SAAB Complaints

THIS IS A RESPONSE RELATING NHTSA ACTION NUMBER : PE05017 LOTS OF THESE THINGS ARE FAILING. FRIENDS AT A DEALER TELL ME ONE A DAY WAS BEING TOWED IN. I HAVE SEEN A PILE OF AT LEAST 100 BAD ONES AT A DEALER. I HAVE SOME FAILED UNITS IN MY POSSESSION. THERE IS EVEN A COTTAGE INDUSTRY SELLING THEM ON EBAY. I HAVE SUPPLIERS WHO HAVE SOLD 100 UNITS IN ONE DAY. THIS PROBLEM EXISTS ON ALL 4CYL SAABS SOLD FROM 1999 UNTIL 2002 OR SO. *JB

TIRE TREAD SEPARATION DUE TO SUDDEN WEAR ON THE INSIDE EDGES OF BOTH REAR TIRES. NEGATIVE CAMBER ON REAR WHEELS LEADS TO CUPPING AND WEAR ALONG THE INSIDE EDGE OF BOTH BACK WHEELS. WITH CAR FULLY LOADED, TREAD CAN SEPARATE AFTER ONLY A FEW THOUSAND MILES. AT THE VERY LEAST THE TIRES MUST BE REPLACED AFTER A FEW THOUSAND MILES TO AVOID SUDDEN TREAD SEPARATIONS AND LOSS OF AIR PRESSURE. *NM

I PURCHASED A SAAB 9.5 WAGON- YEAR 2000 WITH 53,000 MILES ON IT. NOW IT HAS 63,000 MILES. MY REPAIR BILLS CURRENTLY ARE OVER $7,000 EXCLUDING MAINTENANCE AND ROUTINE SERVICE (THE WARRANTY THAT I PURCHASED W/ THE CAR HAS NOT COVERED ANY OF REPAIRS). ONE DAY ABOUT 5 LIGHTS CAME ON AT THE SAME TIME ON MY DASH. I AM TALKING ABOUT THE LIGHTS/SYMBOLS THAT COME ON WHEN A PARTICULAR PROBLEM ARISES WITH THE CAR. THE ENTIRE BRAKE SYSTEM LIGHTS CAME ON THEY ARE CALLED THE ABS, TCS AND 2 OTHER BRAKE RELATED LIGHTS ALONG W/ THE ENGINE LIGHT. I TOOK MY CAR TO SAAB IN SANTA MONICA AND THE MECHANIC, TONY, RAN A TEST AND TOLD ME THAT I NEED TO REPLACE MY ABS COMPUTER BRAKE COMPONENT. THE PRICE FOR THE PART WOULD BE 2,800 PLUS 200.00- 300.00 FOR LABOR, SO APPROX. 3,000 TO REPLACE THIS COMPUTER UNIT. THE MECHANIC EXPLAINED TO ME THAT I SHOULD FILE A CLAIM WITH SAAB BECAUSE OF THE "TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF FAILURES" WITH THIS COMPONENT. I DID AND I WAS DENIED BY SAAB. UNABLE TO AFFORD THE COST OF THIS REPAIR, MAINLY BECAUSE, LIKE I MENTIONED BEFORE, I AM WELL OVER $7,000 IN REPAIR BILLS ALREADY AND I SIMPLY CANNOT COME UP WITH 3,000 RIGHT NOW. SO, I WAS DRIVING MY CAR HOME AND BY ACCIDENT THE IGNITION KEY WAS NUDGED WHICH CAUSED THE KEY TO TURN OFF THE CAR. I COMPLETELY LOST ALL BRAKE POWER AND WAS FORCED TO USE MY EMERGENCY BRAKE TO AVOID HITTING PEDESTRIANS WALKING ACROSS THE STREET. THIS WAS A TERRIFYING SITUATION, I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED COMPLETED BRAKE FAILURE AND NOW I AM TERRIFIED TO USE MY CAR AT ALL. SINCE I CANNOT AFFORD TO HAVE THIS COMPUTER COMPONENT REPLACED I MAKE AN ATTEMPT NOT TO DRIVE MY CAR. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT SAAB SHOULD TAKE A MORE SERIOUS LOOK AT THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE HAD 3 SAAB MECHANICS TELL ME THE SAME THING ABOUT THE THIS ABS COMPUTER COMPONENT, THAT IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED OFTEN, AND THAT IT IS SOMETHING SAAB SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR. IS SAAB AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL DANGER OWNER'S OF SAABS HAVE AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC REGARDING THIS SPECIFIC PROBLEM? *JB

IN JUNE 2003, A CRACK WAS DISCOVERED IN THE FUEL TANK OF MY 1996 SAAB 900S. THE TANK WAS REPLACED. ON 28 JULY 2004, THE REPLACEMENT TANK WAS DISCOVERED TO HAVE A LEAK AND WAS REPLACED. ON 1 SEPTEMBER 2005, THE SECOND REPLACEMENT TANK WAS DIAGNOSED AS LEAKING.*JB

2001 SAAB 9-5 FUEL PUMP CLIP FAILED SPRAYING GASOLINE UNDER PRESSURE OVER EXHAUST SYSTEM BELOW REAR PASSENGER SEAT. THERE IS AN ACTIVE RECALL FOR THE 2001 SAAB 9-3 FOR THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM. NO RECALL FOR THE 2001 SAAB 9-5. *NM

DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE FAILED ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, CAUSING CAR TO LOSE POWER AND STOP. VEHICLE IS A SAAB 95, 2001, V6, SE WAGON, DATE OF SECOND INCIDENT IS BELOW.*JB

DT: CONSUMER STATES THE FUEL PUMP RETAINING TABS THAT HOLD THE FUEL LINE TOGETHER FAILED ON A 1999 SAAB 9-3 CONVERTIBLE. THE CONSUMER SMELLED GAS, WHILE DRIVING. PULLED OVER AND SAW THAT THE GAS WAS LEAKING OUT EVERYWHERE. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE MODELS 2001-2002 WERE RECALLED ON THE EXACT SAME THING. THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING FINE BEFORE THIS. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD CONSUMER THAT HIS CAR WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER SAID THAT IT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. IF THERE WERE MORE COMPLAINTS THEY WOULD BROADEN THE RECALL YEAR. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN REGULARLY MAINTAINED . THE CAR WAS FIXED TODAY.*AK

ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS STARTING AROUND JUNE OR JULY 2003 AND THROUGH JULY 2005, THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE IN OPERATION (GOING 35 TO 40 MPH AND WITHIN TWO MILES OF STARTING) CAUSING A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER, BRAKES, AND STEERING. FORTUNATELY, IT WAS POSSIBLE TO COAST THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT BEING STRUCK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER, HUNT VALLEY SAAB, ON AT LEAST THREE OCCASIONS. ON ONE OCCASION, THE CRANK SENSOR WAS REPLACED. ON ONE OCCASION, ADDITIONAL SOFTWARE FOR THE ENGINE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM WAS UPLOADED. ON ONE OCCASION, THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR AND AIR MASS METER. EACH TIME I WAS TOLD THE CAR WAS FIXED, AND EACH TIME THE CAR FAILED AGAIN. OBVIOUSLY, THE CAR WAS NOT REPAIRED.

WHILE DRIVING MY CAR, I SMELLED GAS AND WHEN I GOT IT BACK TO MY JOB SITE, I LOOKED UNDERNEATH TO SEE GAS LEAKING FROM UNDER MY CAR. I CALLED MY GARAGE AND THEY HAD TO TOW IT IN DUE TO THE SAFETY ISSUES. THEY PUT IN A NEW SEAL AND SNAPPED THE FUEL LINE BACK TOGETHER BECASUE THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING ELSE WRONG WITH IT. 3 WEEKS LATER, I'M DRIVING MY CAR AGAIN AND SMEELLED GAS AGAIN. I PULLED OVER SOMEWHERE SAFE AND LOOKED UNDER ONLY TO FIND GAS LEAKING AGAIN. I CALLED MY GARAGE AND HAD IT TOWED A SECOND TIME. SINCE IT HAPPENED A 2ND TIME AND THERE WAS NO CLEAR REASON WHY IT SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED EITHER TIME, MY GARAGE CALLED THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT THE CAR. THEY TOLD HIM THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THAT PROBLEM AND THEY HAD NEW CLAMPS PRODUCED TO FIX THE PROBLEM. BUT HTYE ALSO TOLD HIM THAT MY CAR'S VIN DIDN'T FALL WITHIN THE RECALL. THEY SOLD MY GARGAGE THE PART TO PUT ON MY CAR BUT THAT'S ALL THEY WOULD HAVE TO DO WITH IT. I CALLED SAAB USA AND THEY TOLD ME THE SAME THING. MY VIN WASN'T IN THE SELECTION FOR THE RECALL AND THAT'S WHY I WASN'T NOTIFIED AND NHTSA LETS THEM KNOW THE RECALL NUMBERS AND THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR. MY CAR HAD THE SAFELTY PROBLEM ACTUALLY HAPPEN AND JUST BECAUSE MY VIN WASN'T ONE OF THE ONES SELECTED, I'M NOT COVERED. I WAS VERY FORTUNATE THAT IT DIDN'T RESULT IN A CAR FIRE. I FEEL I SHOULD BE COMPENSATED FOR MY GARAGE BILLS FOR A PROBLEM THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN RECTIFIED IF RECALLED. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT'S WIFE ON 4-18-05 WAS DRIVING 2000 SAAB. THE CAR WAS IN PARK WHEN SHE MOVED THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BACK, AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. SHE SUSTAINED INJURIES TO UPPER LEFT ARM AND THE BACK OF HEAD. SHE DID NOT GO TO THE HOSPITAL OR SEE A DOCTOR. SHE OCCASIONALLY HAD SOME PROBLEMS WITH LEFT ARM AND THE BACK OF HEAD. THEY TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER, AND HE FOUND THAT THERE WERE A CLUSTER OF WIRES UNDERNEATH THE SEAT. WHEN THE SEAT WAS MOVED BACK A WIRE WAS CHAFED AND CAUSED A SHORT IN THE SYSTEM , RESULTING IN AIR BAG TO DEPLOYMENT. THE SERVICE DEALERSHIP REPAIRED THE PROBLEM ON OR 4-25-05. THE CONTACT CALLED SAAB IN ATLANTA, GAEORGIA, AND SAAB PAID FOR THE REPAIR WORK. THE CONTACT HAS NOT HAD ANY FURTHER PROBLEMS. *AK