SAAB Complaints

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED THAT 2002 SAAB 93SE HAD A FUEL LEAK. THE FUEL PUMP RETAINING TAB WAS DEFECTIVE. IT BROKE AND CAUSED ONE FUEL LINE TO DISENGAGE ANDS SPILL FUEL ALL OVER THE UNDERSIDE OF THE CAR. WITH THE CAR IDLING A LARGE POOL OF GAS WOULD GATHER UNDER THE CAR. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED FOR ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE. THE CAR WAS DEEMED UNSAFE TO START, AND WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHO REPAIRED THE VEHICLE UNDER WARRANTY. THE OWNER CONTACTED SAAB, AND THEY WERE CONTACTING THE DEALER. *AK

ON JULY 22, 2005 I WAS DRIVING MY '95 SAAB ON THE A1 MOTORWAY IN UNITED KINGDOM. I WAS USING THE CRUISE CONTROL AT 70 MPH (POSTED SPEED LIMIT) I HAD NEVER USED THE CRUISE CONTROL IN THIS VEHICLE BEFORE. (MANUAL TRANSMISSION) THE INCIDENT HAPPENED DURING RUSH HOUR HEADING TOWARD LONDON. AS I HAD TO SLOW DOWN, I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO BRAKES! I NEVER HAD ANY ISSUE WITH THE BRAKES PRIOR. DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL DID NOT DISENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL AND I WAS HEADING TOWARD THE REAR END OF A CAR AT 70 MPH. I QUICKLY SWERVED TO THE LEFT LANE, THEN OFF THE ROAD TO AVOID HITTING VEHICLES AND CAUSING A MULTI-CAR PILE UP AND POTENTIALLY MANY DEATHS. I FLEW OFF THE ROAD, THROUGH A 5" STEEL SIGN POST AND ROLLED SEVERAL TIMES IN A FIELD. AMAZINGLY, I WAS ONLY BRUISED AND BATTERED, BUT OF COURSE THE CAR IS TOTALED. THIS IS A POTENTIAL SERIOUS DEFECT! EVEN IF THE CAR IS 10 YEARS OLD, IF THERE IS SOME TYPE OF CORROSION THAT HAPPENS TO CAUSE A FAILURE OF BRAKES TO DISENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL, MANY LIVES WILL BE LOST. IRONICALLY, IT WAS SAAB ENGINEERING THAT ALLOWED ME TO WALK OUT OF THE VEHICLE, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME CAUSED THE ACCIDENT. POLICE AND WITNESSES WERE ON SCENE WHO SAW MY BRAKE LIGHTS COME ON, YET NOT SLOW DOWN. AS I SAID, THE BRAKES WERE FINE AND I CAN ONLY ASSUME THIS HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL. THE CAR WILL BE INSPECTED BY UK'S VOSA. PLEASE ADVISE. THANK YOU CHARLES EARHART. *JB

IN THE COUPLE OF MONTHS PREVIOUS TO THIS INCIDENT, MY VEHICLE'S CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME ON THREE TIMES, STAYED ON FOR A DAY OR TWO, AND THEN SHUT OFF. EACH TIME THE LIGHT CAME ON (FIRST IT BLINKS, THEN REMAINS STEADY UNTIL TURNING ITSELF OFF) I EXPERIENCED WHAT I THOUGHT WAS SOME KIND OF IGNITION FAILURE. ON THE MORNING OF THE INCIDENT, I WAS TRAVELING IN THE PASSING LANE HEADING NORTH/EAST ON ROUTE 365 FROM VERONA TO ROME, NY WHEN I EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE IGNITION FAILURE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON (FIRST BLINKING, THEN STEADY) AND I HAD COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER. I MOVED THE VEHICLE TO THE RIGHT LANE PREPARING TO COAST TO A STOP ON THE SHOULDER, BUT THE VEHICLE REGAINED POWER AFTER ABOUT 15 SECONDS AND I CONTINUED ON. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED UNTIL IT SHUT ITSELF OFF LATER IN THE DAY AS I WAS RETURNING HOME (A TWO AND ONE HALF HOUR TRIP). I PLAN TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED IT TO HAVE THE PROBLEM DIAGNOSED.*JB

SAAB 1999 WAGON- PRIOR TO EVENT COMPUTER INDICATED REAR LIGHT FAILURE. THEN BRAKE FAILURE OCCURED, AND CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT DISENGAGE. CAR COULD NOT BE STOPPED, COLLISION WITH HIGHWAY WALL. CAR DESTROYED. NO INJURIES. *JB

IGNITION CASSETTE FAILED WHILE DRIVING CAR. CAR SPEED WAS APPX 40 MPH, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FLASHED AND I LOST ENGINE POWER. PULLED CAR OVER AND FOUND BLACK SMOKE COMING OUT OF IGNITION CASSETTE. CASSETTE WAS VERY HOT AND I WAS CONCERNED IT WOULD CATCH ON FIRE. CAR WOULD NOT START THEREAFTER. *NM

NHTSA ID#: 95V068000 RECALL ISSUED 3/20/95 FOR MANUFACTURING DATES AUG 1993 - SEP 1994 WAS DETERMINED NOT TO BE APPLICABLE FOR MY CAR, [XXX] BUT IT SHOULD HAVE APPLICABLE BECAUSE THE RESULT OF THE DEFECT IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO MY CAR. ADDITIONALLY, NHTSA ID#: 95VO68000 SHOULD HAVE BEEN APPLICABLE BECAUSE NHTSA ID#95V066000 ISSUED 3/20/94 FOR MANUFACTURING DATED JULY 1994 - DEC 1994 WAS APPLICABLE. A MISTAKE WAS MADE. NHTSA ID#: 95V068000 SHOULD HAVE INCLUDED MY CAR BECAUSE MY CAR ROLLED FROM ITS ORIGINAL PARKED POSITION AFTER MOVING THE GEAR INTO THE REVERSE POSITION AND REMOVING THE IGNITION KEY. MY CAR IS TOTALED. BUT IT WAS NOT MY FAULT. IT WAS PARKED ON A FLAT SERVICE IN MY GARAGE. THERE IS NO OTHER DAMAGE BUT I DO NOT WANT THIS TO BE CONSIDERED "MY FAULT" AND I WANT MY DEDUCTIBLE. THE CAR WAS IN GREAT SHAPE WITH NEW TIRES AND CLUTCH AND I WANTED TO DRIVE IT FOR A FEW MORE YEARS. WHY WASN'T MY CAR INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. AN NHTSA RESEARCH INVESTIGATOR IS GOING TO CONTACT ME WITHIN 48 HOURS. I JUST WANTED TO FILE THIS SAFETY COMPLAINT IF IT WILL HELP THE SAFETY SAFETY OF OTHERS. FOR MY CAR IT IS TOO LATE BUT FORTUNATELY NO ONE WAS HURT. I SPOKE TO LATHA AT THE HOTLINE. THANK YOU [XXX]. *NM UPDATED 07/19/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

WHILE TRAVELING DOWN I-70, THE DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE FAILED ON MY 1999 SAAB 9-3. THE ENGINE STOPPED IMMEDIATELY WHICH AFFECTED THE POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO COAST OFF THE HIGHWAY AND ONTO A SIDE STREET. THE NEXT DAY I WENT TO THE SAAB PARTS DEALER, BOUGHT ANOTHER FOR AROUND $375, AND WAS TOLD THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. MY CAR ONLY HAD 60,000 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME. ONCE THE DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE WAS REPLACED, THE PROBLEM WAS SOLVED. *NM

DT:THE OWNER HAD PROBLEMS WITH SAAB BEGINNING IN JUNE. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH THE CAR SHUT DOWN. THE CAR HAD NO ELECTRICAL POWER OR POWER STEERING. THE OWNER GOT OFF THE MAIN ROAD AND GOT ONTO SHOULDER. THE OWNER'S CAR ENDED UP AT SAAB PACIFIC, THE OWNER FOUND OUT THAT HER FRIEND HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM. THE MECHANIC TOLD HER THAT PARTS FAILED ON EVERY 1995 SAAB. MANUFACTURER KNEW ABOUT IT BUT WERE NOT DOING ANYTHING RIGHT NOW. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE FAILED PART WAS AN IGNITION DISCHARGE PROBLEM. THE PART WAS REPLACED. THERE WAS ANOTHER ELECTRIC SYSTEM PROBLEM IN JULY. WHILE DRIVING WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND MIRRORS FAILED THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE OWNER NEEDED TO REPLACE THE DICE CASSETTE. THE DEALERSHIP SPENT 3 DAYS FINDING A DICE CASSETTE, AND OWNER DECIDED NOT TO REPLACE THE DICE CASSETTE. THE OWNER WENT BACK TO MECHANIC WHO REPLACED A RELAY FUSE. THIS CORRECTED THE PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS REGULARLY SERVICED AND THE RECORDS WERE AVAILABLE.*AK

DT: FRONT BRAKE ROTORS AND PADS WORE OUT COMPLETELY WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF BRAKE DUST THE LAST 10,000 MILES. THE DEALER STATED THAT THIS WAS NORMAL AND THAT THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CALLED THREE TIMES AND THEY SAID THIS WAS NORMAL WEAR. THE CALLER ONLY HAS 26,000 MILES ON VEHICLE AND HE BELIEVES THIS IS NOT NORMAL. *NM

1998 SAAB 900SE CONVERTIBLE - HAS HAD A CHRONIC PROBLEM 1YR+ OF VEHICLE ABRUPTLY STALLING WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. USUALLY COULD BE RESTARTED AFTER A MINUTE, BUT NOW IS DIFFICULT TO RE-START ONCE IT STALLS. THE VEHICLE STALLS OUT ON THE HIGHWAY AS WELL AND IS DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS TO CONTROL WHEN STALLS. THE DEALERSHIP HAS TRIED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE MULTIPLE TIMES 10+ RETURNS; VARIOUS PARTS HAVE BEEN ADJUSTED AND/OR REPLACED. SENSORS, MAIN COMPUTER CHIP, REWIRING, ETC.. THE PROBLEM STILL HAS NOT BEEN FIXED AND IS GETTING MUCH WORSE. THE VEHICLE IS VERY UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THERE IS ONLY 59,000 MILES THIS CAR AND THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING. THE DEALERSHIP IS AT A LOSS AS WHAT TO DO NEXT. I HAVE A CAR THAT CAN NOT BE FIXED AND CAN NOT BE DRIVEN AS A RESULT OF THIS PROBLEM. *NM