SAAB Complaints

I BELIEVE MY 1999 SAAB 9-3 SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN RECENT SAAB IGNITION MODULE RECALLS, MY IGNITION MODULE IS NO DIFFERENT THAN THE 2000 MODELS, THE RECENT FAILURE OF THIS PART INVOLVES SAFETY FACTORS SAME AS THE 2000 MODELS, REPLACEMENT COST IS OVER 400.00 AND SHOULD BE REIMBURSED. *JB

WHILE ROUTINE DRIVING THE ABS, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, BRAKE (INDICATING EMERGENCY BRAKE BEING ENGAGED) AND TCS OFF WILL ILLUMINATE. THE SPEEDOMETER WILL GO TO ZERO. UPON INSPECTION AT THE DEALER, THEIR WORDS, NOT MINE. IS THAT "YOUR ABS CONTROL MODULE IS FRIED". ONCE THIS WAS DIAGNOSED, WE WERE TOLD THAT THE CAR IS SAFE TO DRIVE, IF WE DO NOT NEED ABS OR TRACTION CONTROL (TCS OFF). THE PART IS $2800. NOW UPON DOING SOME RESEARCH, THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THE MANUFACTURER OF THE PRODUCT, BOSCH. SUPPOSEDLY THIS HAS OCCURRED QUITE FREQUENTLY ON SAAB'S , MULTIPLE GM AND FORD VEHICLES AS WELL. THE MOST DANGEROUS PART OF THE ISSUE IS THE CAR SOMETIMES AT USUALLY THE WORSE TIMES IT GOES INTO LIMP HOME MODE. *JB

RECALL NOTICE FROM SAAB REGARDING DEFECTIVE BRAKES. DEALER DOESN'T HAVE PARTS TO FIX. SAAB SAYS THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. *JB

1) SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT OF CYLINDER HEAD DUE TO SPARK PLUG THREADS MISSING. DEALER USED INSERT TO REPLACE THREADS. *JB

I HAD MY HEADLIGHTS CHANGED AT 65K BECAUSE THE BEAM WAS GETTING TO LOW AND IT WAS HARD TO SEE AT NIGHT. WHILE THE LIGHTS WERE GETTING CHANGED THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE WIRES CONNECTING THE LIGHT TO THE CAR WERE MELTING. THREE MONTHS LATER AT 80K THE DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT LOW BEAM FINALLY DIED. THE SID SAYS LOW BEAM FAILURE, WHICH IS DUE TO THE MELTING OF THE WIRES. *JB

I HAVE A 99 9-5 TURBO. OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST WEEK, MY VEHICLE HAS STALLED ON ME THREE TIMES. THE FIRST, I WAS TRAVELING ALONE AT 20 MPH AND THE CAR STALLED WHEN I MADE A LEFT TURN INTO A GAS STATION, LEAVING ME VULNERABLE TO ONGOING TRAFFIC. AN HOUR LATER, I HAD MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR AND WE PROCEEDED TO GET ONTO THE HIGHWAY. THE CAR STALLED AS I WAS GOING INTO HIGHWAY TRAFFIC. THANKS TO THE SKILLFUL MANEUVERING OF THE OTHER DRIVERS, OUR LIVES WERE SPARED. THE OTHER OCCURRED WHEN WE REACHED OUR DESTINATION. THE CAR STALLED AS WE PULLED INTO THE PARKING SPACE. THIS LED TO THE INABILITY TO TURN SUFFICIENTLY AND ALMOST HITTING THE NEIGHBORING CARS. I HAVE READ VARIOUS FORUMS OF FELLOW SAAB OWNERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THESE SAME LIFE THREATENING INCIDENTS. IT SEEMS TO ME AND MANY OTHERS THAT SAAB DOES NOT CARE ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THEIR DEDICATED CONSUMERS. WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR HAND OUTS, JUST THE RELIABILITY AND SAFETY ANY ONE SHOULD HAVE FROM A COMPANY THAT "ALLEGEDLY" PRIDES THEMSELVES ON THOSE THINGS. I JUST HOPE THAT THE NEXT TIME I SUBMIT A REPORT IT DOESN'T INCLUDE A DEATH OR DISMEMBERMENT OF MYSELF, CHILD, OR ANOTHER LOVED ONE BECAUSE OF SAAB'S LACK OF INTEGRITY. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED ONE YEAR AGO THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE IGNITION DISCHARGE MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE PART WAS REPLACED AND LATER THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, # 05V399000, REGARDING THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: IGNITION: MODULE. THE VEHICLE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND THE SPEED DROPPED TO 10 MPH. THE CONTACT MANAGED TO GET THE VEHICLE HOME AND ONCE THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF, IT WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED THE DEALER, WHERE THE IGNITION CASSETTES AND SPARK PLUGS WERE REPLACED. THE DEALER DETERMINED THE SPARK PLUGS WERE DAMAGED AS A RESULT OF THE IGNITION CASSETTE FAILURE. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, #05V399000, REGARDING THE IGNITION MODULE. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. THIS HAPPENED ON THE ROAD WHERE THE SPEED LIMIT WAS 30 MPH. IF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED AT ONE OF THE HIGHWAYS WHERE PEOPLE ARE DRIVING AT 65 MPH THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A FATALITY. THIS VEHICLE WOULD NOT DO OVER 15 MPH. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME. THE SMALL OF THE CAR WAS VERY BAD SO THE CONTACT WAITED 20 MINUTES BEFORE LEAVING. THERE WAS NO FIRE. BOTH IGNITION CASSETTES WERE REPLACED, AS WELL AS SPARK PLUGS. *AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY STALLED WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH. IT WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S HOME AND THEN TOWED TO THE DEALER. THEY DETERMINED THE IGNITION MODULE FAILED RESULTING IN VEHICLE STALLING AND PRODUCE DAMAGE TO OTHER ENGINE PARTS. THE MODULE, SPARK PLUGS AND THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WERE REPLACED WHICH APPEARS TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 05V399000 REGARDING THE IGNITION MODULE. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. UPDATED 04/06/06. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 55MPH, THE OIL LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THERE WAS A VERY LOUD NOISE AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. IT WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THE VEHICLE THREW A ROD. AFTER TWO MONTHS, THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS TOO CLOSE TO THE OIL PAN CAUSING THE OIL TO BECOME VERY THICK, CAUSING OIL STARVATION TO THE ENGINE. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW ENGINE.