SAAB Complaints

(1) DUE TO A MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN THE DESIGN OF THE CAR, A HOLE HAS DEVELOPED IN THE TOP OF THE PLASTIC GAS TANK OF 1999 SAAB 9-5 SEDAN. (2) A "SMOKE TEST" HAS REVEALED THE HOLE IN THE TOP OF THE TANK. THE CAR HAS DEVELOPED A GAS EVAPORATION LEAK. THERE ARE PROMINENT GAS FUMES AND SMELLS IN THE CAR'S CABIN, AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME ON. (3) THIS IS THE SECOND GAS TANK ON THE CAR, THE FIRST TANK WAS REPLACED BY A SAAB DEALERSHIP AFTER IT FAILED TO PRESSURIZE PROPERLY, A RELATED ISSUE. *JB

DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTES FAILED ON MY SAAB, YEAR 2000 95 WAGON WHILE DRIVING IN SARASOTA. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO COAST ONTO A SIDE ROAD TO PARK THE CAR AND THEN (UNFORTUNATELY) WALK 3 MILES HOME. I HAD A $50 TOW CHARGE ALONG WITH THE BILL TO REPLACE THE DIC, PLUS I LOST THE USE OF MY CAR FROM MONDAY UNTIL FRIDAY. *JB

I WAS TRAVELING TO SAN DIEGO WHEN MY ENGINE PROBLEM LIGHT CAME ON ALONG WITH TCS, ABS AND SPEEDOMETER LIGHTS CAME ON. I HAVE LEARNED FROM PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH THIS VEHICLE THAT THE ENGINE PROBLEM LIGHT MEANS THAT THIS VEHICLE ENGINE COULD BLOW UP. AFTER SPENDING THE NIGHT (NOT INTENDED) IN SAN DIEGO, I CALLED THE LOCAL DEALER AND THEY EXPLAINED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THAT IT WAS A $2500 FIX. THEY RECOMMENDED THAT I DRIVE THE VEHICLE AND NOT WORRY ABOUT MY TRACTION CONTROL OR ABS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. I HAVE PURCHASED A NEW VEHICLE AND AM NOW WORKING ON FIXING THIS PROBLEM VIA RESOURCES ON THE WEB FOR 1/4TH THE DEALER COST. *JB

SOME OR ALL SAAB 9-5'S WERE MANUFACTURED WITH DEFECTIVE REAR AXLE SUBFRAMES. THESE SUBFRAMES FATIGUE AND DEFORM RESULTING IN TIRE FAILURES, UNSAFE HANDLING, PREMATURE TIRE WEAR, AND/OR OTHER POTENTIALLY FATAL PROBLEMS. I EXPERIENCED A BLOWOUT AT HIGHWAY SPEED, PREMATURE TIRE WEAR, EXCESSIVE TIRE NOISE, AND UNSETTLED VEHICLE DYNAMICS FOR OVER 6 MONTHS WHILE SAAB FOUGHT NOT TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. ONLINE BULLETIN BOARDS SUCH AS WWW.SAABNET.COM INDICATE THAT NUMEROUS OTHER OWNERS OF 9-5 SEDANS AND WAGONS, MY 1999-PRESENT HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR PROBLEMS, ALMOST ALWAYS RELATED TO USING THE VEHICLE AT OR NEAR ITS GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RATING, WHICH I BELIEVE TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY OVERSTATED BY SAAB. THE 9-5'S SUSPENSION CANNOT WITHSTAND A FULLY OR NEAR FULLY LOADED VEHICLE FOR ANY SIGNIFICANT LENGTH OF TIME AND/OR MILEAGE. *NM

ON FEBRUARY 15, 2006 AS I WAS EXITING MY CAR (1999 SAAB 9-5 SE), I WAS JOLTED BY FIVE "SHOCKS" WHEN I REACHED FOR THE DOOR (JUST BELOW THE WINDOW) AFTER TURNING THE IGNITION OFF AND REMOVING THE KEYS. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE CAR, IT WOULD NOT START. IT WAS TOWED TO EAST OF SWEDED (SAAB SPECIALISTS) IN BOULDER, CO FOR DIAGNOSIS OF THE PROBLEM AND REPAIR. THE DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE WAS REPLACED, AND THE PROBLEM SOLVED. I WAS INFORMED BY THE MECHANIC THAT SAAB USA HAS RECALLED THIS PART ON THE 2000, 2001, AND 2002 SAAB 9-3 AND 9-5S. I WAS TOLD THAT THE DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE WHICH WAS REMOVED FROM MY CAR IS THE EXACT SAME PART THAT WAS RECALLED ON THE OTHER MODEL YEARS, BUT THAT THE 1999 HAD NOT BEEN RECALLED. I STILL HAVE THE PART IN MY POSSESSION. *NM

MY CAR ENGINE STOPPED, TWICE IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY ROAD ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT ONCE, AND A THIRD TIME COMING DOWN THE SIDE OF A MOUNTAIN LEAVING ME WITH NO ABILITY TO STEER. THE THIRD TIME I HAD IT TOWED TO A REPAIR PLACE OTHER THAN THE SAAB DEALER. THE REPAIR SHOP DIAGNOSED IT AS A FAULTY IGNITION CASSETTE. I HAD IT REPAIRED BY THE SHOP AT A CONSIDERABLE EXPENSE I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THERE WOULD BE A SAAB RECALL FOR MY YEAR CAR. I CALLED SAAB CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS TOLD THAT THE RECALL WOULD BE IN MARCH 2006, BUT THAT I SHOULD SUBMIT MY EXPENSES FOR REIMBURSEMENT REVIEW WHICH I DID IN JANUARY 2006. TODAY I WAS ADVISED THAT MY CAR WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL AND I WAS DENIED REIMBURSEMENT. SEE NHTSA CAMPAIGN #05V399000 FOR SUMMARY. *JB

WITHOUT WARNING, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RE-START ONCE TURNED OFF AND THE KEY TAKEN OUT OF THE IGNITION. I WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE KEY TO RE-START THE VEHICLE AND ALSO HEARD A "THUNK" SOUND WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE WHICH ORIGINATED DIRECTLY BELOW THE INSERTED KEY. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY DIAGNOSED AND CORRECTED THE PROBLEM UNDER CERTIFIED USED VEHICLE WARRANTY. THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE IGNITION MOUNTING SCREW/BOLTS HAD "WORKED THEMSELVES LOOSE" AND CAUSE THE HOUSING TO UNSEAT. THE PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED BY RE-INSTALLING THE BOLTS. THE PROBLEM IS NOTICEABLE IF YOU HAVE A STANDARD-SHIFT VEHICLE (NOT AN AUTOMATIC) AND ARE ABLE TO SHIFT DIRECTLY FROM NEUTRAL TO REVERSE WITHOUT NEEDING TO LIFT UP ON THE SAFETY MECHANISM NEAR THE SHIFTER KNOB. THE DEALERSHIP ADVISED ME THAT THE PROBLEM IS NOT UNCOMMON HOWEVER THE GREATEST CONCERN WAS THAT WHEN I DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER I WAS UNABLE TO EASILY SHIFT INTO GEAR AND HAD NOTICEABLE DIFFICULTY SHIFTING OUT OF REVERSE. *JB

ALTERNATOR, CARBURETOR, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, DRAINING OF POWER ; NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO PINPOINT THE PROBLEM, THE AUTO HAS SAT NOW FOR TWO YEARS BECAUSE I WAS TIRED OF POURING MONEY INTO IT ONLY TO HAVE IT UNABLE TO REPAIRED PROPERLY. *JB

WENT TO THE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES ABOUT TIRE COMPLAINTS OF COURSE TIRES ARE NOT COVERED. I KNOW THIS BUT THE CAR HAS ABOUT 15K MILES ON IT NOW AND THE TIRES ARE COMPLETELY BALD AND LOOK LIKE THEY HAVE 45K MILES ON IT. SAAB 800# SAID THEY CANNOT DO ANYTHING. I TOOK IT TO FIRESTONE AND THEY WERE SHOCKED HOW BAD THE TIRES ARE AND IMMEDIATELY RULED IT HAS A SUSPENSION DEFECT OR MAYBE A TOW PROBLEM. THERE IS MAJOR CUPPING WHICH 95% IS SUSPENSION. I HAVE SEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS. *NM

MY 2001 SAAB 9-3 BEGAN LEAKING FUEL, CULMINATING WITH A MAJOR LEAK OF FUEL FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE ON 2/26. CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHO EXPLAINED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS WITH TABS HOLDING IN THE FUEL PUMP. RECALL NUMBER 04V557 WAS THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM, EXACT SAME MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR BUT DID NOT COVER MY VIN. SAAB MUST NOT HAVE COVERED ENOUGH VEHICLES IN ITS RECALL. VIN ENDS WITH 12050281. I THINK NHTSA SHOULD INVESTIGATE. *NM