Hey everyone. Does anyone know if there is a complied list of all the issues 05-07 Saleen owners have seen with their cars (i.e. Below list). When I bought my Terminator, I found this link (http://stangshiftergaskets.com/2003_2004faqs.htm) of FAQ's that had a infinite amount of info about the 03-04 Cobras. Anything like this for Saleens? What problems have you seen? Add to the list. Thanks.

- Steering wheel shimmy at 45-50mph
- Resonate vibration at 70mph due to wheel sensors
- Rear bumper fascia tabs melting near exhaust
- Front break squeal

None that I am aware of but if you did a search you could put one together.

Fuel Pump died leaving me stranded 200 miles from home. [:@]

Steering wheel shimmy at 45-55

otherwise, no complaints

there is a mustang problem with some of the Shaker 500 radios that causes a battery drain (at least on the '06 models) not related to Saleen specifically. Some people have also had problems with the Saleen steering wheel emblem coming off.

front brakes squeeling
steering wheels shake (this is because of the 20's right????)
boost gauge acting like its on crack (un-accurate reading)

....i think thats about it

ill always love it :D

* There were some exhaust and head rest issues early on in 2005 but they were rectified.
* I have had no issues with melting tabs on rear bumper but many (including me) have seen warping of rear bumper just below license plate.
* Side skirts pulling away from car (double sticky tape issue I believe). I had to have one replaced and the dealer epoxy'd those suckers back on! I've got mixed emotions about that solution!
* Pink (as in faded) third brake light -- I'm on my "third" third brake light now.
* Passenger side airbag light/sensor doesn't work properly. This is a biggie as it has the potential to kill someone.

Georgia had a steering wheel shimmy when I first got her but a wheel balance took care of it. No shimmy at any speed now.

Other than the airbag problem, the issues have been "pesky" at worst and some to be expected with a new model ('05).

and i thought the "pink" 3rd brake light was a fluke. yes, i have it too!

the steering wheel shimmy i have that...
steering wheel button started to come off .. saleen sent me a new one
airbag light flicker i have that..
clunking front end when turning at low speeds i have that.... strut bearings will be fixed at the dealer
rear end noise while turning at low speed i have that... will be fixed at the dealer

just minor stuff that every one has with a new car

I have the radio/battery issue, seat adjuster broke, guage bezel keeps coming off, high a/f ratio. Other than that it has been perfect.

Keep the list coming folks....once the thread dies down I will edit all the problems into the OP and make it a sticky for people that are researching.

I have the pink brake light. I fixed replaced my own headrests and bypassed my own exhaust and all has been well since. As for the shimmy, I think that is a charcteristic of the Pzeros. If your car sits about as much as you drive it then I think they flat spot pretty easily. I notice after the winter my steering wheel shimmies for about the first 100 miles then it goes away. If I drive it enough (every weekend or every other) during the summer I have no issues, but if the car sits for a month or longer I notice the shimmy again for 50-100 miles - soflat spotting possibly [&:]

When I first bought my 05 it had a couple of little problems I had to fix. The exhaust made a rattle so I researched it and found out how to bypass it. No more rattle after that. The headlights were facing down so I had those adjusted. Then I noticed the hood moved around a little once you get over 90 mph. Tried to have it tightened but was told by the dealership that all of them do that.

Cruise control disengages when cruising downhill.
Passenger airbag light flickers.
Steering wheel Saleen decal peels.
Wacky boost gauge.

Good stuff.

Like Jason said..... keep it coming. LOL

i don't think it's the p zero tires only.....i have dunlop tires and i get the shimmy.... but it does sit alot

i had the steering wheel emblem replaced

had the quarter window moldings come loose ( replaced them with the racing ones)

boost gauge accuracy was fixd by using JDM's boost gauge kit, works great now

rear bumper... the seam on one side where it meets up with the rear quarter looks like its wider than the other side, almost like its been overtigthend and wearing itself loose. once i bring it back out in the spring i may have a body shop pull it and see if theres a way to tighten it up some

New Wheels, New Exhaust( why fix it yourself, when you can get new??, beside having to wait),New Brake Lines, New side Window Louvers, Side Skirt fasteners, Wheel Emblem.

Saleen is awesome in making sure I was satified with all the service.

Yea,

The "tire shimmy" you guys and gals are having is a balance issue. Also like Jason always says these tires get a little "flat spotted". Especially if they have been at the dealer a while before you bought it new.

The front tire and rim is around 70lbs !!!! That kind of truck tire weight needs to be balanced otherwise it's going to wobble.

the wheel shimmy can be fixed by having your tires re balanced. thats what i did. my car never sits tho so i havent had an issue with flat spots.

I'm now at 10k miles. Here's my list of some pretty minor problems (along with the fixes):
1. Exhaust rattle (muffler shop moved exhaust hangars for more clearance from the chasis)
2. Hesitation after long cruise (Ford has a TSB for all Mustangs -- replaced fuel pump)
3. Front suspension clunk (Saleen has a TSB -- easy fix)
4. Passenger airbag light flickers (stops once passenger moves around a bit in the seat)
5. Side strip decals peeling (dealer ordered free replacement from Saleen)
6. Brake squeal (Saleen replaced the rotors -- no problems in the 5k miles since)
7. Faded third brake light (will likely have a body shop simply black it out with darker paint)
8. Two recent minor rattles appeared -- one in the rear passenger compartment and one in the convertible top mechanism near the trunk (both are Ford issues, not Saleen)

The first 6 issues were remedied over the course of about 4 dealer visits this past year, one of which was a regularly scheduled maintenance visit. So the car has been fairly trouble-free [knock on wood]. Have not had any wheel shimmy (w/ Dunlop tires) or batteries dying, but my car does not sit unused for weeks at a time. Alsono steering emblem problems here.

cbgammel05,
how are your new brakes treating you ?

My wheel shimmy issue has to be flat spotting...its NOT a balance issue as I have taken my front wheels to both a tire shop AND the dealer and neither found them to be out of ballance. Back on the road, I had to endure the shimmy for about 50-100 miles before it went away....thus my deductive reasoning tells me it has to be flat spotting (at least in my case).

2006 S281SC 5K miles in serivce since July 07

1) Front brakes squeaking badly, feels like front rotors are warped also

2) Tires feel out of balance at high speed nibble and shake at driver interface

3) Right side dash squeak, gauge pod squeak and rattle

4) Coating inside of chrome rims coming off can see chrome in spots, comes off like loose paint in spots.

5) Fake Chrome isworn off fender emblems and starting to look poor after 4 months in service

6) Need to have windshield banner and serial # replaced

7) Rear ground effects plastic mounts melted do to exhaust too close to rear body kit, exhaustclunking when going over bumps,need to have exhaust adjusted and rear ground effects replaced

8) Third brake light lens has turned faded pink is no longer red needs to be replaced

9) Front ground effects metal screen mesh paint coming off, mesh is beginning to break off at bend points, left side is worse the right

10) Composite hood line off on left side of car, too high at mid point

It has been sitting at the dealer about 2 months waiting on parts and doing the run around game.....

Front brake squeak is driving me nuts.

I also have a goofy problem with SC Temp gauge. The first time I turn on the car in the morning, I could drive the car all day and the temp gauge will not move (as long as I dont turn off the car). Once I turn it off and back on, then it acts normal. Don't know where the problem stems from.

ORIGINAL: abbas

Front brake squeak is driving me nuts.

I also have a goofy problem with SC Temp gauge. The first time I turn on the car in the morning, I could drive the car all day and the temp gauge will not move (as long as I dont turn off the car). Once I turn it off and back on, then it acts normal. Don't know where the problem stems from.



nothing really.

I have a 2006 saleen extreme 36. coupe.

I now have 3000 miles on it.

I get an odd viberation from the rear once a while. not sure if the exhaust is bumping the rear.

I have the E sluggish sometimes in 2nd and 3rd gear. I need to get it re-flashed.




but all those problems are pretty minor car problems! you guys need to drive an italian and then get back to me

I was in my m3 last week....thinking...wow I am getting great gas miliage.....put put put.....pfft.. no power is there..... i have no idea what happened...... i tow the car. to the dealership....the fuel censor went out.... this caused the fuel pump to die too.. stupid **** costs me $1400 to fix.

I have had almost all that and the following to add

- No engine bay plaque
- Chrome rim peeling

Both issues were fixed along with some of the others listed here I was afflicted with.

Hey guys

spoke with Craig aka torquejunky(sp) wehad talked about the shimmy issue. My car has the pzeros craig had suggested raising the pressure to right at 36psi. Having raced a great deal I thought that if these tires are flat spotting dues to pressure fluctuation or lack of use that nitrogen may be tha way to go. Guess what I just happened to have in the ol race trailer....big ol cylinder of nitrogen 36 psi all the way around and walaaaaa no shimmy please feel free if your a stang owner with this prob to get in touch with me I have enough to do a couple more cars,if your in the Dallas area

We fill high-performance aircraft tires with nitrogen. The nitrogen dissipates heat much more efficiently than air, and there's less pressure loss in tires filled with nitrogen. Longer tread wear, less moisture in the tire... it's good stuff. But beware of stations charging up to $5/tire for nitrogen.

To all those with the pink third tail light....why not just paint it black :)

Just thought I'd follow up on having this moved up to be a sticky. There is some good info here and we seem to have more folks stopping by this forum who are looking at used Saleens.

You beat me to it ;) As soon as I saw it come back to the front page I was thinking "humm, I was supposed sticky this".....here you go :D

Mmm, I've got an 05.
So far I've had the HeadRests replaced ($400 paid via warranty) and got the 'rattle' in the back. It seems from what I've read, that its the exhaust, but hate to by-pass those valves as they're supposed to force the exhaust thru resonators for low-end torque.

The shimmy was solved by dumping those chrome rims... bah. Got something lighter for better unsprung weight.

Resonators - what resonators? The exhaust exits out the center tips full time, and out of the turn-down tips only when the throttle is pressed enough to actuate the valves. No resonators back there.

Isuggest you just bypass the valves....exhaust rattle will be solved. You cannot convince me that those valves will have any impact on torque or hp...if they did then Saleen would have found a way to fix them/design them better rather than nix'ing them on the 2006+ models. All they do is block off the "turn-down" tips which tames the exhaust note under idle and normal driving. Bypass the valves, and they are open full time, no rattle, and the exhaust note is improved dramatically at idle & cruising speeds.

See my stickied post about this fix for the easy how to. Its a matter of minutes to fix it....that or you can attempt to file a warranty claim and deal with all that hassle to get a replacement system that doesn't have the valves [&:]

.

ORIGINAL: AmyVCTexas


* Passenger side airbag light/sensor doesn't work properly. This is a biggie as it has the potential to kill someone.




Given the seriousness of this issue (has the potential to kill someone) has anybody filed a complaint here : http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm ?

Clearly with the number of people that mention the issue on this forum it isn't a one-off problem. I also suspect that the dealers have fed back the complaints to Saleen and from the sounds of it nothing has been done for the consumer. Why not file a claim through NHTSA-that is what they are there for. We pay for the policing service through taxes so you might as well get your monies worth and make your car safe at the same time. Can't imagine ever buying a car where I had the airbag light flickering while driving. My first thought would be "this car has been in an accident and the restraint system is botched up".

Ok I have a new one!!

Heading to work Thursday morning make a turn and hear a thump kinda like when you run over an aluminum can. I think no biggie just didn't see it and then I try(yes try) to turn into my parking space good thing I am a personal trainer cause it doesn't want to turn!! WTF!

Got parked and popped the hood ....you guessed it shucked the belt so I look out in the street and yep there it is. Pick it up take it in and look at it, looks like it was cut hard to diagnos. Fast forward to the dealership and the fiasco starts( not with the dealership ) the wrench working on my car comes out to get me and says he wants me to take a look at something. We get back to the car and he grabs his flashlight and shines it down on the drivers side idler pulley...WTF! its grooved,.... not supposed to be.

My service writer Craig Ellis who by the way has been great through the whole situation, calls George Lopez Saleen's Cust Service rep( yep thats what I thought) and asks what the deal is according to Craig, George tells him thats the way its supposed to be and thats the right pulley. Well Craig doesn't argue, but being the bright kid he is pulls up the schematic(sp) for the blower kit from Saleen and gets the part number from the Saleen kit...guess what its a guide pulley NO grooves just two raised edges. Then he goes on to order the pulley on his own credit card just so I can get back on the road.

Well hopefully tomorrow I get the car back and sometime in the not too distant future the warranty claim will be paid.

My point is how many of our cars have this problem and will we all get the crappy answer if we try to get it changed.

any suggestions?

Ferrari uses this technology to 'shutdown' the rear resonators under load. This increases the low-end torque.
Since we ONLY have these rear mufflers, it'd seem a straight-thru system... illegal in VA, who has to know !

Are you saying the opposite is true, the valvesjust turn down the volume at speed / idle ?

Also, in doing this fix, I assume you do NOT have to plug the line going back to the mufflers, just the vacuum to the front ?

Thanks again !

Mmm, I'll just assume the muffler side piping can be left un-plugged...

ORIGINAL: 127shtry127

ORIGINAL: AmyVCTexas


* Passenger side airbag light/sensor doesn't work properly. This is a biggie as it has the potential to kill someone.




Given the seriousness of this issue (has the potential to kill someone) has anybody filed a complaint here : http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm ?

Clearly with the number of people that mention the issue on this forum it isn't a one-off problem. I also suspect that the dealers have fed back the complaints to Saleen and from the sounds of it nothing has been done for the consumer. Why not file a claim through NHTSA-that is what they are there for. We pay for the policing service through taxes so you might as well get your monies worth and make your car safe at the same time. Can't imagine ever buying a car where I had the airbag light flickering while driving. My first thought would be "this car has been in an accident and the restraint system is botched up".


This is a FORD issue,NOT a Saleen issue. In fact, Ford just issued a major recall on all the 2005-2008 mustangs for the Passenger Side airbag. Check with your closest Ford dealer for info.

ORIGINAL: S281 457

Mmm, I'll just assume the muffler side piping can be left un-plugged...


As soon as you cut the line, the valves will open up. Plug the tube that leads back up to the front of the car. Plug the other if you wish, but it shouldn't matter. You want those valves open. This exhaust system is nothing like a Ferrari ;) If you look up at the valves you will see they are AFTER the mufflers, and only close of the turn-down tips...which are the major source of that muscular exhaust note :)

ORIGINAL: sowaxeman

ORIGINAL: 127shtry127

ORIGINAL: AmyVCTexas


* Passenger side airbag light/sensor doesn't work properly. This is a biggie as it has the potential to kill someone.




Given the seriousness of this issue (has the potential to kill someone) has anybody filed a complaint here : http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm ?

Clearly with the number of people that mention the issue on this forum it isn't a one-off problem. I also suspect that the dealers have fed back the complaints to Saleen and from the sounds of it nothing has been done for the consumer. Why not file a claim through NHTSA-that is what they are there for. We pay for the policing service through taxes so you might as well get your monies worth and make your car safe at the same time. Can't imagine ever buying a car where I had the airbag light flickering while driving. My first thought would be "this car has been in an accident and the restraint system is botched up".


This is a FORD issue,NOT a Saleen issue. In fact, Ford just issued a major recall on all the 2005-2008 mustangs for the Passenger Side airbag. Check with your closest Ford dealer for info.


WRONG! The Ford issue has to due with how much force the PAB has when it deploys. The Saleen issue has to due with the new higher density foam and changing the cover from cloth to leather-the sensor meant to detect 53lbs of weight does not get recalibrated to accomodate for the new amount of resistance in the seat before the the sensor detects weight. Roush had the same recall back in 2005-just look up the NHTSA recall document and you will understand. Trust me, if those who have had the issue filled out the NHTSA complaint you'd see a totally seperate recall. It's just a metter of time before Saleen is forced to take responsibility-I assure you they know it's a problem based on people here that have complained but they've chosen to try sweeping it under the rug case by case since they probably can't afford a recall. In my opinion this tarnishes their credibility. At least Roush stood up and took responsibility.

I rubbed the chrome off of the s281 fender badges with meguiars extreme shine. I was trying to make the black look better because someone at the dealership got wax on them and it had turned white. I was going to just buy some new ones but after checking, those little suckers are $50+. Also my third brake light is pink. I'll probably just buy a new one and clear coat it before installing it. My passenger side airbag light goes off and on when someone is in the passenger seat including me and I'm 215 pounds. I had to replace the windshield banner because it had acid rain spots from sitting on the car lot for a year and a half.Other than that, I love the car. It turns heads like you would not believe!!

Drove the car around town today and the freakin breaks are squeaking. Pretty much sucks because people will be gawking at the car thinking how sweet it is and then I go to stop and it sounds like an old truck.. :(

Everyone with thebrake squeel problem..... please post if you have one or two piece rotors.

From what I have been told the one piece rotors are the main cause of the brake squeel issues. I had an 06' car here that I sold and the customer had the brake squeel issue. I tried everything you can think of from de-glazing the rotors and re-bedding the pads/rotors MULTIPLE TIMES, new axxis pads, new EBC green pads and finally two piece rotors with the stock axxis pads, problem fixed.

07 extreme new, rear spoiler shakes and its not loose.

So many issues I forgot them all...had to pull out my service papers to remember them...

1) rear differential noise ...replaced rear pinion bearing and related components (not totally gone, but better...)
2) built with incorrect boost gauge ...replaced with correct gauge
3) passenger airbag light flickers no matter how much the passenger weighs ...hopefully will be fixed while it is in the shop now
4) ECU had incorrect speedometer programming ...reflashed pcm
5) poor throttle response ...reflashed pcm (again)
6) set cruise, get on throttle, let off throttle, car still accelerates for 2 full seconds ...still not fixed, they don't know what is wrong
7) bolts missing in oil pan and oil leaking ...fixed
8) erratic boost gauge (the new one...and was even totally DEAD for a full day, but now is still only erratic) ...still not fixed, can't find the problem
9) clutched went badat 3K miles (what it's in for now) ...still pending word from Saleen on whether or not they will cover it under warranty
10) rear spoiler shakes on these IL roads - that thing is probably going to stress break before too long ...probably nothing I can do about it though
11) oh yeah...and all of the other little stuff that I have just accepted or haven't complained to the dealer about...

Don't get me wrong, I love the car's looks and performance, but I haven't had this much trouble with a car ever...my last mustang (2006 GT) was almost as bad though...

Has anyone ever hear of a "performance" clutch going bad at 3K miles? My dealer told me parts alone from Saleen are $999.00!!! That's insane. They better pony up on this one...

Update on the clutch...
I was in a business meeting when I got the call from the dealer so this is how I remember it:
Looks like the supercharger is leaking oil, which waseventually getting back into the transmission (somehow...got foggy here) and leaking on the clutch, which eventually burned up the clutch

Good news: I probably (haven't heard final confirmation from Saleen yet) won't have to foot the bill for supercharger repair and a new clutch.

Bad news: Chalk another one up to the list of 'major' issues for my 07 E.

ORIGINAL: Bob D.
ORIGINAL: elburrito99
severnrc Please let us know if you get a fix for the cruise control issue. I almost never use my cruise control function, but happened to use it a few weeks ago during a long road trip. I think I may have experienced the surge you mentioned.


el, in your case the surge is almost certainly from the tune (or possibly the vacuum line routing). See this link for explanation (after replacing the asterisk with theletter removed by the censor program here!): http://www.m*dularf*rds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55200

I had the same type of surging, but since installation ofa JDM tune and vacuum line kit, oncruise control my car is nowrock steady and smooth as butta. ;-)


Thanks for the link. More reasons for me to go with the JDM kit, which I will be doing at some point soon (likely when my warranty expires shortly).

I'm posting this in the stick for issues with our '05-'08 Saleens since this could be a real safety issue for anyone who uses cruise control.

I've had mine for two weeks now and noticed the steering wheel shimmy.

Had mine for 2 months.

Shimmy? You mean like it shakes left and right...mine does that if i take my hands off the wheel.

Boost gauge doesn't work. Took it back to dealer and they replaced with a new one that they ordered. Still doesn't work. I live an hour away from the dealer so i might just live with it...

Took mine and had the wheels rebalanced, they were out of balance by two ounces. The rebalancing fixed my problem.

I figured mine would take the cake.

Wheel Shimmy
Pink 3rd brake light
Brakes squeal
exhaust rattle
guage pod rattle
some other horrible rattle
sometimes when accelerating it starts cutting off and on. It will jerk the crap out of you and make people think you can't freaking drive.
check charging system light. I assume it's a bad voltage regulator since my ac also goes nuts, as well as my radio and dash lights.
Passender air bag turns on and off
cd player skips even with new cd's
Saleen window stickers peeling
Side stickers peeling
chrome on badging "rubbing" off.

I'm sure i'm leaving something out.

Racin, what year is your car? Sounds like you have all the minor issues that are easy to fix:

Wheel Shimmy - I'm convinced this is flat spotting, as my shimmy goes away after about 50 miles.

Pink 3rd brake light - poor QC on the light maker. You can buy a replacement (there is a thread in here somewhere with the link) from the actual mfr and its a better quality that doesn't fade.

Brakes squeal - not sure on this one, my car has the stock ford brakes

exhaust rattle - assuming your car is an '05, this is an easy fix if you read the sticky thread 2005 Exhaust Rattle and Warped Headrests

guage pod rattle - my car is non s/c, so no help here

sometimes when accelerating it starts cutting off and on. It will jerk the crap out of you and make people think you can't freaking drive. - Is your Traction Control On? Sounds to me like it is....defeat it with the TCS button if so, and test again.

check charging system light. I assume it's a bad voltage regulator - This is a ford problem, the batteries loose charge all the time. Sounds like your battery is beyond charging to a full level. I'd get a new battery, and learn to turn your Shaker radio OFF before turning the key off. This seems to be the main source of battery drain

Passender air bag turns on and off - this is a Saleen issue related to their new seat pads and skins. Not aware of a fix

cd player skips even with new cd's - this is a Ford problem, with a TSB to fix it

Saleen window stickers peeling - daily driver I assume....those banners don't weather too well if driven in the rain

Side stickers peeling - again....daily driver?

chrome on badging "rubbing" off. - poor QC....I think they have corrected it, you can buy new badges that are supposed to be better.

My 2007 PJ had the trim falling off the back of it at 100 miles, and trans. issues at 4,000 miles
do to a crappy Saleen installation when they put their aluminum flywheel on the engine and misaligned the pilot shaft bushing! This is the first and last Saleen I will ever own. Junk!

My 2007 PJ had the trim falling off the back of it at 100 miles, and trans. issues at 4,000 miles
do to a crappy Saleen installation when they put their aluminum flywheel on the engine and misaligned the pilot shaft bushing! This is the first and last Saleen I will ever own. Junk!

Thanks for sharing your issues/thoughts. Not trying to sound like a Saleen optimist or anything like that....but your two issues are pretty minimal/common IMO....I mean anybody can make a simple mistake when it comes to putting on a piece of trim or mis-aligning the clutch. Is it acceptable, no....but did they FIX it???? So does this mean the CAR is JUNK?! I'm guessing not :cool:

Thanks for sharing your issues/thoughts. Not trying to sound like a Saleen optimist or anything like that....but your two issues are pretty minimal/common IMO....I mean anybody can make a simple mistake when it comes to putting on a piece of trim or mis-aligning the clutch. Is it acceptable, no....but did they FIX it???? So does this mean the CAR is JUNK?! I'm guessing not :cool:

To answer your question, yes they fixed the thrust bearing issue. I'm still not happy, after all this trying to get Saleen to live up to their warranty..well, I'm still stuck paying for half the bill after exhausting all efforts. Not a company that stands behind their product in my opinion.
I'll probably be trading it in for a GT500. -PJ111

Has anyone been able to get the "badging with Chrome or Chrome Paint deteriorating" replaced under Saleen warranty?

Also, has any Saleen owner felt warmer air than ambient come out of the air vents when the temperature is set to full cold (no a/c) when ambient is above 68 degrees Fahrenheit? Is this normal?

Any advise would be appreciated, thanks.

No help on the air question, but I did get replacement badges from Bill Vaughn in the Saleen Warrenty department. Give him a call....he's in the Troy office.