On July 22nd 2010 at approximately 1500 est, I started my car, a 2006 Saab 9-3 aero sport sedan and placed it into reverse to exit my garage/ driveway on my way to work. As I neared the street I depressed the brake pedal to slow down and enter the street but the brake pedal seemed to be ineffective and I ended up putting the car into neutral and entering the street at an angle. After I had stopped in the street I pumped the brakes and put the emergency brake on and shortly (2min) I was on my way without further incident. I reported this incident to my Saab dealer, and they said they had never heard of this before and said there was nothing I could do as it was out of warranty. During the rest of the summer I drove that car I had no further problems. (it is my parents car that I drove when I was home for the summer). I later found out that my parents also had this problem intermittently so I began searching online and found others that had a similar problem and referenced a report PE08005 which seemed to describe my problem. I brought this report to the Saab dealer and they told me they had never seen it and couldn't do anything about it.

- Rye, NY, USA

Low of vehicle power brake assist. After sitting for several hours, when the car was first started the power brake assist would not work or would work at a reduced rate. There were not check engine or brake lights to notify us of a failure. This almost resulted in an accident. It took nearly 20 ft to get the vehicle to a complete stop. Had this occurred in a parking lot or in another location were a person or vehicle was close by an accident would have occurred. The vacuum pump was replaced I believe the part # is 12822387. Had a notification been given that there was an issue such as a check engine or brake light, this would not have been as big of an issue.

- Columbus, IN, USA

On a cold start, the brakes fail.

- Falls Church, VA, USA

Brake vacuum pipe check valve broke apart, resulting in a loss of braking power and check engine fault. Car was not drivable after incident.

- Satellite Beach, FL, USA

On cold startup the vehicle has no power assisted brakes. This has lead to numerous occasions where you get in the car and begin to back out and nearly hit another vehicle. It takes nearly a minute after startup of the vehicle before it is safe to put it in gear.

- Tampa, FL, USA

Found my cap to my brake reservoir cracked open like a tin can above the threads. The plastic literally split in two. The cap still could be twisted on and off easily, but would no longer prevent brake fluid from escaping. Cap will be replaced with a new one. I have heard similar complaints from people with my car possibly related to the heat generated by the turbo. 2006 Saab 9-3 aero 2.8L V6.

- Fairport, NY, USA

Intermittent brake failure. More noticeable at cold starts pulling out forward or backward. Brake pedal goes to the floor with very little braking power. Very dangerous to drive and we parked the car and contacted the dealer. They have now had the car for 4 weeks and are waiting on a part from the factory. This is a very dangerous situation on this car and could very easily result in an accident with injuries or death. I am a male and it was all I could do to get the car stopped on at least 2 occasions. I had to use the emergency brake on one occasion to avoid a collision. This car has 32,000 miles on it. The dealer said the problem was a vacuum line on the brake booster but the replacement must come from Saab. I am not sure if this will resolve the problem or not.

- Telford, TN, USA

2006 Saab aero V6, at a cold start and while backing out of the driveway, the brake pedal goes very hard and the car will not stop for 15 -20 ft.

- Charlotte, NC, USA

Similar issue to NHTSA defect investigation # PE08005. Loss of brake power assist after a cold start up and reversing. The vehicle is very hard to stop, requiring high pedal pressure, until the car has warmed up for ~30 seconds. This has occurred numerous times over the past 6 months. It is more prominent after sitting for several days. Also while driving on the road, when a bump is hit while brakes are applied, brakes make a metal-on-metal grinding sound and the braking action does not work until additional pressure is applied. This also happened when braking on slippery road conditions such as snow or rain. This caused a near accident when my car did not stop for another 10 feet than intended and entered an intersection on a red light.

- Bloomington, IL, USA

The contact owns a 2006 Saab 9-3. while driving approximately 50 mph, the power steering failed. Immediately, the brake and accelerator pedals failed to respond and the engine stalled without warning. The engine failed to restart after several attempts. Roadside assistance was called to the scene and the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer for inspection. The technician stated that the failure was related to the idling within the computerized system. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer on two separate occasions for identical failures. The technician stated that the failures were related to the temperature sensor, which was replaced. The failure continued and the vehicle is currently being repaired. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 40,000 and current mileage was 40,550.

- Darin, IL, USA

Loss of brake power assist after a cold start up. The vehicle is very hard to stop, requiring high pedal pressure, until the car has warmed up for ~30 seconds. This has occurred numerous times over the past 6 months.

- Flowery Branch, GA, USA

Car will not stop when in reverse after morning start-up. No braking power in reverse even at idle. Problem has been addressed 3 times by dealership. Car in again for same problem only 5 days after previous "fix" in shop again now almost 2 weeks as of today.

- Macomb, MI, USA

On cold start, my hydraulic brakes fails to operate.

- Falls Church, VA, USA

When a bump is hit while brakes are applied, brakes make a metal-on-metal grinding sound. When steering wheel is turned after braking (pulling into or out of parking space) metallic clicking sound is heard. Brakes work better after car is warmed up.

- Mooresville, NC, USA

Loss of brake power assist after a cold start up. The vehicle is very hard to stop, requiring high pedal pressure, until the car has warmed up for ~30 seconds. This has occurred numerous times over the past 6 months. The car has been left with 2 different dealers on several occasions, to allow them to observe and diagnose the problem. They have never been able to duplicate it. I have given the dealers info about the current NHTSA investigation (PE08005) pertaining to this same complaint for this model car from several other sources, and noted that earlier models of this car were recalled for a (possibly) similar defect.

- Asheville, NC, USA

My 2006 Saab 9-3 aero has a series of unpredictable braking motions. I have had the braking sensor assembly replaced - however brake pressure and control are unpredictable. Letting up on the brake slowly results in a loss of all brake pressure in a non-progressive fashion. There are also times that only by pushing the brake pedal all the way down to the stop that the car can be held in place when idling.

- King Of Prussia, PA, USA