SAAB Complaints

I HAVE BEEN DRIVING A 1998 900 SAAB SINCE IT WAS NEW. IT HAD ABOUT 155,500 MILES AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT DESCRIBED BELOW. RECENTLY, I WAS GOING TO REMOVE THE FRONT SUSPENSION UPRIGHTS TO REPLACE THE SHOCK ABSORBER INSERTS. AFTER REMOVING THE WHEEL ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, I DISCOVERED THAT THE "STEERING PIVOT ARM" (A HOLLOW CLAM-SHELL STAMPING WELDED TO THE UPRIGHT) WAS SO SEVERELY RUSTED OUT THAT I COULD ACTUALLY SLIP MY HAND INSIDE THE ARM. (APPROXIMATELY, 1/2 OF ITS TOTAL SURFACE AREA WAS GONE AND FATIGUE CRACKS WERE DEVELOPING IN THE REMAINING PORTION.) THE STEERING RACK TIE ROD END ATTACHES TO THIS ARM. TO MY KNOWLEDGE ALL SAAB 900S FROM 1994-2000 WERE DESIGNED WITH THIS TYPE OF STEERING LINKAGE THAT USES A RACK MOUNTED HIGH ON THE FRONT-OF-DASH, CONNECTED TO THE WHEEL VIA THIS PIVOT ARM WELDED TO THE UPRIGHT. HAD THIS PIVOT ARM BROKEN WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE RESULTING IN LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL. I HAVE DONE A LOT OF MECHANICAL WORK TO MY VEHICLES OVER THE YEARS, BUT THIS SHOCKED ME SO MUCH THAT I DIDN'T EVEN TRUST DRIVING THE CAR THE 45 MINUTES TO THE DEALER. I ORDERED REPLACEMENT PARTS FROM A REPUTABLE (SAAB ONLY) SAVAGE DEALER IN NEW YORK STATE ($470) AND REPLACED BOTH LH & RH SUSPENSION UPRIGHTS MYSELF. I HAVE RETURNED THE CAR TO SERVICE. I HAVE SPOKEN TO SAAB CUSTOMER SERVICE (REPORT #1-75588105) BUT THEY DIDN'T SEEM TO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE SEVERITY OF THE INCIDENT OR HOW CRITICAL THE INTEGRITY OF THIS PIVOT ARM IS TO CONTROLLING THE CAR. THEY PASSED THIS OFF SAYING THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. DOES STEERING CONTROL GO OUT OF WARRANTY? I HAVE SAVED THE RUSTED COMPONENTS AND HAVE PHOTOGRAPHS AVAILABLE THAT WERE TAKEN WHILE THE PART WAS STILL MOUNTED IN THE CAR. MY FEAR IS THAT THERE ARE PROBABLY OTHERS IN THE COUNTRY WITH A SIMILAR PROBLEM.

I WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON THE HIGHWAY FROM SYRACUSE TO CORTLAND TO NEW YORK WHEN ABOUT QUARTER WAY THEIR MY CAR SHUT DOWN RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY AND I WAS ALMOST INVOLVED IN A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT DUE TO THIS FAILURE. THE FAILURE WAS A BAD DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE WHICH CAUSED MY CAR TO SHUT DOWN IMMEDIATELY. APPARENTLY THE SAME PART HAS BEEN USED AND FAILING FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS TO THIS DATE. WHEN I BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR THE DIC REPLACEMENT IT COST ME $500.00 FOR 5 SEC. OF TIME. WHEN I TOLD THE MECHANICS ABOUT THE PROBLEM THEY LAUGHED AND SAID THEY NEW WHAT IT WAS AND THAT IT HAD BEEN FAILING FOR YEARS AND THEY MAKE GOOD MONEY OFF OF THE PART AND THIS IS THE SAME THING I AM HEARING FROM OTHER SAAB 9-3 DRIVERS. I THEN PROCEEDED TO RESPOND TO SAAB CORPORATION WITH WHICH THEY WOULD NEITHER REIMBURSE ME FOR THEIR PART FAILURE AND THEY AVOIDED MY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIIS TYPICAL FAILURE AND HOW IT FAILED. I WOULD LIKE TO QUIT BEING AVOIDED AND GET SOME ACTION OR RESPONSE FROM THIS CORPORATION

TRANSMISSION DIED AT 70,000 MILES, WITH NO WARNING, CAUSING BRAKES AND OTHER COMPONENTS OF THE CAR TO FAIL, NEARLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT ON A MAJOR THOROUGHFARE. THE CAR WAS SMOKING ALL THE WAY HOME AND I BARELY MADE IT. I WAS SHAKING BY THE TIME I GOT OUT OF MY CAR.

IGNITION CASETTE FAILURE--SECOND REPLACEMENT IN 12 MONTHS!!!! EVEN THOUGH THE DEFECT WAS FOUND (AND DOCUMENTED!) IN JANUARY 2005 (LESS THAN 12 MONTHS AFTER THE INITIAL REPLACEMENT IN FEBRUARY OF 2004), SAAB WILL NOT PAY FOR REPLACEMENT AND REPAIRS AS IT IS CLAIMING THAT IT WAS NOT REPAIRED UNTIL APRIL.

DASH INFORMATION DISPLAY PIXELS BURN OUT/DISAPPEAR. WHILE ANNOYING FOR TIME AND RADIO DISPLAY, THIS COULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE AS THIS DISPLAY REPORTS TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE (IN ICY CONDITIONS) AND MECHANICAL/FUNCTIONAL PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR. IF THE DISPLAY IS ILLEGIBLE A DRIVER COULD MISINTERPRET A PROBLEM.

ADD YET ANOTHER DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE FAILURE TO THIS LIST OF COMPLAINTS!! DRIVING HOME FROM THE GROCERY STORE THE CAR QUIT IN THE MIDDLE OF A VERY BUSY INTERSECTION. SMOKE AND FIRE ENSUED. WHERE IS THE RECALL??!?!?!?

THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED THREE COMPLETE ENGINE AND ELECTRICAL FAILURES ON THE 1999 SAAB 9-5. *MR THERE WERE NO WARNINGS. THE DI CASSETTE AND THROTTLE BODY WAS REPLACED. *SC THE CONSUMER STATED HE HAS EXPERIENCED BULB FAILURES FAILURES ON A REGULAR BASIS AND HE TRULY BELIEVED THE VEHICLE HAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. *JB

DI CASSETTE FAILURE ON MY 2000 SAAB 9-5 AERO. THIS PART HAS BEEN REPLACED AT LEAST TWICE PREVIOUSLY, AND THE SAAB DEALERSHIP IS RECOMMENDING A THIRD REPLACEMENT NOW AT 84K MILES. ADDITIONALLY, THEY STATE THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER HAS BEEN DAMAGED BECAUSE OF THE DI CASSETTE FAILURE. TOTAL COST FOR THESE REPAIRS NEARS $2000, WHICH IS EGREGIOUS FOR THE TYPE OF FAILURE AND THE APPARENT FREQUENCY OF REPLACEMENT.

DT: 5/4/05, CAR WAS AT DEALER5 FOR REGULARLY MAINTENANCE. DEALER REPORTED REAR BRAKES WERE RUSTED TO THE POINT OF NOT BEING ABLE TO OPERATE. SERVICE MANAGER SAID THAT SAAB HAD A HISTORY OF BRAKES DETERIORATING AT LOW MILES. CALLER COMPLAINED ABOUT SAAB, DEALER COULD NOT OFFER ANY HELP. NO PREVIOUS PROBLEM WITH VEHICLE, WHICH WAS IS REGULARLY SERVICED, AND RECORDS WERE AVAILABLE. *AK

DT: VEHICLE STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY. DRIVING AT ABOUT 50 MPH ,AND THE VEHICLE JUST STALLED AND STOPPED. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, AND DEALER REPORTED THAT THE IGNITION DISCHARGE MODULE WAS DEFECTIVE.*AK