SAAB Complaints

WHEN DRIVING AT AN UNDETERMINED SPEED ENGINE CHECK LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD, THEN VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER HAD INFORMED THE DEALER ABOUT THIS ISSUE. HOWEVER, MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED, A BURNING ELECTRICAL WIRE ODOR FILLED THE VEHICLE AS CONSUMER TRIED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP AND GUESSED WITHOUT INSPECTING THE VEHICLE THAT THE CAUSE WAS DI CASSETTE. *LA

1) SOME OIL LEAKAGE. OIL BACK-UP SLUDGE IN OIL PAN. 2) DRIVING ON HIGHWAY MY CAR BEGAN TO HESITATE, THEN SMOKE POURED OUT THE REAR OF MY CAR. I TOWED IT TO THE DEALER. THE TURBO CHARGER WENT BAD. I WAS TOLD THAT COULD HAVE BEEN A BAD OIL CHANGE?? (OIL HAS BEEN CHANGED AT EVERY 5,000 MILES, PER THE DEALERS RECOMMENDATION). I'VE SEEN SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON NHTSA.GOV AND SAABNET.COM. WHY IS NOTHING BEING DONE ABOUT THIS CLEARLY FAULTY SYSTEM? MY CAR NOW STILL HESITATES INTERMITTENTLY. WE ARE TAKING IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP, BUT IF DIAGNOSTICS COME BACK CLEAN AND CAR STILL HESITATES IT MIGHT CAUSE CRASH IF INSUFFICIENT SPEED IS NOT ACHIEVED DURING A FULL STOP OR WHILE TURNING IN FRONT OF TRAFFIC. *AK

OWNER HAD JUST LEFT THE DEALER AFTER HAVING THE 15,000 MILE OIL CHANGE AND CHECK UP. WHILE DRIVING, THE OWNER HEARD A LOUD POPPING SOUND. PASSING MOTORIST INFORMED THE OWNER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. A FIRE REPORT WAS TAKEN AT THE SCENE. PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB

2002 SAAB 9-3 CONVERTIBLE, ABOUT 13,000 MILES CAUGHT ON FIRE. DROVE TO OFFICE, TURNED OFF ENGINE, & PARKED CAR. GOT OUT OF CAR & NOTED UNUSUAL SMELL DESPITE THAT GUAGES INDICATED "CHECKING OK"AY. *AK WENT INTO MY OFFICE & CALLED ZEE SAAB OF MILFORD WHERE NEW CAR WAS ORIGINALLY LEASED FROM & WHERE ALL SERVICES HAD BEEN PERFORMED. NO PROBLEMS HAD EVER BEEN NOTED WITH THE CAR. TOLD TO CALL SAAB ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE, WHICH I DID. WENT BACK OUTSIDE TO WHERE CAR WAS PARKED TO WAIT FOR ROADSIDE AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE HOOD AREA. THEN SAW FIRE & FLAMES COMING FROM THE TOP OF THE HOOD AND UNDERNEATH THE FRONT OF THE CAR. IMMEDIATELY CALLED WITON CT FIRE DEPARTMENT AND WITHIN 15 MINUTES FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. IN THAT VERY SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME, THE ENTIRE FRONT OF THE CAR WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DAMAGED FROM THE FIRE. A NEWSPAPER REPORTER WAS WITH THE FIRE DEPT. & TOOK ABOUT 30 PHOTOS OF THE FIRE & THE RESULTING DAMAGE. SAAB ROADSIDE ARRIVED & I REQUESTED THAT THE CAR BE TAKEN TO SAAB OF MILFORD. I NOTIFIED ALLSTATE, MY INSURER. ALLSTATE CLAIMS REP & ENGINEEER EXAMINED THE CAR (ALTHOUGH REQUESTED,TO DATE, I HAVE NOT RECEIVED A COPY OF THE ALLSTATE ENGINEER'S REPIORT). ALLSTATE ENGINEER INFORMED SAAB OF MILFORD THAT THE FIRE WAS FROM "UNDETERMINED CAUSES" & CAR WAS "TOTALLED". DEALER INFORMED ME THAT DESPITE THE FACT THAT CAR HAD ONLY ABOUT 13,000 MILES, THE DEALER PERFORMED ALL SERVICES & THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS OR INDICATORS OF A PROBLEM, THE DAMAGES WERE NOT COVERED BY SAAB DEALER OR MANUFACTURER WARRANTY. CLEARLY, FIRES DON'T JUST START AND THERE WAS SOME TYPE OF FAILURE(S) WITH THE CAR.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE DAN RYAN EXPRESSWAY AT 3:00 P.M. ON 4/30/04, I HEARD A POP AND I THOUGHT A BELT SNAPPED, MY CAR, A 1994 SAAB S, JERKED, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO GAIN CONTROL. I SMELLED BURNING RUBBER. I LOOKED IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR AND SAW A TIRE ROLE FROM EAST TO WEST ON THE EXPRESSWAY. I THOUGHT I RAN OVER IT. FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD A PERSON ON ANOTHER CAR TOLD ME I DIDN'T HAVE A TIRE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR IN THE REAR. WHEN I PULLED OFF THE EXPRESSAY I SAW THE TIRE WAS MISSING. THE MIDDLE OF THE TIRE HAD PULLED AWAY FROM THE SIDES. THE SIDES OF THE TIRE WERE LEFT ON THE WHEEL. *AK

WHILE AT A STOP VEHICLE REVVED AT A HIGH RATE. CONSUMER SWITCHED TO NEUTRAL/SHUT OFF VEHICLE TO TEMPORALLY STOP THE PROBLEM. ON ONE OCCASION CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED. DEALERSHIPS MECHANIC TRIED TO REPAIR VEHICLE 3 TIMES, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

WHILE DRIVING 35-40 MPH CONSUMER LOST STEERING CONTROL, AND HIT A GUARD RAIL. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

SINCE PURCHASING SAAB 9-3 ARC IN AUGUST 2003, THE CAR HAS BEEN IN SERVICE 7 TIMES. PROBLEMS INCLUDE: KEY INOPERABLE, BACK BRAKES LOUD SOUND, FRONT BRAKES SQUEALING, WINDOW PROBLEMS, SUNROOF PROBLEMS, LOOSE HEAT CONSOLE, ONSTAR MALFUNCTION. SAAB HAS BEEN CONTACTED AND CAN NOT FIX THE BRAKE ISSUE. THEY STATE THAT THE LOUD FOGHORN LIKE SOUND IS NORMAL. I HAVE CONTACTED A LAWYER AND AM PURSUING THE ISSUE.*AK

REOCCURING ENGIN STALL WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC (SPOKE WITH CONSUMER ON 4/5/2005 - SAID HIS STALL WAS DUE TO FAULTY ENGINE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE - CAR)

I OWN A 1999 SAAB WAGON WHICH HAS HAD REPEATED PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE AND TURBO SYSTEM. THE CAR WITH 78,000 MILES NOW REQUIRES A NEW ENGINE ESTIMATED AT BETWEEN 7-10 THOUSAND DOLLARS... ABOUT THE VALUE OF THE CAR.. THE CAR HAS REQUIRED MAJOR REPAIRS INCLUDING REPLACING THE TURBO, CRANKSHAFT, HEAD GASKET AND OIL PRESSURE SWITCH, THE WATER PUMP AS WELL AS THE THROTTLE HOUSING AND DI CASSETTE. THE VEHICLE HAS REPEATEDLY FAILED WHILE DRIVING, STALLING AND BUCKING UPON ACCELERATION. THESE INCIDENTS LED TO MOMENTS OF TWO FOOT DRIVING AND NUMEROUS TOWS. RECEIVING NO HELP FROM DEALERSHIP OR MANUFACTURER VEHICLE HAD TO BE ABANDONED AT DEALERSHIP. CUSTOMER BELIEVES THERE IS AN INHERENT DEFECT IN THE ENGINE/TURBO. *JB