NHTSA Complaint #10052567 — 2003 SAAB 9-3

PURCHASED 2003 9-3 LINEAR IN AUGUST 2003. THE CAR HAS BEEN BACK TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE SEVERAL TIMES WITHIN THE FIRST FEW MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP.*AK FIRST TIME CAR WAS IN ON COMPLAINT OF FRONT WHEELS OUT OF ALIGNMENT (CAR PULLS TO THE LEFT ALL THE TIME COASTING, UNDER ACCELERATION, ETC.). THE STEERING WHEEL MUST BE HELD SLIGHTLY OFF CENTER TO ALLOW THE CAR TO GO STRAIGHT. DEALER DENIED PROBLEM AND ATTRIBUTED IT TO CURVATURE IN THE ROAD. I HAVE DRIVEN OTHER CARS OVER THE SAME ROAD EVEN THE SAME MODEL LOANER CAR WITHOUT THE PULL TO THE LEFT. COMPLAINED TWO ADDITIONAL TIMES WITH NO RESPONSE FROM DEALER. BECAUSE THE CAR HAS MORE SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS I HAVE GIVEN UP ON THIS ONE FOR NOW. SECOND TIME CAR WAS OUT OF SERVICE FOR OVER 20 CONSECUTIVE DAYS WHILE DEALER DIAGNOSED AND FIXED ONSTAR AND STEREO MALFUNCTION. THE STEREO WAS NOT FUNCTIONING AT SEVERAL POINTS IN THE DAY AND THEN WOULD COME BACK ON AUTOMATICALLY AT THE NEXT START-UP. DEALER REPLACED ALL COMPONENTS OF THE SYSTEM STEREO, CD PLAYER, ONSTAR MODULE, ECT. TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THIRD TIME WAS A MAJOR COMPLAINT. I HAVE EXPERIENCED SLIPPAGE IN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AT ALMOST EVERY OTHER SHIFT UNDER MODERATE TO HARD ACCELERATION. THE CAR ACTUALLY REVS RPMS BETWEEN SHIFT FOR 3 TO 4 SECONDS BEFORE SHIFTING TO THE NEXT GEAR. ADDITIONALLY, UNDER HARD ACCELERATION FROM A COMPLETE STOP THE CAR WILL NOT SHIFT UNTIL AFTER FUEL PUMP CUT-OFF IN THE RPM RANGE. DEALER COULD NOT DIAGNOSE VIA COMPUTER; HOWEVER I SUGGESTED A TECH DROVE THE CAR FOR A DAY OR TWO. TECH ACKNOWLEDGED SLIPPAGE PROBLEM AND SAID HE EXPERIENCED A SIMILAR PROBLEM ON OTHER 2003 9-3 VEHICLES; HOWEVER; WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE OR FIX. HE PUT IN A CALL TO SAAB TECHNICAL TO SEE IF THEY HAVE FURTHER INFORMATION. WE AWAIT SAAB TECHNICAL RESPONSE.