NHTSA Complaint #10449201 — 2005 SAAB 9-3

A FEW WEEKS AGO, I BEGAN TO NOTICE A CLUNKING SOUND NEAR FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS IN THE ROAD. UPON INVESTIGATION THIS WEEK, I COULD SEE THAT THE COIL SPRING WAS BROKEN RIGHT THROUGH THE METAL. I HAD NEVER HEARS OF ANYTHING LIKE THAT. MILEAGE IS APPROXIMATELY 77,000. DROVE IT TO THE MECHANIC, WHO CONFIRMED THAT THERE IS A BROKEN SPRING. THEY INFORMED ME THAT, ALTHOUGH THE PART IS NOT EXPENSIVE, THERE ARE NONE AVAILABLE, THAT THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT, AND THE PART IS ON A NATIONAL BACKORDER! I NEVER REC'D ANY SORT OF NOTIFICATION FROM SAAB ABOUT THIS. THE MECHANIC ALSO SAID THAT I WAS INCREDIBLY LUCKY THAT THE BREAK DIDN'T HAPPEN ON THE FREEWAY, THAT IT COULD HAVE TAKEN OUT THE BRAND NEW FRONT TIRE. I HAVE A YOUNG DAUGHTER AND I VOLUNTEER TO DRIVE OTHER SCHOOL KIDS ON A WEEKLY BASIS--THIS COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. UNTIL A NEW SPRING IS FOUND, I WAS TOLD NOT TO DRIVE THE CAR, THAT IT COULD BLOW OUT THE TIRE AT ANY TIME. THERE IS NO ETA ON THE NEW PART. EVEN THOUGH SAAB IS BANKRUPT, THERE'S A LOCAL DEALER STILL IN BUSINESS, SO I'M THE WAIT LIST FOR THE PART WITH THEM AS WELL. IN THE MEANTIME, I'M STUCK. *TR