NHTSA Complaint #10089074 — 2000 SAAB 9-5

DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE (DIC) FAILURE 2000 SAAB 9-5 AERO THE DIC ON MY 2000 SAAB 9-5 AERO FAILED AT 65MPH CAUSING ENGINE FAILURE AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. NO RESTART. VIEWED OWNER FEEDBACK AT WWW.SAABNET.COM AND REALISED DIC FAILURE RATE ON 9-5 MODEL (ALL YEARS) SEEMS EXTREMELY HIGH. OWNERS HAVE COMMENTED THAT SAAB RECOGNIZES THE DEFECT AND IN SOME CASES PROVIDES SPARE DIC'S BUT HAS DECLINED TO RECALL. SAAB REFUSED TO COMMENT, TO ME, ON THE FAILURE RATE OR DEFECT TREND FOR THIS DIC. THE DIC FAILS WITHOUT WARNING CAUSING ENGINE TO STALL. FAILURE AT HIGHWAY SPEED COULD BE CATOSTROPHIC. I HAVE SEEN OTHER OWNERS COMMENT THAT DIC FAILURE CAN BE ACCOMPANIED BY A GREAT DEAL OF SMOKE AND POSSIBLY FIRE. GM RECALLED SATURN IGNITION MODULES AS DID VW. WONDERING WHY SAAB HAS NOT. (1) IRRATIC ENGINE SPEED WITH INTERMITTENT HESITATION DURING ACCELERATION. (2) LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AND VEHICLE CONTROL (3) REPLACED DIGITAL IGNITION CASSETTE, DEFECTIVE PART IS AVAILABLE. *AK