SAAB Complaints

I DIDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE CAR IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, BUT I MOVED TO NEW YORK AT ABOUT 75K MILES - AND I NOTICED A PROBLEM RIGHT AWAY. ROUGH IDLING STARTED, AND WOULD EVEN TURN ON, THEN RIGHT BACK OFF. THE PROBLEM WAS NOT AN ISSUE AGAIN DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS, SO I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT TO 83K MILES. NOW THAT IT IS WINTER TIME, EVEN THOUGH IT IS GARAGED IT WILL NOT START IF IT IS UNDER 45 DEGREES. I HAD IT CHECKED OUT WITH A CERTIFIED SAAB MECHANIC AND HE CONFIRMED BY WAY OF COMPRESSION TEST THAT IT IS INDEED THE DREADED INTAKE VALVE PROBLEM. THE ESTIMATE FOR REPAIR IS $2,230!

WHEN TEMPERATURE IS BELOW FREEZING, THERE IS A STRONG SMELL OF FUEL IN THE CABIN UNTIL THE ENGINE REACHES OPERATING TEMPERATURE. IT IS NOTED THAT THE FUEL LINES ARE LEAKING NEAR THE CLAMPS UNDER THE INTAKE MANIFOLD ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. APPROX. 1 DRIP EVERY 2 SECONDS UNTIL THE ENGINE IS WARM AND THE RUBBER SEALS AGAIN. IT APPEARS THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH MANY SUBARU MODELS, HOWEVER THERE HAS ONLY BEEN A PARTIAL TSB AND THE 2005MY HAS NOT BEEN INCLUDED AT THE TIME OF THIS POSTING. THE SMELL IS VERY STRONG WHEN STOPPED, AND GOES AWAY ONCE IN MOTION. ONCE THE CAR WARMS UP, THERE IS NO SIGN OF ANY SMELL. FUEL LEAK LOCATION IS ALSO VERY NEAR THE TURBOCHARGER, WHICH GETS TO VERY HIGH TEMPERATURE.

MY FUEL GAUGE READ EMPTY AFTER I FILLED UP MY TANK. AFTER DRIVING FOR A FEW MILES MY SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON. IT WILL SPONTANEOUSLY READ FULL, THEN EMPTY THEN PARTIALLY FULL THEN NEAR EMPTY ETC ETC. IN RESEARCHING THIS TOPIC THIS SEEMS TO BE A WELL DOCUMENTED ISSUE FOR GM AND IT APPEARS IN THE LUCK OF THE DRAW NOW MY VEHICLE JOINS THE LARGE NUMBER OF VEHICLES WITH THIS ISSUE. I DON'T SEE A RECALL FOR THIS IN MY RESEARCH FOR MY 2007 97-X. IS THERE A BROADER SCOPE RECALL?? SOME SITES INDICATE A WILLINGNESS OF GM TO PAY HALF THE COST?? SEEMS ODD THAT IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS COMMON AMONG GM VEHICLES WHY WOULD GM NOT HONOR A REPAIR OF A KNOWN FAULTY DESIGN??

THE INTAKE VALVES ARE BAD ON THIS CAR AND IT HAS 100K MILES ON THIS. THIS IS A $2000 PLUS JOB THAT COMES OUT OF POCKET. IT SEEMS TO BE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH SAABS AND IT APPEARS THERE ARE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ON HERE. THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED AND PAID FOR BY GM, BECAUSE THEY DID NOT PROPERTY BUILD THIS ENGINE IF SO MANY ARE FAILING. MY CAR WILL TURN OVER AND NOT START IN THE COLD WEATHER.

HI, I HAD RECALL 15031 PERFORMED ON MY CAR IN MAY OF 2012. THE RECALL IS FOR THE FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM, WHICH DUE TO CORROSION FROM ROAD SALT CAN SHEAR DURING DRIVING AND CREATE A DANGEROUS SITUATION. SINCE MY CAR WAS SOLD UNDER THE SAAB BRAND, THIS RECALL WAS PERFORMED BY GM AS SAAB HAD GONE BANKRUPT BEFORE THE RECALL SERVICE WAS PERFORMED. MY ISSUE CONCERN IS THIS: DESPITE 7 YEARS IN THE NORTH EAST PRIOR, THE MECHANIC DEEMED MY CONTROL ARMS GOOD ENOUGH, AND SPRAYED THE CONTROL ARMS WITH RUST PROOFING RATHER THAN REPLACING. IF YOU KNOW ABOUT CORROSION/ RUST, YOU KNOW IT CANNOT BE STOPPED BY COVERING IT UP. ONCE IT HAS STARTED IT'LL RUST THE METAL DESPITE BEING COVERED UP. ALSO I HAVE NOTICED WHEN CHANGING FROM SUMMER TO WINTER TIRES, THAT THE RUST PROOFING SPRAYED ON IS FLAKING OFF. I AM CONCERNED IN THE COMING YEARS AN UNSAFE CONDITION WILL ARISE THAT THE SAME AS IT HAD WHEN SUBARU/ GM ISSUED THE RECALL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

CAR WENT INTO "LIMP-HOME" MODE. UPON MECHANIC INSPECTION, FAILED COMPRESSION TEST AND HAD BAD INTAKE VALVES. OUT-OF-POCKET FIX, CAR RUNNING FINE NOW. KEPT ALL PARTS REPLACED, EDGES OF VALVES ARE AS SHARP AS A KNIFE. SIMILAR EXPERIENCE AS DOCUMENTED BY OTHER SAAB OWNERS AT LINK BELOW. HTTP://WWW.SAABCENTRAL.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=329066

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SAAB 9-7X. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V755000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING); HOWEVER, THE PART FOR THE RECALL WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SAAB 9-2X. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 11V464000 (SUSPENSION) AND 15V323000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIRS WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

THE REAR TAIL LIGHTS OVERHEAT, CAUSING THE BULBS TO BURN OUT AND WIRING TO MELT. WE HAVE HAD THE BULBS AND SOCKETS REPLACED MULTIPLE TIMES ON BOTH SIDES SINCE 2013, BUT THE ONLY THING THAT FIXES THE PROBLEM IS REPLACING THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY. JUST HAD THE SOCKET AND BULB FOR PASSENGER SIDE REPLACED TWICE IN ONE MONTH, AND IT IS GONE AGAIN.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE STREET AT 30 MPH I HEAR A BANG! I START TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE STEERING WHEEL I IMMEDIATELY PUT MY HAZARD LIGHTS ON AND PULLED OVER SAFELY ONCE I GAINED CONTROL WHEN I GET OUT THE CAR TO INSPECT IT MY PASSENGERS SIDE FRONT SPRING IS BROKEN IN TWO AND MY PASSENGER SIDE TIRE IS BLOWN. I COULD HAVE BEEN VERY BADLY INJURED OR KILLED! SAAB YOU NEED TO DO A RECALL THIS IS LIFE THREATENING!