2004 Saab 9-5

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2004 SAAB 9-5 WAGON AT OR AROUND 35 MPH WHEN THE CAR, SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING, LOST ITS ELECTRICAL POWER. SHE WAS UNABLE TO STEER, BRAKE OR CONTROL THE VEHICLE IN ANYWAY. ALL OF THE LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED ON THE DRIVER'S PANEL. LUCKILY, THERE WAS NO ON-COMING TRAFFIC OR ANY VEHICLE FOLLOWING BEHIND HER BECAUSE SHE WAS APPROACHING A CURVE IN THE ROAD AT THE TIME THE CAR FAILED. SHE COASTED STRAIGHT AHEAD, THROUGH THE CURVE, TO A STOP. SHE TURNED THE CAR OFF, THEN RESTARTED THE CAR. WE CALLED THE DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY, AND RETURNED THE CAR A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER. WE NOTIFIED SAAB USA THAT WE NO LONGER FELT SAFE IN OUR VEHICLE AND HAVE LOST FAITH IN THE LINE AS A WHOLE. THIS INCIDENT WAS NOT THE FIRST ONE. WE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME ELECTRICAL POWER LOSS TWICE PREVIOUSLY IN OUR 2001 SAAB 9-5 WAGON. WE HAD THOUGHT IT WAS A PROBLEM UNIQUE TO OUR SPECIFIC CAR, BUT WE NOW BELIEVE THAT THE SAAB 9-5 WAGON PRESENTS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, IN OUR OPINION. WE REGRET THAT WE DID NOT THINK TO REPORT THE PREVIOUS INCIDENTS IN THE 2001 MODEL TO NHTSA. WE DID, HOWEVER, ALERT THE DEALERSHIP, WHO COULD NOT FIND ANY EXPLANATION FOR THE POWER LOSS. WE DECIDED NOT TO KEEP THE 2001 MODEL WHEN OUR LEASE WAS UP, FOR THAT VERY REASON. WE FELT COMFORTABLE DRIVING A NEW 2004 SAAB, BECAUSE SURELY THIS PROBLEM ONLY EXISTED IN OUR ONE CAR, RIGHT? THE "WHAT-IF'S" FOR THESE ELECTRICAL POWER FAILURES ARE SCARY AND UNTHINKABLE. WHAT IF WE HAD BEEN TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED? WHAT IF THERE WERE PEDESTRIANS IN OUR LINE OF STEERING AT THE TIME? WHAT IF WE WERE TURNING LEFT AT A MAJOR INTERSECTION? WE'VE HAD THIS FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE THREE TIMES IN TWO DIFFERENT MODEL YEARS OF THE SAME CAR. WE WILL NO LONGER BE SAAB CUSTOMERS. SAAB SHOULD RECALL ALL 9-5 WAGONS BEFORE A FATAL ACCIDENT OCCURS AS A RESULT OF THIS POWER FAILURE. *JB

WHILE DRIVING OUR 2004 SAAB 9-5 ON THE HIGHWAY, AT OVER 60 MPH, THE IGNITION HAS BEEN ACCIDENTALLY TURNED OFF. THIS CAUSES AN IMMEDIATE LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES, MAKING THE CAR VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER AND STOP. LUCKILY I WAS IN THE FAR RIGHT LANE DURING BOTH INCIDENTS AND COULD PULL OVER AND STOP WITHOUT CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. IF I HAD BEEN IN ANOTHER LANE, THE RESULTANT LOSS OF SPEED AND AN ATTEMPT TO CHANGE LANES COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. HE IGNITION KEY IS LOCATED ON THE CONSOLE BETWEEN THE TWO FRONT SEATS AND IS NOT PROTECTED NOR LOCKED IN ANY WAY TO SAFEGARD BUMPING THE KEY AND TURNING OFF THE IGNITION. MY LOCAL DEALER HAS NO PARTS OR REPAIR TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM AND SAAB USA DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT A PROBLEM EXISTS.*AK