMES IN THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WENT BACK TO THE DEALER ON 06/08/2006 BECAUSE THERE WERE OVERWHELMING GAS FUMES IN THE VEHICLE. CURRENTLY THE ENGINE ON LIGHT STAYED ON CONSISTENTLY. THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THAT HE WOULD BE CHARGED FOR REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,949 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 17,900. *AK THE CONSUMER PROVIDED THE INVOICES FOR REPAIRS AND DOCUMENTS FOR THE SAAB DEALERSHIP. UPDATE 4/25/07 *TR

BACKING MY 2004 SAAB 93 OUT OF THE GARAGE I HEARD I LOUD RUBBING NOISE. I GOT MY HUSBAND, HE HAD ME DRIVE UP THE DRIVEWAY, THEN BACK DOWN. ON THE WAY BACK A TIRE BLEW, SO WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE RIGHT FRONT SPRING HAD BROKEN AND JETTED INTO THE TIRE, CAUSING THE BLOWOUT. THE LEFT FRONT SPRING WAS ALSO CRACKED AT THE BASE, SO BOTH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST TO ME OF $1300. THE CAR HAS ABOUT 62K MILES ON IT. *JB

CAR TAKEN TO DEALER TWICE BECAUSE "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT" ON INTERMITTENTLY; TOLD THERE WERE "NO PROBLEMS" AND INSTRUCTED ON HOW TO CLEAR MESSAGE. "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT" AND "OIL" LIGHT BEGAN TO FLICKER INTERMITTENTLY; TAKEN TO 2 INDEPENDENT MECHANICS FOR CHECK; BOTH STATED THERE WAS OIL IN THE PAN, OIL IN THE ENGINE, NO OBVIOUS PROBLEM. "CHECK ENGINE" AND "OIL" LIGHTS CAME ON AND STAYED ON; CAR BEGAN MAKING NOISE. PULLED OVER AND HAD TOWED TO INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED BEARINGS WERE SHOT AND NEW ENGINE NEEDED. SAAB USA HAS PERSISTED IN DENYING CULPABILITY DESPITE LETTER AND MECHANIC'S STATEMENT. TOLD ME CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY RESULTING IN TOWING FROM INDEPENDENT SHOP TO DEALER; DEALER THEN SAID CAR WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. BBB COMPLAINT FILED; NOW SAAB USA INSISTS ENGINE MUST BE TORN DOWN TO DIAGNOSE PROBLEM AND I MUST ACCEPT RISK THAT IF THE PROBLEM IS NOT THEIRS, I WILL OWE $1500 FOR TEAR-DOWN; DEALER WANTS STORAGE CHARGES. CAR OUT OF SERVICE NOW 43 DAYS AND COUNTING. *JB

MY 2003 SAAB 9-3 VECTOR STARTED TO HAVE A BURNING SENSATION ON THE DRIVER'S SEAT UNDER MY LEFT THIGH. IT WAS SO HOT THAT I HAD TO PUT A TOWEL UNDER MY LEG WHEN THE HEATED SEAT WAS ON. EVENTUALLY, AFTER 2 MONTHS OF THIS, THE HEATED SEAT QUIT WORKING ALL TOGETHER. I DID TAKE IT IN FOR MAINTENANCE AND THEY TOLD ME I WOULD HAVE TO BRING IT BACK AGAIN TO HAVE THEM DISASSEMBLE THE SEAT. I HAVE READ ON SAAB CHATLINES THAT IT'S A COMMON PROBLEM AND PEOPLE HAVE BEEN GETTING THEIR SEAT LEATHER REPLACED BECAUSE OF BURN MARKS. I THINK THIS IS A VERY REAL SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD CALLED TO LIGHT. I HAVE BEEN TOLD IT'S A BAD HEATING ELEMENT.*AK

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A USED 1999 SAAB 9-5 SE SEDAN WITH A 2.3 LITRE ECOPOWER ENGINE WITH TURBO. BARELY 5 DAYS AFTER MY PURCHASE OF THIS VEHICLE THERE WAS A VERY SUDDEN ONSET OF A LOUD KNOCKING COMING FROM THE ENGINE. I IMMEDIATELY HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP THE SERVICE MANAGER AT WHICH INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS A DAMAGED BALANCING SHAFT AND THAT MY ENGINE WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF ENGINE SLUDGE. WHAT I WAS NOT TOLD, HOWEVER I DID FIND OUT WAS THAT ENGINE SLUDGE IS A PROBLEM KNOWN TO SAAB ON THIS CAR. HOWEVER IN ORDER FOR SAAB TO COVER THE COST OF REPAIR, I WOULD HAVE THE UNREASONABLE TASK OF PROVIDING SAAB WITH ALL MAINTENENCE RECORDS FOR A CAR THAT I'VE OWNED FOR 5 DAYS. AFTER MUCH TRACKING I WAS ABLE TO FIND A SATISFACTORY NUMBER OF RECEIPTS, HOWEVER SAAB STILL REFUSED TO COVER THE WARRANTY BECAUSE OF A DATE DISCREPANCY ON ONE OF THE RECEIPTS THAT IS COMPLETELY OUT OF MY CONTROL. *AK

SAAB WITH DEFECTIVE BRAKES CUSTOMER WANTS TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THE WHOLE COST OF REPAIRS*CC THE CONSUMER STATED THE BRAKE BOOSTER VALVE CAN FAIL PREMATURELY. THE BRAKES WORKED ONLY WITH EXTREME HARD PRESSURE. GOODYEAR INFORMED THE CONSUMER THE PART THAT WAS BEING REPLACED ON THE BRAKES WAS RECALLED. THE MANUFACTURER ONLY REIMBURSED THE CONSUMER $46.00 FOR THE ACTUAL PART. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 93 SAAB. THE ENGINE LOST POWER WITHOUT WARNING, AND WHEN ATTEMPTING TO RESTART THE VEHICLE THE STEERING FUNCTION WAS LOST AS WELL. THE ONSTAR INDICATOR READ THAT THE STEERING AND ENGINE WERE MALFUNCTIONING. ON EIGHTEEN OCCASIONS THE SAAB DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE ,AND REFUSED TO PURCHASE BACK THE VEHICLE. ALSO, THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING NORMALLY. ON MARCH 16, 2007, THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING AND DROVE INTO A CEMENT WALL. AFTER THE RECENT FAILURE SAAB'S DIAGNOSIS WAS TO REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP. HOWEVER, THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THE CONTACT WAS INJURED WHILE BEING THREE MONTHS PREGNANT. THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, AND THERE WAS SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE 57,000. *AK

WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC MY ENGINE SUDDENLY STOPPED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. ONCE TOWED, THE SERVICE CENTER DETERMINED THE FAILURE WAS IN A SMALL CHEAP (TO MANUFACTURE) HALL EFFECT SENSOR FOR CRANKSHAFT POSITION. THIS FAILURE OF THIS LITTLE SWITCH STOPPED ME DEAD IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. GIVE THE SAFETY ISSUE OF THIS FAILURE MODE AND THE FACT IT IS SMALL AND CHEAP, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A REDUNDANT SENSOR IN THE DESIGN. THIS REDUNDANT SENSOR CAN SERVE AS A FAIL OVER MECHANISM.

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON IN MY CAR AND BASED ON PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE I IMMEDIATELY DROVE TO THE REPAIR CENTER. THEY CHECKED THE CODES AND DISCOVERED 3 ERRORS RELATED TO THE THROTTLE BODY. THEY CLEARED THE CODES, DROVE THE CAR AND THE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. SINCE THEY DID NOT HAVE THE PART IN STOCK I ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE IT HOME BUT THE ENGINE WOULD BARELY START AND EVEN AFTER STARTING IT RAN ROUGH. I REFUSED TO DRIVE IT SINCE MY EXPERIENCE SO FAR HAS BEEN WHEN A COMPONENT ON THIS CAR FAILS, THE CAR DOES NOT DEGRADE GRACEFULLY BUT RATHER STOPS ABRUPTLY (USING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD).