SAAB Complaints

MY 2001 SAAB 9-5 HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FOR AWHILE ON AND OFF. THE VEHICLE WILL SOMETIMES STALL RANDOMLY AND NOT START UNTIL ENGINE COOLS DOWN. THE CODES FOR CEL LEAD TO DIRECT IGNITION. A PREVIOUS RECALL ON THESE VEHICLES, ONE MY VEHICLE RECEIVED. I CALLED DEALER AND THEY SAID SEEING AS IT WAS ALREADY TAKEN CARE OF ONCE NOTHING CAN BE DONE. I KNOW I WILL TO HAVE TO GET IT FIXED TO PASS EMISSIONS TESTING DUE TO FAULTY DIRECT IGNITION. NOT TO MENTION HOW UNSAFE IT IS IF IT STALLS. *TR

I HAVE ALSO BEEN HAVING ISSUES WITH THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SUSPENSION. I WOULD HAVE TO CHECK MY RECORDS, BUT I BELIEVE IT STARTED WHEN THE CAR HAD ABOUT 25K MILES ON IT. THE SPRINGS ARE STILL IN TACT, BUT I WOULD NOTICE A VERY LOUD CREAKING NOISE GOING OVER SPEED BUMPS IN PARKING LOTS, ESPECIALLY IN COLD TEMPERATURES. I BROUGHT IT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE DEALERSHIP WHILE IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND THEY DID NOT OFFER ANY RESOLUTION. AFTER READING THE LARGE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS OF BROKEN SPRINGS, I NOW KNOW WHY I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR ON THE FREEWAY. I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO GET THIS FIXED UNDER A RECALL BEFORE IT CAUSES AN ACCIDENT AND SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. *TR

THE ENGINE ON MY 4 CYLINDER SAAB 9-5 (2002) HAS SUDDENLY STOPPED WHILE DRIVING AT LEAST 4 TIMES SINCE OWNING THE CAR, BOTH ON THE HIGHWAY AND IN SLOWER TRAFFIC. THE FIRST TIME I REPORTED OFFICIALLY (2007) TO THE DEALER, "NO CAUSE WAS IDENTIFIED." I NOTICED THE LAST TIME THAT IT HAPPENED (AROUND MAY 2011) THAT IT SEEMED TO COINCIDE WITH INADVERTENTLY BUMPING INTO THE IGNITION SWITCH LIGHTLY WHILE DRIVING. THE SYMPTOMS MATCH THAT OF ANOTHER OWNER'S COMPLAINT ON THIS SITE FOR THE 2002 SAAB 9-5. I EXPECTED MY CAR TO BE INCLUDED IN THE RECENT RECALL INVOLVING THE FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH BUT GOT NO NOTIFICATION. I HAVE ALSO PAID IN JUNE 2008 AND AGAIN IN OCTOBER 2009 AND JANUARY 2013 TO REPLACE/RESET A FAULTY IGNITION CASSETTE, WHICH I BELIEVE SHOULD HAVE BEEN PART OF A RECALL CAMPAIGN AND NOT CHARGED TO ME, BUT THE PARTS WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. IN SUMMARY, DUE TO THE CAR SHUTTING OFF, I FEEL IT IS NOT SAFE AND THAT IT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECENT GMC RECALL. AND THAT THE FAULTY IGNITION CASSETTE SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED AND NOT REPLACED AT OWNER EXPENSE MULTIPLE TIMES. I HAVE DOCUMENTED SERVICE RECORDS OF THE ABOVE INCIDENTS. *TR

DRIVER'S SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT. AFTER GOOGLING I READ THAT THERE ARE 2 RECALLS ON THE SAAB 9-3 2004 DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTORS NOT WORKING. TODAY I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER CURRENTLY SERVICING SAAB'S (JIM ELLIS MAZDA) THAT THIS VIN IS NOT INCLUDED. IF THAT IS TRUE, THE RECALL NEEDS TO BE EXTENDED TO OTHER VIN'S SINCE THIS ONE FAILED TOO. PLEASE HELP!!!!!! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 SAAB 900. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT WAS CRACKED AND HAD A DAMAGED FRAME THAT WAS DETERIORATING. THE SEAT WAS NOT SECURED AND WOULD MOVE INDEPENDENTLY. THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT ALSO EXHIBITED THE FAILURE. THE SRS SENSOR AND THE SERVICE ENGINE SENSOR ILLUMINATED FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER BUT THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO RESET THE CODES. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 94V226000 (SEATS) HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL CAMPAIGN. THE VEHICLE WAS TO BE INSPECTED AND REPAIRED BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,601 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 143,100.

OVER TIME THE VALVES IN THE 2.0T ENGINE WILL WEAR CAUSING DRAMATIC LOSS IN COMPRESSION. PROBLEM STARTS WITH ROUGH IDLING AND TROUBLE TURNING OVER AT COLD START BUT ESCALATES TO A POINT WHERE THE CAR WILL NOT START WHAT SO EVER. IT APPEARS THAT WHEN MANUFACTURING THE ENGINE GM PUT VALVES MADE OF A SOFTER THAN USUAL METAL. THESE VALVES GET ESSENTIALLY HAMMERED AGAINST THE CYLINDER HEAD TO A POINT WHERE THE EDGES BECOME SO THIN THEY ARE RAZOR SHARP. A SERVICE BULLETIN WAS SENT OUT TO DEALERS FROM SPNA (SAAB PARTS NORTH AMERICA), WHICH MEANS THAT GM IS WELL AWARE OF THIS ISSUE. A SAAB MECHANIC WARNED ME THAT THE PROBLEM COULD GET WORSE AT ANY TIME REGARDLESS OF MILEAGE AND THAT SOONER OF LATER MY CAR WOULD NOT START. TO FIX THIS ISSUE ALL 16 VALVES WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THIS INVOLVES SERIOUS TIME AND EFFORT AND I WAS QUOTED A PRICE OF UP TO $3,000 FOR A REPAIR. PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THIS PROBLEM EFFECTS EVERY SAAB 9-3 WITH THE 2.0T FROM 2007 TO 2011. GM SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THESE FAULTY PARTS AND ISSUE A RECALL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SAAB 9-3. THE VEHICLE STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, WHO COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGES WAS 26,000.

WHILE DRIVING HOME OUR HEADLIGHTS FLICKERED AND TURNED OFF. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND RESTART THE VEHICLE AND THE HEADLIGHTS CAME BACK ON. ONCE DRIVING AGAIN, THEY FLICKERED AND THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT WENT OUT. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME WITH THE ONE LIGHT (LUCKILY). WHEN I WENT TO REPLACE THE HEADLIGHT, IT WAS BACK ON AGAIN. I CHECKED ALL CONNECTIONS AND WAS UNABLE TO FIND THE CAUSE. A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER THE STABILA-TRAC SYSTEM LIGHT AND AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND WENT OFF (5 MIN PERIOD). A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER THE STEERING LOCKED UP AND WOULD JUMP, WE BROUGHT IT TO THE SAAB DEALER AND THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE AWD ACTUATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ($788). WE REPLACED IT AND THE STEERING AND AWD SYSTEM APPEARED TO WORK FINE. TWO DAYS LATER THE AIRBAG LIGHT AND STABILA-TRAC SYSTEM LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AND WENT OFF. DEALER WAS UNABLE TO PULL UP THE CODES (NOT LOGGING CODES?). A MONTH LATER WHILE DRIVING, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD COME ON AND TURN OFF ON THEIR OWN AND WHEN THEIR ON THE WASHER SPRAYERS FOR THE HEADLIGHTS AND WINDSHIELD TURN ON THEIR OWN. THIS VEHICLE HAS MAJOR SAFETY ISSUES DUE TO ELECTRICAL ISSUES AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. THIS VEHICLE HAS BECOME UNSAFE AND UNTRUSTWORTHINESS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRACT. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 116,000.

MY WIFE'S CAR IS A 2008 SAAB 93 SEDAN. IT HAD APPROXIMATELY 48,000 MILES ON IT WHEN THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE FAILED AT HIGHWAY SPEED. THIS CAUSED LOSS OF POWER-BRAKES, POWER-STEERING AND ABILITY TO CONTINUE DRIVING. FORTUNATELY, WE WERE ABLE TO COAST OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RE-START. WE WERE ABLE TO RESTART IT AFTER FIGURING OUT WHICH FUSE CONTROL THE "ECM" AND PULLING/RESETTING THE FUSE. THE PROBLEM RE-APPEARED MULTIPLE TIMES ON APPROXIMATELY 100-MILE INTERVALS. WE FINALLY HAD THE ECM REPLACED WITH A USED ONE BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE LOCAL SAAB DEALER QUOTED ~$1000 FOR A NEW ECM. THE USED UNIT COST ~$350 AND REQUIRED THE SHOP TO "MARRY" THE UNIT WITH THE CAR'S VIN. THERE WAS NO WARRANTY ON THIS CAR AS SAAB WENT BANKRUPT. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN. FORTUNATELY I WAS DRIVING AND THE KIDS WERE NOT IN THE CAR. *TR