2005 SAAB 9-3 Suspension Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER STRUT WAS BENT. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE STRUT WAS REPLACED BUT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE FAILURE WOULD RECUR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STRUTS NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE STREET AT 30 MPH I HEAR A BANG! I START TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE STEERING WHEEL I IMMEDIATELY PUT MY HAZARD LIGHTS ON AND PULLED OVER SAFELY ONCE I GAINED CONTROL WHEN I GET OUT THE CAR TO INSPECT IT MY PASSENGERS SIDE FRONT SPRING IS BROKEN IN TWO AND MY PASSENGER SIDE TIRE IS BLOWN. I COULD HAVE BEEN VERY BADLY INJURED OR KILLED! SAAB YOU NEED TO DO A RECALL THIS IS LIFE THREATENING!

JUST PUT 2005 SAAB 9-3 INTO SHOP FOR NEW BREAKS AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER COIL SPRING WAS BROKEN. PARTS ARE UNAVAILABLE. I HAVE NO RECOLLECTION AS TO WHEN THIS MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED. THANKFULLY IT WAS NOT ON FREEWAY. *TR

I WENT TO PUT NEW TIRES ON THE CAR BECAUSE OF A FLAT TIRE AND THE SERVICE GARAGE INDICATED THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS WERE BROKEN. I CALLED A SAAB DEALEARSHIP AND THAT INDICATED THAT THE PREVIOUS OWNER REPLACED THE SPRINGS BUT THE REPLACEMENT SPRINGS WERE NOT COVERED. *TR

FRONT COIL SPRINGS BROKE. SERVICE STATION HAD TO REMOVE FRONT STRUT ASSEMBLIES TO REPLACE "BROKEN" FRONT COIL SPRINGS- INSTALL STRUTS-CLEAN AFFECTED SURFACES AND TWO NEW TIRES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SUSPENSION COIL SPRING FRACTURED AND PUNCTURED THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE AND WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC SHOP WHERE THE FAILURE WAS CONFIRMED. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED THAT THE PARTS NEEDED FOR THE REPAIR WERE ON A NATIONAL BACK ORDER AND THE DEALER WAS UNAWARE OF WHEN THE PARTS WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE WHO STATED THEY WERE NOT SURE WHEN THE PARTS WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE AND OFFERED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000.

THE FRONT-RIGHT COIL SPRING HAS BROKEN (WHEN TURNING 180 DEGREE, AT 3 OR 5 MPH); *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, SHE HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO DRIVE DIFFERENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN STRAIGHT TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY ADVISED HER THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE COIL SPRINGS WERE FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY ADVISED HER THAT THEY HAD ISSUED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY BUT HER VEHICLE WAS NOT ONE OF THE AFFECTED UNITS THAT THE WARRANTY WOULD COVER. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 42,000.

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...

COIL BROKE , AND COULD HAVE DESTROYED THE TIRE AT HIGH SPEEDS WOULD HAVE BEEN REALLY BAD. *TT

WHILE BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY, I HEARD A LOUD NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE A SPRING. AFTER TAKING THE CAR TO THE DEALER, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE PASSENGER STRUT SPRING REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. SEVERAL HOURS LATER, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE PART WAS ONLY AVAILABLE FROM SAAB IN SWEDEN AND THE ETA WAS UNKNOWN DUE TO SAAB BANKRUPTCY STATUS. A DAY LATER THE DEALER WAS ABLE TO LOCATE A USED PART WITH A 30-DAY WARRANTY BUT I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL REPAIR COSTS. FORTUNATELY, NO DAMAGE WAS DONE TO MY TIRES, AS I HAD JUST REPLACED THE SET ONLY TWO WEEKS PRIOR. ALSO, I APPRECIATE THE DEALER TELLING ME OF THE RISK IN CONTINUING TO DRIVE THE CAR WITH THE BROKEN SPRING. THEY ALSO PROVIDED A LOANER CAR FOR THE PERIOD OF THE REPAIR. STILL, IF THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT FOR THIS MODEL AND YEAR, THE REPAIR COST SHOULD...

TO WHOM THIS MAY BE CONCERNED: I JUST CALLED SAAB CORP AND MY LOCAL SAAB DEALER, AND THEY'RE ACTING LIKE IT'S NO BIG DEAL???? I THINK IT'S A VERY BIG DEAL AND ACCORDING TO MY PERSONAL NON-SAAB MECHANIC, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A LIFE-THREATENING ORDEAL IF THE COIL-SPRING WOULD HAVE BROKE AT A HIGHER SPEEDS... IT'S JUST PLAIN WRONG THAT SAAB-CORP IS NOT MAKING A BIGGER DEAL ABOUT THIS ISSUE??? WHY??? ANY AND ALL INFO WILL BE APPRECIATED. ALSO I'M THINKING ABOUT REPORTING THIS TO MY OUR LOCAL CONGRESSMAN AND STATE SENATOR?? THANK YOU AND SAFE-DRIVING:: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NORMAL DRIVING. BOTTOM SIX INCHES OF FRONT RIGHT STRUT COIL SPRING JUST BROKE. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A COIL SPRING JUST BREAK BEFORE. THIS PART IS STILL ON THE CAR AND I HAVE THE BROKEN SIX INCH SEMI-CIRCULAR PIECE. IT TOOK ALMOST THREE MONTHS BEFORE I DISCOVERED WHERE A CLICKING SOUND WAS COMING FROM IN THE FRONT RIGHT SUSPENSION. *TR

FRONT COIL SPRING FRACTURE. *TR