2.4

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
62,000 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2001 Saab 9-5:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

problem #1

Jul 292004

9-5 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 62,000 miles
I own a Saab 9-5 wagon, 2001. When it was only 3000 miles out of warranty, twice the unit (alarm system) failed, presumably because it had gotten wet. Saab says that when the ac drains are blocked, it can back up into the passenger compartment of the vehicle, thus causing damage to the twice unit. When the twice unit fails, it burns out all 5 door lock motors, since it erroneously sends a constant electrical signal to the motors. I see this problem as a major design flaw. The twice unit should not be located under the driver's seat and should not be susceptible to water damage. Also, the ac drains should not get blocked so easily, causing thousands of dollars worth of damage. And the failure of the alarm system should not cause the door lock motors to burn out. Saab does not have a vehicle service bulletin for this problem and does not consider it a major defect or design flaw. It costs the consumer over $2500 to repair. I have had the twice unit replace, because the car would not operate without a failed unit. The door locks have not been repaired.

- Newburyport, MA, USA