ENGINE STALL

ON DECEMBER 30, 2003, ODI OPENED A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION (PE03-059) TO INVESTIGATE 16 COMPLAINTS ALLEGING ENGINE STALL WHILE DRIVING IN MODEL YEAR 2003 SAAB 9-3 SPORT SEDANS WITH 2.0L TURBOCHARGED ENGINES. ON JANUARY 15, 2004, GENERAL MOTORS (GM) ADVISED ODI THAT GM AND SAAB HAD DECIDED TO CONDUCT A GLOBAL CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN TO CORRECT TWO DISTINCT ENGINE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE CONDITIONS THAT COULD RESULT IN ENGINE STALL IN APPROXIMATELY 12 THOUSAND SAAB 9-3 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS. THE REMEDIES FOR BOTH CONDITIONS INVOLVED REPROGRAMMING THE ENGINE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE. GM HAS STATED THAT NEITHER CONDITION CAN OCCUR DURING VEHICLE ACCELERATION AND IN BOTH CASES THE VEHICLE CAN BE SAFELY CONTROLLED AND IMMEDIATELY RESTARTED AFTER ENGINE STALL. FOR THESE REASONS, AMONG OTHERS, GM BELIEVES THAT THE SUBJECT VEHICLES DO NOT CONTAIN A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT. TO DATE, ODI HAS NOT RECEIVED ANY REPORTS OF CRASHES ALLEGEDLY DUE TO STALLING OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES. NEVERTHELESS, ODI BELIEVES THAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES ASSOCIATED WITH THESE STALLING CONDITIONS CAN HAVE A SIGNIFICANT ADVERSE EFFECT ON SAFETY. ODI BELIEVES THAT THE CONDITIONS ADDRESSED BY GM¿S CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE APPROPRIATELY TREATED AS A SAFETY RECALL. HOWEVER, BASED ON THE VERY HIGH COMPLETION RATES FOR THAT CAMPAIGN (83.3 PERCENT OVERALL) AND GM¿S LETTER DESCRIBING ITS FUTURE APPROACH TO THE CONSIDERATION OF STALLING ISSUES, ODI HAS DECIDED THAT FURTHER EXPENDITURE OF AGENCY RESOURCES ON THIS INVESTIGATION IS NOT WARRANTED. THEREFORE, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED. THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST. THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SEE THE ATTACHED REPORT.