1994 Saab 900

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.

THE EXPERIENCE LEAKING HEAD GASKET REPEATED PROBLEM. THE ENGINE OVERHEATING AND BRAKE PROBLEMS. *BF THE BRAKES SQUEALED WHEN STOPPING, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS, THE PASSENGER DOOR WAS HARD TO CLOSE, THE BATTERY LIGHT HAD RUN BAD, THE HEAT OPERATION WAS INOPERATIVE, THERE WAS AN OIL LEAK, SEAT COVER LEFT LOWER CRACKED, FLUID LEAKED UNDER THE VEHICLE/OVERNIGHT COOLANT LEAK, OVER HEATING WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, THE TURN SIGNAL ASSEMBLY, LEAKING DISTRIBUTOR SEAL, BROKEN TURN SIGNAL, AT A CERTAIN POSITION THE SEAT WOULD NOT OPERATE FORWARD, THE ANTENNA WOULD NOT PROPERLY RETRACT, LEFT FOG LIGHT INOPERABLE, DRIVER SIDE WINDOW FRONT AND REAR FOR PROPER RUBBER ALIGNMENT, LEAKING CRANK PULLEY SEAL, OIL LEAK FROM THE TRANSMISSION, FOUND A LACK OF FUEL PRESSURE, SMOKE WAS COMING OUT OF THE TAILPIPE, THE CONVERTIBLE TOP WAS WEARING ON THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE, THERE WAS A LOOSE HOSE CLAMP IN THE POWER STEERING HOSE, THE BATTERY FAILED, ONE TAIL LIGHT WAS INOPERATIVE, THE ALTERNATOR BELT WAS WRAPPED AROUND THE CHASSIS, THERE WAS A SQUEALING NOISE AFTER START UP, OIL LEAKED THROUGH THE VALVE COVER, AND THE TANK CLUTCH LEAKED FLUID. *SC

WHILE DRIVING ON THE DAN RYAN EXPRESSWAY AT 3:00 P.M. ON 4/30/04, I HEARD A POP AND I THOUGHT A BELT SNAPPED, MY CAR, A 1994 SAAB S, JERKED, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO GAIN CONTROL. I SMELLED BURNING RUBBER. I LOOKED IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR AND SAW A TIRE ROLE FROM EAST TO WEST ON THE EXPRESSWAY. I THOUGHT I RAN OVER IT. FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD A PERSON ON ANOTHER CAR TOLD ME I DIDN'T HAVE A TIRE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR IN THE REAR. WHEN I PULLED OFF THE EXPRESSAY I SAW THE TIRE WAS MISSING. THE MIDDLE OF THE TIRE HAD PULLED AWAY FROM THE SIDES. THE SIDES OF THE TIRE WERE LEFT ON THE WHEEL. *AK

IN JULY OF 2003, SAAB OF SANTA MONICA, CA REPLACED THE TIMING BELT ON MY USED 1994 SAAB 900 (65,000 MILE SERVICE). THE LABOR WAS COMPLIMENTARY AND COVERED UNDER A CHANGE IN SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE OUTLINED BY SAAB USA IN A LETTER SENT OUT TO SAAB 900 OWNERS IN JULY 1995. THE LETTER AMENDED INFORMATION IN THE WARRANTIES AND SERVICE RECORD BOOKLET AND OWNER'S MANUAL AND STATED THAT RATHER THAN EVERY 95,000 MILES, SAAB WAS NOW RECOMMENDING THAT THE BELT FOR THE CAMSHAFT DRIVE MECHANISM BE REPLACED BEGINNING WITH THE 35,000 MILE MAJOR SERVICE AND AT INTERVALS OF 30,000 MILES THEREAFTER. AT THE TIME OF SERVICE, IN ADDITION TO REPLACING THE TIMING BELT, NON-ROUTINE LABOR WAS DONE ON THE TENSIONERS. THE WORK RECEIPT NOTES THAT OLD-STYLE TENSIONERS WERE NOTED AND REPLACE. LESS THAN 1000 MILES AFTER SAAB OF SANTA MONICA PERFORMED THEIR "COMPLIMENTARY WORK" MY CAR CATASTROPHICALLY FAILED. ON OCT. 17, 2003, I LEFT WORK AT AND DROVE ABOUT 1/3 OF A MILE (35 MPH) BEFORE I HEARD A LOUD CLUNK AND THE ENGINE STARTED TO PUTTER AND CLANK AS THE CAR LOST POWER. THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY IT WAS TOWED TO A WELL-RESPECTED INDEPENDENT SAAB MECHANIC, HUNG TAO (A.R.T. SAAB 18440 HART ST. RESEDA, CA (818) 881-7940 ). HUNG TAO LOOKED AT THE CAR AND STATED THAT THE TIMING BELT HAD SLIPPED. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST SAAB DEALER (SHERMAN OAKS, CA). SAAB OF SHERMAN OAKS FIRST SAID THAT THE TIMING BELT HAD SLIPPED, BUT THEN CHANGED THEY'RE STORY AND SAID THE CAMSHAFT HAD ALLEGEDLY SNAPPED, CAUSING $5000 WORTH OF DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. THEY ARGUED THAT THERE WAS NO CORRELATION BETWEEN THE WORK THEY'D DONE ON THE CAMSHAFT DRIVE BELT AND THE FAILURE OF THE CAMSHAFT. THEY SAY BECAUSE THE CAR ISN'T UNDER WARRANTY THEY CAN'T HELP ME. *LA

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE TIMMING BELT TENSION ON HER VEHICLE. CONSUMER ALSO STATED THAT SHE HAS REPLACED IT ONCE AND IT WAS WARRANTIED FOR 3500 MILES AND IT HAS HAPPEND AGAIN THIS ALSO CAUSES ENGINE FAILURE ON THE VEHICLE. DEALER WAS CONTACTED BUT REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ON THE VEHICLE BECAUSE IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. TS