SAAB Complaints

I GOT IN MY VEHICLE, WENT TO PUT ON MY SEAT-BELT, AND THE ENTIRE BELT PULLED OUT OF THE UNIT. IT WILL NOT RETRACT AT ALL ANYMORE. UPON RESEARCHING ONLINE, I FOUND THAT THERE WAS AN OPEN RECALL ON MY YEAR/MODEL VEHICLE WITH RESPECT TO THE BROKEN BELT RETRACTORS. I CONTACTED GM AND WAS TOLD THAT MY VIN NUMBER FALLS OUTSIDE OF THE RECALL RANGE. IT SEEMS THAT IF I HAVE THE SAME YEAR/MODEL VEHICLE BEING RECALLED AND THE SAME ISSUE AS THE VEHICLES BEING RECALLED, GM SHOULD EXPAND THE VIN'S THAT ARE BEING COVERED TO FIX THIS VERY IMPORTANT SAFETY MECHANISM FAILURE. *TR

VEHICLE INTERIOR SMELLS HEAVILY OF GASOLINE AFTER SITTING OUTSIDE IN FREEZING TEMPERATURES. FUEL SMELL PERSISTS AT LOW SPEEDS AND SEEMS TO BE COMING FROM UNDERHOOD. *TR

THERE IS AN EXTREMELY STRONG GAS SMELL IN THE CABIN WHEN TEMPERATURES ARE BELOW 32 DEGREES. THIS APPEARS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM ON THESE CARS, AS WELL AS THEIR SUBARU COUSINS (SUBARU WRX, SUBARU IMPREZA). SOME REFERENCES: HTTP://FORUMS.NASIOC.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=2127350 HTTP://SAAB92X.COM/VIEWTOPIC.PHP?ID=49113. *TR

NOTICED OUR 2008 SAAB 9-3 2.0 HAS BEEN STARTING AND IDLING ROUGH IN COULD WEATHER. ONCE THE CAR WARMS UP TO OPERATING REGULAR OPERATING TEMPERATURE, THE CAR IDLES SMOOTHLY. PERFORMED A COMPRESSION TEST ON THE COLD ENGINE AND FOUND LOW COMPRESSION ON TWO OF THE FOUR CYLINDERS. APPARENTLY, THE INTAKE VALVES IN THE CYLINDER ON THIS MODEL ARE WEARING BADLY NOT SEATING CORRECTLY WHEN THE ENGINE IS COLD. ONCE THE ENGINE WARMS UP AND EXPANDS, THE VALVES SEAT CORRECTLY AND ENGINES RUNS NORMALLY. THIS IS A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE AND GM SHOULD RECALL THESE CARS TO REPAIR ENGINE WITH THE PROPER VALVES. I HAVE REQUESTED QUOTED FROM TWO INDEPENDENT SHOPS AND THEY WE $2100 AND $2300 RESPECTIVELY. WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO START THE CAR IN A WEEK. *TR

THE FRONT SEATBELTS FRAY NEAR WHERE THE BUCKLE SECURES THE BELT WHEN IN USE. THE SEATBELT WAS REPLACED WITH OEM PARTS FOR THIS REASON. THE NEW BELT HAS FRAYED AGAIN OVER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. OTHERS REPORT SIMILAR PROBLEMS, PERHAPS DUE TO SOMETHING ROUGH ABRADING THE BELT SOMEWHERE ALONG THE BELT PATH. *TR

THE HORN OFTEN FAILS TO WORK WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL MOUNTED AIRBAG COVER IS PRESSED. THIS IS AN ONGOING, UNRESOLVED PROBLEM. A DEALER REPLACED A PART UNDER WARRANTY BUT THAT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL OTHER 2002+ 9-5S WITH THE SAME HORN FAILURE ISSUE. *TR

WHEN STARTING UP AND DRIVING IN COLD CONDITIONS (TEMPERATURE BELOW 32F, NOT REFERRING TO ENGINE BAY TEMPERATURE BUT AMBIENT), A FUEL LINE 'SHRINKS' OR 'LEAKS' FUEL VAPOR AND LIQUID ONTO THE ENGINE BLOCK AND CAUSES A VERY NOTICEABLE AND NAUSEOUS RAW GASOLINE SMELL. THIS CONDITION IS KNOW AND IS IN A RECALL FOR MY2002-2003 SUBARU WRXS WITH THE SAME ENGINE AS THE 2005 SAAB 92-X AERO AS WELL AS OTHER SUBARUS AND IS KNOW TO EXIST BY MANY, MANY SUBARU AND SAAB OWNERS. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN SINCE MINE IS LEAVING GASOLINE DIRECTLY ON TOP OF THE CYLINDER HEAD AND COULD POTENTIALLY RESULT IN A FIRE WHICH IN MANY CIRCUMSTANCES CAN LEAD TO SERIOUS INJURIES TO MYSELF AND/OR OTHER MOTORISTS. MY CAR IS COMPLETELY STOCK WITH NO MODIFICATIONS TO THE POWER-PLANT OF ANY KIND. *TR

ON AND OFF, THERE IS A VERY STRONG ODOR OF FUEL IN THE CABIN OF THE CAR. HAD TO DRIVE WITH THE WINDOWS OPEN. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE THE WEATHER BECAME VERY COLD. *TR

STRONG RAW FUEL SMELL ON START. THIS OCCURS IN COLD (<10F) TEMPERATURES. THE FUMES FILL THE ENTIRE CABIN. *TR

VERY STRONG FUEL SMELL IN CAR, AND IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT AFTER STARTING CAR. AMBIENT OUTDOOR TEMPERATURES FOR THE LAST 4-5 DAYS HAVE BEEN BELOW 20 DEGREES F. THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN SERVICE IN VERMONT SINCE FEBRUARY 2007, AND IN CONNECTICUT BEFORE THAT WHEN ORIGINALLY PURCHASED NEW. THIS IS THE SAME ISSUE THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN ADDRESSED BY SUBARU FOR THE 02-03 SUBARU WRX (WHICH SHARES AN IDENTICAL POWERTRAIN/FUELING SYSTEM WITH THE SAAB 9-2X AERO), AS OUTLINED IN RECALL # NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 09V468000 EA09011 NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: EA09011 (SUBARU RECALL PROGRAM #WVK-21). *TR