6th Feb 2006, 18:39
I have had the same experience with my Saab 93 2002. At 59,000 miles the engine seized. We were forced to accept $3000 toward the purchase of a new Saab which we didn't want. I could not afford the $5800.00 for a new engine. Later the letter came from Saab regarding the sludge problem and offering reimbursement. When we sent in the paperwork we were told that no reimbursement would be given because they had given us the money toward a trade in. I am currently contacting lawyers to file a suit, but would rather join a class action suit. It is time for Saab to accept responsibility and reimburse everyone.
9th Feb 2006, 12:00
I am not an employee of an auto manufacturer or supplier. I have a 99 Saab 9-5 and the engine began making clattering noises yesterday on the freeway. Towed to dealer, need new engine. I have regularly, more frequently than recommended by the manufacturer, changed the oil. I received recall notice and took car in for inspection ($314) just three weeks ago. "Engine looks good. And we cleaned oil pan and pickup tube." Now this. Saab is destroying its reputation.
17th Feb 2006, 17:09
Hello fellow Saab owners - previous and current. I posted my entry on 22nd Dec 2005 regarding my 2000 Saab 9-5. The mechanic determined there was indeed an oil sludge problem. I filed a claim with Saab Corp. in conjunction with the letter released in March 2005. However, because I had bought the car used, and had no receipts or records of oil changes, Saab Corp. refused to cover the cost of a replacement engine. They told me that there was no way to prove that there was an inherent defect in the engine. Their offer? A measly $1500 towards the purchase of a new car. I could not afford to do that, so I did what the average hard working citizen would do when facing a greedy multi-billion dollar company: I researched, reviewed my options, and decided that hiring a lawyer would not only be too costly, but also time consuming and ultimately futile.
So, I found a used engine with 92K miles, and paid $4K for parts and labor. I just got my car back two weeks ago today and am writing Saab Corp. a letter, which I suggest ALL Saab owners do as well. You would be surprised what can happen when a group of people put their minds together. To clarify, to my knowledge there has been no class action suit filed. I am going to talk to a friend who is a lawyer about his opinion on the feasibility of a class action suit, and will post my findings here.
20th Feb 2006, 13:07
I was researching Saab as a possible choice for a convertible that I was going to use in the summer, but Saab does not appear to be the best option. Any other suggestions?
You can forget about the class action. Everyone likes to talk about these things, but no one will actually do it...
22nd Feb 2006, 09:04
The Saab service bulletin TSB 210-2554 from April 2005 discusses these issues. One thing it mentions in particular is recommending switching to fully synthetic oil. If you've got a Saab 93 or 95 with the B205 or B235 engines, this sounds like it should be high on your priority list - looks like it's about the only preventative measure you can take.
20th Mar 2006, 13:21
I also am an unfortunate Saab owner. (2001 9.5 SE) After multiple trips, to the dealership, while under the 50,000 mile warranty. I was told nothing was wrong with my car. At 57,000 miles the engine just seized. I was told that the engine mount broke and thus resulted in the timing belt slipping into the (something or other) after it snapped. Well without any hesitation, I was offered $2,000.00 toward the $4,500.00 repair bill. (hesitation, I hadn't even said a word. Are the folks at Saab just that nice?) Subsequently the model and make I own have issued a recall for the (IDM). This could have caused all my problems. Anyway my Saab has been sitting unrepaired for over a year now. I am making my payments, but I just don't have enough money to match what their willing to help with. If someone will inform me of a class action suit, I would gladly join. My dealership went so far as to put my engine parts in a box, at least most of them. (A man came running after my towtruck to bring an armful of other various parts they had overlooked.) I am going to give Saab another call and see if this new recall will bump up their repair offer. If this nets a positive result, I will post it. Good luck to us all!! I will never buy a Saab again.
13th Apr 2006, 14:44
I too have had engine problems with my Saab 9-3. This all took place a few months ago. I just went on to a great web site to add my name... in case of a future class action. The site is www.autosafety.org. Not sure this will help at all, but it only took a minute (you'll need your VIN #). Who knows, if we stick together maybe we can get more out of our Saabs than just aggravation. Good luck! Like most, I'll never buy a Saab again, may never buy a GM car either?!?!
30th Apr 2006, 21:58
Add me to the list of disgruntled Saab owners. I've spent countless hours on the phone trying to get some resolution the the 'oil sludge' problem. I even had the car towed to the nearest Saab dealer (It quit running during rush hour as my 16 year old daughter was driving it. Didn't I purchase the car on the basis of it's safety record?) and they REFUSED to service the vehicle because I had an imcomplete set of service records. I had documentation of every scheduled service from the time I took possession of the car, but because I did not have records from the previous owner the dealer wouldn't provide any services.
I ended up having the car towed to my local repair center where I waited 3 months for a replacement engine.
The total cost was nearly $6,000. A month later and the car stopped running. This again happened in heavy traffic while my daughter was driving. It's now been in the repair center waiting for a 'turbo' replacement. I've been told that because I replaced the engine, the old turbo just couldn't handle it. What does this mean? Isn't the turbo part of the engine? So now I'm looking at another $1500.00.
To date I have received NO compensation from Saab and based on conversations that I have had with their consumer reps, I doubt that the check will be in the mail anytime soon.
Add me to the list when it comes to filing a class action suit!!
I laugh every time I see the latest Saab commercial on television... something about the design of Saabs having their origins in the airline industry. Thank goodness my wheels were on the ground when the engine died... otherwise I would have fallen from the skies at least twice. Or, should I say once. How many more close encounters is my daughter going to have to experience?
3rd Feb 2006, 09:59
Oh my god. I just stumbled on this and I'm pretty spooked by it all. I swapped a lease on a 2002 Saab SE and I'm scared to death by all this talk of seizing engines. If this is a design flaw, has it ever been corrected in later Saab models? Should I run out and have my mechanic check for sludge? What should the next plan of action be?