SAAB Complaints

FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW, WITH TEMPERATURE IN THE TEENS, THE CAR WILL NOT START DUE TO BAD INTAKE VALVES. AS NOTED BY MANY CONSUMERS ON SEVERAL SAAB FORUMS, THIS ENGINE LOSES SIGNIFICANT COMPRESSION IN THE CYLINDERS CAUSING DIFFICULT STARTING, A VERY ROUGH IDLE AND ULTIMATELY RESULTING IN A VALVE JOB. *TR

EVERY TIME VEHICLE IS STARTED IN BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURES GASOLINE SPRAYS OUT OF FUEL LINES UNDER INTAKE MANIFOLD AND LEAKS ALL OVER ENGINE, INTERIOR CABIN SMELLS OF STRONG GASOLINE FUMES DURING THIS TIME AND ALSO WHILE DRIVING, POSSIBLE FIRE CONDITION MAY OCCUR. *TR

IN COLD TEMPERATURES MY CAR BEGINS TO SMELL OF FUEL AND BASED ON A MECHANICS DIAGNOSIS, IT HAS TO DO WITH THE FUEL LINE CLAMPS NEEDING TO BE TIGHTENED. IT SEEMS LIKE MANY OF SAAB 9-2X AERO MODELS HAVE THIS ISSUE. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND SHOULD BE RECALLED BY THE COMPANY. IF THIS MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING ISSUES, THERE IS CLEARLY A PROBLEM. *TR

JUST PUT 2005 SAAB 9-3 INTO SHOP FOR NEW BREAKS AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER COIL SPRING WAS BROKEN. PARTS ARE UNAVAILABLE. I HAVE NO RECOLLECTION AS TO WHEN THIS MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED. THANKFULLY IT WAS NOT ON FREEWAY. *TR

I HAD BEEN DRIVING MY CAR ON A CITY STREET FOR < 2 MINUTES AT ~ 30 MPH. THE RED WARNING TRIANGLE WITH ! CANE ON . WITHIN 10 SECONDS THERE WAS A BANG UNDER THE DRIVERS SEAT, IN ABOUT 5 SECONDS THE PASSENGER AIRBAG DEPLOYED BREAKING THE WINDSHIELD AND DASHBOARD. IN ANOTHER 5 OR SO SECONDS THE DRIVERS' SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED. THERE WAS NO REASON FOR THE DEPLOYMENT, NO COLLISION, DRY STREETS, NO OTHER MECHANICAL PROBLEM. *TR

THIS MODEL HAS FAULTY/SUBSTANDARD DESIGN. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE RUSTED OUT TRUNK LATCH TWICE, DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW FAILS TO CLOSE AFTER SEVERAL REPAIRS, WINDSHIELD HAS CRACKED 3 TIMES, ( NEVER HAVE I PREVIOUSLY HAD A CRACK IN A WINDSHIELD) , HEADLIGHTS CONTINUE TO SHORT OUT AND HAVE BEEN REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES, AMONG MANY OTHER ISSUES. HAVE NO FAITH THAT THIS CAR HAS SAFE AIRBAGS. ? *TR

ENGINE REFUSED TO START IN COLD WEATHER. SAAB TECHNICIAN CONFIRMED AN ISSUE WITH INTAKE VALVES BEING DEFECTIVE. THE INTAKE VALVES WOULD NOT SEAL CAUSE COMPRESSION TO GET AS LOW AS 40 PSI CAUSING NO START CONDITION. SAAB REFUSED TO COVER IT UNDER WARRANTY ON THE 61ST MONTH OF OWNERSHIP VEHICLE CAME WITH 60 MONTH ENGINE WARRANTY AND THE COST OF REPAIR OUT OF POCKET WAS OVER $2500. THERE WERE DAYS THE CAR WOULDN'T START AWAY FROM HOME AFTER SITTING JUST ONE DAY, LEAVING ME STRANDED IN EXTREME COLD WEATHER WITH NO HEAT. GM AND SAAB KNOW ABOUT THIS ISSUE AS THEY GOT POOR QUALITY INTAKE VALVES FROM A SUPPLIER. GM HAS NOT YET CAMPAIGNED/RECALLED THESE VEHICLE, AS YOU KNOW GM CULTURE LACKS ETHICS AND HAVE COVERED UP DEATHS IN THE PAST TO SAVE MONEY. AS A GOVERNMENT AGENCY YOUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO PROTECT CONSUMERS AND BE PROACTIVE AND NOT ACT AFTER SOMETHING HORRIBLE HAS HAPPENED. THERE ARE MORE THEN ENOUGH COMPLAINTS ON THIS WEBSITE FOR THIS ISSUE. ARE YOU WAITING FOR A DEATH TO OCCUR BEFORE ANYTHING IS DONE ? GM NEW OR OLD SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS ISSUE. ITS A GM ECOTEC ENGINE, CAR WAS PRODUCED ON A GM PLATFORM. PROFITS FROM THE VEHICLE ALSO WENT TO GM. THIS ISSUE ALSO CAUSES AN INCREASE IN EMISSIONS. AS THERE IS LOSS OF COMPRESSION, CYLINDER MISFIRE OR HAS INCOMPLETE COMBUSTION CAUSING AN INCREASE IN HYDROCARBONS AND CARBON MONOXIDE IN THE TAIL PIPE. *TR

ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE AND SELECTING REVERSE OR DRIVE, AS THE CAR STARTED TO MOVE THE BRAKE PEDAL BECOMES EXTREMELY HARD, ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE, TO DEPRESS AND THERE WAS LITTLE TO NO BRAKE EFFECTIVENESS AT ALL. THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP UNTIL SELECTING NEUTRAL AND USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. AFTER THE CAR WAS ABLE TO IDLE FOR 15-30 SECONDS, THE BRAKE PEDAL RETURNS TO NORMAL AND FUNCTIONS PROPERLY AGAIN. THIS MOST OFTEN OCCURS IF THE CAR HAS SAT OFF FOR MORE THAN A FEW HOURS. *TR

WHO WILL FIX THE AIR BAGS ON THIS VEHICLE? SAAB IS OUT OF BUSINESS AND MB DEALER HAS NO RECORDS. I WENT TO SUBARU (THEY BUILT THE VEHICLE) AND THEY SAID I SHOULD CONTACT NHTSA. I ALSO LEFT A PHONE MESSAGE TO RETURN MY CALL. *TR

SIDE AIRBAG ON DRIVER'S SIDE (LOCATED IN OUTSIDE EDGE OF DRIVER'S SEAT) DEPLOYED WHILE THE CAR WAS PARKED AND RUNNING. THIS WAS CLEARLY A MALFUNCTION -- THERE WAS NO EXTERNAL EVENT OR DAMAGE THAT WOULD CAUSE AN AIRBAG TO DEPLOY. SIGNIFICANT BRUISING TO DRIVER'S LEFT ARM, TEMPORARY HEARING LOSS; DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. *TR