1999 SAAB 9-5 Electrical Systemignition Problems

DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE FAILURE. IT CAUSED THE CAR TO STALL IN AN INTERSECTION. I WAS IN A TRAFFIC LANE TURNING LEFT WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC WHEN IT FAILED. I REPLACED IT AT THE DEALER FOR $400.00. *TR

MY 1999 SAAB 9-5 SUSTAINED THE IDENTICAL FAILURE OF THE IGNITION DISCHARGE MODULE DESCRIBED IN THE 2000-2003 RECALL. REPAIRED BY LOCAL MECHANIC. WAS UNAWARE OF RECALL (AS DID NOT INCLUDE 1999) BUT MY COLLEAGUE POINTED IT OUT TO ME. I CONTACTED SAAB, SENT THEM RELEVANT DOCUMENTATION, AND THEY REFUSED TO CONSIDER MY VEHICLE UNDER THE RECALL. CLEARLY AN IGNITION MODULE SMOKING AND BURNING WHEN ENGINE STARTED IS A VERY UNUSUAL EVENT. I SUSPECT THIS MODULE ALSO BEGAN TO FAIL IN 1999 BUT THAT TOO FEW OF THESE EVENTS WAS REPORTED TO MAKE YOUR RECALL THRESHOLD, BUT I WOULD MAINTAIN THAT SUCH AN ARBITRARY CUTOFF IS INEQUITABLE. SAME PART; SAME UNUSUAL FAILURE. NOT SURE WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT THIS MANUFACTURER (USUALLY GOOD FOLK) IS MANAGING THIS WELL. HENCE MY FORMAL COMPLAINT. *JB

THE CAR DEVELOPED AN ODD BURNING SMELL WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT AND THE ENGINE QUIT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND REQUIRED THE REPLACEMENT OF THE DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTES. *NM

SLUDGE IN OIL AND FAULTY IGNITION CASSETTE MODULE. *NM

VEHICLE WAS NOT STARTING. REPAIR SHOP DIAGNOSED PROBLEM AS FAILURE OF DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE, WHICH IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE, BUT WAS NOT INVOLVED IN A RECENT RECALL OF OVER 300,000 VEHICLES. PART WAS REPLACED- WILL NEED TO CHECK IF AVAILABLE. *NM

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND INDICATED A MISFIRE CYL. ONE. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED UNTIL TOTAL FAILURE OF THE ENGINE 12 MILES LATER. THE DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE WAS REPLACED AND THE PROBLEM WAS SOLVED. I HAVE READ NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM THROUGHOUT THE 1999-2003 MODEL YEAR RANGE. *NM

REGARDING NHTSA ACTION NUMBER : PE05017 I EXPERIENCED ENGINE STALLING DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE IGNITION DISCHARGE MODULE (IDM)) "CASSETTE" ON MY (MY) 1999 SAAB 9-5. THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE SLOWING DOWN AT A RED LIGHT FROM APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH. I DID NOT CONFIRM WHETHER CATALYTIC CONVERTER DAMAGE WAS EXPERIENCED AS WELL. MY CAR AT REST IN A BUSY INTERSECTION WAS MOST CERTAINLY A HAZARDOUS SITUATION, AT THE CORNER OF ST. ANDREWS BLVD AND GLADES ROAD IN BOCA RATON, FLORIDA 33431. I REPLACED THE IDM AND HAVE KEPT THE ORIGINAL FOR POTENTIAL STUDY OF FAILURE. *JB

DT: THE CONSUMER OWNS A 1999 SAAB MODEL 95 THAT EXPERIENCED AN IGNITION PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WOULD START BUT WOULD NOT RUN PROPERLY. THE CAR WOULD LURCH OR CONVULSE WHILE DRIVING. THE ENGINE WOULD STALL AND THEN DIE COMPLETELY. THE VEHICLE WOULD RESTART BUT CONTINUE TO HAVE THOSE SAME PROBLEMS. THE VEHICLE HAS A MANUAL TRANSMISSION. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER SAID IT WAS AN ISSUE WITH DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE AND THE DIC WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. SINCE THE REPLACEMENT THERE HAVE BEEN NO FURTHER PROBLEMS. *AK

CAR WAS RUNNING FINE AND SUDDENLY WOULD NOT START. TOWED TO DEALER, DIAGNOSED AS DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE FAILURE. DEALER REPLACED PART. *NM

DROVE CAR (COLD) FROM HOME TO NEXT TOWN - MAYBE 10MILES APART. LET THE CAR SIT FOR @45 MINS. DROVE BACK IN THE DIRECTION OF HOME - ABOUT 8 MILES INTO DRIVE HOME, CAR STARTED TO CHUG WITH NO WARNING, WAS NOT SPEEDING, LOCAL ROAD WITH TRAFFIC, "CHECK ENGINE"LIGHT CAME ON - PULLED OFF TO NEAREST GAS STATION - ABOUT MILE DOWN THE ROAD. CHECKED OIL - CAR DID NOT NEED OIL. DROVE CAR TO MECHANIC - ANOTHER MILE FROM GAS STATION - CAR CONTINUING TO CHUG. TECHNICIAN TESTED CAR WITH COMPUTER AND SAID THE #2 CYLINDER IN THE DIRECT IGNITION, WAS NOT FIRING PROPERLY AND THAT WAS THE PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHTS, ALL THE GAUGES READ "NORMAL" CAR IS SERVICED PROPERLY. WHY SHOULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED? THE CARE IS RARELY DRIVEN THROUGHOUT THE WEEK - I COMMUTE VIA FERRY SO THE CAR IS GENERALLY...

IGNITION CASETTE FAILURE--SECOND REPLACEMENT IN 12 MONTHS!!!! EVEN THOUGH THE DEFECT WAS FOUND (AND DOCUMENTED!) IN JANUARY 2005 (LESS THAN 12 MONTHS AFTER THE INITIAL REPLACEMENT IN FEBRUARY OF 2004), SAAB WILL NOT PAY FOR REPLACEMENT AND REPAIRS AS IT IS CLAIMING THAT IT WAS NOT REPAIRED UNTIL APRIL.

COMPLETE, INSTANTANEOUS SHUTDOWN OF THE ENTIRE VEHICLE AT SPEED. LOSS OF POWER, LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKES, HAD TO ANGLE ACROSS TWO LANES OF HIGH SPEED TRAFFIC WHILE COASTING! THANKFULLY, NO ONE HIT ME! HAD TO REPLACE THE "DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE". THIS FAILED COMPLETELY. *NM

WHILE ENTERING I-80 FROM A REST STOP AND ACCELERATING TO HIGHWAY SPEEDS ENGINE JUST QUIT. I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AND IT RE-STARTED IMMEDIATELY. I CONTINUED WITH NO FURTHER PROBLEM. ON REACHING COLORADO SPRINGS, I TOOK THE CAR TO THE LOCAL SAAB DEALER, EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM, AND THEY COULD FIND NO PROBLEM. THEY SUGGESTED THAT PERHAPS MY WIFE HAD ACCIDENTALLY HIT THE KEY WHEN ADJUSTING HERSELF IN THE CAR, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO QUIT, AND SUGGESTED IF IT HAPPENED AGAIN TO JIGGLE THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. THE DATES GIVEN FOR THE INCIDENT BELOW ARE A SLIDE FICTION - IT HAPPENED IN 2004, AND I THINK IN MAY, BUT DO NOT RECALL FOR SURE, NOR DO I RECALL THE EXACT DATE. *AK

WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE IN THE PASSING LANE IN MY 1999 SAAB 1995 ACCELERATING FROM 65 MPH TO 75 MPH, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STOPPED RUNNING WHEN I REACHED ABOUT 75 MPH. IT SMELLED LIKE PLASTIC WAS BURNING AND NOTHING ON THE CAR WAS OPERATIONAL.*AK TRAFFIC WAS VERY HEAVY AND LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO ROLL TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT GETTING HIT OR CAUSING AN ACCIDENT AT THAT HIGH SPEED. SUCH CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF A COMPONENT IS UNACCEPTABLE WHEN DRIVING AT TODAY?S SPEEDS AND TRAFFIC. AFTER HAVING THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY REPLACED THE DIC (DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE) FOR $738.10. THE CAR WAS JUST OUT OF WARRANTY.

STATION WAGON STALLED TRAVELING AT SPEED OF 40 MPH. WAS ABLE TO START CAR AFTER ABOUT 1 HOUR. TOOK CAR TO SAAB DEALER FOLLOWING DAY, THEY WERE UNABLE TO IDENTIFY PROBLEM. NEXT DAY CAR STALLED GOING UP HILL AT 20 MPH - CAR HAD TO BE PUSHED INTO SERVICE STATION. NEW IGNITION CASSETTE WAS INSTALLED BY FRITSCHS EXXON 99 S. NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA 19063 12/30/2004. THEY KEPT OLD PART. PHONE 610-353-3007. THEY OBTAINED NEW PART FROM MAINLINE SAAB IN ARDMORE, PA. I HAD TO RENT A CAR.*AK

THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THIS PART WOULD FAIL, UNTIL IT DID FAIL. I WAS DRIVING AND THE ENGINE JUST SHUT OFF, ON THE HIGHWAY. I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND ROLL OFF AN OFF-RAMP, BUT DID CREATE AN UNSAFE CONDITION WHILE STILL ON THE HIGHWAY. THE PART WAS A "DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE", PART #9197559, AND IT WAS EASILY REPLACED BY MY MECHANIC AFTER THE CAR WAS TOWED TO HIS FACILITY.*AK

FAILURE OF THE DIRECT IGNITION CASETTE. THE VEHICLE LEFT ME STRANDED AT THE GAS STATION AND LATER THAT NIGHT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. PLEASE INSTITUTE A RECALL. THIS IS RIDICULOUS!!!!!

I HAD A FAILURE OF THE DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE ON MY SAAB. THIS RESULTED IN AN IMMEDIATE, UNANTICIPATED ENGINE FAILURE WITH NO WARNING ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS CAUSED MY VEHICLE TO IMMEDIATELY DIE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON PROBLEM WITH SAABS. TO ME THIS CONSTITUTES A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE FOR SAAB DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS. IN MY CASE I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE 2 POLICE VEHICLES RESPOND WITHIN MINUTES TO DIVERT HIGHWAY TRAFFIC.*AK THIS PART IS NOW BEING REPLACED.

1999 SAAB 9-5 DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE FAILED. LEFT CAR STRANDED. THIS ITEM SHOULD BE RECALLED. MANY SAAB OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED DANGEROUS FAILURES OF THIS COMPONENT.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY STALLED. THIS CAUSED LOSS OF STEERING AND THE BRAKES. DEALERSHIP REPLACED 3 TIMES THE CASSETTE IGNITION MODULE, PART 9197559 AT CONSUMER'S EXPENSE OF $400.OO. *AK

CAR STARTED RUNNING BADLY (MISFIRING). BASED ON NUMBER OF FAILURES REPORTED ON THE SAABNET WEBSITE, I FIGURED THE DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE WAS FAILING. REMOVED IT AND FOUND A CRACKED COMPONENT IN THE CASSETTE. REPLACED THE CASSETTE WITH NEW ONE ($414 LIST PRICE) AND PROBLEM CURED. SAAB NOW WANTS FAILED CASSETTE BACK AND IS CHARGING A $250 CORE CHARGE IF IT'S NOT RETURNED. ANOTHER EXPENSIVE AND COMMON FAILURE WITH THE 9-5.*AK

FAILURE OF DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE. VEHICLE (1999 SAAB 9-5 SE) STOPS RUNNING IN TRAFFIC AND CANNOT BE RESTARTED. BASED ON REPORTS IN SAABNET.COM, THIS IS A RELATIVELY COMMON FAILURE. *AK