SAAB Complaints

TIMING BELT CAME OFF THE PULLEY WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO START THE CAR. MAJOR DAMAGE TO ENGINE. ENGINES NEEDS MAJOR OVERHAUL. NO SUPPORT FROM SAAB NA ON THIS ISSUE ALTHOUGH THE TIMING BELT WAS INSTALLED BY A SAAB RESELLER.

DIC FAILURE DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE FAILUER DI CASSETTE FAILURE. THOSE ARE THE TERMS I'VE HEARD FOR THIS PROBLEM THAT AFFECTS ALL SAABS IN THE MODEL YEARS 99-04. I HAVE A 2001 9-3 CONVERTIBLE AND IT LOST POWER ALL OF A SUDDEN BECAUSE OF A DEFECTIVE PART THAT IS IN EVERY SINGLE SAAB FOR MANY YEARS. LOSING POWER AT HIGH SPED IS NOT ONLY INCONVENIENT, BUT DANGEROUS AND FRIGHTENING. SAAB NEEDS TO BE FORCED TO RECALL ALL SAABS AND REPLACE THE DI CASSETTE WITH ONE THAT WORKS. PLEASE ORDER THIS IMMEDIATELY. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AFFECTING THOUSANDS OF CARS. THANK YOU.

1999 SAAB 9-5 WITH V6 ENGINE. SUDDEN FAILURE OF BOTH IGNITION DISCHARGE MODULES (IDM) ON HIGHWAY RENDERED CAR INOPERABLE. ON A BUSINESS TRIP WITH TWO COWORKERS, DRIVING NORTH ON NEW YORK INTERSTATE 87 AT AROUND 65-70 MPH, CAR STARTED TO BUCK AND SURGE, WITH DRAMATIC LOSS IN ENGINE POWER. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I MANAGED TO CROSS TWO LANES OF TRAFFIC TO GET TO APPROACHING OFFRAMP. BUCKED AND WHEEZED MY WAY TO A BUSNIESS PARK, WHERE I CALLED FOR A TOW TO THE LOCAL SAAB DEALRSHIP. FAILURE WAS IMMEDIATE AND WITH NO WARNING. CONSEQUENCES WERE PUTTING THREE LIVES IN PERIL ON THE INTERSTATE BY SUDDEN LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, AND FORCED CANCELLATION OF BUSINESS TRIP DUE TO LACK OF TRANSPORTATION. DEALER DIAGNOSED CRITICAL FAILURE OF BOTH IGNITION DISCHARGE MODULES (ALSO REFERRED TO AS DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTES). BOTH MODULES REPLACED ALONG WITH 6 SPARK PLUGS, AT A TOTAL COST OF $835.33 TO ME.

I HAVE A 1999 9-3 CONVERTIBLE, BOUGHT CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED FROM THE DEALER (SANTA MONICA SAAB) IN 2002. LAST SUMMER, THE CEL CAME ON AT ABOUT 38K, SO I HAD THE ENGINE SERVICED AT THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED BY THE MANAGER THAT THE CODES INDICATED A DI CASSETTE FAILURE AND ALSO POSSIBLE OXYGEN SENSOR FAILURE AS A RESULT. AT THAT TIME, I HADN'T EXPERIENCED ANY ENGINE STALLING OR FAILURE AS A RESULT OF THIS PROBLEM BUT WAS WARNED THAT IT MIGHT FAIL WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING IF THE DI CASSETTE WASN'T REPLACED. I TOOK THAT RISK, DRIVING ONLY LIMITED DISTANCES (IN/AROUND TOWN ONLY) FOR A FEW MONTHS W/THE CEL INTERMITTENTLY ON BUT OTHERWISE NO DISCERNABLE PROBLEMS. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, I FOUND A SAAB MECHANIC AND ASKED HIM TO REPLACE THE DI CASSETTE ON APRIL 1, 2005 (LABOR COST WAS MINOR; THE PART, HOWEVER, WAS $500). I ALSO HAD THE O2 SENSOR REPLACED AS WELL BUT SINCE THEN HAVE EXPERIENCED SOME STALLING AT IDLE, THE CAUSE OF WHICH IS STILL TO BE DETERMINED (THROUGH A PROCESS OF ELIMINATION...AND CONTINUED VISITS TO MY MECHANIC). I SHOULD NOTE THAT I WAS TOLD BY BOTH THE DEALER SERVICE MANAGER AND MY MECHANIC THAT THE DI CASSETTE FAILURE HAPPENS RATHER FREQUENTLY. BUT CONSIDERING THAT MY CAR AT THE TIME OF FAILURE HAD LESS THAN 40K AND WAS WELL-MAINTAINED, I WAS SURPRISED THAT THIS HAPPENED, IN MY OPINION, THROUGH NO FAULT OF MY OWN. THROUGH READING OF AND POSTING TO THE SAABCENTRAL FORUM, I'VE DISCOVERED QUITE A FEW OTHER SAAB OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, ALL OF US WONDERING WHAT GM/SAAB IS DOING TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. SOME OWNERS, IT SEEMS, HAVE RESIGNED THEMSELVES TO FREQUENT DI CASSETTE FAILURES. THOUGH I DIDN'T EXPERIENCE THE ENGINE FAILURE AS SOME DRIVERS HAVE, I STILL THINK THAT A $500 PART SHOULDN'T FAIL SO EARLY AND OFTEN,AND I FIND THE SUGGESTED SOLUTION (DRIVING AROUND W/A SPARE DI CASSETTE) UNACCEPTABLE.

DT:CONTACT STATES: WHEN HE SHIFING HIS CAR IT IS POSSIBLE TO MOVE THE SHIFT LEVER INTO THE REVERSE GEAR, REMOVE THE KEY, AND STILL HAVE RANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL OR TO ACCIDENTALLY DISENGAGE REVERSE BY STRIKING THE GEAR LEVER. THIS HAPPENED ABOUT 10 TIMES , MAKING THE CAR ROLL. HE HAS CITED A RECALL # 95V068000 WHICH WAS THE EXACT SAME THING CAR WAS DOING. HE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY TOLD HIM THIS VEHICLE WASA NOT INVOLVED IN RECALL DUE TO VIN. HE HAS SPOKEN TO H MECHANIC AND DESCRIBED WHAT THE CAR WAS DOING ,AND THE MECHANIC SAID H THAT THE REMEDY LISTED ON THE RECALL WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM.*AK

2003 SAAB 93 FAILS TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP IN A TIMELY MANNER. DELAY CAN BE AS LONG AS 5 SECONDS BEFORE REASONABLE RATE OF ACCELERATION IS ACHIEVED WITH LIGHT OR HEAVY APPLICATION OF THE GAS PEDAL. CAN OCCUR WHEN TURNING OR IN STRAIGHT LINE ACCELERATION. ONLY OCCURS IN VERY HOT WEATHER (PHOENIX, SUMMER). IN NORMAL WEATHER, AUTO EXHIBITS TYPICAL, SLIGHT TURBO LAG, BUT NOTHING NEARLY AS SEVERE AS THIS CONDITION. AUTO DID NOT EXHIBIT PROBLEM DURING ITS FIRST SUMMER IN 2003, BUT WAS SERVICED IN 2004 FOR SAME CONDITION. UPDATED ENGINE CONTROL SOFTWARE WAS LOADED AND SLIGHT IMPROVEMENT RESULTED. THIS TIME (2005), CAR WAS AGAIN SERVICED WITH UPDATED ENGINE CONTROL SOFTWARE, BUT ABSOLUTELY NO IMPROVEMENT RESULTED. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS CONDITION, AND REQUIRES EXCEPTIONAL CARE WHILE DRIVING. I CONSIDER IT AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN, AND HAVE WARNED SEVERAL INDIVIDUAL AT THE SERVICING DEALER, KACHINA CADILLAC/SAAB OF HTIS. PER SAAB'S OWNER'S MANUAL INSTRUCTIONS, I AM CONTACTING YOU. I HAVE CONTACTED SAAB DIRECTLY TODAY AFTER DEALER FAILED TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM, WAS UNRESPONSIVE AND SEEMED COMPLETELY UNINTERESTED IN DOING ANY ANYTHING TO CORRECT THIS EXTREMELY UNSAFE CONDITION.

I OWN A 2000 SAAB 9-3 AND A 2001 SAAB 9-5. I HAV HAD THE LUG NUTS REPLACED ON MY 9-5 TWICE DUE TO EXCESSIVE RUSTING. THE DEALER REPLACED THE NUTS WITH THE IDENTICAL TYPE. AFTER COMPLAINING ABOUT THESE CONTINUING TO RUST THEY SAID, JUST BRING THE CAR BACK AND THEY WILL CONTINUE TO REPLCE THEM. BOTH OF MY CARS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH OTHER SAAB OWNERS WHO ARE FRUSTRATED BY THE SAME ISSUE. ALL WHERE CONCERNED THAT THE LUG NUTS WOULD WEAKEN OVER TIME AND FAIL CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. I AM LOOKING FOR A PERMANENT FIX WITH A LUG NUT THAT WILL NOT RUST / FAIL. NONE OF MY OTHER CARS (OTHER BRANDS) HAVE EVRY HAD THIS PROBLEM. CLEARLY THEY ARE EITHER MIS-MANUFACTERED OR NOT SPECED PROPERLY. YOUR ASSISTANCE IS REQUESTED TO REMEDY THIS SITUATION, WITH A PERMANENT FIX.

FAULTY INSTALLATION AT FACTORY OF BRAKE LINE RESULTING IN RUBBING OF THE LINE UNTIL LOSS OF ALL FLUID AND BRAKING ABILITY. POTENTIALLY FATAL RESULT AS ALL BRAKING IS LOST WITHOUT WARNING.

DT: THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING SLOWLY SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTO REPAIR FACILITY. THEY REPLACED THE IGNITION MODULE. *JB THE VEHICLE STALLED SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. THE RADIO AND CD PLAYER STOPPED WORKING. THE CONSUMER HEARD TIRE NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TOT HE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THAT THE TIRES WERE CUPPED AND CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO PULL TO THE RIGHT. THE ALIGNMENT WAS OK ON THE FRONT BUT THE REAR COULD NOT BE ADJUSTED, THE PIRELLI TIRES WERE CHANGED TO YOKOHAMA BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO PULL TO THE RIGHT. *NM

I WAS DRIVING VEHICLE AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH WHEN IT SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND DECELERATED TO 3-5 MPH. VEHICLE STALLED ABOUT 30 SECONDS LATER AND COULD NOT BE RESTARTED. NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO THIS PROBLEM AND THE CAR SEEMED FINE IMMEDIATELY BEFORE POWER LOSS. I OBSERVED HEAVY SMOKE COMING FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND DETECTED A STRONG BURNING ODOR. VEHICLE WAS TOWED FROM SCENE TO LOCAL SAAB DEALER. PROBLEM WAS DIAGONOSED AS A FAULTY DIRECT IGNITION CASSETE AND REPLACED WITH A NEW PART AT A COST OF $500. DAMAGED PART IS AVAILABLE.