NHTSA Complaint #10112091 — 2004 SAAB 9-5

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 CHARGES, DESPITE REPEATED REQUESTS SINCE 10.29.04. MY UNDERSTANDING, AND AUTHORIZATION AT THE TIME, WAS FOR THE PIRELLIS TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE OF THE DEFECTS, BUT WITH MICHELINS, TO AVOID POSSIBILITY OF DEFECTS WITH THE REPLACEMENT PIRELLIS, AT A COST OF UP TO $50 PER TIRE BECAUSE OF THE CHANGE. DEALER MAINTAINS I OWE $915. 82 FOR THE MICHELINS, LESS THE $212.80 CREDIT PIRELLI ISSUED ON 1.7.05. IRONICALLY, THE VIBRATION IN THE CAR CONTINUES WITH THE NEW MICHELINS. I DO NOT BELIEVE IT WAS THE INTENT OF THE DEALER TO MISLEAD ME, BUT THAT WAS THE RESULT. A WORK ORDER PROVIDED AT THE TIMES REQUESTED INSTEAD OF OVER TWO MONTHS LATER WOULD HAVE DEFINED THE AGREEMENT AND RESULTED IN A DIFFERENT COURSE OF ACTION. *NM