SAAB Complaints

TL* - THE CONTACT CALLED REGARDING A 2000 9 5 SAAB. THE CONTACT WAS MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN AND LOST POWER AS SHE WAS TURNING. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STARTED BLINKING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PULL THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE PRESSED DOWN ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, BUT THE VEHICLE BARELY HAD ANY POWER. THE VEHICLE DID NOT LOSE POWER STEERING OR BRAKES. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE MECHANIC. THE CONTACT STATED IT TOOK THE MECHANIC THREE ATTEMPTS BEFORE THEY COULD DUPLICATE WHAT HAD HAPPENED . THE MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS THE IGNITION DISCHARGE MODULE OVERHEATING. THEREWAS A RECALL FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, AND THE SAME YEAR/MAKE AND MODEL. VE HOWEVER, WHEN THE CONTACT CALLED SAAB SHE WAS TOLD THE VEHICLE WAS NOT A PART OF THE RECALL. *AK UPDATED 04/12/07. *JB

CLEAR DAY. HIGHWAY TRAVEL. CRUISE CONTROL SET TO 65-70 MPH. 2006 SAAB 9-3 CONVERTIBLE 3200 MILES. ENTERED CONSTRUCTION ZONE AND ATTEMPTED TO SLOW/BRAKE AND THE CAR DID NOT SLOW DOWN. CAR CONTINUED AT SET SPEED. SEEMS THE CRUISE CONTROL DID NOT DISENGAGE AND THE CAR WAS FIGHTING TO KEEP THE SPEED UP TO CRUISE CONTROL SETTING. TRUCK AHEAD SLOWED AND I DID NOT. MANEUVERED LEFT TO AVOID TRUCK AND MADE CONTACT WITH A CONSTRUCTION TRAILER. CONTINUED TO AFTER CONTACT. HAD TO USE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP VEHICLE. PENN DOT CALLED POLICE TO THE CRASH SCENE. CAR WAS TOWED AND THE RETRIEVED BY DEALER. INSURANCE ADJUST, SAAB TECH AND SAAB COLLISION MANAGER PULLED AN ERROR CODE FROM THE DIAGNOSTIC AND VERBALLY STATED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL DID NOT DISENGAGE. LATER AFTER THE ADJUSTER LEFT WAS CONTACT BY A REGIONAL DEPARTMENT STATING THAT THE TECH MIS-INTERPRETED THE CODE. SAAB SALES MANAGER HAS NOT RETURNED 5 MESSAGES FOR INFORMATION OF RELEASING US FROM OUR LEASE. *JB

PURCHASED A "CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED" 2003 SAAB 9.5 AERO IN LATE AUGUST 2006 BEGAN HEARING HORRIBLE (AND WORSENING) GRINDING NOISE SOON AFTER PURCHASE. WE WERE THINKING IT WAS THE BRAKES NEEDING TO BE REPLACED...TOOK IT TO A WELL RESPECTED NATIONAL BRAKE SHOP WHO TOLD US WE NEEDED NEW RIGHT SIDE WHEEL BEARING AND THE COST WOULD BE OVER $700.00 THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 60000 MILE ON IT AND I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH TO FIND THAT I AM NOT THE FIRST PERSON TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE/MODEL THINK IT IS A DEFECT THAT COULD PROVE FATAL IF NOT ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY.*JB

THE DRIVER OF THE 1999 SAAB 9-3 WAS DRIVING IN THE LEFT LANE ON MA RTE. 128 SOUTH. HER SON WAS IN A CHILD CARSEAT TIGHTLY BELTED INTO THE DRIVER'S SIDE PASSENGER SEAT, THE SEAT DIRECTLY BEHIND THE DRIVER. THE SWITCH ON THE BELT BUCKLE WAS SET TO THE "CHILD SEAT" SETTING. THE DRIVER SIGNALED AND BEGAN TO CHANGE LANES TO THE MIDDLE LANE WHICH WAS CLEAR OF TRAFFIC. AS SHE WAS SHIFTING LANES, ANOTHER VEHICLE, A LIGHT-COLORED SEDAN, BEGAN TO MOVE SHARPLY INTO THE MIDDLE LANE FROM THE RIGHT. THE DRIVER WAS FORCED TO SWERVE TO THE LEFT TO AVOID COLLISION WITH THE OTHER VEHICLE, AND HER CAR WENT OUT OF CONTROL. THE CAR WENT OFF THE ROAD TO THE LEFT AND HIT THE GUARDRAIL IN A FRONT-END COLLISION. THE DRIVER WAS THROWN FORWARD BUT WAS WEARING HER SEATBELT, WHICH HELD HER. HER AIRBAG DID NOT INFLATE. HER SON'S CAR SEAT DID NOT REMAIN IN PLACE, BUT WENT FORWARD AND TIPPED OVER ON ITS SIDE, FACING THE MIDDLE OF THE CAR, SO THAT WHEN THE DRIVER OPENED THE PASSENGER DOOR TO CHECK ON HER SON, AT FIRST SHE COULDN'T SEE HIM, AND SHE HAD TROUBLE EXTRACTING THE CAR SEAT. AN OFF-DUTY FIREMAN STOPPED TO HELP, CUT THE SEAT BELT AND EXTRACTED THE SEAT. THE DRIVER WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL AND TREATED FOR WHIPLASH; HER SON DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE SUSTAINED INJURY. THE CAR WAS DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS BY THE INSURER, AND THE INSURER TOWED THE CAR AND WANTS TO DISPOSE OF IT. WE (THE DRIVER AND HER HUSBAND) CONTACTED SAAB SEVERAL TIMES TO ASK THAT THE VEHICLE BE EXAMINED PRIOR TO DISPOSAL TO ADDRESS CONCERNS ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE OF THE REAR SEAT BELT AND THE DRIVER'S AIRBAG; SAAB WAS UNHELPFUL. *JB

DRIVING ON THRUWAY,CRUISE WENT OFF SUDDEN LOSS OF SPEED,CK ENGINE LIGHT ON. ENGINE STALLED WOULD ONLY IDLE AND SHAKE WOULDN'T MOVE. HAD IT TOWED TO SHOP CLEARED CODE RAN 1/2 DAY OK THEN CK LIGHT CAME BACK ON, PULLED IT BACK INTO MY SHOP. I SEARCHED INTERNET FOR SOLUTIONS POINTED TO FAULTY THROTTLE BODY. I"M A CERTIFIED FOR 34 YEAR MOTORCYCLE TECHNICIAN SO I TOOK IT OFF AND DISASSEMBLED IT AS I WANTED TO GET TO THE BOTTOM AS IT"S REASON FOR FAILURE. I DISCOVERED EVERYTHING WAS OK EXCEPT ALL OF THE WIRE INSULATION WITHIN THE INTERNAL AREA OF THE THROTTLE BODY HAD FAILED AND PEELED AWAY CAUSING A ELECTRICAL SHORT OR SPIKE. THIS IS DUE TO THE USE OF INFERIOR WIRE INSULATION NOT DESIGNED FOR IT"S APPLICATION. DLR HAD NEW $457.00 PART IN STOCK. I INSTALLED IT,WORKED FINE DLR INSPECTED IT. I LEFT THE OLD PART WITH THEM FOR POSSIBLE SPECIAL WARRANTY CONSIDERATION WITH SAAB USA.SAAB DECLINED WARRANTY 01/02/07, I NOW HAVE THE OLD PART. THIS CAR HAS ALSO HAD 12 IGN SWITCH PROBLEMS WHERE 6 TIMES IT WAS REPLACED,THE LAST ONE WAS 11/17/06 COVERED BY WARRANTY,ALSO 6 HEADLIGHTS & 6TAIL LIGHTBULBS REPLACED & COUNTING NOT WARRANTY. I HAVE ALL WORK ORDERS. *NM

BOLT CAME OFF ON TURBO-CHARGER AND BLASTED A HOLE THROUGH THE TURBO-CHARGER. MY CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED ACCELERATING DURING A MERGE AND I ALMOST CRASHED. THIS RESULTING IN $2000 WORTH OF REPAIRS. *NM

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, WHEN I NOTICED A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. THE STEERING AND BRAKES WERE DIFFICULT TO USE AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS FLASHING. I MANAGED TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CAR WOULD NOT START ONCE STOPPED, LATER I NOTICED THAT WHEN I TRIED TO TURN THE ENGINE OVER, GASOLINE WAS SPEWING OUT NEAR THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR AND NEAR THE EXHAUST PIPE! I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED TRYING TO START THE CAR AND LEFT FOR A CALL BOX TO GET A TOW. I GOT IT TOWED TO THE SACRAMENTO SAAB DEALER WHERE THEY SAID THE RETAINER FOR THE FUEL PUMP BROKE. I AM AWARE THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS RECALLED FOR THE SAAB 9-3 MODELS, HOWEVER THE 9-5 HASN'T BEEN SUBJECTED TO THIS RECALL AS OF YET. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION, HAD THE GAS IGNITED, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE. THEN AT THE DEALER, THE ENTIRE PUMP WAS REQUIRED TO BE REPLACED, EVEN THOUGH THE RETAINER (A SMALL PLASTIC CLIP) FAILED AND THE PUMP WAS STILL IN WORKING ORDER. *JB

2001 9-3 ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED DUE TO A CRACKED CYLINDER. *TS WHEN THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP, SHE WAS TOLD THE SERIAL NUMBER ON THE MODULE WAS NOT THE ONE THAT WOULD BE REPLACED. A FEW MONTHS HAD PASSED AND THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN DETERMINED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS FROM THE RECALLED PART WHICH HAD A NOTICEABLE CRACK. WHEN THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN, SHE WAS TOLD THAT THE MODULE MAY HAVE SHOWN PROBLEMS IN THE PREVIOUS INSPECTION, BUT THE MODULE WAS NOT COVERED BY THE RECALL BASED ON THE SERIAL NUMBER.*JB

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AND TIMING CHAIN SNAPPED CAUSING THE IMMEDIATE LOSS OF POWER AND CONTROL OF VEHICLE. CONTACTED SAAB USA AT 1-800-955-9007 AND SPOKE WITH SUPERVISOR LEMONT. CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT SAAB DOES NOT COVER COSTS INVOLVED IN REPLACEMENT OF TIMING CHAIN BUT ONLY FOR THE BELT AT VERY SPECIFIC MILEAGE POINTS AS TO THE HISTORY OF WIDESPREAD BREAKAGE AND SAFETY PROBLEMS AND SUBSEQUENT COSTLY DAMAGE TO ENGINES. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE STARTED TO RUN ROUGH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE SERVICE DEALER, WHO REPLACED THE IGNITION MODULE. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, #05V399000 ON THE VEHICLE REGARDING THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: IGNITION: MODULE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.