2004 Saab 9-5: complaints, problems and recalls

BACK TAILGATE MOTOR BURNED OUT, AND THE TRUNK WAS NOT ACCESSIBLE. THE SPARE TIRE AND OTHER ITEMS WERE IN THE TRUNK.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 5,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10087691 at NHTSA ↗

AFTER SIGNIFICANT VIBRATION UNDER FRONT END AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS APPEARING AT LESS THAN 10,000 MILES, CAR UNDERWENT ALIGNMENT AND 3 HIGH SPEED BALANCES. ACCORDING TO DEALERSHIP, "ALL 4 TIRES WERE WORN ON INSIDES AND COULD ONLY BE CAUSED BY DEFECT." DEALER STATED THAT "ROAD FORCING WILL NOT ALLOW TIRES TO BE WITHIN THE LIMIT. TIRES NEED TO BE REPLACED. SENT TIRES TO MANUFACTURER FOR WARRANTY." SERVICE COMPLETED ON 10.29.04, WITH PIRELLIS REPLACED BY SAME SIZE MICHELINS. WORK ORDER WAS COMPLETED ON 1.7.05, WHICH WAS THE FIRST TIME I SAW DETAILS AND …

Owner-reported narrative. 9,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10112091 at NHTSA ↗

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 PR…

Owner-reported narrative. 5,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10112654 at NHTSA ↗

ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, OUR 2004 SAAB 95 WOULD NOT START. LATER IT WOULD START. SAAB REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THERE IS A PROBLEM. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE. THERE HAVE BEEN 5 INSTANCES BEGINNING IN MAY OF 2004.

Owner-reported narrative. 2,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10129885 at NHTSA ↗

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 TH…

Owner-reported narrative. 15,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10155724 at NHTSA ↗

I HAVE A 2004 SAAB 9.5 THAT I BOUGHT NEW ON APRIL 1, 2004. FROM DAY 1 THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS WORKING ERRATICALLY. DEALER SAID HE COULD NOT REPLICATE PROBLEM. THEN CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING. THEN THE ELECTRIC TRUNK LOCK STOPPED WORKING. I CONTACTED THE DEALER TELLING IT THAT EVEN THOUGH I WAS NOW BEYOND THE 50,000 MILE PORTION OF THE 4 YEAR WARRANTY (OF WHICH ONLY 28 MONTHS HAD ELAPSED) I WANTED THE TRUNK AND CRUISE ISSUES FIXED ALONG WITH A LAUNDRY LIST OF ITEMS THAT WERE NOT ADDRESSED PREVIOUSLY THE LAST TIME I BROUGHT THE CAR IN UNDE…

Owner-reported narrative. 5,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10166145 at NHTSA ↗

I HAVE A 2004 SAAB 9.5 THAT I BOUGHT NEW ON APRIL 1, 2004. I DISCOVERED TODAY FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT MY BACKUP LIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING. YESTERDAY, I FILED A COMPLAINT #10166145. THIS BACK UP LIGHT PROBLEM IS RELATED. THE HARD PLASTIC MOLDED ASSEMBLY ON THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE TRUNK LID THAT IS SUPPOSED TO PROTECT THE WIRING HARNESS FROM DAMAGE IS ACTUALLY DAMAGING AND EVENTUALLY CUTTING THROUGH ALL OF THE WIRES THAT PASS THROUGH THE ASSEMBLY. WIRES IN MY CAR BEGAN GETTING CUT WITHIN 2 MONTHS OF PURCHASE AND HAVE CONTINUED. THIS ASSEMBLY AP…

Owner-reported narrative. 5,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10166216 at NHTSA ↗

I OWN A 2004 SAAB 9-5 WAGON, WHICH WAS PURCHASED IN NOV 2004. THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY 31,800 MILES ON THE CAR AT THE TIME OF THIS FAILURE, WHICH OCCURRED IN LATE JULY 2008. (IRONICALLY, LESS THAN 2 WEEKS AFTER HAVING TAKEN THE CAR FOR ROUTINE SERVICE/OIL CHANGE/TIRE ROTATION.) AFTER HAVING RUN 2 ERRANDS (I.E. TWO STOPS & STARTS), I WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON A RELATIVELY BUSY 4-LANE ROAD. JUST AFTER HAVING COME DOWN A HILL & ROUNDING A CORNER, WITH ESTIMATED SPEED 35MPH, THE CAR'S ENGINE CUT OUT, THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT, & THE BRAKES SEEME…

Owner-reported narrative. 31,821 miles reported. Look up ODI 10237522 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2007-03-07 (March 7, 2007)

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE FUEL PUMP RETAINING TABS HOLDING THE FUEL LINES WERE DAMAGED DURING PRODUCTION.

Consequence: OVER TIME, THIS COULD CAUSE THE FUEL LINES TO LOOSEN FROM THE PUMP RESULTING IN FUEL LEAKAGE. IF AN IGNITION SOURCE WERE PRESENT, THE FUEL MAY IGNITE RESULTING IN A VEHICLE FIRE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL DEVELOP A SECURING BRACKET THAT WILL SECURE THE FUEL LINES TO THE FUEL PUMP EVEN IF THE PLASTIC RETAINING TABS SHOULD BREAK. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 13, 2007. THIS IS AN EXPANSION OF PREVIOUS RECALL CAMPAIGNS - SEE 04V557 AND 06V126. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SAAB AT 1-800-955-9007.

Reported: 2008-04-09 (April 9, 2008)

SAAB IS RECALLING 57,389 MY 2002-2008 9-5 SERIES VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 201, "OCCUPANT PROTECTION IN INTERIOR IMPACT." DURING COMPLIANCE TESTING, ONE OF THE UPPER INTERIOR OCCUPANT PROTECTION TEST POINTS EXCEEDED THE STANDARD'S REQUIREMENTS.

Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, PERSONAL INJURY TO OCCUPANTS MAY OCCUR.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A-PILLAR TRIM WITH IMPROVED ENERGY-ABSORBING CAPABILITY FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 25, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SAAB AT 1-800-955-9007.