NHTSA Complaint #10237522 — 2004 SAAB 9-5

I OWN A 2004 SAAB 9-5 WAGON, WHICH WAS PURCHASED IN NOV 2004. THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY 31,800 MILES ON THE CAR AT THE TIME OF THIS FAILURE, WHICH OCCURRED IN LATE JULY 2008. (IRONICALLY, LESS THAN 2 WEEKS AFTER HAVING TAKEN THE CAR FOR ROUTINE SERVICE/OIL CHANGE/TIRE ROTATION.) AFTER HAVING RUN 2 ERRANDS (I.E. TWO STOPS & STARTS), I WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON A RELATIVELY BUSY 4-LANE ROAD. JUST AFTER HAVING COME DOWN A HILL & ROUNDING A CORNER, WITH ESTIMATED SPEED 35MPH, THE CAR'S ENGINE CUT OUT, THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT, & THE BRAKES SEEMED NOT TO WORK APPROPRIATELY. I WAS FORTUNATE TO BE IN THE RIGHT LANE, AND WOUND UP COASTING TO A STOP IN THE LANE OF TRAFFIC, AS I HAD SO LITTLE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE THAT I WAS NOT EVEN ABLE TO MOVE TO WHAT LITTLE SHOULDER WAS AVAILABLE (THE VEHICLE FINALLY STOPPED WHILE ON A BRIDGE). THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART. FORTUNATELY, TRAFFIC BEHIND ME BECAME AWARE THAT THE CAR HAD DIED, AND NO ACCIDENTS OCCURRED. HAD THIS FAILURE OCCURRED EVEN 5 OR 10 SECONDS EARLIER, HOWEVER, IT WOULD ALMOST UNDOUBTEDLY HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT AS I WOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY UNABLE TO NAVIGATE THE TURN COMING DOWNHILL. AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE SAAB DEALERSHIP, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE "CRANK SENSOR FAILED ELECTRICALLY." FORTUNATELY, IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY & WAS REPLACED. I WOULD NOT HAVE EVEN THOUGHT TO REPORT THIS HAD I NOT SEEN REPORTS OF SIMILAR FAILURES IN OTHER SAAB MODELS. *TR