SAAB Complaints

DURING COLD WEATHER THERE ARE FUMES COMING FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENGINE, AND STRONG GASOLINE SMELL INSIDE THE CABIN, THE DRIVING IS ONLY POSSIBLE WITH WINDOWS ROLLED DOWN. THE DRIVING AT NIGHT IS NOT POSSIBLE WHEN THE WARM AIR IS TURN ON, MORE GASOLINE SMELL COMES INSIDE. I DON'T UNDERSTAND SINCE SUBARU HAD SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH IMPREZA WRX AND THERE WAS A RECALL, WHY THEY IGNORE THIS WITH SAAB 9-2X THAT HAS SUBARU ENGINE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SAAB 9-5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE BRAKES SEIZED AS THE ENGINE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC, WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND DISCOVERED THAT THE IGNITION DISCHARGE MODULE WAS DEFECTIVE. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN I.D. NUMBER: 06V410000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) AND CALLED THE MANUFACTURER, WHO ADVISED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE TIRE BLEW. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC, WHO REPLACED THE DAMAGED TIRE AND ALSO ADVISED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY FRACTURED COIL SPRINGS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

THIS CAR WHILE BEING BADGED AS A SAAB IS EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE 05 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX. THE SAAB 92X LEAKS RAW FUEL. I'M NOT SURE WHERE IT'S COMING FROM. IN THE 02-03 IMPREZA HAD A RECALL FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM WHICH UNFORTUNATELY DOES NOT COVER 05. HOWEVER THE FUEL LEAK PROBLEM STILL EXISTS AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY SUBARU OR GM ANY FUEL LEAK IS HAZARDOUS ESPECIALLY ONE LIKE THIS. THIS NEEDS TO BE A RECALL. IT'S NOT SAFE. *TR

DURING COLD WEATHER, FUEL LINES LEAK/SEEP RAW FUEL INTO ENGINE COMPARTMENT. IF LEFT UNTREATED, COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE ENGINE FIRE, LEADING TO INJURY AND DEATH. PLEASE GET SUBARU/SAAB TO FIX ASAP. *TR

BEGAN HAVING ISSUES STARTING, AND MISFIRES, AND FINALLY ENGINE LOST COMPRESSION BUT STILL ABLE TO START WHEN WEATHER WAS WARM. NOV -DEC 2011 NO START OR HARD START IN WEATHER BELOW 35F,LOCAL SERVICE SHOP SAID NEEDED NEW ENGINE, NO COMPRESSION WHEN SAT FOR LONG PERIODS OR EXTERIOR TEMP BELOW 35F APPROX 94,000 MILE. DEC 2011- CALLED SAAB BUT BANKRUPT SO NO CUSTOMER SERVICE, REACHED OUT TO GM CORPORATE REGARDING WARRANTY AND WAS TOLD NOT HONORING THEM SINCE BANKRUPTCY. JAN 2012 -2ND OPINION BY INDY SAAB FOCUSED SERVICE CENTER. THOUGHT WRONG OIL WAS PUT IN AND WITH PROPER OIL CAR, NEW SPARK PLUGS, FUEL PUMP, ETC STARTED EVEN IN COLD WEATHER, BUT STILL MISFIRED AND ROUGH IDLE AND HAD TO START IN COLD HAD MILD WINTER.JAN 2013- SAME NO START IN COLD AND COMPRESSION TEST AGAIN AND COLD TEST SHOWED NO COMPRESSION IN ALL CYLINDERS. HARD TO START WHEN OUTSIDE TEMP WAS BELOW 30F AND TESTED COMPRESSION AGAIN AND LOSS OF COMPRESSION, AND RAN SEA FOAM THROUGH ENGINE TO REMOVE CARBON BUILDUP UPON SUGGESTION FROM WEBSITE BOARD, OTHERS HAVING ISSUES WITH GM MOTORS! NOT SPECIFIC TO SAAB. STILL RANDOMLY STARTED CAR EVER 6 HOURS WHEN TEMP DROPPED BELOW 28F. MAR 2013- DID ANOTHER TOP ENGINE CLEANING WITH SEA FOAM, MILD WEATHER UNTIL DECEMBER. DEC 4TH 2013-AGAIN HARD START IN COLD WEATHER DID ANOTHER TOP ENGINE CLEANING WITH SEA FOAM.JAN 8, 2014- TEMP OUTSIDE 22F NO START AGAIN AFTER SITTING FOR 6 HOURS, BATTERY DEAD FROM CRANKING, CAR TOWED, AND NO COMPRESSION AGAIN, ANOTHER 2 CYCLES TOP ENGINE CLEANING, CAR STARTED AFTER SITTING IN SHOP OVERNIGHT. JAN 22, 2014- TEMP OUTSIDE 16F, SAT IDLE FOR 8 HOURS, NO START AGAIN, BATTERY DIED FROM CRANKING, CAR TOWED TO SHOP, WAITING ON DIAGNOSIS. FOUND MENTION OF SPNA TECHNICAL BULLETIN DATED 12/17/2013 HARD STARTING COLD W/ ENGINE MISFIRE AND LOW COMPRESSION 9-3 B207 AND IT DESCRIBED MY ISSUE PERFECTLY. REACHING OUT LOCAL SAAB/GM SERVICE CENTER. *TR

STRONG FUEL SMELL INSIDE OF CAR. INSPECTED UNDER HOOD AND DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL SMELL WAS EMANATING FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENGINE. *TR

I'M NOT CERTAIN IF THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BUT IT CERTAINLY QUALIFIES AS AN EMISSIONS ISSUE AND A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. ON EVERY COLD START, THE ENGINE WOULD RUN ROUGH UNTIL I PUT IT IN DRIVE AND WOULD RUN FINE AFTER A FEW MINUTES. I LET IT SIT AND IDLE FOR A WHILE ONCE AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AS A RESULT. A LOCAL DEALERSHIP FOUND LOW COMPRESSION ACROSS 2 CYLINDERS AND INFORMED ME IT WAS THE DREADED VALVE ISSUE (INTAKE VALVE CUPPING THEY CALLED IT). THE DEALERSHIP HAD FIXED A NUMBER OF THESE AND FROM VARIOUS ONLINE FORUMS, I SEE THAT A NUMBER OF 2007 AND 2008 SAAB 9-3 OWNERS SEEM TO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. THE REPAIR CONSISTED OF REMOVING AND REPLACING ALL 8 INTAKE VALVES, HAND LAPPING THEM, REMOVING AND REPLACING ALL VALVE SEALS, AND REFINISHING THE HEAD MATING SURFACE. THE REPAIR WAS VERY EXPENSIVE, SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS. I'VE HAD THE CAR BACK FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS AND THE PROBLEM IS GONE. I WAS TOLD THIS ISSUE SEEMS TO HAPPEN AROUND THIS AMOUNT OF MILEAGE AND IN COLD WEATHER STATES. OF COURSE MY WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED 6 MONTHS EARLIER AND I IMAGINE THIS IS THE CASE WITH MANY OTHER SAAB 9-3 OWNERS WITH '07 AND '08 VEHICLES. WITH THE NEW PARTS, I WAS TOLD I SHOULDN'T RUN INTO THIS PROBLEM AGAIN. *TR

IT HAS VERY ROUGH START EVERY MORNING WHEN IT'S COLD. FROM SAAB FORUM (HTTP://WWW.SAABCENTRAL.COM/) THERE ARE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE THAT IS HAVING THE SAME ISSUE FOR NEWER SAAB 9-3'S. THE PROBLEM IS INTAKE VALVES OF ENGINE BECOMING REALLY THIN AND FAILING OVER TIME.. THE ENGINE SHAKES THE WHOLE CAR AND SOMETIME THE CAR DOESN'T EVEN WANT TO START.. I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISE IF ONE DAY I CANT START THE CAR.. *TR

I WAS TRAVELING AT 50MPH WHEN I HEARD A LOUD POP FROM THE FRONT SUSPENSION. AFTER THE POP THE FRONT END WOULD RATTLE OVER BUMPS. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION I DISCOVERED THE FRONT RIGHT COIL SPRING HAD CRACKED. AFTER LOOKING AT THE SPRING MORE I FOUND ANOTHER CRACK IN THE SAME SPRING. *TR