SAAB Complaints

VEHICLE LEAKED FUEL AT AN ALARMING RATE. *PH THERE WAS A LEAK COMING FROM THE FUEL PUMP LINE. FUEL PRESSURE WAS FOUND AND THE HOSE AT THE PUMP BLOWN (CLIP BROKEN). THE FUEL ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED. *SC *JB

THE HEATING SYSTEM, UPON EACH INITIAL START UP, BLEW A FOUL-SMELLING GAS INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. (NAR) *PH *CB

WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE DRIVER TRIED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND WAS ABLE TO GET IT STARTED. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC CAN NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *MR

ON TWO OCCASIONS, THERE HAS BEEN A TOTAL LOST OF POWER TO THE CAR. THE FIRST TIME ON A SIDE STREET GOING ABOUT 25 OR 30. AFTER HAVING THE CAR LOOKED AT A SAAB DEALERSHIP, I WAS TOLD NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR AND SENT ON MY WAY. OVER THIS PAST WEEKEND WHILE DRIVING ON I-95 AT ABOUT 70 MPH IT HAPPENED AGAIN WHILE I WAS IN THE MIDDLE LANE. NO STEERING, NO BRAKES, NO NOTHING. EVERY PERSON I HAVE TALKED TO WHO HAS OWNED A SAAB (MODEL AND YEAR DIFFERENCE DO NOT SEEM TO MATTER) HAS EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM. THE MECHANICS ARE NOW SAYING THAT THE PROBLEM IS THE THROTTLE BODY, WHATEVER THAT IS. MY GENERAL IMPRESSION OF SAAB'S REPRESENTATIVES (MECHANICS, PERSONNEL, ETC.) IS THAT THIS DEFECT IS NOT A BIG DEAL. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. *JB

WANTED TO GIVE AN UPDATE. AFTER 2 MONTHS OF WAITING FOR SAAB TO RESPOND TO MY LEMON LAW FILING WITH AN ATTORNEY, I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET RID OF MY 9-3 LINEAR. CAR STILL HAS HESITATION AFTER THEY HAVE CLAIMED TO HAVE REPAIRED THE SOFTWARE PROBLEM. TRANSMISSION IS NOW SLIPPING, ONSTAR MALFUNCTIONS ONCE A WEEK, AND HAVE A RATTLE IN THE DASH BOARD. SAAB IS FULLY AWARE OF ALL OF THE PROBLEMS. JUST WANTED TO GIVE OTHERS THE CONFIDENCE TO FIGHT THEM ON THE PROBLEMS OF THE ENGINE STALLING. *AK

I OWN A 1999 SAAB WAGON WHICH HAS HAD REPEATED PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE AND TURBO SYSTEM. THE CAR, WIH 92,000 MILES, NOW REQUIRES A NEW ENGINE. ESTIMATED COST BETWEEN 6 - 10 THOUSAND DOLLARS...ABOUT THE VALUE OF THE CAR. LAST YEAR, THE CAR REQUIRED A NEW TURBO SYSTEM (72,000 MILES) AT A COST OF $1200 PLUS. AT LEAST FOUR TIMES, THE VEHICLE FAILED WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC. IT EITHER LOST ALL ELECTRICAL POWER OR WOULD STALL UPON ACCELERATION, REQUIRING "TWO PEDAL" DRIVING. THE CAR REQUIRED 5 TOWS BECAUSE OF MECHANICAL BREAKDOWN. CAR HAS REPEATED INTERNAL OIL LEAKS WHICH LEADS TO CLOGGED OIL PAN, A $600 REPAIR. CUSTOMER BELIEVES THERE IS AN INHERANT DEFECT WITH TURBO SEALS.*AK

CAR STARTED RUNNING BADLY (MISFIRING). BASED ON NUMBER OF FAILURES REPORTED ON THE SAABNET WEBSITE, I FIGURED THE DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE WAS FAILING. REMOVED IT AND FOUND A CRACKED COMPONENT IN THE CASSETTE. REPLACED THE CASSETTE WITH NEW ONE ($414 LIST PRICE) AND PROBLEM CURED. SAAB NOW WANTS FAILED CASSETTE BACK AND IS CHARGING A $250 CORE CHARGE IF IT'S NOT RETURNED. ANOTHER EXPENSIVE AND COMMON FAILURE WITH THE 9-5.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH ALL THE ELECTRICAL POWER TO THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN. A FEW SECONDS LATER THE VEHICLE STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE WITH THIS VEHICLE. THE FIRST TIME THE DEALER REPLACED THE TCM MODULE AND THE SECOND TIME THE CRANK SHAFT SENSOR WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *NM THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE STALLED A THIRD TIME. *JB

1996 SAAB 9000 AERO REAR-ENDED AN IZUZU RODEO. DAMAGE TO THE RODEO WAS ALMOST UNNOTICEABLE. SAAB ENGINE HOWEVER ERUPTED INTO FLAMES AND WAS A TOTAL LOSS. A FACTORY CERTIFIED TECHNICIAN LESS THAN 30 DAYS PRIOR TO FIRE HAD SERVICED SAAB. RESPONSE FROM SAAB CUSTOMER SERVICE - THE ISSUE DID NOT CONCERN SAAB AND WAS BETWEEN MY INSURANCE COMPANY AND ME. WAS TOLD BY SAAB THAT INSURANCE COMPANY WOULD SUBROGATE THE CLAIM IF THEY THOUGHT IT WAS WORTHWHILE. INSURANCE COMPANY (METLIFE) COMMENTED THAT LOSS WAS NOT LARGE ENOUGH TO PURSUE SUBROGATION. OBSERVED NO CONCERN THAT A PROBLEM COULD EXIST AND RAN INTO COMPLETE DENIAL OF ANY RESPONSIBILITY. CONCERN IS HOW AND WHY IT COULD HAVE HAPPENED AND UNDER SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES WILL OTHERS BE IN DANGER OF A LIKE HAZARD. INCIDENT IS WELL DOCUMENT VIA DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHS ALONG WITH EXTENSIVE DETAIL FROM CONVERSATIONS WITH SAAB.*AK

THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WHEN THE THROTTLE BECAME STUCK. *PH WHILE LOOKING AT THE NHTSA WEBSITE, THE CONSUMER SAW THAT THE PROBLEM HE EXPERIENCED WAS THE SUBJECT OF A RECALL (97V-046000). IT APPEARED THAT THE RECALL WAS NOT DONE ON THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE PRIOR TO HIM PURCHASING IT. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT IT WAS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CONSUMER TO MAKE SURE THE RECALL WAS DONE. *NM