NHTSA Complaint #10130582 — 2001 SAAB 9-3

1) I STOPPED AT HOME ON THE WAY TO ANOTHER APPOINTMENT. THERE WERE NO INDICATORS THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE GARAGE ABOUT 30 MINUTES LATER, THE CAR WOULD NOT START. IT MADE NO NOISE AND GAVE NO INDICATION EXCEPT IT WAS MYSTERIOUSLY COMPLETELY UNABLE TO START. THE LIGHTS WOULD STILL TURN ON, SO IT WAS NOT A BATTERY. I PAID TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO A SAAB INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. LUCKILY I WAS NOT DRIVING THE CAR WHEN IT STOPPED WORKING; IT WAS A COMPLETE FLUKE I HAD STOPPED THE CAR FOR A FEW MINUTES. IT HAD STARTED FINE THE OTHER 3 TIMES THAT DAY. 2) THE CAR WOULD NOT START. IT WAS 2 MONTHS OUT OF THE 4-YEAR WARRANTY. LUCKILY, I WAS AT HOME AND WAS NOT INJURED. 3) WHEN THE REPAIR SHOP CHECKED THE CAR, THEY SAID THE IGNITION CASSETTE FAILED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THEY REPLACED IT. THE CAR NOW STARTS. HOWEVER, IT IS AN EXPENSIVE PART AND SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED SO SOON. I HAVE ONLY ABOUT 40,000 MILES ON THE CAR. I HAVE READ STATEMENTS FROM OTHER SAAB 9-3 DRIVERS THAT THE IGNITION CASSETTES ON THEIR CARS FAILED WHILE DRIVING, WHICH LOST THEM CONTROL OF THE CAR IN BAD SITUATIONS. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND I CONSIDER I HAD A CLOSE CALL. *NM