SAAB Complaints

WIRING HARNESS WITH AIRBAG SYSTEM AND SEATBELT IS INOPERATIVE WHICH WON'T PROTECT THE OCCUPANT IN EVENT OF A CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

WHEN VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT PASSENGER SIDE CRASH, THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG . DOOR AND GLOVE COMPARTMENT CANNOT BE OPENED. THE IMPACT BLEW OUT THE GLASS ON THE SIDE DOOR AND CRACKED THE WINDSHELD. DAMAGES TOTALLED $8,000 - $10,000. THE VEHICLE IS BEING REPAIRED. *AK *ML

WATER SOMEHOW ENTERED THE VEHICLE AND CORRODED THE MAIN COMPUTER CAUSING THE A/C AND LIGHTS TO MALFUNCTION. 8ET

DRIVER'S DOOR LATCH OR LOCK WILL NOT UNLOCK FROM THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE ,CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

MOTORIZED SEAT BELTS ARE DEFECTIVE. SOMETIMES THEY DON'T ENGAGE, SOMETIMES THEY DON'T RELEASE. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE, AND I FEEL THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS. *AK.

THE COMPLAINT HERE IS THAT A PROVIDED SAFETY DEVICE, THE SEAT BELTS, HAVE INADEQUATE WEBBING LENGTH TO ACCOMODATE LARGER OCCUPANTS. I HAVE CONTACTED SAAB'S CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER AND WAS ADVISED THAT WHILE SEAT BELT EXTENDERS WERE AVAILABLE FOR THIS MODEL, THE COST WOULD BE $250 EACH. WE CONSIDER THAT COST-PROHIBITIVE TO ENABLE USE OF A MANDITORY SAFETY DEVICE. WE HAVE PURCHASED OTHER NEW AND USED VEHICLES FOR MORE THAN THE LAST DECADE SUCH AS FROM GM AND SEAT BELT EXTENDERS WERE READILY AVAILABLE AT ZERO COST. I CAN ENTERTAIN PURCHASING THESE EXTENDERS FOR A REASONABLE AMOUNT, SUCH AS $50/EACH, BUT $250/EACH IS OUTRAGEOUS AND QUITE FRANKLY SHOULDN'T BE NECESSARY AS THE BELT WEBBING IS QUITE SHORT TO BEGIN WITH. SAAB'S POSITION AS OF THIS AFTERNOON IS THEY WILL OFFER $100 OFF ON A PAIR OF THESE BELTS. STILL, $400 OUT OF POCKET TO ENABLE A MANDITORY-TO-USE-BY-STATE-AND-FEDERAL-LAW SAFETY FEATURE IN A CAR IS ABSURD. SAAB'S STATEMENT WAS WE SUGGEST YOU TRY OUT THE CAR BEFORE YOU BUY, AND THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS SHOULD TELL US NOT TO BUY. THAT MISSES THE WHOLE POINT OF WHY THESE SAFETY BELTS WERE REQUIRED IN THE FIRST PLACE. I AM NOW GOING THROUGH A LOCAL REFERENCE OBTAINED FROM THE NATIONAL MOBILITY EQUIPMENT CENTER (THANKS NHTSA FOR SUGGESTING IT!) AND THEY ARE LOOKING AT ALTERNATE SOLUTIONS WHICH ARE EXPECTED TO BE LESS IN COST. BUT THE POINT HERE IS WHY ARE VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS ALLOWED TO DENY CUSTOMERS THE EFFECTIVE USE OF MANDITORY SAFETY ITEMS BECAUSE OF EXORBITANT EXTRA PRICING, SUCH AS SEAT BELT EXTENDERS AT $250/EACH WHEN THE PROBLEM COULD BE AVOIDED SIMPLY BE LENGTHING THE SEAT BELT WEBBING IN THE FIRST PLACE, AT A LIKELY COST OF LESS THAN $10? I THINK THAT AS A SAFETY ISSUE IF NOTHING ELSE, VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS MUST PROVIDE, AT REASONBLE COST, WHATEVER IS NECESSARY TO ENABLE USE OF MANDITORY LAWFULLY-REQUIRED SAFETY FEATURES IF THE "STANDARD" IS NOT COMPREHENSIVE TO COVER CUSTOMERS. *AK

TWICE, AFTER GOING THROUGH A CAR WASH, THE SRS LIGHT CAME ON. BROUGHT IT TO DEALER WHO RESET IT, STATING THAT MOISTURE HAD GOTTEN INTO THE HARNESS SOMEWHERE. AFTER READING ABOUT THE RECALL FOR 92-94 9000 MODELS WITH A SIMILAR PROBLEM, I CALLED SAAB. SAAB TOLD ME I COULD HAVE THIS LOOKED AT OR FIXED BY THE DEALER AT MY COST. IS THIS RELATED AND WHAT SHOULD I DO.

THE CLUTCH MECHANISM & HOSE WAS FAILED WITH OUT WARNING. SAAB INSTALLED HYDRAULIC FLUID THAT WAS CHEMICALLY INCOMPATABLE WITH THE CLUTCH HOSE. THE CLUTCH FAILURE MADE INOPERABLE.THE REPAIR MAN SAID THAT THE FAILURE WAS UNCOMMON, BUT IT OCCUR WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS. *ET

I AM VERY UPSET! I WAS LED TO YOUR PAGE BY EDMUNDS CAR SERVICE AS I WAS CONTEMPLATING BUYING A NEW CAR. WHEN I LOOKED AT YOUR RECALL DATA FOR MY CAR, I FOUND TWO RECALLS ORDERED BY YOUR AGENCY WHICH I HAVE NOT BEING NOTIFIED BY SAAB. WHAT REALLY GETS ME IS THAT I HAVE ABEEN WITH THIS PROBLEM FOR OVER A YEAR, AND THE DEALER KNOWING THAT I HAVE HAD THESE PROBLEMS WITH THE RECALLED ITEMS LISTED BY YOU, DID NOT DISCLOSE TO ME THAT THESE HAVE BEEN A PROBLEM. THEY ARE THE TWO LAST ITEMS SHOWN BY YOUR LISTING. ONE FOR THE ABS SYSTEM, WHEREIN MOISTURE CAUSES SWITCH TO FAIL. THEY TOLD ME THE "COMPUTER" SWITCH WOULD COST OVER $2000 TO REPAIR. MY WIFE ALMOST GOT INTO A CRASH, BECAUSE WHILE DRIVING IN THE MIDDLE OF A FOUR LANE HIGHWAY, THE ENGINE CONKED OUT BECAUSE OF THIS TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM/ABS CAUSED A TOTAL FAILURE. THEY STILL HAVE NOT TOLD ME ABOUT THIS RECALL!!! 2 WEEKS AGO, SAAB FINALLY SENT A DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE TO CHECK THE TCS/ABS TO TRY AN DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THE LOCAL REPAIR SHOP, KAMIL SAAB, REPLACED A VACUUM SELENOID, AND ANOTHER VACUUM VALVE, AND SAID TO DRIVE IT. IT WORKED FINE, HOWEVER, FAILED AGAIN ON SUNDAY 5/23/99 WITH ME DRIVING, THEN YESTERDAY 5/24/1999 WHEN MY MOTHER-IN-LAW WAS DRIVING. SAME TCS/ABS INDICATIONS. I AM HOPPING MAD...THEY COULD HAVE AT LEAST TOLD US ABOUT THE RECALL. THE WESTERN DISTRICT SAAB CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER OFFERED ME A CERTIFICATE #1632, FOR $2500 TO BUY A NEW SAAB. I CAN FAX IT TO YOU...IT DOCUMENTS THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM/ABS PROBLEM. WHY DIDN'T THEY JUST TELL ME ABOUT THE RECALL?? AND TO TAKE IT IN TO GET IT FIXED FOR FREE. THE CAR SAT IDLE FROM DECEMBER 1998 UNTIL MAY 1999...NO ONE WOULD HELP, UNTIL I CALLED KAMIL'S AUTO AGAIN. *AK

VEHICLE EXPERIENCES ONGOING / INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH TRANSMISSION FAILURE. IT WILL NOT SHIFT INTO REVERSE. ALSO VEHICLE STALLS WHILE DRIVING. DEALER/MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED. SEEKING HELP FROM NHTSA IN THESE MATTERS. *AK