2002 Saab 9-3 Convertible Problems

2002 SAAB 9-3 CONVERTIBLE, ABOUT 13,000 MILES CAUGHT ON FIRE. DROVE TO OFFICE, TURNED OFF ENGINE, & PARKED CAR. GOT OUT OF CAR & NOTED UNUSUAL SMELL DESPITE THAT GUAGES INDICATED "CHECKING OK"AY. *AK WENT INTO MY OFFICE & CALLED ZEE SAAB OF MILFORD WHERE NEW CAR WAS ORIGINALLY LEASED FROM & WHERE ALL SERVICES HAD BEEN PERFORMED. NO PROBLEMS HAD EVER BEEN NOTED WITH THE CAR. TOLD TO CALL SAAB ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE, WHICH I DID. WENT BACK OUTSIDE TO WHERE CAR WAS PARKED TO WAIT FOR ROADSIDE AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE HOOD AREA. THEN SAW FIRE & FLAMES COMING FROM THE TOP OF THE HOOD AND UNDERNEATH THE FRONT OF THE CAR. IMMEDIATELY CALLED WITON CT FIRE DEPARTMENT AND WITHIN 15 MINUTES FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. IN THAT VERY SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME, THE ENTIRE FRONT OF THE CAR WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DAMAGED FROM THE FIRE. A NEWSPAPER REPORTER WAS WITH THE FIRE DEPT. & TOOK ABOUT 30 PHOTOS OF THE FIRE & THE RESULTING DAMAGE. SAAB ROADSIDE ARRIVED & I REQUESTED THAT THE CAR BE TAKEN TO SAAB OF MILFORD. I NOTIFIED ALLSTATE, MY INSURER. ALLSTATE CLAIMS REP & ENGINEEER EXAMINED THE CAR (ALTHOUGH REQUESTED,TO DATE, I HAVE NOT RECEIVED A COPY OF THE ALLSTATE ENGINEER'S REPIORT). ALLSTATE ENGINEER INFORMED SAAB OF MILFORD THAT THE FIRE WAS FROM "UNDETERMINED CAUSES" & CAR WAS "TOTALLED". DEALER INFORMED ME THAT DESPITE THE FACT THAT CAR HAD ONLY ABOUT 13,000 MILES, THE DEALER PERFORMED ALL SERVICES & THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS OR INDICATORS OF A PROBLEM, THE DAMAGES WERE NOT COVERED BY SAAB DEALER OR MANUFACTURER WARRANTY. CLEARLY, FIRES DON'T JUST START AND THERE WAS SOME TYPE OF FAILURE(S) WITH THE CAR.

ON HOT DAYS, TEMPERATURE IN EXCESS OF 90 DEGREES, THE OUTSIDE REAR DOOR HANDLES DO NOT RELEASE AND OPEN DOORS. IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT OR MEDICAL EMERGENCY, THE FAILURE TO OPEN MAY LEAD TO SERIOUS DEATH, INJURY, AND DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE IF EMERGENCY WORKERS HAVE TO PRY OPEN THE REAR DOORS.*AK

2002 SAAB 9-3 WITH 54K MILES CAUGHT FIRE WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING IT ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 13, 2006. *JB

2002 SAAB 9-3 CONVERTIBLE, ABOUT 13,000 MILES CAUGHT ON FIRE. DROVE TO OFFICE, TURNED OFF ENGINE, & PARKED CAR. GOT OUT OF CAR & NOTED UNUSUAL SMELL DESPITE THAT GUAGES INDICATED "CHECKING OK"AY. *AK WENT INTO MY OFFICE & CALLED ZEE SAAB OF MILFORD WHERE NEW CAR WAS ORIGINALLY LEASED FROM & WHERE ALL SERVICES HAD BEEN PERFORMED. NO PROBLEMS HAD EVER BEEN NOTED WITH THE CAR. TOLD TO CALL SAAB ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE, WHICH I DID. WENT BACK OUTSIDE TO WHERE CAR WAS PARKED TO WAIT FOR ROADSIDE AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE HOOD AREA. THEN SAW FIRE & FLAMES COMING FROM THE TOP OF THE HOOD AND UNDERNEATH THE FRONT OF THE CAR. IMMEDIATELY CALLED WITON CT FIRE DEPARTMENT AND WITHIN 15 MINUTES FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. IN THAT VERY SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME, THE ENTIRE FRONT OF THE CAR WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DAMAGED FROM THE FIRE. A NEWSPAPER REPORTER WAS WITH THE FIRE DEPT. & TOOK ABOUT 30 PHOTOS OF THE FIRE & THE RESULTING DAMAGE. SAAB ROADSIDE ARRIVED & I REQUESTED THAT THE CAR BE TAKEN TO SAAB OF MILFORD. I NOTIFIED ALLSTATE, MY INSURER. ALLSTATE CLAIMS REP & ENGINEEER EXAMINED THE CAR (ALTHOUGH REQUESTED,TO DATE, I HAVE NOT RECEIVED A COPY OF THE ALLSTATE ENGINEER'S REPIORT). ALLSTATE ENGINEER INFORMED SAAB OF MILFORD THAT THE FIRE WAS FROM "UNDETERMINED CAUSES" & CAR WAS "TOTALLED". DEALER INFORMED ME THAT DESPITE THE FACT THAT CAR HAD ONLY ABOUT 13,000 MILES, THE DEALER PERFORMED ALL SERVICES & THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS OR INDICATORS OF A PROBLEM, THE DAMAGES WERE NOT COVERED BY SAAB DEALER OR MANUFACTURER WARRANTY. CLEARLY, FIRES DON'T JUST START AND THERE WAS SOME TYPE OF FAILURE(S) WITH THE CAR.

SLOWLY APPROACHING STOPLIGHT, AND DRIVERS SIDE, SIDE AIRBAG GOES OFF FOR NO APPARENT REASON. DRIVER WAS STRUCK IN SIDE OF HEAD, AND UPPER BODY, SOME HEARING LOSS SUFFERED ALSO.

ON APRIL 8, 2004 MY WIFES 2002 SAAB CONVERTIBLE WAS STRUCK BY A VEHICLE THAT FAILED TO YIELD AT A STOP SIGN. THE CAR WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED AND WAS TOWED TO NIMNICHT SAAB, THE ONLY AUTHORIZED SAAB DEALER IN JACKSONVILLE, FL. ALTHOUGH THE ACCIDENT RESULTED IN MORE THAN $8,000 TO OUR VEHICLE AND THE IMPACT ZONE WAS A T-BONE TYPE IMPACT TO THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR, THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. AS OF THIS WRITING, OUR CAR REMAINS AT THE DEALERSHIP AND HAS YET TO BE REPAIRED. THIS REPAIR DELAY SITUATION HAS BEEN CREATED, IN LARGE PART, BY THE FACT THAT THE PRIMARY REPLACEMENT PART NECESSARY TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN ON FACTORY BACK ORDER SINCE MID-APRIL. OVER FIVE MONTHS LATER, THERE IS STILL NO SPECIFIC TIME-FRAME FOR RECEIPT OF THIS PART. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, NIMNICHT SAAB HAS RECENTLY INFORMED US THAT THEY NO LONGER HAVE INTEREST IN REPAIRING OUR VEHICLE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, AND ARE DEMANDING THAT WE REMOVE OUR CAR FROM THEIR LOT AND PAY THEM MORE THAN $1,000 IN STORAGE FEES. ID BE SINCERELY AND ETERNALLY GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD CONSIDER OUR PLIGHT AND BRING AWARENESS TO YOUR VIEWING AUDIENCE TO THIS SEEMINGLY ENDLESS QUAGMIRE. DOING SO MIGHT CONVINCE THE PARTIES INVOLVED (SAAB CARS USA, NIMNICHT SAAB, ST. PAUL TRAVELERS INSURANCE) TO RESOLVE THIS MATTER TO EVERYONES SATISFACTION. *AK

2002 SAAB 9-3 CONVERTIBLE, ABOUT 13,000 MILES CAUGHT ON FIRE. DROVE TO OFFICE, TURNED OFF ENGINE, & PARKED CAR. GOT OUT OF CAR & NOTED UNUSUAL SMELL DESPITE THAT GUAGES INDICATED "CHECKING OK"AY. *AK WENT INTO MY OFFICE & CALLED ZEE SAAB OF MILFORD WHERE NEW CAR WAS ORIGINALLY LEASED FROM & WHERE ALL SERVICES HAD BEEN PERFORMED. NO PROBLEMS HAD EVER BEEN NOTED WITH THE CAR. TOLD TO CALL SAAB ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE, WHICH I DID. WENT BACK OUTSIDE TO WHERE CAR WAS PARKED TO WAIT FOR ROADSIDE AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE HOOD AREA. THEN SAW FIRE & FLAMES COMING FROM THE TOP OF THE HOOD AND UNDERNEATH THE FRONT OF THE CAR. IMMEDIATELY CALLED WITON CT FIRE DEPARTMENT AND WITHIN 15 MINUTES FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. IN THAT VERY SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME, THE ENTIRE FRONT OF THE CAR WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DAMAGED FROM THE FIRE. A NEWSPAPER REPORTER WAS WITH THE FIRE DEPT. & TOOK ABOUT 30 PHOTOS OF THE FIRE & THE RESULTING DAMAGE. SAAB ROADSIDE ARRIVED & I REQUESTED THAT THE CAR BE TAKEN TO SAAB OF MILFORD. I NOTIFIED ALLSTATE, MY INSURER. ALLSTATE CLAIMS REP & ENGINEEER EXAMINED THE CAR (ALTHOUGH REQUESTED,TO DATE, I HAVE NOT RECEIVED A COPY OF THE ALLSTATE ENGINEER'S REPIORT). ALLSTATE ENGINEER INFORMED SAAB OF MILFORD THAT THE FIRE WAS FROM "UNDETERMINED CAUSES" & CAR WAS "TOTALLED". DEALER INFORMED ME THAT DESPITE THE FACT THAT CAR HAD ONLY ABOUT 13,000 MILES, THE DEALER PERFORMED ALL SERVICES & THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS OR INDICATORS OF A PROBLEM, THE DAMAGES WERE NOT COVERED BY SAAB DEALER OR MANUFACTURER WARRANTY. CLEARLY, FIRES DON'T JUST START AND THERE WAS SOME TYPE OF FAILURE(S) WITH THE CAR.

USE OF HIGH BEAMS CAUSES QUICK FAILURE OF HEADLAMPS. *TR

ON AUGUST 13, 2006, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2002 SAAB 9-3 CONVERTIBLE WHEN THE ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE. SHE WAS ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE CAR SAFELY, BUT THE CAR WAS DESTROYED. INVESTIGATIONS BY INTERNATIONAL MOTORS (FALLS CHURCH, VA) AFTER THE EVENT SHOWED THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD DISINTEGRATED AND TRANSMISSION FLUID HAS SPRAYED THROUGHOUT THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAUSING THE FIRE.

A CRACK FORMED ON THE INSIDE LAYER OF THE GLASS RIGHT WHERE THE DRIVER'S SIDE CONVERTIBLE TOP LATCH IN THE FRAME IS LOCATED. THE DEALER DECLARED THAT THIS OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF AN IMPACT AS OPPOSED TO STRESS FROM THE FRAME AND REFUSED TO CORRECT IT UNDER THE WARRANTY. THERE WAS NO SIGN OF AN EXTERIOR IMPACT AND THE CRACK ORIGINATED ON THE INTERIOR SIDE OF THE GLASS. THERE IS CLEARLY A DEFECT EITHER IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE WINDSHIELD OR IN THE MANNER IN WHICH THE TOP LATCHES TO THE FRAME, WHICH CAUSED THE GLASS TO CRACK *JB.

DT: 5/4/05, CAR WAS AT DEALER5 FOR REGULARLY MAINTENANCE. DEALER REPORTED REAR BRAKES WERE RUSTED TO THE POINT OF NOT BEING ABLE TO OPERATE. SERVICE MANAGER SAID THAT SAAB HAD A HISTORY OF BRAKES DETERIORATING AT LOW MILES. CALLER COMPLAINED ABOUT SAAB, DEALER COULD NOT OFFER ANY HELP. NO PREVIOUS PROBLEM WITH VEHICLE, WHICH WAS IS REGULARLY SERVICED, AND RECORDS WERE AVAILABLE. *AK

2002 SAAB 9-3 CONVERTIBLE, ABOUT 13,000 MILES CAUGHT ON FIRE. DROVE TO OFFICE, TURNED OFF ENGINE, & PARKED CAR. GOT OUT OF CAR & NOTED UNUSUAL SMELL DESPITE THAT GUAGES INDICATED "CHECKING OK"AY. *AK WENT INTO MY OFFICE & CALLED ZEE SAAB OF MILFORD WHERE NEW CAR WAS ORIGINALLY LEASED FROM & WHERE ALL SERVICES HAD BEEN PERFORMED. NO PROBLEMS HAD EVER BEEN NOTED WITH THE CAR. TOLD TO CALL SAAB ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE, WHICH I DID. WENT BACK OUTSIDE TO WHERE CAR WAS PARKED TO WAIT FOR ROADSIDE AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE HOOD AREA. THEN SAW FIRE & FLAMES COMING FROM THE TOP OF THE HOOD AND UNDERNEATH THE FRONT OF THE CAR. IMMEDIATELY CALLED WITON CT FIRE DEPARTMENT AND WITHIN 15 MINUTES FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. IN THAT VERY SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME, THE ENTIRE FRONT OF THE CAR WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DAMAGED FROM THE FIRE. A NEWSPAPER REPORTER WAS WITH THE FIRE DEPT. & TOOK ABOUT 30 PHOTOS OF THE FIRE & THE RESULTING DAMAGE. SAAB ROADSIDE ARRIVED & I REQUESTED THAT THE CAR BE TAKEN TO SAAB OF MILFORD. I NOTIFIED ALLSTATE, MY INSURER. ALLSTATE CLAIMS REP & ENGINEEER EXAMINED THE CAR (ALTHOUGH REQUESTED,TO DATE, I HAVE NOT RECEIVED A COPY OF THE ALLSTATE ENGINEER'S REPIORT). ALLSTATE ENGINEER INFORMED SAAB OF MILFORD THAT THE FIRE WAS FROM "UNDETERMINED CAUSES" & CAR WAS "TOTALLED". DEALER INFORMED ME THAT DESPITE THE FACT THAT CAR HAD ONLY ABOUT 13,000 MILES, THE DEALER PERFORMED ALL SERVICES & THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS OR INDICATORS OF A PROBLEM, THE DAMAGES WERE NOT COVERED BY SAAB DEALER OR MANUFACTURER WARRANTY. CLEARLY, FIRES DON'T JUST START AND THERE WAS SOME TYPE OF FAILURE(S) WITH THE CAR.