2005 Saab 9-7X Electrical System Problems

MANUFACTURER: GENERAL MOTORS LLC MFR'S REPORT DATE: AUG 15, 2012 NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 12V406000 NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: EA12004 COMPONENT: VISIBILITY, POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS WAS ADVISED IN 2015 THAT THE DRIVERS DOOR MODULE WAS UNDER RECALL AS A FIRE HAZARD. IT WAS REPLACED. THE REPLACEMENT MODULE STARTED ON FIRE. THE LOCAL DEALER BLAMED 'RAIN WATER GETTING IN IT.' I ORDERED A BRAND NEW DDM THAT HAS NEVER SEEN THE ELEMENTS OR BEEN INSTALLED IN A CAR ' AND IT HAS THE SAME CORROSION THAT CAUSED MY FIRE! SEE PIC. TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY THE LOCAL GMC AND CHEVY DEALERS BOTH SAY 'OH THAT'S A SAAB, WE CAN'T PROGRAM THAT.' THE NEAREST DEALER WILLING TO DO THIS WORK IS ZIMBRICK IN MADISON WISCONSIN. IT'S 150 MILES AWAY. THEY'RE STATING THEY CAN'T DO THE WORK A SECOND TIME UNDER THE CALL. THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY WINDOW SWITCH BEFORE THEY DID THE RECALL WORK, AND SUPPOSEDLY THE 'SUPERIOR' FIXED PART IN FACT CAUGHT ON FIRE. IF THIS WAS A TRAILBLAZER OR AN ENVOY THEY'D DO THE WORK BUT BECAUSE IT'S A SAAB THEY'RE BEING STUPID AND SAYING THEY CAN'T WORK ON SAAB'S. IT'S THE SAME THING. BOTTOM LINE: THE RECALL WORK DOES NOT MITIGATE THE FIRE HAZARD AND BRAND NEW REPLACEMENT MODULES HAVE THE SAME CORROSION THAT GM BLAMES ON 'WATER GETTING INTO THE DDM.' I CHALLENGE THAT NARRATIVE AND BELIEVE ALL THESE VEHICLES MAY STILL BE A FIRE HAZARD

MY FAMILY AND I WERE OUT ON A SATURDAY EVENING ON 6/11/16. WE STOPPED TO GRAB A SLICE OF PIZZA FROM ONE OF OUR FAMOUS DOWNTOWN PIZZA PLACES. AS WE SAT IN THE CAR EATING OUR PIZZA, WE NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE RIGHT SIDE VENTS AND DASH BOARD. WE IMMEDIATELY JUMPED OUT OF THE CAR. WELL, AFTER SMOKE, WE SAW FIRE. THE CAR WAS DESTROYED. THE HOOD, DASHBOARD, FRONT AND BACK SEATS MELTED LIKE A PIECE OF PAPER. MY WIFE AND YOUNG SON WERE IN THE CAR. THE CAR WAS PARKED ON A CITY STREET WHEN SMOKE/FIRE STARTED.

WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT THE HEADLIGHTS WERE SET ON AUTOMATIC MODE WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY WENT OUT AND I TRIED TO TURN THEM TO THE REGULAR ON POSITION AND THEY DID NOT COME ON, THE HIGH BEAMS DID NOT WORK EITHER. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND FROM WHAT I READ ON LINE I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS THIS ISSUE. I BELIEVE THE RECALL SHOULD INCLUDE MY 2005 MODEL AS WELL. OTHER ELECTRICAL ISSUES! (INSTRUMENT PANEL-GAGES) MOST TACKED OUT, ALSO SPEEDOMETER GAGE ISSUES (GETS STUCK AT ONE SPEED AND WHEN YU SLOW DOWN IT DOESN'T GO BACK DOWN BUT IF YOU GET BACK UP TO SPEED IT WILL CONTINUE TO CLIMB IE: SHOWING A FALSE SPEED OF 95-MPH BUT ACTUALLY ONLY GOING ABOUT 55-MPH.

REF RECALL 12180. SAME ISSUES EXIST IN 2005 SAAB 97X MODELS. WE BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE USED AND THE DRIVER'S DOOR MASTER SWITCHES WERE WORKING SPORADICALLY. AROUND THE BEGINNING OF JULY 2012, THE SWITCHES STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY. MY WIFE IS DISABLED, AND I'VE BEEN OUT OF WORK SINCE 2008. WE COULD NOT AFFORD TO GET THIS REPAIRED OUT OF POCKET.WHEN THE PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION FOR THE RECALL CAME AROUND AND WE WERE HAPPY ABOUT THE NEWS. I'M AFRAID NOW, AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH THAT OUR MODEL YEAR ISN'T COVERED. THE RECALL NOTICE SHOWS OUR VEHICLE AS A 2007, WHICH IS IN ERROR. *TR

WHEN ATTEMPTING TO REPOSITION THE SIDE MIRROR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE, USING THE ELECTRIC SYSTEM, THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM INSIDE THE DOOR. SINCE THAT TIME THE DRIVER'S SIDE ELECTRIC SYSTEM HAS FAILED TO WORK. THE LOCAL SAAB DEALER CLAIMS THAT THE PARTS ARE AND WERE AT THAT TIME UNAVAILABLE. THIS PROBLEM MAY BE RELATED TO THE CURRENT ELECTRICAL ISSUE AFFECTING THE 2006 AND 2007 MODELS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SAAB 9-7X. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOWS AND DOOR LOCKS FAILED. HE ALSO STATED THAT THE CONTROLS FOR THE SIDE VIEW MIRRORS AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEATED SEAT WARMER ALSO FAILED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 12V406000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) BUT WAS INFORMED THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL CAMPAIGN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS BUT THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO NOTIFIED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 102,000.