NHTSA Complaint #10005411 — 1990 SAAB 900

ATT: NHTSA I HAVE A 90 TURBO CONV AND WHILE DRIVING MY LOWER A-ARM BROKE WHERE THE WELD IS. I HAVE HEARD THIS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH 900'S THAT HAVE OVER 100,000 MILES ON THEM BUT HAVE FOUND NO RECALLS. I WAS DOING 65 MPH AT THE TIME IT BROKE BUT IF THIS HAD BEEN SOMEONE ELSE OR IF I HAD BEEN GOING FASTER YOU COULD HAVE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER WITH MINOR DAMAGE. THIS FAILURE DID NOT HAPPEN IN REVERSE AS MOST PEOPLE CLAIM.........IT HAPPENED WHILE MOVING FORWARD AT 65 MPH.........THIS IS MY CONCERN. IF THE ARM FATIGUES AT THE WELD STRESS POINT AND BREAKS WHILE BACKING UP JUST IMAGINE HOW BAD THE CRACK MUST BE BEFORE THIS HAPPENS. SINCE THE LOAD CAN'T BE AS GREAT ON THE ARM AS IT IS WHEN AT SPEED AND TURNING THIS IS A REAL PROBLEM THAT I WILL INVESTIGATE FURTHER. I WILL POST PIC'S AS SOON AS I GET IT BACK FROM THE SHOP. I SENT THIS E-MAIL TO SAAB CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND I'M WAITING FOR A RESPONSE WHICH I WILL FORWARD. I ALSO POSTED THIS ON SEVERAL SAAB WEBSITES. PLEASE IF ANYONE KNOWS OF SAFETY RECALLS FOR THIS LET ME KNOW, ALSO IF ANYONE KNOWS WHO TO CONTACT TO REPORT THIS I WOULD APPRECIATE A CONTACT SINCE THIS COULD LEAD TO SOMEONE GETTING HURT OR EVEN KILLED. ATT: SAAB USA I POSTED THIS ON SAABNET.COM AND HAVE HAD SEVERAL PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ISSUE E-MAIL ME. I'M ALSO GOING TO FORWARD THIS TO THE NHTSA SINCE I FEEL THIS IS A POTENTIALLY A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT SHOULD BE FIXED WITH A RECALL. I HAVE A MORAL OBLIGATION TO INFORM OTHERS OF THIS AND WILL INVESTIGATE THIS MORE TO SEE IF ANYONE HAS BEEN SERIOUSLY HURT OR KILLED FROM THIS PROBLEM. THANKS FRANK 510-413-1663 [email protected]