SAAB Complaints

I OWN A 2001 SAAB 9-3 AND WISH TO ALERT YOU TO A PROBLEM WITH THE SAAB DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE. A DISCUSSION ON WWW.SAABNET.COM INFORMED ME THAT THE FAILURE RATE OF THIS PART IS APPARENTLY 100%. THE DI CASSETTE CAN GO AT ANY TIME AND CAUSE THE ENGINE TO SUDDENLY STOP IN TRAFFIC. IT HAPPENED TO ME ON A RAINY DAY AS I WAS TAKING MY ELDERLY MOTHER TO HER DOCTOR. SHE HAD HAD HIP REPLACEMENT AND SPINAL SURGERY, AND HAD GREAT DIFFICULTY GETTING INTO THE TOW TRUCK CAB. (SHE DIED TWO MONTHS LATER, NOT RELATED TO THIS INCIDENT- BUT SHE WAS FRAIL). MY CAR'S WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED AND IT COST $600 TO HAVE TO DI CASSETTE REPLACED, NOT COUNTING TOWING EXPENSES AND OTHER HARDSHIP. APPARENTLY SAAB KNOWS THIS IS A DEFECT, AND IT IS POTENTIAL SAFETY RISK WAITING TO HAPPEN.

SINCE I HAVE PURCHASED MY SAAB 9-3 CONVERTIBLE THE DIGITAL COMPASS ALWAYS READS NORTH AND CALIBRATED. WENT IN FOR SERVICE AND DEALERSHIP SAYS THEY CANNOT FIX IT. THEY ADVISED ME THE SAAB REPRESENTATIVE IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, AND ALL OF THE CONVERTIBLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM, SECONDARY TO A MAGNETIC FIELD CREATED DURING THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS.*AK

BRAKE PADS WORE THROUGH AND ROTORS WERE DAMAGED ON THE FRONT END. NO INDICATION OF BRAKE WEAR FROM DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT REGULAR SERVICE INTERVALS. SAAB HAS A LONG APPROXIMATELY 15,000 ENGINE SERVICE INTERVAL. CONSEQUENTLY BRAKES MAY ONLY BE INSPECTED EVERY 15,000 MILES. NEITHER DEALER NOR MANUFACTURER CAN ADVISE CUSTOMER OF WHEN BRAKE PADS SHOULD BE REPLACED. CUSTOMER HAS NO AVENUE TO RECEIVE ADVICE REGARDING BRAKE WEAR AND REPLACEMENT. ULITMATELY PADS ARE WORN OUT COMPLETELY WITHOUT WARNING, AND ROTORS ARE DAMAGED, CREATING A SAFETY ISSUE. ALL PARTS ARE REPLACED AT A COST TO THE CONSUMER OF $800.*AK

CAR IS A SAAB 9-5 2.3L, LPT WAGON, 1999. THE DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE FAILED, FORTUNATELY THE CAR WAS NOT TOTALLY DISABLED AND WE COULD GET TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS, WITH THE CELL ON. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS REPORTS OF THE FAILURE OF THIS PART AT HIGHWAY SPEED, WHICH RISKS A CATASTROPHE. THIS VEHICLE BEGAN TO RUN BADLY AND WITHIN 4 DAYS THE CELL CAME ON AND THE NEXT TIME IT WAS DRIVEN WAS TO THE DEALER. THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AND THE DIG AND PLUGS REPLACED. THE CAR IS 5 MONTHS OLD ON A 4 YEAR WARRANTY, BUT MILEAGE IS ON 35,900 AT THE DEALER. AFTER DISCUSSION WITH SAAB CONSUMER SERVICE, SAAB AGREED TO PAY FOR ALL PARTS BUT NOT THE LABOR. APPARENTLY THEY ARE AWARE INTERNALLY OF THIS PROBLEM ON 1999 AND LATER SAAB 9-5'S AND THE DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE. THERE OUGHT TO BE AN ABSOLUTE RECALL FOR THIS, AND IF SO WE SHOULD ALSO BE REIMBURSED OUR LABOR CHARGE. WE ARE ALSO UNCERTAIN AS TO WHETHER THE CASSETTES NOW PRODUCED ARE EQUALLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO FAILURE.*AK

CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF UPPER IDLER PULLEY ON '99 2.3LITER LOW PRESSURE TURBO ENGINEE ON SAAB 95SE. THE PULLEY DISINTEGRATED ON STARTUP OF THE VEHICLE. CAUSED PIECEES OF PLASTIC OUTHER RING MATERIAL TO BE SCATTERED AROUND THE ENGINE COMPARTMETN AND OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. SEPENTINE BELT SLIPPED DOWN ONTO THE HUB AND CAUSED FAILURE OF ACCESSORIES SUCH AS: POWER STEERIGN PUMP, LETERNATOR ETC.*AK HAD THIS OCCURED DURIGN DRIVIGN ON THE HIGHWYA, THE IMEDIATE LOSS OF POWER AND ACCESSORIES WOUDL HAVE GENERATED MAJOR PROBLEM AND MIGHT HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THE CAR IS 1999 MODEL YEAR, WITH ~ 50,200 MILES DUING INCIDENT. PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO CALL ME IF YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS AT 512-301-7425. I HAV EFOLLOWE DUP ON WEB BASED OWNER AND ENTHUSIAST NETWORKS. IT APPERAS THAT THIS FAILUR EIS BECOMIGN AN COMMON COURENCE ON 99 & 2000 SAABS95 OPERATED IN SOUTHERN USA. PLEASE CHECK OR SEARCH AT WWW.SAABNET.COM : HTTP://WWW.SAABNET.COM/TSN/BB/9-5/SEARCH.HTML?QUERY=IDLER+PULLEY THIS SEARCH INDICATES 256 MESSAGES RELATED OT THE PROBLEM MOST OF THEM OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS. I HAD THE PULLEY REPLACED AT THE LOCAL DELERSHIP UNDER EXTENDED THIRD PARTY WARRANTY, HOWEVER I BELIVE THAT THIS IS A CASE OF BAD SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THIS APPLICATION. THE PULLEY BODY WAS MADE OUT OF PLASTIC, THAT IS CRACKIGN AND FAILURING DUE TO HEAT EXPOSURE. I HAVE PIECES OF PULLEY AVAILABLE FO RYOUR INSPECTION IF NEEDED. JERZY

WHILE ACCELERATING FROM 60 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK. THIS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE UP TO 80 MPH BEFORE THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO REACH DOWN WHILE DRIVING AND LIFT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BY HAND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, AND THEY INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE CARPET CAUSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO STICK. *AK THE CONSUMER DID NOT AGREE WITH THE DEALERS EVALUATION. THE CONSUMER LIFTED THE ACCELERATOR OFF OF THE FLOOR AND INDICATED THAT HE WOULD HAVE HAD TO REMOVE THE CARPET FIRST IF IT WAS IN THE WAY. ONLY THE ACCELERATOR WAS STUCK. *JB *NM

COMPLETE, INSTANTANEOUS SHUTDOWN OF THE ENTIRE VEHICLE AT SPEED. LOSS OF POWER, LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKES, HAD TO ANGLE ACROSS TWO LANES OF HIGH SPEED TRAFFIC WHILE COASTING! THANKFULLY, NO ONE HIT ME! HAD TO REPLACE THE "DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE". THIS FAILED COMPLETELY. *NM

1997 SAAB 900 SE TURBO 2.0, CAR BEGAN TO STALL, AND WOULD ONLY RESTART ONCE BROUGHT TO A COMPLETE STOP AND THE KEYS REMOVED. STALLING CONTINUED RANDOMLY AT HIGH OR LOW SPEEDS. VERY DANGEROUS WHEN IT STALLED AT HIGH SPEEDS - THE POWER STEERING CUT OUT, POWER AND ABS BRAKES - IT WAS AS IF THE KEY HAD BEEN REMOVED AND ALL POWER CUT TO THE CAR.*AK FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH (ELECTRICAL PORTION BELOW KEYS) REQUIRED REPLACEMENT, STALLING FIXED. CAR BASICALLY THOUGHT THE KEYS WERE BEING REMOVED (THE ELECTRICAL CONTACTS ON THE IGNITION SWITCH WERE BAD AND WOULD CUT ON AND OFF). ~$400 AFTER PARTS AND LABOR TO REPLACE SWITCH, HAD TO BE DONE IMMEDIATELLY DUE TO HIGH RISK OF A DANGEROUS FAILURE AT HIGH SPEEDS.

DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE FAILED WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH. CAR LOST POWER, INCLUDING ELECTRICITY AND POWER STEERING. WAS ABLE TO RESTART CAR, BUT SHUT DOWN AGAIN ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER. *AK

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2000 SAAB 9-3 AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH ON THE H-3 ENROUTE TO KANEOHE, HI. ON THE DOWN HILL SIDE, THE ENGINE SHUT OFF WITH NO WARNING. NOTHING ON THE SID OR OTHER INSTRUMENTATION. THE CAR HAD PLENTY OF FUEL. SHE ATTEMPTED TO RESTART SEVERAL TIMES. SINCE SHE WAS COMING DOWN THE MOUNTAIN, SHE WAS ABLE TO SAFELY COAST TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL SAAB DEALER. THE NEXT DAY THEY ASCERTAINED THE PROBLEM TO BE FAILURE OF THE DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE. COST FOR REPLACEMENT WAS $647.79. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILED DUE TO RAW FUEL BEING DUMPED THROUGH THE EXHAUST AFTER THE DI CARTRIDGE FAILED. THE CONVERTER WAS EVENTUALLY REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE UNDER THE EMISSION WARRANTY AFTER AN EXTENSIVE CORRESPONDENCE AND TELEPHONE EXCHANGE WITH SAAB USA. THE CAR HAD 69,779 MILES ON IT WHEN THIS EVENT OCCURRED. I STILL DRIVE THE CAR (105,000 MILES), BUT CARRY A SPARE DI CASSETTE JUST IN CASE IT SHOULD FAIL AGAIN.*AK