NHTSA Complaint #10240755 — 2003 SAAB 9-3

THE FRONT LEFT COIL SPRINGS SNAPPED IN HALF, SHOVING A JAGGED, BROKEN SPRING INTO THE INNER SIDE WALL OF THE TIRE WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR SON TO SCHOOL. THE ENSUING DRAMA CONSISTED OF A NEARLY UNCONTROLLABLE VEHICLE AND PLUMES OF SMOKE BILLOWING OUT FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. FEARING FOR THE SAFETY OF HERSELF AND OUR SON, MY WIFE PULLED HIM OUT OF THE CAR AND RAN A DISTANCE AWAY AS SHE FEARED IT WAS ABOUT TO CATCH FIRE. SHE CALLED ME FROM HER CELL PHONE, CRYING, AND IN A NEAR PANIC AS OTHER DRIVERS PULLED OVER TO HELP. EVERYTHING TURNED OUT OKAY FOR US, BUT I CAN?T SAY THAT THE SAME WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THE SPRING HAD BROKEN AFTER SHE DROPPED OFF OUR SON AND WAS ON THE INTERSTATE GOING TO WORK. WE ARE THANKFUL SHE WAS ONLY TRAVELING 35 MPH RATHER THAN 70 MPH. AFTER THIS OCCURRED, AND AFTER A COMPLETE LACK OF HELP OR EXPLANATION FROM OUR DEALER, WE WERE MOTIVATED TO RESEARCH THIS ISSUE FURTHER TO DETERMINE IF THIS WAS A ?FREAK ACCIDENT? OR IF IN FACT THERE WAS SOME ISSUE WITH THE DESIGN OF THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM. IT APPEARS FROM A CURSORY SEARCH OF THE INTERNET THAT THERE ARE AT LEAST SEVERAL DOZEN OTHER INSTANCES OF THIS HAPPENING TO THIS PARTICULAR YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL OF VEHICLE. IN MOST CASES, THE SAME THING HAPPENED EXACTLY AS IT DID TO US. AND WHEN WE LEARNED THAT SAAB HAD REDESIGNED THE FRONT COIL SPRING SEATS THE FOLLOWING YEAR (PRESUMABLY TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE), IT BECAME APPARENT THAT EVEN THE MANUFACTURER HAD ACKNOWLEDGED THAT A PROBLEM EXISTED. I AM HOPING THAT THIS WILL LEAD TO A FULL INVESTIGATION INTO THIS ISSUE WHICH COULD NOT ONLY POTENTIALLY PROTECT THE LIVES OF OTHER UNKNOWING OWNERS AND THEIR VEHICLE OCCUPANTS AS WELL AS OTHER DRIVERS, BUT ALSO TO HELP SHOULDER THE FINANCIAL BURDEN OF THIS PROBLEM. IN ALL CASES THAT I HAVE RESEARCHED, THE SPRINGS BROKE JUST AFTER THE FACTORY WARRANTY RAN OUT (AT 4 YEARS/50,000 MILES), AND CONSEQUENTLY, THE DEALERS HAVE BEEN CHARGING FOR THIS REPAIR. IN OUR CASE IT WAS $500.00!!! *TR