2005 SAAB 95 Problem - Kamakazi Pilots Wanted!
Discussion
We have had our 95 now 8 months, 3 days after buying it it engaged reverse at 70mph on the motorway, skidded off the road and started going backwards without the gears being touched , after stopping the car by turning it off it then drove normally for a couple of days, the dealer looked at it NO Fault Found but unusual fault code on computer , on leaving it then accelerated while in a trafic jam while my foot was only on the brake - the only way to stop it is braking so hard to stall the car!They changed a computer and throttle body but it still does this. It has now done this on 4 occasions, SAAB an now saying the fault is impossible to happen so its our problem and even accused us of making it up to get a refund - we dare not even drive the car!Has anyone ever heard of this kind of fault.
Dave
Brisbane OZ
Dave
Brisbane OZ
Automatic I assume? (Otherwise far too bizarre to contemplate.)
Sounds like you need to bypass the dealer and maybe the importer office and go straight to the top.
Some decades ago a company I worked for had a couple of Auto Ford Granadas (Mk1 time).
The auto did not seem to have anything to prevent engaging an inappropriate gear or, if it did, it was easy to fool it. Within 25 miles of picking up one of the new ones and when I was trying out the manual shift the lever went straight through to neutral at a fairly full throttle. Very disconcerting at the time as I was overtaking and I found myself without a gear for reasaons I didn't understand at the time.
A similar thing happened with the other one a few months later but this time it went all the way into reverse, again during an overtaking maneouvre. Engine stalled, brakes went, steering got very heavy and the guy I had just passed must have thought I was a grade A idiot. Which may have been true of course.
My guess would be that there is something wrong in the 'box or change mechanism that allows such a thing to happen. My 2002 9-5 has never exhibited any sign of doing anything like you describe.
The idea of swapping your car with a member of the Saab staff with an equivalent model could be an interesting one. You need to guarantee that it would actually get used.
Sounds like you need to bypass the dealer and maybe the importer office and go straight to the top.
Some decades ago a company I worked for had a couple of Auto Ford Granadas (Mk1 time).
The auto did not seem to have anything to prevent engaging an inappropriate gear or, if it did, it was easy to fool it. Within 25 miles of picking up one of the new ones and when I was trying out the manual shift the lever went straight through to neutral at a fairly full throttle. Very disconcerting at the time as I was overtaking and I found myself without a gear for reasaons I didn't understand at the time.
A similar thing happened with the other one a few months later but this time it went all the way into reverse, again during an overtaking maneouvre. Engine stalled, brakes went, steering got very heavy and the guy I had just passed must have thought I was a grade A idiot. Which may have been true of course.
My guess would be that there is something wrong in the 'box or change mechanism that allows such a thing to happen. My 2002 9-5 has never exhibited any sign of doing anything like you describe.
The idea of swapping your car with a member of the Saab staff with an equivalent model could be an interesting one. You need to guarantee that it would actually get used.
Unfortunately - yes its one of the selectronic ones with paddles on the wheels as well, but for it to do this you dont need to change gears, merely brake! I "offered" to swop it with them for a period but they refused on grounds the car MAY BE UNSAFE, then told me its impossible that this could happen and accused us of making the whole thing up to get a refund. We have asked SAAB for a replacement car but they declined saying the fault cant exist and its against company policy to replace faulty vehicles, only repair them - 8 months on we dare not drive the bloody thing, it only faults occasionally (once every 4-6 weeks) but when it does it could cause an accident and kill or maim someone.
thats scary.
Parent had an audi 100 some years ago, I was driving and it kept accelerating, even when I was braking! Parents would not beleive me. Stopped, got out, parents drove and did the same. Was a faulty somehting or other.
Had a faulty M5 with many faults and 2 dangerous ones. BMW garage didnt beleive me. even after a test drive until they ramped it and came back ashen faced. The car almost killed me.
Stick with your guns. Dont drive it. Dont risk your life, it not worth it.
Any update?
Parent had an audi 100 some years ago, I was driving and it kept accelerating, even when I was braking! Parents would not beleive me. Stopped, got out, parents drove and did the same. Was a faulty somehting or other.
Had a faulty M5 with many faults and 2 dangerous ones. BMW garage didnt beleive me. even after a test drive until they ramped it and came back ashen faced. The car almost killed me.
Stick with your guns. Dont drive it. Dont risk your life, it not worth it.
Any update?
Spoke to the Manager of SAAB(Queensland) who today said "I'll get back to you on Monday as i am very Busy" I pointed that this has now been going on over 8 months , we have asked for a replacement vehicle as it does not fit its description of being fit for its use. We sent also an email to the manager of SAAB Australia today, we also advised them we don't want the car back as both my wife and my fathers wont even get in the car! my reason for posting this thread was first of all to see if anyone had anything like this happen before with a newish 95, so far all I can say is after 6 SAABs between us neither will ever touch another - their arrogance at telling us we were making it up and lying will not be forgotten - Never will either us us buy a GM vehicle, their customer service is disgusting.
ozzie dave said:
Spoke to the Manager of SAAB(Queensland) who today said "I'll get back to you on Monday as i am very Busy" I pointed that this has now been going on over 8 months , we have asked for a replacement vehicle as it does not fit its description of being fit for its use. We sent also an email to the manager of SAAB Australia today, we also advised them we don't want the car back as both my wife and my fathers wont even get in the car! my reason for posting this thread was first of all to see if anyone had anything like this happen before with a newish 95, so far all I can say is after 6 SAABs between us neither will ever touch another - their arrogance at telling us we were making it up and lying will not be forgotten - Never will either us us buy a GM vehicle, their customer service is disgusting.
Sadly, Saab having to now toe the GM corporate line in terms of typical GM csutomer service is now one of the reasons after a similar amount of Saab's I won't be getting another one. Here in the UK, Saab-GB customer service when still independent at Marlow was very good.
Under GM, Saab-GB customer service, if you can now call it that, has been moved to the Vauxhall HQ at Luton, and has dramatically suffered as a result.
GM has never been interested in it's customers anyway, as Saab used to be, as GM philosopy is build lots, not build quality.
Keep plugging away at them.
Do you have any Aussie TV shows that deal with shoddy firms, like we do here in the UK?
As writing a letter of complaint to the company MD clearly showing a copy has gone to the BBC Watchdog programme using results in some action being taken over here. Companies act if they thing they will get bad TV coverage.
Although not what you want to here, I'm quite impressed that the car is still sort of drivable after shifting into reverse at 70..?
Generally that would have spread bits of gearbox all over several square yards of tarmac......
Yes we've approached the TV stations, but GM are doing a big advertising campaign here so stations not over keen to put the story out I suspect. The reason for no damage I suspect lies not only in the fact that it IS a better built vehicle than many on the road, but also I believe that the electronics have also helped me as well as cause the incidents, think
As for your comments on GM I could not agree more, perhaps all GM senior staff should be given 1 of these, It may help, bit like the Darwin Awards! One thing they may be starting to become aware of is that I just become more annoyed by their behavior and determined to get something done!
Dave
As for your comments on GM I could not agree more, perhaps all GM senior staff should be given 1 of these, It may help, bit like the Darwin Awards! One thing they may be starting to become aware of is that I just become more annoyed by their behavior and determined to get something done!
Dave
Had a discussion with a muppet from GM yesterday - still stressing that even though the fault happened when we had had the car (an ex SAAB corporate car) was ours for 3 days old and had 15000Km on the clock they were only obliged to repair no matter how long it takes (so far 8 months) it comes back today again, no fault found, with a bill for looking for a "non existent fault" - I'm going to get everything written up again and the next time, god forbid anyone being hurt, then the book will be thrown at SAAB. A good thing is that I met a guy buying a saab93 convertible here and he canceled his order and purchased a Volvo convertible after I had told him the story, The Dealer had sent a secretary out to do the sales on the car as they had no SAAB sales people at the time.His impression was just backed up by what I told him. Will I ever buy another- not if you even pay me not any GM Vehicle this company stinks like Rotten Fish. Their handling of valid customer complaints is to beat them to submission, this was our 5 consecutive SAAB and our last ever
Dave Ingerson
Dave Ingerson
What a nightmare... are there any car mags you can write to? AutoExpress over here used to have a WatchDog page. Have you tried approaching the SOC in Australia? Have a look on SaabScene and SaabCentral to see if anybody else has has similar issues.
What about your statutory rights? Have you talked to a lawyer or citizen's advice? Is it worth going for an independant inspection? Odds on all the garage have done is put it on Tech 2
Any mileage in dumping it across their forecourt with some press attention? Can you reject it or is it too late?
That's absolutely outrageous and I don't blame you for not wanting to buy another. Thank God I have a proper Swedish Saab...
Outcome was today we got rid of the car, dealer again said no fault found , no readings on Tec2, no flat spots on tyres so could not have happened, the car sat in the garage for 5 weeks before we had to take it to another dealers. The original dealer has been obstructive and deceitful in our mind, when a meeting was arranged, the managers never turned up, even though the fault appeared within days of purchase they have looked repeatedly at it but never fixed it, then used the excuse that its out of stat. warranty. Saab say the dealer should have lent a replacement they never did. Dealer blames SAAB, SAAB blame dealer routine.For the first time in many years we have bought a non-SAAB car(after 5 of them consecutively) a Nissan 350Z.
I have sold people on many Saabs in the past as I had found them to be brilliant cars, I would think at-least a dozen of my associates have brought various ones from various dealers, well now its the opposite, I will get the story of their behavior out, and am contacting the Manager of SAAB Aus , the dealer principal & SAAB directly to voice my disgust at their behavior.
Oh, forgot to mention, we had paid for the SAAB 3 year extra warranty as well- what a waste of paper!
David
I have sold people on many Saabs in the past as I had found them to be brilliant cars, I would think at-least a dozen of my associates have brought various ones from various dealers, well now its the opposite, I will get the story of their behavior out, and am contacting the Manager of SAAB Aus , the dealer principal & SAAB directly to voice my disgust at their behavior.
Oh, forgot to mention, we had paid for the SAAB 3 year extra warranty as well- what a waste of paper!
David
Edited by ozzie dave on Wednesday 15th November 23:33
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