Non swimmer

My daughter’s diesel SAAB 9-3 has had a catastrophic failure after passing through shallow water on the road. The breakdown man seemed to think that this is not unusual as the air intakes are vulnerable to sprayed water. If this is the case, is it a design fault? Would it be worth raising the matter with SAAB, even though the car is out of warranty?

Asked on 20 February 2010 by B.H., via e-mail

Answered by Honest John

No. It's normal. Cars are not designed to drive through floods. They ore optimised for best fuel economy in normal conditions and that means low air intakes. If you live in an area prone to flooding you need a 4WD SUV and you may even need to fit snorkel tubes.

Tags: warranties technical issues owning engine

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