SAAB Complaints

THE BLOWER ON THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS NOT WORKING. IN ADDITION I WENT IN TWICE TO HAVE THEM LOOK AT THE HEATING UNIT OR CLIMATE CONTROL. THE THIRD TIME THEY REPLACED IT, BUT IT STILL TURNS OFF AND SETS TO ZERO. NOW THE HEAT WILL COME ON WHEREAS IT DIDN'T BEFORE. I RECENTLY (LAST WEEK FEB. 16) DOWN SHIFTED IN TRAFFIC BECAUSE THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT AHEAD. I DOWN SHIFTED FOR FIVE TO FOUR TO THREE AND THE CAR TURNED OFF AND I DRIFTED TO THE SIDE. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY LOOKED AT IT LATER THE FOLLOWING WEEK. I HAD TO CALL THE SALES DEPARTMENT TO GET SOMEONE FROM SERVICE TO CALL ME (MY SALESMAN HAS SINCE QUIT). WHEN THE CALL WAS RETURNED, THE MANAGER OF SALES TODD ALUDED TO THE FACT THAT THIS REPAIR WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. HE SAID THAT THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS NON-MECHANICAL (IMPLYING IT WAS DRIVER ERROR OR NEGLANCE) AND SAAB USA WOULD NOT HOLD TO THE WARRANTY. THE CAR WAS PURCHASED ON APRIL 12, 2002 AND HAS LESS THAT 25K MILES; I HAVE DRIVEN FOR OVER 23 YEARS AND HAD SEVERAL MANUAL CARS AND HAD ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO DOWNSHIFT TO SLOW THE CAR IN ANY SITUATION. I BELIEVE I HAVE A LEMON. THERE ARE OTHER ISSUES WITH THE CAR SUCH AS THE TCS AND BRAKING SYSTEM IN RAIN AND SNOW, YET THE DEALERSHIP TELLS ME THE NOISE AND LOCKING THAT IS FELT UNDER MY FEET IS NORMAL.

TIRE RIM'S DENTED IN NORMAL USE & TIRES BLEW. TIRES & RIMS EACH $250 FOR TOTAL OF $2000 TURBO FAILED; INSTALLED NEW TURBO AT COST OF $1200.

BOUGHT CAR WITH UNDISCLOSED PROBLEMS. TRYING TO RESOLVE THIS WITH SELLER WITHOUT SUCCESS.

AT HIGHWAY SPEED THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT BLINKER ASSEMBLY BROKE FREE FROM THE CAR BODY. THE ELECTRICAL WIRING REMAINED CONNECTED BETWEEN THE BLINKER ASSEMBLY AND VEHICLE. THIS CAUSED A WHIPPING ACTION OF BLINKER ASSEMBLY.

I AM THE CURRENT OWNER OF A SAAB 9-3SE. THIS VEHICLE WAS LEASED NEW 2-28-2000 AND THEN PURCHASED 2-27-03. THE ORIGINAL ENGINE WAS REBUILT AT 46,000 MILES IN 2001 AND NOW HAD TO BE REPLACED AGAIN 12-15-2003 AT 100,000 MILES.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO AVOID A COLLISION, AND GOT THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. DEALERSHIP MECHANIC UPGRADED THE SOFTWARE FOR THE ENGINE. *AK

1999 SAAB 9-5 STALLING PROBLEM. SOMETIMES WHEN IN TRAFFIC. HAPPENED WHEN TRAVELING AT LOW SPEEDS (25-40 MPH). DEALER KEPT CAR FOR ONE WEEK THEN DIAGNOSED PROBLEM AS DEFECTIVE "ECU" WHICH IT REPLACED AT A COST OF MORE THAN $900. THIS HAPPENED MANY TIMES IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER, 2003.

WE PURCHASED OUR 2003 9-5 ARC IN MARCH OF 2003. IMMEDIATELY, I NOTICED THE EXHAUST SMELLED OF HUMAN GAS, SERIOUSLY. SOON AFTER THE STENCH SEEPED INTO THE CAB OF THE VEHICLE. AT 7000 I COULDN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE AND I BROUGHT THE CAR IN TO HAVE CHECKED OUT BY THE DEALER. THEY INFORMED ME THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR, THAT SOMETIMES NEW CARS SMELL. IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT I USE ONLY PREMIUM OR BETTER FUEL TO LESSEN THE SMELL. 3000 MILES LATER, THE CAR STUNK. I BROUGHT IT IN FOR ITS FIRST OIL CHANGE AND INFORMED THEM THAT THE CAR STILL STUNK. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS DEFECTIVE AND IT WAS REPLACED, NO CHARGE TO ME. NOW AT 14000+ MILES THE CAR STILL STINKS. I BROUGHT THE CAR IN TODAY 1/12/04 AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE'S NOTHING THEY CAN DO. BASICALLY, I HAVE TO LIVE WITH THE SMELL. I'VE BEEN DRIVING THIS VEHICLE FOR TEN MONTHS WITH NAUSEATING FUMES SEEPING INTO THE CAB OF THE VEHICLE. THESE FUMES NOT ONLY UPSET MY STOMACH BUT CAUSE ME HEADACHES. I'VE BEEN WAKING UP WITH HEADACHES SINCE SPRING OF 2003. SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE. PLEASE RESPOND ASAP. I'M LITERALLY SICK OVER THIS SITUATION. - KIM *LA

MY SAAB 9-3 CONVERTIBLE BEGAN POURING FUEL AT AN ALARMING RATE (MORE THAN 1/2 A TANK POURED OUT FROM THE BOTTOM-REAR). NO ACCIDENT, BUMP, OR ROAD DEBRIS WAS INVOLVED. WHEN THE CAR WAS SHUT OFF, THE FUEL SPILL STOPPED. THIS IS CLEARLY A FIRE-HAZARD. AT THE RATE IT WAS FLOWING OUT, A LIT CIGARETTE IN THE ROAD, A SPARK FROM ROAD DEBRIS, OR OTHER FLAME SOURCE WOULD HAVE LIT THE CAR UP LIKE AN EXPLOSIVE TORCH. I WAS ALSO INFORMED BY SAAB ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WOULD NEED TO CERTIFY THE CAR WAS OK TO TOW - AND WAS ALSO TOLD BY THE WEARY FIREFIGHTERS THAT BECAUSE THE LEAK WAS NOT ACTIVE (THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF) THEY WOULD NOT PROVIDE CERTIFICATION - WHICH WAS READILY ACCEPTED BY THE ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE LEADING ME TO BELIEVE THEY HAVE HEARD THIS STORY BEFORE. MY SERVICE TEAM WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE PROBLEM - EVEN PREDICTING IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH A CLIP NEAR THE FUEL LINE & TANK THAT, WHEN IT BREAKS, LEADS TO A FLOOD OF GASOLINE. I AWAIT THEIR FORMAL DIAGNOSIS. IF THE SERVICE DEALERS KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM - AND THE APPARENT SCOPE OF IT - IT SEEMS DEPLOYING A PLAN TO CORRECT IT WOULD BE THE REASONABLE, AND SAFE, THING FOR SAAB TO DO. IT WOULD BE A TRAGEDY TO LOOSE A PERSON TO THIS KNOWN DEFECT. *LA

I HAVE EXPERIENCED INTERMITTENT STALLING WITH MY 2003 SAAB 9-3. AFTER GIVING THE DEALERSHIP APPROXIMATELY 5 CHANCES TO FIX THE PROBLEM, THEY WERE UNABLE TO. I THEN CALLED CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY DENIED THAT THERE WAS ANY PROBLEM WITH THE CAR AND TRIED TO SAY THIS WAS THE NORMAL FUNCTION OF THE VEHICLE. THEY HAVE MADE ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO FIX THE CAR. I THEN LEARNED ON YOUR WEBSITE THAT OTHERS HAD EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM. I HOPE IT IS RESOLVED. *LA