2004 SAAB 9-3 Suspensionfront Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SAAB 9-3. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIANS STATED THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE COIL SPRING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT DECIDED TO REPLACE BOTH FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE COIL SPRINGS. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER ISSUED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THE FAILURE BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY DUE TO THE MILEAGE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 124,000. UPDATED 05/18/11 *BF UPDATED 2/9/12 *CN

LEFT WORK PARKING LOT AND FELT SOMETHING RUBBING ON DRIVERS SIDE TIRE. PULLED OVER TO SEE WHAT WAS WRONG. COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING. STARTED DRIVING AGAIN AND SMELLED A TIRE SMELL AND NOTICED BLUE SMOKE FROM MY REARVIEW MIRROR. STARTED TO PULL OVER AND THE TIRE BLEW. THOUGHT I BLEW A TIRE. GO TO PUT THE SPARE TIRE ON AND SEE THE SPRING FROM THE STRUT HAD ALMOST CUT MY TIRE OFF THE INSIDE OF THE RIM. CALLED MY LOCAL SAAB DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD REPLACE THE ONE SPRING. AS I WAS LOOKING UP HOW MUCH THIS WAS GOING TO COST ME(BEFORE I FOUND OUT I WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY) EVERY SITE I VISITED SAID THE SAME THING SAAB RECOMMENDS REPLACING BOTH SPRINGS YET THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THEY WILL ONLY REPLACE THE ONE THAT BROKE AND SHREDDED MY TIRE. LOOKING ON THE INTERNET I SEE THIS IS A...

I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM SAAB DATED FEB 2010 TO OWNERS OF 2003 - 2006 SAAB 9-3S THERE WAS A POTENTIAL PROBLEM OF THE SUSPENSION SPRING CORROSION MAY WEAKEN AND/OR BREAK. 3RD PARAGRAPH BOLD UNDERLINED: DO NOT TAKE YOUR CAR TO THE DEALER AS A RESULT OF THE LETTER UNLESS YOU BELIEVE YOUR CAR HAS THE CONDITION. I DID NOT TAKE IT IN. ON MAY 18, 2010 THE SPRING ON THE LEFT FRONT BROKE RESULTING IN THE FRONT END DROPPING. DURING THE LOADING ON FLAT BED TOW TRUCK THE OIL PAN WAS DAMAGED WITH A $1055 REPAIR AT MY EXPENSE. NO OIL LEAK PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SAAB 9-3. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 2 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD POP NOISE FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. AFTER DRIVING HALF A MILE AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, HE HEARD ANOTHER LOUD POP AND THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE BLEW OUT. THE TIRE WAS REPLACED WITH A SPARE AND CONTACT DROVE TO A REPAIR CENTER WHERE HE WAS INFORMED THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE COIL SPRING BROKE AND PIERCED THE TIRE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS A KNOWN ISSUE THAT WAS BEING SERVICED ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 72,000.

IN FEB 2010 I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM SAAB SAYING THAT THE FRONT SPRINGS OF MY CAR COULD FAIL DUE TO CORROSION. THEY SAID COULD CAUSE THE HEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE TO DECREASE BY AN INCH OR TWO. WHAT THEY NEGLECTED TO SAY WAS THAT THE BROKEN SPRING CAN HIT THE TIRE AND CAUSE THE TIRE TO FAIL, WHICH IS WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME AND MAY OTHER SAAB OWNERS. THEIR LETTER SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED THIS SINCE TIRE FAILURE CAUSED MY CAR TO BREAK DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY ROAD WHICH HAD NO SHOULDER AND I HAD NO WARNING THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN. *TR

MY FRONT DRIVER SIDE COIL HAS SNAPPED AND I'VE FOUND OUT THIS IS A RECURRING ISSUE FROM SAAB. THIS IS QUITE A DANGEROUS SITUATION. I'VE NOT SEEN ANY LETTER WARNING US OF THIS POTENTIAL DANGER. *TR

2004 SAAB 9-3 FRONT RIGHT SPRING COIL FAILURE. NO WARNING PRIOR TO DEFECT. LOUD NOISE IN WHEEL WELL FIRST/ONLY SIGN UPON STARTING CAR AND PULLING OUT OF DRIVEWAY. RETURNED HOME IMMEDIATELY AND MADE APPOINTMENT WITH INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. DROVE APPROX. 2 MILES TO MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED FRONT RIGHT SUSPENSION SPRING COIL FRACTURED/BROKEN. MADE APPOINTMENT WITH SAAB DEALER WHO ASSURED ME IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE CAR TO DEALER. DROVE APPROX. 1.5M WHEN BROKEN COIL SPRING PUNCTURED TIRE RESULTING IN BLOWN-OUT TIRE. SAAB TOWED CAR, REPLACED BOTH FRONT SPRING COILS AND TIRE AT NO CHANGE. *TR

LEFT FRONT SPRING FAILURE. THERE WAS AN ERRATIC OCCASIONAL METAL TO METAL NOISE COMING FROM THE UNDER THE HOOD. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF THE SPRING BEING BROKEN. TOOK CAR TO SERVICE CENTER AND DISCOVERED SPRING FAILURE. UPON FURTHER INQUIRY WITH SAAB DEALER DISCOVERED THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM. HAD CAR REPAIRED AND PARTS REPLACED WITH NEW REDESIGNED SPRINGS TO CORRECT DEFECT. OLD PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. WHY HASN'T A RECALL BEEN ISSUED? WHY HASN'T A WARNING BEEN SENT OUT TO SAAB OWNERS? WE OWN A SECOND SAAB 9-3 AND I AM CONCERNED ABOUT FRONT SPRING FAILURE ON THIS CAR! *TR

FRONT COIL SPRING HAS BROKEN. *TR

HEARD A LOUD NOISE WHILE PULLING OUT OF THE PARKING LOT; SOON AFTER, THERE WAS A RUBBER(TIRE) BURNING SMELL AND VIBRATION ON THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE. THE COIL SPRING SNAPPED AND WAS PRESSING AGAINST THE TIRE AND RIM. HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE MECHANIC. CHANGED BOTH FRONT COIL SPRINGS. MILEAGE ON THE CAR-44,000. *TR

DRIVER SIDE FRONT COIL SPRING "BROKE" WHILE DRIVING MY 2004 SAAB 9-3 ON THE HIGHWAY AT OVER 50 MPH. CAUSED SIGNIFICANT STRUT DAMAGE AND RATTLING OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS AS I WAS WORKING TO SCHEDULE IN A MECHANIC VISIT. THEY FINALLY QUOTED ME $930 IN REPAIRS TO REPLACE BOTH FRONT SPRINGS, STRUTS AND TO PERFORM AN ALIGNMENT. APPARENTLY, A LOT OF OTHER SAABS OF THE SAME MODEL HAS HAD THIS ISSUE ARISE FOR THEM, I THINK THE SPRINGS SHOULD BE RECALLED. IT IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

COIL SPRING ON FRONT RIGHT TIRE OF 2004 SAAB 9-3 BROKE. SHREDDED TIRE. *TR

UPON DRIVING OUR 2004 SAAB 9-3 INTO A PARKING LOT WE NOTICED THE CAR WAS NOT HANDLING CORRECTLY. FRONT END WAS VERY LOW TO GROUND, CAR NOT TURNING CORRECTLY, AND MAKING A NOISE. UPON HAVING IT TOWED TO THE DEALER IT APPEARED ONE OF THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS HAD SNAPPED. BASED ON NUMEROUS OTHER REPORTED COMPLAINTS SIMILAR TO OURS, WE WERE VERY LUCKY THAT IT HAPPENED VERY CLOSE TO WORK, AFTER GETTING OFF OF THE MASS PIKE OR WE COULD HAVE HAD A BLOWN TIRE AT 70 MPH. AFTER DISCUSSION WITH THE SAAB DEALER AND THEIR DISTRICT MANAGER, SAAB REPLACED BOTH FRONT COIL SPRINGS AT NO COST TO US WITHOUT ANY ARGUMENT. IRONICALLY A FRIEND OF OURS HAD JUST HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM A MONTH EARLIER WITH THE SAME OUTCOME. *TR

NOTICED A SUDDEN STEERING PULL AND THUMP/RATTLE IN FRONT END. DROVE TO NEAREST SHOP TO HAVE A LOOK AND WAS TOLD MY FRONT COIL SPRINGS WERE BROKEN AND LUCKY THAT THE SPRING DID NOT SHRED THE TIRE AND CAUSE A LOSS OF CONTROL/ACCIDENT! I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS HAS BEEN A SOMEWHAT COMMON DEFECT ON SIMILAR YEAR MODELS. SHOP RECOMMENDED REPLACE BOTH SPRINGS BEFORE DRIVING AGAIN. *TR

FRONT SPRING COIL IS BROKE. DURING OIL CHANGE, DEALER CHECKED AND FOUND A PIECE OF THE COIL MISSING. I WOULD LIKE SAAB TO REIMBURSE FOR THIS $400+ REPAIR JOB. *TR

LEFT FRONT SUSPENSION COIL SPRING BROKEN. *TR

BOTH FRONT COIL SPRINGS WERE BROKEN WHEN THE CAR WENT IN FOR INSPECTION. EACH OF THE FRONT SPRINGS HAD APPROXIMATELY 3-4 INCH LONG PIECE BROKEN OFF WHERE IT MEETS THE BOTTOM RETAINER. AWAITING WORD FROM SAAB TO SEE IF THEY ARE GOING TO COVER THE REPAIR. *TR

2004 SAAB 93 ARC 63,000 MILES. BROKEN COIL SPRING. I WAS DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED WHEN I FELT A LARGE THUMP. MY STEERING WENT ERRATIC AND HEARD GRINDING NOISES. I PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY. CAR WAS TOWED. THE CAUSE AND DAMAGE WAS DETERMINED TO BE A BROKEN COIL SPRING WHICH CHAIN REACTED AND CAUSED THE FRONT STRUT TO BREAK, AND BEND THE STABILIZER BAR. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS, I HAVE FOUND THIS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM IN 03-05 SAAB 9-3 (LISTED WITH NHTSA AS WELL AS OTHER SOURCES) IT IS NOT RECALLED AND SAAB HAS YET TO DETERMINE IF THEY WILL FIX THIS AS A COURTESY. BILL, $1200. *TR

FRONT DRIVER SIDE COIL SPRING BROKE. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 SAAB 9-3 THAT HAS EXPERIENCED A FRONT SUSPENSION COIL SPRING FAILURE. THERE HAS BEEN NO DAMAGE AS OF YET BUT I WOULD LIKE GM TO PAY FOR REPLACING THE DEFECTIVE PART. *TR

AFTER NOTICING AN INCREASINGLY LOUD SUSPENSION CLUNK COMING FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT WHEEL. I BROUGHT THE CAR INTO THE SAAB DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE, I WAS TOLD THAT THE FRONT SPRING WAS SNAPPED AND BOTH FRONT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AS THE CAR WAS NO LONGER SAFE TO DRIVE. AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION ON THE WEB I HAVE FOUND THERE ARE SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE SPRINGS FOR THIS YEAR AND MODEL, I WAS LUCKY THAT I DID NOT EXPERIENCE AND FAILURE AT HIGH SPEED AS SOME OTHERS HAVE. I FIND THIS TO BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS THAT THE SPRINGS ARE ROTTING AND SNAPPING AFTER ONLY A FEW YEARS. I LIVE IN THE SNOW BELT THAT IS NOTED IN THE ALREADY OPEN INVESTIGATION. ACTION# PE08052 AND EA08026. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY WIFE EXPERIENCES A SCRAPING SOUND. THEN HER RIGHT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT AND WAS SHREDDED. FORTUNATELY SHE WAS TRAVELING VERY SLOWLY ON A LOCAL STREET, AND WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER; OTHERWISE THE TIRE BLOWOUT COULD HAVE CAUSED HER SERIOUS HARM. TURNS OUT IT WAS THE SPRING (OR COIL) THAT HAD BROKEN. COST US $650.00 TO REPAIR AND REPLACE BOTH SPRINGS (SAAB SAID YOU HAVE TO REPLACE BOTH SPRINGS AT SAME TIME, EVEN THOUGH ONLY ONE BROKE) AND FOR A NEW TIRE. SAAB DEALER SAID BROKEN SPRINGS/COILS NOT COVERED. I KEPT THE BROKEN SPRING. WE HAD THE LOCAL CAR REPAIR SHOP DISCARD THE SHREDDED TIRE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING THROUGH THE TED WILLIAMS TUNNEL AND THE LEFT FRONT COIL SPRING BROKE. I DID NOT HIT A BUMP. THE SPRING CAUSED A CATASTROPIC FAILURE OF THE LEFT FRONT TIRE. I HAD TO BE TOWED OUT OF THE TUNNEL AND HAVE NEW COIL SPRINGS INSTALLED. *TR

MY 2004 SAAB 93 ARC HAD 2 BROKEN FRONT COIL SPRINGS. TOLD CORROSION CAUSED BREAKAGE. RIGHT FRONT BROKE WHILE DRIVING WITH MY 8 YEAR OLD SON IN THE CAR. CAR HAD TO BE TOWED. CAR IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP. REPAIRS OVER 400$ FOR JUST COIL SPRINGS TO BE REPLACED. *TR

ABOUT 5 INCHES OF THE LOWER PART OF THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE COIL SPRING HAD SNAPPED OFF AND REMAINED IN THE WHEEL WELL. WILL HAVE TO TAKE IT IN TO GET IT REPAIRED, JUST NOTICED IT, TIME OF INCIDENT UNKNOWN IT COULD HAVE HAPPENED WHEN THE CAR WAS PURCHASED IN 06. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 SAAB 9-3 LINEAR AND WAS DRIVING NEAR MY HOUSE AND HEARD A LOUD CRACK FROM THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE. I DROVE THE CAR HOME A BLOCK AND TOOK THE WHEEL OFF TO FIND A PIECE OF THE FRONT SUSPENSION COIL SPRING SNAPPED OFF AND THE REMAINDER WAS RUBBING AGAINST MY TIRE. LUCKILY NO HARM WAS DONE TO MYSELF OR TIRE BUT IT COULD HAVE OCCURRED ON THE INTERSTATE WITH NOT AS GOOD RESULTS. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR NOT ONLY IN THE US BUT SAME THING IN EUROPE. I WILL HAVE TO GET MY CAR TOWED TO A MECHANIC AND GET THE COIL REPLACED. *TR

1. STANDARD DRIVING CONDITIONS IN MINNESOTA. 2. FRONT LEFT COIL SPRING BREAKAGE. NEAR THE TOP OF SPRING. 3. REPLACED BOTH FRONT SPRINGS AT DEALERSHIP. *TR

ON 2004 SAAB 9-3, RIGHT FRONT COIL SPRING BROKE, SLASHED WALL OF TIRE RESULTING IN IMMEDIATE DEFLATION. VEHICLE TAKEN TO LOCAL REPAIR SHOP, REPAIRED SAME DAY, REQUESTED OLD PART TO BE HELD. *TR

WHILE DRIVING 35~40MPH SUDDEN VERY LOUD POP NOISE. DIDN'T HIT A HOLE OR ANYTHING. CAR WAS STILL DRIVABLE, BUT STOP TO THE SIDE TO INSPECT THE TIRES. NO FLAT TIRES AND CAR SEEMED STRUCTURALLY OK. CONTINUED TO DRIVE OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. A RATTLING NOISE WAS ALWAYS PRESENT OVER BUMPS. FINALLY LOOKED BEHIND THE FRONT LEFT TIRE AND SAW THE COIL SPRING WAS BROKE IN TWO LOCATIONS. *TR