I got the letter from Saab today as a registered owner for a 9-5. They explain that there was an "oil sludge" issue with the 9-5 and that I may be elligible for a repair.
However, they ask that I provide proof that the car had regular oil changes and give me a chart to fill out. I've got two problems with this:
1: I 'm the second owner of the car and have nothing up to about 65K miles when I bought it
2: I do all of my oil changes myself (did one last weekend as a matter of fact) and pay cash for oil and filters. I have no receipts.
It appears that my turbo is failing, probably due to this issue as I'm told that the oil seals are going and I'm getting blow-by. Don't know if this was covered by this new 8-year unlimited mileage warranty, but since I have no "proof" am I screwed?
was this how the recall was done in other countries? I thought that the European one didn'thave such requirements?
Here in Halifax Nova Scotia - yes you are screwed.
The local Service manager here dodged the open SRS recall on a 1993 Aero
9000 I picked up State-Side despite SAAB USA, SAAB Canada and his own Tech telling him that it was an open recall. His position was I should return to the States to have it repaired as the VIN number wasn't yet registered in Canada - but he would gladly do it for the $2,500 or so involved, which would then allow it to be registered in Canada for any future critical recalls. There aren't any 'natch.
Where you live - perhaps not.
The folks at SAAB USA (listed in your owners manual under recalls and warrantees I think) were very good about providing me with what letters as should have been needed to achieve the recall I was facing and a real pleasure to speak with if I may say. My take would be that you should explain your situation to head office, get a letter faxed out to you
*then* make you way to your local dealer for a scheduled service round - mentioning the recall, handing over the paperwork and explaining that you would like it performed before the scheduled service proceeded.
You will be paying for a service round that you could probably do yourself
- but you gotta feed the beast if you want it to be friendly every so often.
Given the vintage of my machine - I am sort of boycotting the local dealer and picking up what parts as I need from indie suppliers until the org-chart changes there. Too bad - they do have a good tech and great parts counter.
I understand your sentiments, Graham, but it is getting very difficult to collect such records on the used market. With all the concern of identity theft, these are usually stripped from the car before sale. If it was serviced at a Saab dealer, these oil changes, (there were only 6 in 65k!?!) should be in the records database at the dealer.
The problem was that without the SRS repair to the 1993 the Canadian Government can't register that model year's title here. Ever try to cross the USA/Canadian border these days with an unregistered automobile? Hello free proctology exam.. :/ ..
Basically, it's a one way shot. They will let the car cross the border out-bound from the States - but it must be registered in the destination country before it will be allowed back across (either in person or on a flatbed).
As it happened, I was picking it up to replace a 9000 that had died. I had saved the title and tags (dash, right fender and trunk) as well as several other good bits and pieces.
I was then back in touch with the Feds here in Canada explaining my problem (got lucky there - the man on my file had owned a SAAB himself) and asked what their position was if I put the two cars together and registered using the old title.
We decided to list the 1993 as parted out and I registered the shell under the old title as salvaged by marrying it together with the 1989 (pre-airbag) parts (including vin tags). I pulled the SRS light and mounted a non-airbag wheel and am still looking for a nice period Momo - which I would have done regardless of title anyway.
In the 1993 9000 the airbag is still sort of an extra if you use your seatbelts properly and install an earlier set of seatbelt locks.
So - I now have the nicest 1989 9000 Aero you ever saw - all legal too.
However, I should point out that we don't really ever sell off our SAAB's so much as run them to the point where they can't pass annual safety inspection any-more. Then pull what parts as are still servicable and carry over and buy another one.
We recycle.. :) ..
However, if we ever wanted to sell it off (is that formation of swine I see flying over?) - I would probably have to complete the SRS repair and register back as a 1993 because it effectively now floats under a salvage title.
I expect my local dealer Service Manager feels there is a fairly nice bit of tosh on the table from folks like myself who try to buy a SAAB outside his assigned franchise borders. Which is too bad as I mentioned before - because the previous year I spent the better part of $10,000 with them on uprates and service for the two other SAAB's we had.
Now, while it isn't as much given a lot of things have already been fixed
- *all* the service budget is now being applied exclusively outside their franchise borders and service bay..
If the beast wants to be fed - it needs to be friendly every so often otherwise the whole relationship goes to hell.. :) ..
Information provided with all the usual disclaimers and limitations.
Actually, no. The Saab dealer network has all this on a central database. Just go to 'a' dealer and they should be able to pull it up. Sometimes they will change you for it sometimes not.
Sorry, but this "database" is a limited resource at best. It is called Intranet Retail Information System or IRIS.
Yes every Saab dealer has access to IRIS and can pull up all the WARRANTY repairs on the car. They CAN NOT pull up non-warranty repairs that other dealers have performed. Scheduled maintenance did not start until 2/01/00 and even then some of the 9-3 models were not covered.
On covered model after that, IRIS might show the 10K, 20K, 30K services, but nothing after that.
I can tell you absolutely, that no records, no warranty. We have a TSB that is VERY clear on that issue.
I know these facts because I am a Saab Master Tech with almost 10 years of dealer experience
Thanks, Steve. I guess the only possibility would be to ask the dealer it was sold at to see if they actually serviced it as well. They should, then, have a paper record... Outside of that maybe a lost cause.
I notice the response to this thread from a Saab tech.
I can say for sure than in the UK, an absence of service records will cause a presumption on the part of any purchaser that the recorded mileage is likely to be fraudulent and regular servicing of the vehicle is probably unlikely.
Hm. Is that a nation-wide perception, or just yours, I wonder? I could state that "In the US, if you (insert wild statement here)", but that doesn't mean anyone other than me would feel that way.
I would say it was a nation-wide perception of the truth out there.
Some ppl have done the figures and something like 20% of cars in the UK have had their mileages tampered with ( a reduction of 20-40k miles is common ). I even know someone who has done it to intentionally misrepresent the car. I've had it happen to me too when I checked info with a former owner. The assumption about servicing is obvious enough. No evidence = pot luck.
My SAAB dealer refused when I initially got the car. It had 65K on it and I wanted to know if the 60K major was done. They wouldn't tell me so I went ahead and did it.
Dealers don't make their money on the sales floor, they make it on the shop floor. A car, you sell to someone once every several to many years. A good service customer gives you money regularly.
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