SAAB Complaints

TWO ITEMS: 1. THE SEATBELT FAILED TO CATCH WHEN PULLED FORWARD AND WOULD UNRAVEL AND NOT RETURN. THE SEATBELT FAILS TO STOP THE PASSENGER SHOULD THERE BE A SUDDEN STOP. 2. BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLIES HAVE SHORTED AND MELTED AT THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION. *TR

SINCE DECEMBER 2012 (6 MONTHS AGO) MY CAR HAS BEEN RUNNING ON A BAD FUEL PUMP INDICATED BY CEL AND DIAGNOSTIC TESTS RUN BY AN AUTHORIZED SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THIS IS FOR AN XWD CAR WHICH HAS A DIFFERENT FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY THAN THE FWD VERSION. THE PART HAS BEEN ON BACK ORDER BY SAAB PARTS (UNDER WARRANTY BY GM) AND HAS NO EXPECTED DELIVERY DATE. PER MY KNOWLEDGE THERE ARE OVER 75 PEOPLE IN FRONT ME WAITING FOR THE SAME PART. I AM CONCERNED THE FUEL PUMP WILL FAIL DURING POSSIBLE DANGEROUS SITUATIONS SUCH AS HIGH SPEED DRIVING AND MANEUVERING. SAAB PARTS INFORMED ME THAT A TSB HAS BEEN ISSUED IN REGARDS TO THIS MATTER. HOWEVER I DO NOT SEE IT AVAILABLE ON DOT WEBSITE AND SAAB PARTS IS UNWILLING TO PASS THE INFORMATION ON DIRECTLY TO ME THE CONSUMER. THE AUTHORIZED SERVICE DEPARTMENT ARE UNWILLING TO DO THE FIX STATED IN THE TSB AND REFUSE TO SHOW ME THE TSB OR TELL ME ANY DETAILS. *TR

SAAB 9-3S HAVE WELL DOCUMENTED ISSUE WITH THE FRONT STRUT SPRINGS BREAKING DUE TO CORROSION CAUSED BY ROAD GRIT AND PARTICULATE SCRAPING AWAY ANTI-CORROSION PAINT. GM OWNED 100% OF SAAB FROM 2000 THROUGH 2010. GM OFFERED TO COVER COST OF REPAIRS FOR MODEL YEARS 2003-2006, BUT HAS DECLINED TO COVER COSTS FOR 2007 AND BEYOND. MY 2008 9-3 HAS THE FAULTY SPRINGS, AND ONE OF THEM JUST BROKE. REPAIRS COSTS ARE SUBSTANTIAL ($700-$1500) AND THE ISSUE PRESENTS A POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE AS WELL. *TR

UNKNOWN- DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE UNIT HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES. EACH TIME OF REPLACEMENT THE ACTUAL PART HAS MELTED, BURNED OUT CAUSING THE CAR TO AUTOMATICALLY SHUT DOWN. THE CAR ONLY HAS 72,000 MILES. THE PART IS MELTING AGAIN MAKING THIS THE FOURTH REPLACEMENT IN A 3 MONTH PERIOD. ENGINE - EXHAUST MANIFOLD/CATALYTIC CONVERTER NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND ALL SAAB AUTHORIZED DEALERS IN NORTHERN CA. STATE THEY ARE UNABLE TO GET PART DUE TO BEING ON BACK ORDER AND NO IDEA WHEN THE PART WILL BE AVAILABLE. BUT I WAS ABLE TO FIND THE PART OUT OF STATE IN CHICAGO AT QUALITY AUTO PARTS. *TR

WHEN DRIVING THE CAR, AT ABOUT 50 MPH IT WILL BEGIN TO FEEL LIKE THE WHEELS ARE CUTTING LOOSE, LIKE YOU ARE ON GRAVEL. IT HAS ALSO BEGUN TO MAKE A HOWLING NOISE THAT SEEMS TO BE COMING FROM THE WHEELS? NOBODY SEEMS TO REALLY BE ABLE TO PINPOINT THE PROBLEM. WE HAVE THOUGHT MAYBE IT HAD TO DO WITH TRACTION CONTROL. IT SENT MY HUSBAND INTO THE DITCH THOUGH. WE'RE LUCKY IT DIDN'T SEND HIM INTO TRAFFIC! *TR

MY VEHICLE WAS COVERED UNDER A SEAT BELT RECALL, AND WAS SERVICED IN 2005. I PURCHASED THE CAR USED, BUT ACCORDING TO THE PREVIOUS OWNER, THE SEAT BELT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE HAS BEEN BROKEN FOR AT LEAST A YEAR. THE REPLACEMENT DID NOT FIX THE ISSUE, IN THIS CASE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SAAB 9-3 CONVERTIBLE AERO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT RETRACTOR FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS ADVISED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE RETRACTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V043000 (SEAT BELTS). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 138,000. *TR

KUMHO ECSTA LX PLATINUM 225/45ZR17 TIRE ON LEFT FRONT OF SAAB 9-5 WITH APPROXIMATELY 25,000 MILES USE BLEW OUT SUDDENLY (RAPID LOSS OF AIR) AND WITHOUT WARNING AT 35 MPH. APPEARS TO HAVE SEVERAL CRACKS IN SIDEWALL NEAR TREAD. PRIOR TO BLOWOUT, SLIGHT LEFT PULL IN CAR STEERING WAS NOTED DURING INTERSTATE DRIVING, BUT ASSUMED TO BE ALIGNMENT ISSUE SINCE ALL TIRES MAINTAINED NORMAL PRESSURE. TIRE WAS REPLACED; DEALER DETERMINED TIRE WAS DEFECTIVE (POSSIBLE INTERNAL BELT SLIP). FAILED TIRE IS AVAILABLE FROM OWNER. *TR

SEAT BELT REFUSES TO RETRACT. THE SEAT BELT IS NOW COMPLETELY UNWOUND AND DOES NOT RETRACT. *TR

THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ARE NOT BRIGHT. TOOK IT TO A SAAB DEALER, WAS TOLD THAT THE WIRING THAT TURNS OF THE HEADLIGHTS WERE BURNT AND READY TO CATCH FIRE. WAS TOLD THIS WOULD COST ABOUT $1000. DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THIS IS NOT ONLY COMMON, BUT EVERY SAAB 9-3 HAS THIS PROBLEM. IF THIS IS SUCH A BAD THING, THEN WHY ARE THERE NO RECALLS AND THIS A CONCERN? *TR