NHTSA Complaint #10023520 — 1999 SAAB 9-5

A BROKEN PLASTIC ARMATURE THAT CONTROLS THE VENTS FOR MY DRIVER SIDE AIR CONDITIONING AND HEATING AIR FLOW HAS BROKEN. APPARENTLY THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE WITH SAAB 9-5 OWNERS AND THE DEALERSHIPS AND REPAIR PLACES ARE WELL AWARE OF IT AS WELL. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THERE IS NO REPLACEMENT AVAILABLE FROM SAAB FOR THE 10 CENT PIECE OF PLASTIC THAT BREAKS SO COMMONLY. THE DEALERSHIPS (AND THE REPAIR PLACES THAT GET THEIR PARTS FROM THEM) ARE ONLY ABLE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE HEATER BOX ASSEMBLY, AT A COST OF OVER $2500 USD FOR PARTS AND ABOUT 20 HOURS OF LABOR!!! IN CHECKING THE FREQUENCY OF THIS ISSUE WITH OTHER SAAB OWNERS ON SAABNET.COM, I FIND IT IS ALTOGETHER TOO COMMON. YET, WHEN I CONTACTED SAAB USA, THEY TOLD ME SINCE MY VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY (1999, 86K MILES) AND SINCE I AM NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE VEHICLE, THAT THEY WOULD DO NOTHING FOR ME. THIS IS LUDICROUS. AT THE VERY LEAST AN INVESTIGATION AND TSB SHOULD BE ISSUED...POSSIBLY A RECALL. *NLM