1994 Saab 900 Engine Problems

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

NHTSA ID

10101475

Incident

Jul 27, 1994

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

NHTSA ID

10047020

Incident

Oct 17, 2003

Mileage

72,000 mi

VEHICLE STALLED IN TRAFFIC DUE TO ENGINE FAILURE.*MR THE GASKET SURROUNDING THE TIMING BELT COVER BECAME TANGLED WITH THE TIMING BELT WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE NOT TO START.*TS *JB

NHTSA ID

10044446

Incident

Aug 14, 2003

Mileage

90,837 mi

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

NHTSA ID

8023056

CONSUMER HAD COOLANT BOTTLE AND COOLANT RECOVERY BOTTLE REPLACED. *JG

NHTSA ID

563909

Incident

Sep 13, 2001

DUE TO A DEFECTIVE TIMING CHAIN WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE ENGINE SEIZED WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSED A CRASH. THERE WAS A SAFETY CAMPAIGN WHICH THE OWNER WAS UNAWARE. THERE A NEWLY DESIGN FOR THE TIMING BELT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID

864902

Incident

Jun 25, 2000

SERPENTINE BELT PULLEYS BROKE OFF TWICE, IN THE LAST FEW THOUSAND MILES, CAUSING DESTRUCTION OF BRAND NEW SERPENTINE BELTS, LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL, LOSS OF HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING, LOSS OF BATTERY CHARGE, AND OVERHEATING. THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT, IN WHICH ANOTHER PULLEY BROKE OFF THE SYSTEM COULD HAVE CAUSED DEATH, GIVEN THAT THE INCIDENT OCCURED UP NORTH, AND THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE WAS WELL BELOW FREEZING. LUCKILY, A DUNKIN DONUTS RESTAURANT WAS ON HAND WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF THE CAR'S FAILURE.

NHTSA ID

716441

Incident

Sep 3, 1999

ENGINE TIMING BELT WENT OUT, AND CAUSING THE ENGINE TO STALL UNEXPECTEDLY WHICH MAY HAVE RESULTED IN A CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID

848408

Incident

Sep 1, 1999

VEHICLE EXPERIENCES ONGOING / INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH TRANSMISSION FAILURE. IT WILL NOT SHIFT INTO REVERSE. ALSO VEHICLE STALLS WHILE DRIVING. DEALER/MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED. SEEKING HELP FROM NHTSA IN THESE MATTERS. *AK

NHTSA ID

837378

Incident

Jun 15, 1994

SAAB PROVIDED DEALERS/MECHANICS WITH A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, BUT NEGLECTED TO PROVIDE CONSUMERS WITH A SAFETY RECALL. WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN A FREE, 30 MINUTE REPAIR RESULTED IN OVER $600, 2 DAYS OF REPAIRS, AND A DANGEROUS SITUATION IN WHICH MY ENGINE NEARLY BURNED OUT.

NHTSA ID

704359

Incident

Mar 4, 1999

PULLEY ON THE SERPENTINE BELT ASSEMBLY BROKE, CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL. *AK.ET.

NHTSA ID

833580

Incident

Jan 11, 1999

SMELLED SWEET SMELL, THIUGHT IT WAS THE VEHICLE, NEED A GOOD CLEANING. SMELL NEVER WENT AWAY AND KEPT COMING UP IN INTERVALS. COOLANT KEPT LEAKING INTO THE HEATER CORE AND HEATER BOX. CHANGED FILTERS, NO SMELL FOUND. REPLACED THERMOSTAT. HOWEVER, SMELL STILL APPEARED. IN ADDITION, THROTTLE CONTROL LEVER BUSHING REPLACED AS PER RECALL (97V-046). *AK

NHTSA ID

819203

Incident

Oct 7, 1997

ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM LEAKS.

NHTSA ID

503378

Incident

Sep 1, 1994

INTERMITTENT STALLING 2 TIMES. *SD

NHTSA ID

500831

Incident

Dec 15, 1995