SAAB Complaints

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON 2003 SAAB 9-5 AERO DIAGNOSED AS FAILING IGNITION CASSETTE WHICH IS THE SAME FAULTY PART FOR RECALL ON THE 2000-2002 CARS ONLY. A COMPLETE FAILURE WHILE DRIVING WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE ENGINE TO TOTALLY SHUTDOWN. THIS PART WAS REPLACED AT MY COST, BUT THE ORIGINAL PART NUMBER WAS INSTALLED VS. THE NEWER UPGRADED VERSION TO HOPEFULLY PREVENT FUTURE FAILURES. RE: CAMPAIGN ID# 05V399000. SHOULDN'T THE FAULTY "ORIGINAL" PART BE PULLED FROM DEALER STOCK AND WHY HAS THE 2003 MODEL YEAR AND OTHER YEARS BEEN EXCLUDED SINCE THE FAULTY PART IS EXACTLY THE SAME? *NM

THE CAR DEVELOPED AN ODD BURNING SMELL WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT AND THE ENGINE QUIT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND REQUIRED THE REPLACEMENT OF THE DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTES. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40MPH IN NORMAL CONDITIONS, THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE SMELLED HOT. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD FOR INSPECTION AND THE ENGINE TURNED OFF. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO A SERVICE STATION WHERE OIL WAS ADDED TO THE ENGINE. THE CONTACT DECIDED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR ADDITIONAL INSPECTION. THE DEALER PERFORMED DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND DETERMINED THE VEHICLE DISPLAYED AN INTERNAL OPEN CIRCUIT IN THE IGNITION. THE DEALER REPLACED THE IGNITION MODULE AND THE VEHICLE PERFORMED NORMALLY.

DRIVING 70 MPH ON HIGHWAY MY 2001 SAAB SE CONVERTIBLE ENGINE JUST STOPPED - ALL OF THE DASH LIGHTS LIT UP - SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT OF THE HOOD. I, FORTUNATELY, WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER PRIOR TO BEING HIT BY ANY CARS ON THIS 3-LANE HIGHWAY. PREVIOUSLY, I HAVE HAD MY IGNITION CASSETTE REPLACED - IT SEEMS THAT IT HAS FAILED AGAIN. IN ADDITION, ALTHOUGH I HAVE UNDER 50,000 MILES ON THE CAR (NO ACCIDENTS) I HAVE SPENT OVER $4,000 IN REPAIRS TO DATE (NOT COUNTING THE NUMEROUS TIMES IT WAS IN THE DEALERSHIP HAVING REPAIRS DONE UNDER WARRANTY). I HAVE GONE PAST THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS ON THE LEMON LAW - OTHERWISE I WOULD FILE FOR THAT. CONSTANTLY THE DASH IDIOT LIGHTS COME ON - EVERY TIME I BRING IT IN, THEY TELL ME NOTHING IS WRONG (YET I HAVE TO PAY THE DIAGNOSIS CHARGE).*JB

DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE (IGNITION DISCHARGE MODULE) FAILED. ENGINE WOULD NOT START AFTER BEING TURNED OFF. CAR WAS TOWED, EVALUATED, AND THE IGNITION DISCHARGE MODULE WAS REPLACED. THE IGNITION DISCHARGE MODULE THAT FAILED WAS IDENTICAL TO THE IDM THAT IS CURRENTLY UNDER RECALL FOR 2000-2002 MODEL YEARS. I AM REQUESTING THAT THE RECALL BE EXTENDED TO INCLUDE THE 1999 MODEL YEAR. I HAVE RETAINED THE FAILED PART. *NM

ON 2/21/06 MY SAAB 9-5 SE V6 WAS STARTED, WAS RUNNING ROUGH AS CYLINDERS WERE OBVIOUSLY MISFIRING. BROUGHT IN TO DEALER IMMEDIATELY. TOLD IGNITION CASSETTE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. TOLD TO CALL SAAB FOR REIMBURSEMENT AS MANY OF THESE CASSETTES WERE FAILING AND SHOULD NOT BE. *NM

SAAB SAFETY ISSUE: MY THIRD NEW SAAB IS A 1999 9-5 SE V6. ON A RECENT TRIP TO JACKSONVILLE, FL, I HAD A FLAT TIRE ON THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL. THE SMALL JACK SUPPLIED WITH THE CAR WAS INADEQUATE TO SUPPLY SUFFICIENT LEVERAGE TO LIFT THE CAR. IN A COMPLAINT TO SAAB, I WAS TOLD THAT THE CAR WAS TOO OLD; HOWEVER, THE JACK WAS NEW (NEVER USED). FORTUNATELY, I WAS IN A PARKING LOT AND NOT ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AT NIGHT. AT THE LEAST, THIS IS A MATTER OF GREAT INCONVENIENCE AND AT THE WORST A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE THAT PRESENT AND FUTURE SAAB OWNERS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT. *NM

WHEN EXITING THE INTERSTATE, THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THERE WAS THEN A SMELL LIKE AN OVERLOADED OR BURNING ELECTRICAL OR ELECTRONIC PART. WE DROVE TO THE FIRST SAFE PLACE TO STOP THE CAR, CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD AND FOUND NO FIRE BUT THE SMELL WAS VERY STRONG. WE CALLED THE NEAREST SAAB DEALER AND HAD THEM MAKE ARRANGEMENTS TO TOW THE CAR IN. AFTER CHECKING THE CAR, THEY FOUND THAT THE IGNITION MODULE HAD BURNED-OUT WHICH IN TURN ALLOWED RAW GAS IN THE EXHAUST TO DAMAGE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THERE IS AN EXISTING RECALL (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 05V399000) WHICH SEEMS TO DESCRIBE THE EXACT PROBLEM THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED, BUT I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY SAAB THAT MY VIN NUMBER IS NOT COVERED BY THIS RECALL. I FEEL THAT THIS INCIDENT AND FAILURE SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER THIS RECALL. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP TO HAVE THE SNOW TIRES CHANGED. ALL OF THE LUG NUTS ON THE FRONT AND REAR PASSENGER SIDE COULD NOT BE REMOVED DUE TO CORROSION. ADDITIONALLY, THE FOUR TIRES COULD NOT BE REMOVED DUE TO CORROSION AND RUST. TWO WEEKS AGO, THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN MOVED FROM A SALT BELT STATE. PRIOR TO PURCHASE, THERE WAS A RECALL, #03V006000 REGARDING THE WHEEL, CAPS, HUB AND COVER, PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 05V399000, REGARDING THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 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.