SAAB Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE PARKING, SMOKE WAS NOTICED COMING IN THROUGH THE VENTS. AFTER EXITING THE VEHICLE, IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND FILLED OUT A REPORT. A POLICE REPORT WAS ALSO FILED ON THE SCENE BEFORE THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. ONE PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ALERTED. *AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED, WHILE TRAVELING AT 60 MPH., THE ABS MODULE FAILED, CAUSING FAILURE TO THE ODOMETER AND SPEEDOMETER. THE MODULE HAD BEEN REPLACED ONCE BEFORE THIS FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.*AK

MY CAR STALLS WHILE ACCELERATING OR DEACELERATING AND THE CANNOT BE RESTARTED. DEALER NOW HAS THE AUTO AND HAS INDICATED IT IS THE MAIN MODULE AND CANNOT BE REPAIRED. THE CAR IS A 2004 SAAB CONVERTIBLE 2.0T 9 3. THE CAR WAS LEASED ON APRIL 23, 2004. ALTHOUGH THE MANURFACTURER'S WARRANTY INDICATES REPAIR OR REPLACE, THE DEALER DOES NOT WANT TO REPLACE THE VEHICLE. THEY ACTUALLY WOULD LIKE ME TO HAVE THE LEASE TERMINATED AND TO ROLL THE LAST THREE PAYMENTS INTO A NEW LEASE WITH A NEW CAR.

NO SPECIFIC EVENTS LEAD TO THE FAILURE OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM. THE BRAKE SYSTEM IS MARGINALLY FUNCTIONAL AND HAS BEEN SINCE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW. THE REAR BRAKE ROTORS BEGAN TO WEAR SHOWING VISIBLE GROOVING AT APPROXIMATELY 1200 MILES WHILE THE FRONT ROTORS STILL SHOW NO SIGNS OF WEAR OR GROOVING AT 4800 MILES. IMPROPER BRAKE PERFORMANCE IS FURTHER EVIDENCED BY THE RAPID ACCUMULATION OF BRAKE DUST ON THE SURFACE OF THE REAR WHEELS WND ONLY SLIGHT ACCUMULATION OF BRAKE DUST ON THE FRONT WHEELS. THE VEHICLE IS ALSO QUITE UNSTABLE AND DIFFICULT TO KEEP WITHIN THE TRAFFIC LANE DURING EMERGENCY BRAKING MANEUVERS FROM SPEEDS OF APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH OR HIGHER. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN CONTACTED AND NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM AND REPORTED THAT OTHERS HAVE FILED THE SAME COMPLAINT. THE FRONT/REAR BRAKING FORCE IS AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLED BY THE VEHICLE CONTROL SYSTEM. THE MANUFACTURER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAS TOLD ME THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE IS LEASED TO ME UNDER A THREE YEAR CONTRACT. I THEREFORE HAVE NO OPTION TO SELL IT OR TERMINATE THE LEASE AND AM LEGALLY BOUND TO MAINTAIN PAYMENTS ON THIS UNSAFE VEHICLE FOR ANOTHER 36 MONTHS. *NM

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH AND THE ENGINE SUDDENLY SHUT DOWN WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE CAR COMPLETELY LOST POWER AND I HAD TO QUICKLY COAST TO THE SHOULDER. I WAS NOT ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR AND IT HAD TO BE TOWED TO SAAB DEALER. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A FAULT IN DI CASSETTE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE DEFROSTER NO LONGER DEFROSTS THE WINDOW ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THE DEALER WAS ALERTED WHO DETERMINED THERE IS A CURRENT TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ON THIS ISSUE. THIS VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER HOWEVER THE CONTACT EXPRESSED THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS IDENTIFIED BY THE DEALER AS AN ONGOING ISSUE. *AK 08/01/06 UPDATED. *TT

TRANSMISSION SLIPS CONSTANTLY. SERVICE CENTER STATES THAT THE DIAGNOSTIC IS NOT INDICATING ANY ISSUES AND ALL IS NORMAL. THE INCIDENT DATE WAS THE LAST TIME IT OCCURRED.

THE DAY PRIOR I WAS DRIVING AND THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE IMMEDIATELY. THE NEXT DAY MY WIFE WAS DRIVING WITH OUR NEWBORN AND NEPHEW TO THE MALL WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE ON A BUSY STREET. THE FASTEST IT WOULD GO WAS 20-25 MPH. THERE IS ONLY HAVE 37K MILES ON IT AND TAKE GOOD CARE OF IT. THIS HAD HAPPENED ALSO ON MAY 1 AND THE CUSTOMER SERVICE AGENT SAID THAT THE COMPUTER SOFTWARE HAD A ERROR AND THAT THEY WERE DOWNLOADING NEW SOFTWARE. HE SAID HE WAS FAMILIAR WITH THIS PROBLEM AND THAT IT HAS HAPPENED A COUPLE TIMES TO OTHER DRIVERS. THIS SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE A CASE FOR RECALLS. THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN MORE SEVERE IF THE CAR HAD BEEN REAR-ENDED. *NM

FAILURE IN 1997 SAAB 900 SE OF DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR YEAR MODEL 2000-2002, BUT EARLIER MODEL YEARS FAIL TOO. *JB

UPON REACHING MY DESTINATION AFTER SHUTTING THE ENGINE OFF, I HEAR A NOISE WHICH SOUNDS LIKE AIR ESCAPING THROUGH THE CAR'S PASSENGER A/C AND HEATING SYSTEM. ALSO, THE CAR MAKES A WEIRD NOISE OCCASIONALLY. I AM SMELLING SULFUR FROM THE GASOLINE ACCORDING TO THE TAPPERT BROTHERS. *JB