NHTSA Complaint #10615057 — 2008 SAAB 9-3

THE PASSENGER-SIDE TAILLIGHT BULBS HAVE BECOME SO DIM THAT THEY ARE VISIBLE ONLY UPON VERY CLOSE INSPECTION. THE TAILLIGHT BULBS ALSO SERVE AS THE BRAKE LIGHTS, EMITTING A BRIGHTER LIGHT WHEN THE BRAKE IS DEPRESSED. BECAUSE OF THIS MALFUNCTION, FOLLOWING CARS MAY NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT VISUAL NOTICE THAT THE CAR IN FRONT OF THEM IS BRAKING, RESULTING IN A TRAFFIC COLLISION. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A RELATIVELY COMMON PROBLEM AND WAS ABLE TO HAVE THE CONNECTOR FOR THE MALFUNCTIONING TAILLIGHT REPLACED. THIS WAS AN EXERCISE IN FUTILITY AS, ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, THE TAILLIGHT BECAME AS DIM AS IT HAD BEEN PRIOR TO THE CONNECTOR REPLACEMENT. THIS ISSUE, WHICH EVIDENTLY CANNOT BE EASILY REMEDIED, CREATES A HAZARD TO VEHICLE OCCUPANTS, AND THOSE IN CARS FOLLOWING THE AFFECTED VEHICLE. *TR