SAAB Complaints

ADD MY 2001 SAAB 9-5 WAGON, 6 CYL, TO THE LIST OF THOSE WITH DI CASSETTE FAILURE. TRAVELING AT ABOUT 50 MPH ON A BEAUTIFUL JUNE MORNING THE ENGINE SUDDENLY LOST POWER. WHEN I PULLED OFF THE ROAD, A PUFF OF SMOKE CAME FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND THERE WAS A DISTINCT BURNT ELECTRICAL SMELL WHEN I RAISED THE HOOD. MY MECHANIC BELIEVES THE FAULTY DI CASSETTE MAY HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE FOR THE 2 PREVIOUS CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILURES. THE CAR HAS HAD OTHER ELECTRICAL IDIOSYNCRACIES, INCLUDING FREQUENT LIGHT BULB BURN OUTS, LOSS OF PIXELS ON THE MAIN DISPLAY SCREEN, SUDDEN EXTREME BRIGHTNESS OF ALL DISPLAY SCREENS, AND SPORADIC TRACTION CONTROL AND ABS FAILURE WARNINGS ON STARTING. THE LATTER GENERALLY GOES AWAY WHEN THE CAR IS RESTARTED. THE SAAB DEALER IN FLINT AND THE DEALER REP HAVE BEEN UNRESPONSIVE TO THE POINT OF NEGLIGENCE ON THE CAT FAILURES, LUCKILY I HAVE A GOOD AND HONEST LOCAL SAAB MECHANIC AT RALLYE IMPORTS IN MIDLAND. SAAB SHOULD RECALL FOR THE DI CASSETTE AND SHOULD REIMBURSE FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE DISPLAY SCREEN. IN 40 YEARS OF DRIVING, THIS IS THE MOST UNRELIABLE CAR I'VE EVER OWNED.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE NEW JERSEY TURNPIKE AT 70 MPH THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN, AND VEHICLE LOST POWER. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND COMPUTER WAS REPLACED. HOWEVER, VEHICLE CONTINUED TO SHUT DOWN.*AK..IN SPRING OF 2004 .GENERAL SALES AUTOMOTIVE COVER DEALER OF WESTCHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA TOLD CONSUMER THAT THE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO CARBON BUILDUP IN THE ENGINE. THEY CLEANED THE CYLINDER, AND TOLD CONSUMER THAT THIS WASN'T UNDER WARRANTY. THIS COST CONSUMER APPROXIMATELY $500.00. DESPITE THE CYLINDER'S BEING CLEANED VEHICLE CONTINUED TO STALL/HESITATE AT SPEED OF 35-45 MPH. BROUGHT VEHICLE BACK TO DEALER IN APRIL 2005, AND WAS INFORMED BY DEALER THAT THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK THE CONSUMER FEEL AS THOUGH THIS IS A FRUSTRATING SITUATION AND FEELS IT IS UNSAFE WITH THESE RECURRING PROBLEMS.*SB

EXPERIENCED ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO SLUDGE IN ENGINE. TOLD BY WARRANTY COMPANY WARRANTY VOIDED DUE TO SLUDGE IN ENGINE. MONTHS LATER SAAB SEND OUT NOTICE STATING ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO SLUDGE, EXTENDS WARRANTY AND STILL DENIES CLAIM.

MY CAR HAS ONLY 50,000 MILES. NO WARNING, NO ESCALATION, JUST SUDDEN. SID L.C.D. DISPLAY IS MISSING DOTS AND LINES CAUSING UNREADABLE DISPLAY. CHECKED SEVERAL "SAAB" DISCUSSION FORUMS AND APPERANTLY THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WHICH DAMAGES THE VALUE OF A $40,000+ CAR. I AM AFRAID TO FIND OUT HOW MUCH THIS IS GOING TO COST TO REPAIR AFTER SEEING HOW MANY 9-5 OWNERS HAVE POSTED "HOME REMEDY" REPAIR METHODS FOR THIS. UPPER RADIATOR HOSE- THIRD ONE IN FIFTY THOUSAND MILES FROM MYSELF AND THE PREVIOUS OWNER WHOM I KNEW. THEY ALL BURST IN THE SAME PLACE. PRESSURE RELIEF CAP TESTED OK. THERE IS NO AFTERMARKET MANUFACTURER OF THIS HOSE THAT I KNOW OF TO FALL BACK ON FOR A POSSIBLY MORE RELIABLE PRODUCT. AND ALSO, I AGAIN AFTER SEARCHING THROUGH DISCUSSION FORUMS DISCOVERED I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM. HOOD BADGE. ENAMEL CRACKED AND FLACKED OFF OF THE HOOD BADGE ON THIS GARAGE KEPT CAR. LUCKILY I HEAR (BECAUSE I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE) THAT THESE ARE CHEAP. MY CAR HAS LOST VALUE TO NO FAULT OF MINE AND I AM GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE THESE THINGS REPAIRED (ALTHOUGH THEY SHOULD NOT NEED TO BE) TO REGAIN THAT LOST VALUE.

DT: FUEL LINE CAME LOOSE ON THE CAR. WHILE DRIVING I SMELLED GAS AND STOPPED LOOKED UNDERNEATH AND GAS WAS POURING OUT ONTO THE GROUND. TURN ED CAR OFF, CRANKED IT UP AGAIN, AND WAS LEAKING EVERYWHERE. HAD TOWED TO DEALER, AND LINE HAD COME LOOSE AT THE CLAMP. CONNECTED THE LINE WITH NEW CLAMP AT THE COST OF $ *AK

THE ABS MODULE ON 2000 SAAB 9-5 EXPEIENCES INTERMITTENT FAILURES. WHEN THIS HAPPENS THER IS NO ABS, TRACTION CONTROL OR SPEEDOMETER. THIS PROBLEM IS SO COMMON THAT MECHANICS ARE RECOMMENDING AGAINST USED PARTS. THE PROBLEM DOES NOT SEEM TO BE MILEAGE RELATED, BUT AGE RELATED. SAAB HAS ISSUED GOODWILL CREDIT TO LOW MILEAGE VEHICLES BUT DOES NOT CARE ABOUT HIGHER MILEAGE CARS. A NEW REPLACEMENT PART IS $2800.00.

DROVE CAR (COLD) FROM HOME TO NEXT TOWN - MAYBE 10MILES APART. LET THE CAR SIT FOR @45 MINS. DROVE BACK IN THE DIRECTION OF HOME - ABOUT 8 MILES INTO DRIVE HOME, CAR STARTED TO CHUG WITH NO WARNING, WAS NOT SPEEDING, LOCAL ROAD WITH TRAFFIC, "CHECK ENGINE"LIGHT CAME ON - PULLED OFF TO NEAREST GAS STATION - ABOUT MILE DOWN THE ROAD. CHECKED OIL - CAR DID NOT NEED OIL. DROVE CAR TO MECHANIC - ANOTHER MILE FROM GAS STATION - CAR CONTINUING TO CHUG. TECHNICIAN TESTED CAR WITH COMPUTER AND SAID THE #2 CYLINDER IN THE DIRECT IGNITION, WAS NOT FIRING PROPERLY AND THAT WAS THE PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHTS, ALL THE GAUGES READ "NORMAL" CAR IS SERVICED PROPERLY. WHY SHOULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED? THE CARE IS RARELY DRIVEN THROUGHOUT THE WEEK - I COMMUTE VIA FERRY SO THE CAR IS GENERALLY COLD OR DRIVEN 10-15 MILES REGULARLY. OCCASIONAL LONG TRIPS @90MILES AT MAX. PLEASE INVESTIGATE - I DO NOT THINK I SHOUDL HAVE TO PAY FOR "NEW IGNITION" ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE WAS NO WARNING FROM THE CAR'S SYSTEM AND THE CAR IS SERVICE REGUARLY. THE CAR IS 1999 SAAB 9.5SE 4 CYLINDER WITH @90K MILES. I DO NOT EXPECT THIS FROM SAAB - MY FAMILY HAS ALWAYS HAD SAABS AND EXPECT BETTER PERFORMANCE. PLEASE CONTACT ME ASAP. THANK YOU. MARIA ROSE

DURING AN EXTREMELY HARD STOP AND SWERVE TO AVOID A VEHICLE PULLING OUT OF IT'S LANE, THE FRONT PASSENGER SEATBELT POPPED OUT OF ITS HARNESS AND THE PASENGER WAS PROPELLED IN TO THE DASH.THE SEATBELT WAS PROPERLY SECURED, AND AFTERWARDS WE WERE UNABLE OT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM BY PULLING HARD ON THE SEATBELT.

NHTSA RECALL BULLETIN MODEL 95 SAAB 900 CAMPAIGN NO.95V068000 SPOKE TO SAAB AT 800 955 900 (FILE#14566) ON 5/12 AFTER CAR WAS DIAGNOSED BY SPORTS AND SPECIALIST A SAAB DEALER IN PRINCETON NJ .THE WRITTEN INVOICE #13983 STATESAR WILL NEED NEW SHIFTER LINKAGE AND CLUTCH CUSTOMER DECLINED BOTH SAAB CORPORATE AND THE DEALER INSIST THERE IS NO RECALL CAMP. YET YOUR BULLETIN EXPLAINS THE EXACT PROBLEM THE CONSEQUENCES THE CORRECTIVE ACTION. I WOULD APPRECEIATE ACTION TO BE TAKEN BY THE NHTSA QUICKLY SINCE I HAVE BEEN WITHOUT A CAR FOR 2 MONTHS. THANK YOU M GOLDENBERG

1. DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 40MPH, COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE WITH OUT ANY WARNING. 2. CAR COULD BREAK BUT POWER ASSISTED STEERING WAS NON FUNTIONAL, STEERING FUNCTIONED WITH OUT POWER ASSISTANCE, BUT VERY HARD TO SAFELY STEER VEHICLE. 3. WAS ABLE TO MOVE CAR OFF ROAD INTO GRASS DITCH AWAY FROM REAR TRAFFIC. 4. BLACK SMOKE CAME FROM DRIVERS SIDE OF ENGINE WITH SMELL OF BURNT PLASTIC AND RUBBER. 5. CERTIFIED SAAB MECHANIC DIAGNOSED CAR AND FOUND THAT THE IGNITION CASSETTE FAILED AND BURNED FROM WITHIN. REPLACED IGNITION CASSETTE AT A COST OF $500. 6. THERE ARE TWO IGNITION CASSETTES IN THE SAAB 95. THE REMAINING UNIT HAS 60,000 MILES ON IT. 7. IF THIS FAILURE TOOK PLACE ON A HIGHWAY IN FAST MOVING TRAFFIC, A TRAGIC ACCIDENT COULD RESULT. THERE IS NO WARNING OF THE FAILURE. I HAD THREE CHILDREN IN THE VEHICLE. 8. THERE WAS SOME MINOR SMOKE DAMAGE IN THE VEHICLE COMPARTMENT, THE FIRE WAS INTERNAL TO THE FAILED UNIT AND DID NOT SPREAD. HOWEVER TOXIC LIKE FUMES FROM THE BURNING PLASTIC EXISTED IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT CAUSING PASSENGERS TO COUGH. 9. SAAB USA KNOWS OF THIS PROBLEM. AFTER THE INCIDENT I REVIEWED MANY SAAB WEBSITES AND FOUND OTHER INCIDENTS OF COMPLETE ENGINE FALURE DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. IT IS AN EXPENSIVE PROBLEM TO FIX. IT ALSO POSES A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE THAT COULD RESULT IN TRAGIC CONSEQUENCES. 10. SAAB USA SHOULD FIX THIS PROBLEM AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMER.