Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1999 Saab 9-5 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
VACUUM BRAKE BOOSTER FILLED WITH OIL LEAKING FROM DEFECTIVE VACUUM PUMP RESULTING IN BRAKE FAILURE. DEFECTIVE ABS MODULE CAUSES BRAKES TO SUDDENLY LOCK UP IMMOBILIZING CAR. THIS IS A DESIGN FAILURE IN THE ELECTRONIC ABS BRAKING SYSTEM IN MY OPINION. *TR
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED, WHILE TRAVELING AT 60 MPH., THE ABS MODULE FAILED, CAUSING FAILURE TO THE ODOMETER AND SPEEDOMETER. THE MODULE HAD BEEN REPLACED ONCE BEFORE THIS FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.*AK
ABS CONTROL MODULE FAILURE. *JB
BRAKES FAILED ON 1999 SAAB 9-5. PROBLEM WAS DUE TO A VACUUM FAILURE IN THE BRAKE SYSTEM. APPARENTLY THE VACUMM PUMPED OIL INTO THE BRAKE BOOSTER THUS CAUSING THE BRAKES TO FAIL. FUEL STORAGE TANK HAS HAD A LEAK IN THE UPPER SEAM WHICH EMITS GAS FUMES WHEN THE TANK IS FILLED. I UNDERSTAND THIS HAS BEEN A PERSISTENT PROBLEM WITH THE SAAB FUEL TANKS. *JB
1999 SAAB 9-5 HAS A FAULTY MASTER CYLINDER, AND VACUUM BOOSTER WHICH BOTH HAD TO BE REPLACED AT OWNERS EXPENSE. *TS IN THE PAST THE CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE THE WATER PUMP. HEATER FAN MOTOR, THERMOSTAT. LEAKY SUNROOF, BATTERY, BATTERY CABLES AND NUMEROUS LIGHT BULBS. *JB
SAAB 1999 WAGON- PRIOR TO EVENT COMPUTER INDICATED REAR LIGHT FAILURE. THEN BRAKE FAILURE OCCURED, AND CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT DISENGAGE. CAR COULD NOT BE STOPPED, COLLISION WITH HIGHWAY WALL. CAR DESTROYED. NO INJURIES. *JB
ABS BRAKES LOCK UP WHEN DRIVING. ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS WHEN DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS. AS AN EXAMPLE, TYPICALLY BRAKES LOCK UP WHEN IN STOP AND GO HEAVY TRAFFIC, COMMONLY AT MORNING AND EVENING RUSH HOURS. DANGEROUS WHEN TRAFFIC CLEARS UP AND THERE IS SUDDENLY NEED TO ACCELERATE TO KEEP PACE WITH TRAFFIC FLOW AND THE CAR LOCKS UP.
VACUUM BRAKE BOOSTER DEVELOPED AN INTERNAL LEAK, CAUSING MOMENTARY LOSS OF BRAKING ACTION WHEN FIRST STEPPING ON BRAKE PEDAL DURING AN EMERGENCY STOP. DURING "NORMAL" BRAKING THE BRAKES WORKED FINE. IMPORTANT!...THE BIG DANGER HERE IS THAT YOU DON'T KNOW THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE BOOSTER TILL YOU HAVE TO MAKE A QUICK STOP WHERE YOU NEED TO JAM ON THE BRAKES QUICKLY!! YOU SUDDENLY FINE THERE IS VIRTUALLY NO BRAKES FOR A SECOND OR TWO!! IN NORMAL BRAKING THEY WORK FINE.*AK
PARKING BRAKES FAILED ON TWO OCCASIONS, ONE INCIDENT RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO VEHICLE WHEN VEHICLE ROLLED INTO OBJECTS. *MJS
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .