SAAB Complaints

I EXPERIENCED A CATASTROPHIC MANUAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 38,324 MILES. THE CAUSE WAS A SEIZED BEARING/BUSHING THAT SUBSEQUENTLY CAUSED THE CLUTCH CABLE TO BREAK WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT GEARS (I WAS ACCELERATING AWAY FROM A STOPLIGHT ON NJ STATE HIGHWAY 46E AT TIME OF FAILURE). REPAIR COST WAS ~$1K, BUT UPON COMPLAINING, THE DEALERSHIP PROVIDED THE PARTS (GOODWILL) AND I PAID THE LABOR: $600 OUT-OF-POCKET. THEIR RECEIPT COPY INDICATED THAT THE PARTS WERE BEING REPORTED AS A WARRANTY REPAIR.*AK

WHILE TRAVELING CONSUMER'S PURSE TOUCHED IGNITION SWITCH PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

AS I BEGAN TO BACK OUT OF A PARKING SPACE (WITH NO OTHER CARS AROUND), THE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT TENSIONER ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE (PART OF THE SRS SYSTEM) DETONATED. IT SOUNDED AS IF A FIRECRACKER EXPLODED IN MY EAR. I HAD NOT YET PUT ON THE SEATBELT, SO I WASN'T INJURED, BUT IT WILL COST $650 FOR A NEW SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY. THE CAR HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT, AND THE AIRBAG/SRS SYSTEM HAS NEVER DEPLOYED BEFORE.*AK

TIMING CHAIN HAS TO BE REPLACED AFTER 75,000 MILES. VEHICLE WAS MAKING A LOUD WARNING NOISE. SAAB DEALER FOUND PROBLEM AFTER DOING A ROUTINE SERVICE CHECK. ALTHOUGH THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN FOUND, DEALER HAS NEVER DONE REPAIRS. *AK

BOTH HEADLIGHTS BURNED OUT WITHIN A FEW/ MINUTES, THIS HAS HAPPENED 5-6 TIMES SINCE PURCHASE OF VEHICLE, SEEMS TO BE A ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. *AK CONSUMER STATES HAVE BEEN DRIVING AT NIGHT WHEN BULBS ON BOTH LOW BEAMS HAVE BURNED OUT. *JB

DRIVER'S SEAT BELT BECOMES TWISTED AND MAY FAIL IN AN ACCIDENT. NO ACCIDENT HAS YET OCCURRED. *AK

A FIRE STARTED IN THE PASSENGER SIDE DASH OF THE CAR, IN A RAPID SEQUENCE OF EVENTS THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED, THE PASSENGER AIR BAG DEPLOYED AND THICK SMOKE ENGULFED THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE, AS THE DRIVER EXITED THE VEHICLE THE DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED ADDING TO THE FLAMES, THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. NLM

AT 70MPH IGNITION SWITCH WAS BUMPED, AND VEHICLE CUT OFF. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND PASSED IN OFF POSITION AND FOR NO CAUSE PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. CONSUMER HAS YET TO CONTACT.*AK CONSUMER STATES DEALERSHIP COMPLETED THE REPAIR, THEY INDICATED THAT THE COMPUTER DID NOT SHOW AN AIR BAG ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE, DEALER COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHY AIR BAG DEPLOYED, ONE PERSON WAS INJURIED DUE TO AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. *JB

7/18/99 WHILE BACKING CAR OUT OF PARKING SPOT, IT TURNED ITSELF OFF. RESTARTED AFTER 15 MINUTES. LATER SAME DAY, CAR TURNED ITSELF OFF WHILE DRIVING 25MPH. I RESTARTED IT AFTER 5 MINUTES. NEXT DAY WHILE DRIVING 85 MPH IN FAST LANE ON I-15 NORTH OF SAN DIEGO IT TURNED ITSELF OFF AGAIN. TOOK CAR INTO SAAB OF SAN DIEGO WHO EVENTUALLY REPLICATED THE PROBLEM AND REPLACED THE IGNITION ON JULY 20, 1999. ON MARCH 9, 2001 WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE CAR TURNED IT SELF OFF. ON MARCH 12, 2001 WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH ON I-52 IN SAN DIEGO, THE CAR TURNED ITSELF OFF BUT AS I WAS MANEUVERING OFF THE ROAD, IT RESTARTED ITSELF. TOOK CAR INTO SAAB OF SAN DIEGO WHOSE MECHANIC DROVE THE CAR FOR 10 DAYS. THE PROBLEM WOULD NOT REPEAT SO THEY DECLARED THAT THEY COULD NOT FIX ANYTHING, EVEN THOUGH THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED IN 1999 AND 2001. I HAVE A CASE FILE # WITH SAAB USA - 197868 AND HAVE WRITTEN A LENGTHY LETTER DESCRIBING THESE EVENTS. I AM COPYING NHTSA AS WELL. THANK YOU.*AK