SAAB Complaints

SHORT IN FUSE BOX IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAUSED AND ELECTRICAL FIRE WITH SMOKE FROM THE ENGINE BAY, ENGINE SHUT DOWN ON THE HIGHWAY CAUSING LOST OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKING/ CAR WAS ABLE TO RESTART WITH THE LOST OF THE LIGHT, TURN SIGNALS, HORN AND WINDSCREEN WIPERS. *JB

WHILE DRIVING AT UNDETERMINED SPEED ENGINE CHECK LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER ON FOUR SEPARATE OCCASIONS, BUT DEALER DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

ON THREE OCCASIONS I HAVE GOTTEN A "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT" WITH A "TRANSMISSION" OR "COOLANT" AMPLIFYING LIGHT. ON BOTH OCCASIONS THE CAR WENT INTO A LIMP MODE AS DEFINED IN THE SAAB HANDBOOK. TWO ITEMS, A TEMP SENSOR AND THERMOSTAT WERE REPLACED WITHOUT THE PROBLEM BEING FIXED. TODAY'S FIX IS A PROGRAMMING UPDATE (ECM PROGRAMMING). DON'T KNOW IF THIS WILL FIX THE PROBLEM BUT BEGINNING TO THINK THE CAR HAS A BASIC FLAW AND DON'T WANT TO TAKE TRIPS IN IT. *JB

WHILE DRIVING THRU A S CURVE, MY CAR STALLED AND LOST ALL POWER. THE SPLIT SECOND LOSS OF POWER ON A TURN CAUSED ME TO CROSS INTO ON COMING TRAFFIC BEFORE I REACTED TO BRING MY CAR BACK INTO MY OWN LANE. I WAS LUCKILY THAT NO OTHER VEHICLES WERE COMING FROM THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OR I WOULD HIT THEM HEAD ON. MY 2003 SAAB 9-3 COASTED TO AN AREA OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE I STOPPED AND RESTARTED THE ENGINE. AGAIN LUCKILY THAT THERE WAS A ROAD SHOULDER TO PULL OVER ON. THIS IS THE 3RD TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. THE DEALER RESPONSE AT THE FIRST TIME WAS "THAT'S OK IF IT ONLY HAPPENS ONCE"...BUT GUESS WHAT IT IS STILL HAPPENING AND SEEMS TO BE A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM.. HOPEFULLY WE DONT HAVE TO WAIT FOR SOMEONE TO BE KILLED BEFORE SAAB FIXES IT.

WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE ON A SNOWY. THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE WAS THEN STRUCK ON THE SIDE AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY, HOWEVER THE CONSUMER NOTICED THE AIR BAG LIGHT HAD ILLUMINATED AFTER THE INCIDENT. *JB

AT ABOUT 1000 A.M. ,MY DAUGHTER JENNIFER AGE 19 WAS DRIVING MY 1995 SAAB 900SE CONVERTIBLE ON THE NYS THRUWAY FROM ALBANY TO OUR HOME IN UTICA , NY WHEN SHE WAS APPROACHING THE HERKIMER T-WAY EXIT. SHE WAS GOING TO EXIT THE T-WAY THERE , SO SHE STARTED TO SLOW DOWN. SHE TOLD ME THAT WHEN SHE STEPPED ON THE BRAKES THE VEHICLE REFUSED TO SLOW DOWN AND BEGAN TO GAIN SPEED. SHE SAYS THAT WHEN SHE TOOK HER FOOT OFF OF THE BRAKE THE CAR ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN FROM 55 MPH TO 85 MPH IN A MATTER OF SECONDS . SHE SAYS SHE BECAME HYSTERICAL AND BEGAN TO PLACE ALL OF HER WEIGHT ON HER FOOT AND APPLIED THE BRAKES FULLY ,BUT TO NO AVAIL. SHE SAYS THAT THE CAR WAS OUT OF CONTROL AND WHEN THE BRAKES FINALLY SLOWED THE VEHICLE JUST ENOUGH WHERE SHE GAINED A LITTLE BIT OF CONTROL, SHE THREW THE TRANSMISSION INTO PARK AND TURNED THE IGNITION OFF, STEERING TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. AS YOU CAN SEE THIS COULD HAVE HAD CATASTROPHIC RESULTS IN ANY OTHER CIRCUMSTANCE. THANK GOD THAT MY DAUGHTER WAS NOT INJURED IN ANY WAY OTHER THAN HER INSTANT FEAR OF DRIVING A CAR AGAIN. THE VEHICLE NOW IS AT THE PLACE OF BUSINESS WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED AND INQUIRIES ARE BEING MADE AT THIS TIME TO SEE IF ANYTHING LIKE THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE WITH THIS SAAB PRODUCT. DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE IS UNDETERMINED AT THIS TIME , BUT SUFFICE TO SAY THAT THE BRAKES WERE PRETTY MUCH BURNED UP. WE WOULD APPRECIATE ANY ASSISTANCE IN THIS MATTER THAT YOU COULD GIVE US. SINCERELY, ROSE MARY DOUGHERTY *LA

WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH THE MANUAL GEAR SHIFT BECAME STUCK. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB

2003 SAFE 9-3 2.0T LINEAR, PURCH NEW 2/21/03 DIES' UNEXPECTEDLY WHEN BEING DRIVEN. FIRST INCIDENT: CAR 'DIED' RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD COMPLETELY UNEXPECTEDLY. ASSUMED IT WAS A 'FLUKE' AND TOOK NO ACTION. AFTER SECOND INCIDENT: DEALER "RESET FUEL ADAPTATION VALVE". AFTER THIRD INCIDENT (DANGEROUS - MERGING INTO FREEWAY) DEALER "REPROGRAMMED T8 AND RESET FUEL ADAPTATION PER SAFE TECHNICAL HOT LINE" ALL INCIDENTS OCCURRED WITHIN LAST TWO WEEKS. CAR RESTARTS WITH NO WARNING LIGHT OR "SIDE" INDICATION OF PROBLEM UPON IGNITION. *CB

I HAVE HAS 2 SAABS IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS DUE TO THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILING CONSTANTLY AND THE ENGINE STALLING. AFTER 3 MONTHS OF INCONVENIENCE AND ARGUMENTS SAAB GAVE ME ANOTHER CAR. NOW WITH 3800 MILES THE CAR COMPLETELY DROPPED DEAD ON ME AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY AT 55 MPH. IT WAS -40 DEGREES AND IT TOOK ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE 2.5 HOURS TO GET ME. SAAB HEADQUARTERS WAS NOTHING BUT USELESS AFTER DRIVING AROUND IN A TWO TRUCK FOR 8 HOURS SINCE SAAB ROADSIDE AND SAAB HEADQUARTERS COULD NOT TELL ME WHERE TO TAKE MY CAR. I WAS TOWED FROM QUEENS, TO BROOKLYN, TO MANHATTAN AND TREATED WITH NO RESPECT. I ENDED UP GETTING EXTREMELY SICK FROM SITTING IN THE CAR WAITING FOR ROADSIDE FOR 2.5 HOURS. WHEN I CALLED SAAB THEY TOLD ME ITS THE WEATHER THAT CAUSED MY CAR TO DROP DEAD. I WAS NEVER TOLD THAT MY CAR WOULD BE TEMP. TEMPERAMENTAL AND I HAD TO GO TO FLORIDA FOR THE WINTER. THIS IS WHY AMERICAN CAR COMPANIES SUCK. *CB

HEATER BOX FROZE UP UPONE TURNING THE CONTROL DIAL TO DEFROST WINDSHIELD...INTERNET DISCUSSION BOARDS SAY SAAB KNOWS OF THIS PROBLEM. VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR TO FIX PROPERLY AND PERMANENTLY...PROBABLY TAKING THIS TO SMALL CLAIMS BASED UPON WHAT I'VE READ...