NHTSA Complaint #10177696 — 2001 SAAB AERO

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, WHEN I NOTICED A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. THE STEERING AND BRAKES WERE DIFFICULT TO USE AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS FLASHING. I MANAGED TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CAR WOULD NOT START ONCE STOPPED, LATER I NOTICED THAT WHEN I TRIED TO TURN THE ENGINE OVER, GASOLINE WAS SPEWING OUT NEAR THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR AND NEAR THE EXHAUST PIPE! I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED TRYING TO START THE CAR AND LEFT FOR A CALL BOX TO GET A TOW. I GOT IT TOWED TO THE SACRAMENTO SAAB DEALER WHERE THEY SAID THE RETAINER FOR THE FUEL PUMP BROKE. I AM AWARE THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS RECALLED FOR THE SAAB 9-3 MODELS, HOWEVER THE 9-5 HASN'T BEEN SUBJECTED TO THIS RECALL AS OF YET. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION, HAD THE GAS IGNITED, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE. THEN AT THE DEALER, THE ENTIRE PUMP WAS REQUIRED TO BE REPLACED, EVEN THOUGH THE RETAINER (A SMALL PLASTIC CLIP) FAILED AND THE PUMP WAS STILL IN WORKING ORDER. *JB