1998 Saab 900

1998 SAAB 900SE CONVERTIBLE - HAS HAD A CHRONIC PROBLEM 1YR+ OF VEHICLE ABRUPTLY STALLING WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. USUALLY COULD BE RESTARTED AFTER A MINUTE, BUT NOW IS DIFFICULT TO RE-START ONCE IT STALLS. THE VEHICLE STALLS OUT ON THE HIGHWAY AS WELL AND IS DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS TO CONTROL WHEN STALLS. THE DEALERSHIP HAS TRIED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE MULTIPLE TIMES 10+ RETURNS; VARIOUS PARTS HAVE BEEN ADJUSTED AND/OR REPLACED. SENSORS, MAIN COMPUTER CHIP, REWIRING, ETC.. THE PROBLEM STILL HAS NOT BEEN FIXED AND IS GETTING MUCH WORSE. THE VEHICLE IS VERY UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THERE IS ONLY 59,000 MILES THIS CAR AND THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING. THE DEALERSHIP IS AT A LOSS AS WHAT TO DO NEXT. I HAVE A CAR THAT CAN NOT BE FIXED AND CAN NOT BE DRIVEN AS A RESULT OF THIS PROBLEM. *NM

I HAVE BEEN DRIVING A 1998 900 SAAB SINCE IT WAS NEW. IT HAD ABOUT 155,500 MILES AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT DESCRIBED BELOW. RECENTLY, I WAS GOING TO REMOVE THE FRONT SUSPENSION UPRIGHTS TO REPLACE THE SHOCK ABSORBER INSERTS. AFTER REMOVING THE WHEEL ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, I DISCOVERED THAT THE "STEERING PIVOT ARM" (A HOLLOW CLAM-SHELL STAMPING WELDED TO THE UPRIGHT) WAS SO SEVERELY RUSTED OUT THAT I COULD ACTUALLY SLIP MY HAND INSIDE THE ARM. (APPROXIMATELY, 1/2 OF ITS TOTAL SURFACE AREA WAS GONE AND FATIGUE CRACKS WERE DEVELOPING IN THE REMAINING PORTION.) THE STEERING RACK TIE ROD END ATTACHES TO THIS ARM. TO MY KNOWLEDGE ALL SAAB 900S FROM 1994-2000 WERE DESIGNED WITH THIS TYPE OF STEERING LINKAGE THAT USES A RACK MOUNTED HIGH ON THE FRONT-OF-DASH, CONNECTED TO THE WHEEL VIA THIS PIVOT ARM WELDED TO THE UPRIGHT. HAD THIS PIVOT ARM BROKEN WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE RESULTING IN LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL. I HAVE DONE A LOT OF MECHANICAL WORK TO MY VEHICLES OVER THE YEARS, BUT THIS SHOCKED ME SO MUCH THAT I DIDN'T EVEN TRUST DRIVING THE CAR THE 45 MINUTES TO THE DEALER. I ORDERED REPLACEMENT PARTS FROM A REPUTABLE (SAAB ONLY) SAVAGE DEALER IN NEW YORK STATE ($470) AND REPLACED BOTH LH & RH SUSPENSION UPRIGHTS MYSELF. I HAVE RETURNED THE CAR TO SERVICE. I HAVE SPOKEN TO SAAB CUSTOMER SERVICE (REPORT #1-75588105) BUT THEY DIDN'T SEEM TO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE SEVERITY OF THE INCIDENT OR HOW CRITICAL THE INTEGRITY OF THIS PIVOT ARM IS TO CONTROLLING THE CAR. THEY PASSED THIS OFF SAYING THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. DOES STEERING CONTROL GO OUT OF WARRANTY? I HAVE SAVED THE RUSTED COMPONENTS AND HAVE PHOTOGRAPHS AVAILABLE THAT WERE TAKEN WHILE THE PART WAS STILL MOUNTED IN THE CAR. MY FEAR IS THAT THERE ARE PROBABLY OTHERS IN THE COUNTRY WITH A SIMILAR PROBLEM.

VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND PASSED IN OFF POSITION AND FOR NO CAUSE PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. CONSUMER HAS YET TO CONTACT.*AK CONSUMER STATES DEALERSHIP COMPLETED THE REPAIR, THEY INDICATED THAT THE COMPUTER DID NOT SHOW AN AIR BAG ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE, DEALER COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHY AIR BAG DEPLOYED, ONE PERSON WAS INJURIED DUE TO AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. *JB

WHILE PARKED, I WAS TURNING ON THE CAR FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE AND THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED AND HIT ME. VERY DANGEROUS, MY THREE YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS BEHIND ME AND WAS KNOCKED DOWN. IN ADDITION, I COULD HAVE BEEN DRIVING AND HAD A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. APPARENTLY THIS WAS A MALFUNCTION (DEALER COMMENTS). CHECKED YOUR DATABASE AND FOUND ANOTHER INCIDENT AROUND THE SAME TIME A YEAR BEFORE, SAME MAKE,MODEL,YEAR. ISN'T THIS A PROBLEM?*AK