2001 Saab 9-3 Convertible recalls and problems

ON NOVEMBER 19, 2004 GM NOTIFIED ODI OF A DEFECT CONDITION THAT COULD RESULT IN FUEL LEAKAGE AT THE FUEL PUMP CONNECTIONS IN APPROXIMATELY 17,400 MODEL YEAR (MY) 2001 AND 2002 SAAB 9-3 PASSENGER VEHICLES BUILT AT THE UUSIKAUPUNKI, FINLAND ASSEMBLY PLANT BETWEEN MAY 2000 AND JULY 2002 (GM RECALL NO. 14101, NHTSA RECALL NO. 04V-557).ACCORDING TO GM, PLASTIC FUEL PUMP RETAINING TABS HOLDING THE FUEL LINES WERE DAMAGED DURING THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS FOR SOME OF THE 9-3 VEHICLES BUILT AT THE FINLAND PLANT.GM INDICATED THAT, OVER TIME, THIS COULD CAUSE THE FUEL LINES TO LOOSEN FROM THE PUMP RESULTING IN FUEL LEAKAGE WHICH, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, COULDCAUSE A VEHICLE FIRE.THE RECALLED VEHICLES WERE FITTED WITH A SECURING BRACKET TO HOLD THE FUEL LINES TO THE FUEL PUMP EVEN IF THERETAINING TABS SHOULD BREAK. RQ05-003 WAS OPENED TO INVESTIGATE COMPLAINTS OF FUEL PUMP RETAINING TAB FAILURE RESULTING IN FUEL LEAKAGE IN MY 2001 SAAB 9-3 VEHICLES BUILT AT THE TROLLHATTEN, SWEDEN PLANT.IN ITS RESPONSE TO RQ05-003 GM INDICATED THAT CONCERNS WITH THE RETAINING TAB FAILURE IN MY 2001 SAAB 9-3 VEHICLES WERE NOT LIMITED TO VEHICLES PRODUCED IN FINLAND.IN AN APRIL 20, 2006 LETTER (COPY ATTACHED), GM INFORMED NHTSA THAT IT WAS EXPANDING ITS RECALL TO INCLUDE THE MY 2001 9-3 VEHICLES BUILT IN SWEDEN (GM RECALL NO. 14101, NHTSA RECALL NO. 06V-126).SAAB PLANS TO BEGIN MAILING OWNER LETTERS FOR THE ADDITIONAL VEHICLES IN MAY 2005.THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.

ODI OPENED PE05-017 BASED ON 35 REPORTS OF ALLEGED ENGINE STALLING DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE IDM CASSETTE ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.ALL COMPLAINANTS REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING AND MOST REPORTED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART.IN 3 INCIDENTS, THE COMPLAINANTS REPORTED SMOKE AND/OR FIRE RESULTED FROM THE IDM FAILURE.DURING PE05-017, ADDITIONAL FAILURE DATA WAS IDENTIFIED AS NOTED IN THE FAILURE REPORT SUMMARY ABOVE.THE COMPLAINT DATA REPRESENTS INCIDENTS WHERE THE COMPLAINANTS ALLEGED A STALL OR FIRE.ON SEPTEMBER 13, 2005, GENERAL MOTORS (GM) NOTIFIED NHTSA OF A SAFETY DEFECT ON 95,081 MY 2000-2002 SAAB 9-3 AND 9-5 VEHICLES WITH 4-CYLINDER GASOLINE ENGINES AND 8,117 MY 2001 9-5 VEHICLES WITH 6- CYLINDER GASOLINE ENGINES (RECALL 05V-399).THE NOTIFICATION STATED THAT CERTAIN VEHICLES WITHIN THESE POPULATIONS MAY EXPERIENCE OVERHEATING AND BURNOUT OF THE ISOLATED GATED BIPOLAR TRANSISTOR (IGBT) WITHIN THE IDM DUE TO INCREASED SUSCEPTIBILITY TO ELECTRICAL LOADS.OVERHEATING OF THE IGBT OCCURS MOST OFTEN AT ENGINE START-UP FOR BOTH A 4-CYLINDER AND 6-CYLINDER ENGINE, BUT IT MAY ALSO OCCUR WHILE THE ENGINE IS RUNNING.WHEN THE IDM FAILS ON A 4-CYLINDER WHILE IT IS RUNNING, THE ENGINE MAY STALL WITHOUT WARNING, WITH NO ABILITY TO BE RESTARTED.WHEN THE IDM FAILS ON A 6-CYLINDER ENGINE WHILE IT IS RUNNING, THE DRIVER WILL INITIALLY EXPERIENCE REDUCED POWER AND ROUGH OPERATION BECAUSE THE ENGINE WILL ONLY BE RUNNING ON THREE CYLINDERS.THE CHECK ENGINE LIGH…