Saab 9-3 — Recalls, Reliability, Specs & VIN Decoder

My wife and i were involved in a motor vehicle accident in our 2007 saab 9-3 2.0 t convertible. We were heading eastbound on sr610 in stafford, va and the other vehicle was heading westbound. The other driver made an illegal left turn in front of us failing to yield the right of way and we struck his car in the ride side (t-bone). His car was totaled and we had significant front end damage and our airbags did not deploy. Both my wife and i are still recovering from our injuries and under current medical care. I contacted my saab dealership and they suggested i contact gm/saab to investigate the accident to determine if the airbags should have deployed. Gm/saab sent an inspector and i was told i would be provided a report regarding their findings. The inspector completed the investigation and i was contacted by gm/saab. I was provided contradictory information by the gm/saab representative and their supervisor. When i requested a copy of the reports and photographs on three occasions, i was denied. They stated the car was safe to drive and it responded in the accident the way and manner in which it was designed and manufactured. I stated to them if that is in fact true, gm/saab should have no problem providing me a copy of the reports, photographs, and a letter attesting to the fact if was safe drive; however, they repeatedly denied my request. In the next week, i will be getting back my damaged, but repaired saab and have no idea if it is safe to drive let a lone sell if i choose not to keep it. I am very concerned over gm/saab's lack of cooperation and failure to provide necessary information as to the roadworthiness of my vehicle. Their failure to cooperate on this endeavor leads me to believe they care covering something up and are concerned of potential litigation. My position is that i want to ensure the car is safe to drive and if not, was there a failure on gm/saab's part and what are they willing to do to correct the matter at hand. *tr

Takata recall driver in front was in motion and came to an abrupt stop at the yellow signal light. I was not able to stop in time. There was a direct impact front end collision to my car. The force of collision activated my passenger airbag to inflate, but my driver's airbag did not...updated 05/09/16 *bf *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 saab 9-3 convertible. The contact was involved in a crash with another vehicle while driving 30 mph; however, his air bags failed to deploy. There were no serious injuries, but the driver and his spouse complained of aches and pains. A police report was filed. The manufacturer has not been notified. The dealer was informed of the air bag failure. The current and failure mileages were approximately 42,000. Updated 5/27/09 *cn

Airbags did not deploy in a 30-35mph frontal collision with an oncoming vehicle. Seatbelt restraint injured both passengers, but none of the airbags deployed.*ak

Tl * the contact owned a 2001 saab 9-3. The contact was involved in a crash and the air bags failed to deploy. The vehicle was destroyed. The driver died and a police report was filed. The manufacturer was not notified. The speed was 40-45 mph. The failure mileage was 98,000. Updated 09/11/14*lj the consumer stated the 7 year old passenger was rushed to the hospital. The a pillar as well as the roof caved in. Police determined vehicle speed was not a factor. Updated 1/13/2015 *js

My son and his girlfriend were in a serious roll over car accident in her 2000 saab hatchback. The car was totaled. None of the airbags deployed, neither front nor side, even though there was substantial impact and damage on front and sides.*ak

Air bag failure 2007 saab aero convertible i was in a 4 car pile up in which i hit the car in front of me at approximately 25 mph. Air bag sensors were hit but airbag failed to deploy. I was seatbelted but did hit the steering wheel face first and was taken to the hospital by ambulance from the scene. I did suffer a concussion and facial bruising and a full set of cuts in my mouth. *tr

Takata recall, after getting a notice i looked online called every single dealer in my area they all said they don't work on saabi hope everything is gm finally i found one most of them said sub went bankrupt so in a few years the car should be fixed faded out and you should get rid of it they said no one will fix it because there's no older this is the of the dealerships within 100 mile radius dealership gmc's somehow i got connected to a repair shop that specializes in sob and they said they said they could do it there about one month out and i would have to come to them which was 400 miles away i told him it was a hardship also and if they could arrange to pick it up or we could arrange another shop to fix it for the dealer they said nope with only ones in northern california appointment later i got a notice from gmc it was and ambiguous it stated your seatbelt and airbag might not be recall however you might want to check this website which was in small print i took it as a discouraging memo when i checked it out they said if you don't have any dealers in yourn your area no i cannot drive it because of safety concerns nor can i sell it because of african more of the concerns i had showing a lawn service recalled i believe gmc is required and responsible in this case to buy back your vehicle for me or offer me a replacement in this case they are avoiding there's possibility and no matter if the company would bankrupt they are the ones that assumed i have been driving with this issue and i have kids and it is unsafe i need to help they need to be in burst me for the whole cost of the vehicle for

Vehicle left roadway at 35mph and struck a tree. Airbag failed to deploy, driver suffered facial and teeth damage. *tr

I would like to report that on tuesday, january 29, 2013, i was in an accident which destroyed the front end of my car. The car was subsequently declared a total loss by my insurance company. In spite of the significant impact, my airbags did not deploy. To confirm that this was a malfunction with the car, the car's information screen denoted an airbag malfunction. I have photos of the message on the information screen if needed. My fear is that this is an error on more cars than mine and this should be looked into for all 2006 saab vehicles. *tr

Takata recall, after getting a notice i looked online called every single dealer in my area they all said they don't work on saabi hope everything is gm finally i found one most of them said sub went bankrupt so in a few years the car should be fixed faded out and you should get rid of it they said no one will fix it because there's no older this is the of the dealerships within 100 mile radius dealership gmc's somehow i got connected to a repair shop that specializes in sob and they said they said they could do it there about one month out and i would have to come to them which was 400 miles away i told him it was a hardship also and if they could arrange to pick it up or we could arrange another shop to fix it for the dealer they said nope with only ones in northern california appointment later i got a notice from gmc it was and ambiguous it stated your seatbelt and airbag might not be recall however you might want to check this website which was in small print i took it as a discouraging memo when i checked it out they said if you don't have any dealers in yourn your area no i cannot drive it because of safety concerns nor can i sell it because of african more of the concerns i had showing a lawn service recalled i believe gmc is required and responsible in this case to buy back your vehicle for me or offer me a replacement in this case they are avoiding there's possibility and no matter if the company would bankrupt they are the ones that assumed i have been driving with this issue and i have kids and it is unsafe i need to help they need to be in burst me for the whole cost of the vehicle for

The ignition switch is located in the center console of the vehicle. A child, kneeling in the pasenger seat (no one else was invehicle) turned the ignition switch on, the car started in reverse and jerk backwords trowing the child from the vehicle, hitting him with the passenger door, hitting the garage in which it was housed, and proceeded down the driveway and into across the yard hitting a tree and ending up in the brush. The ignition switch is located in the center console, which is accessible from all front and rear seats. We have been informed by the dealer the car has no safety device preventing the car from starting in gear. There is evidently no saftey switch requireing the clutch to be depressed or any other means of stopping the car from starting in gear and taking off causing unthinkable damage to people and property. I thought there had to be a safety switch on the clutch for cars built in the last several years. Please advise me if there is any such requirement in effect. Also, if no requirement is in effect, please advise me as to how i can help to get one legislated. This is a very dangerous situation where any child in the back seat can reach over to the center console and start a saab in reverse. Thanks you your assistance.

Accident happened after headlight low-beam failed.was told and shown a melted headlight module that overheated and caused the low-beam headlights to go out. The entire headlamp assembly was replaced. As were other crash involved parts

2008 saab 93 2.0t sedan stalled (no sputter or buck, but just a loss of power) while driving. Resulted in a collision. Initial dealership mechanics have "no findings" - they will have a field engineer investigate tomorrow. *tr

I was driving my car through town and the left side of the driver's seat got so hot it burned my upper left thigh and i was trying to pull my leg out of the way and almost crashed, and when i stopped the car i saw that it had also burnt the leather seat leaving about a four and a half inch burn mark on the seat above the heater coil. *tr

On august 27, 2012, while shopping in the mall, i came out side to the fire department putting a fire out that looks to have occurred while i was in the store. I don't understand how the care caught fire while it was parked. When i got out of the car it seemed to be fine. The fire marshall report side that it was an electrical fire that started because a defect from the manufacturer. *tr

2007 saab 9-3 aero equipped with 2.8l v6 turbo engine (convertible) - engine compartment fire - (odometer - 23,200 miles) upon starting, engine ran a little rough, proceeded to saab dealer for service - no service lights on dash - eventually lost power brakes - engine stalled and burst into flames - all happened within a one-mile distance. *tr

Two items: 1. The seatbelt failed to catch when pulled forward and would unravel and not return. The seatbelt fails to stop the passenger should there be a sudden stop. 2. Both the left and right side tail light assemblies have shorted and melted at the electrical connection. *tr

While driving at 11:30 pm on a small (paved) country road with my high beams on, my warning system indicated "left high beam failure. I continued driving and about a minute later i noticed sparks along the left side of the car. I pulled over to see what was wrong and the left head light was in flames. Within 15 minutes the entire front half/engine of the car was in flames and the entire front half of the car essentially burned to the ground. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 saab 9-3. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced several electrical failures. The air conditionaer, headlights and the motor on the front passenger door all failed. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that a burn out occurred in the electrical sockets for each component. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 37,440.

Hit concrete wall

Coil spring brok caused tire to come off turnded sideways under firewall causing us to crash into concrete barrier

Vehicle left roadway at 35mph and struck a tree. Airbag failed to deploy, driver suffered facial and teeth damage. *tr

Both front coil springs while driving, snapped in half, and dislocated from vehicle, 6 months apart. Was driving at 30 mph, and the passenger front spring snapped in two. Had no forewarning, before it exploded apart. The passenger-side coil-spring snapped off the vehicle, in two+ places, and was retrieved from the highway. Metal showed a clear snap. The metal appeared corroded and as if the metal was not strong enough to work long-term. Six months later, the driver side front-coil-spring snapped and dislodged in the exact same manner, and when the failed piece was retrieved from the highway, it showed the same clear snap lines, as its predecessor. Both instances caused the car to lose control. Clearly a manufacturing defect with sub-par metalloids that likely will kill someone if they are traveling fast. Please recall as its the same defect that appears in 2003 - 2006 saab models. In 2010, general motors offered an extended warranty on about 66,000 2003 - 2006 saab 9-3 vehicles to cover the cost of replacing front springs that break due to corrosion. The mechanic stated that this was a common occurrence on for saab 9-3 models, but is not covered by gm special coverage #15917 because that extended warranty only applies to 2003-2006 vehicles. Http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/02/problems-spring-up-for-2003-6-saab-9-3s/?_r=0. *tr

Pump on rear xwd failure

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 saab 9-3. While driving at an unknown speed, the contact heard a rattling sound near the front passenger side of the vehicle. The contact self-diagnosed the vehicle and stated that the front coil spring was fractured. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 44,000.

Noticed a brittle breaking sound and assumed it was my front brakes. Had new brakes put on the car but still had rubbing and rotational ticking sounds coming from the front wheels. Took it to the dealer where i bought the car new and they told me the front coil springs were both broken and needed replaced with the manufacturers recommended repair which was authorized for 2003-2006 model year 9-3 saab. And that my 2008 saab (current vehicle) was not covered under this defect repair order from gm. This incidentally now has happened on both of my last two saabs, the 2004 9-3 i had before this current 2008 9-3 model saab. I am amazed that this issue has continued to occur and not be covered by any recall beyond the 2006 model year as described to me. Additionally it is extremely coincidental that these last two saab i've owned have had the same problem but now i have to bear the burden of the over $600 repair and parts for this current vehicle when the 2004 model was covered.

Front springs were corroded and both snapped effecting handling. *tr

Front driver side spring broke while driving. Loud bang and sudden drop in ride height. Some loss of steering control. This is a recalled issue up to 2006, it should be extended to cover 2008 models. This is a serious safety risk. *tr

Vehicle's front passenger side coil spring has fractured as a result of poor design. *tr

Airbags did not deploy in a 30-35mph frontal collision with an oncoming vehicle. Seatbelt restraint injured both passengers, but none of the airbags deployed.*ak

Driver seat-belt is not retracting, and operated defectively similar to recalled saab convertibles and other recalled gm models. Driver therefore has no working seatbelt and was told by the dealership that it was not covered under warranty. Gm installed the defective seat belt in multiple vehicles that have already been recalled. Thank you for your consideration. Has been an issue since 2015. *tr

The driver of the 1999 saab 9-3 was driving in the left lane on ma rte. 128 south. Her son was in a child carseat tightly belted into the driver's side passenger seat, the seat directly behind the driver. The switch on the belt buckle was set to the "child seat" setting. The driver signaled and began to change lanes to the middle lane which was clear of traffic. As she was shifting lanes, another vehicle, a light-colored sedan, began to move sharply into the middle lane from the right. The driver was forced to swerve to the left to avoid collision with the other vehicle, and her car went out of control. The car went off the road to the left and hit the guardrail in a front-end collision. The driver was thrown forward but was wearing her seatbelt, which held her. Her airbag did not inflate. Her son's car seat did not remain in place, but went forward and tipped over on its side, facing the middle of the car, so that when the driver opened the passenger door to check on her son, at first she couldn't see him, and she had trouble extracting the car seat. An off-duty fireman stopped to help, cut the seat belt and extracted the seat. The driver was taken to the hospital and treated for whiplash; her son does not appear to have sustained injury. The car was declared a total loss by the insurer, and the insurer towed the car and wants to dispose of it. We (the driver and her husband) contacted saab several times to ask that the vehicle be examined prior to disposal to address concerns about the performance of the rear seat belt and the driver's airbag; saab was unhelpful. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 saab 9-3. While driving at approximately 15 mph while the brake pedal was depressed, the seat belt violently seized across the contact's chest causing her to lose consciousness. As a result, the contact crashed into the rear of another vehicle and the air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 163,000.

Two items: 1. The seatbelt failed to catch when pulled forward and would unravel and not return. The seatbelt fails to stop the passenger should there be a sudden stop. 2. Both the left and right side tail light assemblies have shorted and melted at the electrical connection. *tr

Seat belt repair problem re 2005 saab 9.3 vin [xxx] purchased dec '04, involved in accident aug '05. No repair parts stocked in usa, therefore ordered from sweden. After seven weeks on order, most repair parts received and repairs finally have been started more than eight weeks since accident. However seat belt repair kit is still on back order. Am advised that saab's original supplier of seat belt units has been discontinued and a new supplier has not been contracted. Seems to me that auto manufacturers should be required to stock safety items and should not be allowed to let supply of safety items lapse without replacement sources, particularly on late model cars (mine is of the current 2005 model year). Local dealer trying utmost, but saab usa and saab sweden appear not too responsive. *jb updated 07/18/2012 *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

Tl* the contact owns a 1999 saab 9-3. While backing out of the driveway at 5 mph, the driver side seat air bag deployed without warning. The contact also stated that the driver side seat belt fractured as a result of the air bag deployment. The contact sustained burns on the left arm, but did not seek medical attention. The vehicle was not taken to an independent mechanic or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 114,000.

driver side seat belt not retracting, there is a recall but does not include this vin number.

Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2011 saab 9-3. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign numbers: 14v318000 (seat belts) and 16v063000 (air bags) however, the parts to do the repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was made aware of the issues. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available and parts distribution disconnect. Updated 02/21/17*lj updated 03/01/17.*jb

Hi all, we receive a notice several months ago regarding a recall to the airbags in our car. At the time they said there was currently no rememdy. I just checked safecar.gov to check if there were any updates and it says "recall incomplete. Remedy not yet available " we are worried about using this car as recently an eleventh person was killed by these airbags. Is there some way to expedite the replacement of the airbags? Thanks you so much for any help you might be able to offer. Scott

The engine lost total compression due to what the mechanic said was a well-documented case of intake valve failure, happened in northern california. The engine cut out while i was in traffic on the freeway, the car stopped, and the car was grazed from behind. Not much of a problem due to damage, just a quick re-paint of the back bumper, and paid out of pocket. The engine was gone. The saab specialist told me that so many 9-3's,especially on the east coast, have experienced total intake valve failure like mine. I contacted saab and they essentially said to go screw myself. Saab and a subsequent call to gm claimed they had "never heard of the issue" which my mechanic specialist said was a "bold lie" because there's an online history of this that i found, and they denied me any help in getting it fixed. Since the car was worth more than the $2,900 cost i had to pay to have the engine rebuilt, with the same faulty valves that will cause someone else trouble later as i traded in my car, i decided to repair it, and then get $1,200 more out of it once i traded in my car. You need to investigate this. It is not fair to owners who are out of pocket. There was a safety concern with my incident. If the car behind me had not been aware once the freeway started moving again, i could have been hurt. Saab and gm deny this, yet search google---"intake valve problems saab 9-3" and you'll see for yourself. Make gm pay for this. People have lost a ton of money on depreciation alone, and now the engines fail, almost all of them,according to the shop who fixed my car and to what i've read online. Please issue a recall. Saab and gm were both especially arrogant to me. They should pay for this problem, and reimburse me what i was out even though i sold my car. I have the receipts if you need them. Thank you for listening! Please email only. *tr

On august 27, 2012, while shopping in the mall, i came out side to the fire department putting a fire out that looks to have occurred while i was in the store. I don't understand how the care caught fire while it was parked. When i got out of the car it seemed to be fine. The fire marshall report side that it was an electrical fire that started because a defect from the manufacturer. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 saab 9-3. The contact detected a strong odor of coolant inside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the vehicle was leaking coolant and screws were missing that connected the transmission to the motor. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and dealer were not made ware of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.

Had a compression test after weak starting. All 4 cylinders read 100.need valve replacement and understand this is a known problem in 2007-2011 saab 4 cylinder cars. No warranty or recall regarding this use of flawed valves

There have been two incidents where the vehicle has stalled suddenly while i was driving at a low speed. The vehicle also suddenly ran out of gas twice in the first two months i owned it. After the first service at the dealer, the fuel gauge has been working correctly, although i was not told there was a problem or a repair made. The second incident of stalling occurred today on the on-ramp of a bridge with no shoulder, on a curve going uphill, and no exit for two miles of bridge. The vehicle simply shut down while i was driving, with no noise or warning. There was half a tank of gas. I could not get the key out of the ignition or restart the car for approximately 30 minutes. I called 911 and waited in a very dangerous position on the ramp, with cars speeding around the curve, and my vehicle half in the lane. We were finally able to start up the car and it drove seemingly normally. I brought it to a local mechanic, who could not figure out what the problem was. I researched the problem myself online, and it became immediately apparent that this was a defective fuel pump, and that there had been a recall and numerous bulletins regarding the necessity of replacing the faulty parts to ensure safety. I was never contacted by saab or the dealer who sold me the car. All of my contact information was and is correct. I was nearly killed today as a result. I want to know how this is to be handled. Thank you. *tr

My 2009 saab 9-3 started and ran fine on the way to work, but at lunch it started for a couple seconds and shut off. The car cranks, but is audibly too free spinning. A local shop said compression in the engine was very low, and after multiple calls it seems that my car has the infamous "soft intake valves" problem that has been a widespread plague for these cars for model years 07-11. This car only has 78,000 miles on it, and has always had the oil changed with the correct gm spec oil. I would think an engine should last much longer than this.

Misfires when cold, resulting in rough low idle speed and possible stalling after cold start.

My car has fallen victim to the soft intake valve issue. My car was parked in my driveway, it ran perfectly well the night before. I attempted to move it on christmas eve morning 12/24/2017 but it would not start. I then had it towed to my local saab mechanic, automotion in billerica, ma- the owner said this is a well known issue he has seen on a number of occasions; he said he saw it so many times he purchased new equipment to be prepared for the volume of customers. This is being well documented at the saabcentral forum found at www.saabcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=329066 my 2009 9-3 is about to hit 70,000 miles; mechanic is currently working to fix the intake valve issue at a cost of $2,245.00 plus tax. There are 35 pages of documented instances at saabcentral. It absolutely should be investigated whether or not gm allowed these faulty engines to be in production and sold to customers. It has been stated that gm allowed soft, non-heat hardened intake valves to be used; these intake valves will deform overtime and lead to the combustion chamber not having a perfect seal.

The intake valves are worn on the engine this started around 80,000 miles and has progressively gotten worse. The car will not start on very cold days. If it does, it idles very rough and hard. Date below is an estimate of when this started.

The intake valves are bad on this car and it has 100k miles on this. This is a $2000 plus job that comes out of pocket. It seems to be this is a common problem with saabs and it appears there are several complaints on here. This needs to be recalled and paid for by gm, because they did not property build this engine if so many are failing. My car will turn over and not start in the cold weather.

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 saab 9-3. While driving 20 mph, the steering wheel locked and the vehicle stalled. No warning lights were illuminated prior to the failure. The contact crashed into a ten foot barrier. Gm sent an engineer to gather evidence and survey the damage. One occupant was injured and a police report was filed. Gm stated that they will take apart the vehicle to find out why it stalled and crashed. The failure mileage was 36,000.

Owner was driving at approximately 65 mph the check engine light came on and the vehicle stalled. Vehicle "b" rear ended owner's vehicle while being driven at 70 mph. Upon impact, the frontal air bags failed to deploy. Owner sustained injuries, was taken to the emergency room and released. *ak

Owner parked the vehicle at work and when owner got out, owner noticed a weird electrical type smell. Owner went inside to work. Approximately 5 minutes later, someone came in and said that the saab was smoking. Owner went outside and saw smoke coming from around the hood and also saw some embers dripping underneath the saab. Someone else called the fire department. By the time the fire department arrived, there was fire appearing up through the hood and cowl area. Vehicle has 2.0 liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. *tr

Owner drove saab to mall and parked it. Approximately 20-30 minutes later, came back out to car and observed that fire department had extinguished a fire in the saab. Fire originated in right rear of engine compartment. Cause undetermined at this time. Vehicle has 2.0 liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. *tr

2007 saab 9-3 aero equipped with 2.8l v6 turbo engine (convertible) - engine compartment fire - (odometer - 23,200 miles) upon starting, engine ran a little rough, proceeded to saab dealer for service - no service lights on dash - eventually lost power brakes - engine stalled and burst into flames - all happened within a one-mile distance. *tr

2007 saab 9-3 went on fire with driver in it. Car was serviced at massey saab, orlando, flon june 3rd, 2008 (40,000 mile service, electrical repairs, detail, wheel alignment). Vehicle was in mcdonald's drive-through in orlando fl on junction of 535 n and hotel plaza blvd. Engine caught on fire. Manger of mcdonald's (frederico) and i (driver) pushed car away from building and other people. Flames entered cabin while i was in the vehicle steering it. I jumped out just in time, and the whole car went up in flames. There have been records of other saab's having similar fire problems in the past. I would like to have this investigated so other's are not injured in an occurrence like this. I am lucky to be alive. The fire department arrived and extinguished the flames, and informed me how lucky i was that i jumped out, and not brought the car home and parked it in my garage. Otherwise the whole neighborhood would have been affected. I do not have the full vin b/c the car is completely totaled in fire. The last six numbers are 013430. The vehicle belongs to a fleet company wheels inc. I work for a pharmaceutical company, and this was my company car. Wheels/roche should have all details on the vehicle when you are investigating. Information for orange county fire rescue 407-836-9000 run# 47137; mcdonald's phone #: 407-827-1030. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 saab 9-3. The contact stated that every four months and approximately 30 miles, the coolant reservoir cracks, which causes leakage onto the engine. As a result, a fire erupts under the hood. The failure was noticed while driving 30 mph. The current mileage was 12,500 and failure mileage was 4,000.

Vehicle owner pulled into a parking space and stopped, saw smoke coming from under the hood. Owner reported that the smoke became black and a fire erupted. Fire origin in right rear of engine compartment, cause undetermined. Vehicle has 2.0 liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 93 saab. The engine lost power without warning, and when attempting to restart the vehicle the steering function was lost as well. The onstar indicator read that the steering and engine were malfunctioning. On eighteen occasions the saab dealer was unable to diagnose the failure ,and refused to purchase back the vehicle. Also, the dealer stated that the vehicle was operating normally. On march 16, 2007, the vehicle was parked and accelerated without warning and drove into a cement wall. After the recent failure saab's diagnosis was to replace the fuel pump. However, the failure continued to occur. The contact was injured while being three months pregnant. The air bags deployed, and there was severe damage to the vehicle. The current and failure mileage were 57,000. *ak

I have has 2 saabs in the last 6 months due to the electrical system failing constantly and the engine stalling. After 3 months of inconvenience and arguments saab gave me another car. Now with 3800 miles the car completely dropped dead on me as i was driving on the expressway at 55 mph. It was -40 degrees and it took roadside assistance 2.5 hours to get me. Saab headquarters was nothing but useless after driving around in a two truck for 8 hours since saab roadside and saab headquarters could not tell me where to take my car. I was towed from queens, to brooklyn, to manhattan and treated with no respect. I ended up getting extremely sick from sitting in the car waiting for roadside for 2.5 hours. When i called saab they told me its the weather that caused my car to drop dead. I was never told that my car would be temp. Temperamental and i had to go to florida for the winter. This is why american car companies suck. *cb

Upon starting the vehicle after sitting, the brakes had greatly increased pedal effort to apply and greatly reduced breaking result. The car failed to stop and struck a pole while backing up.

On cold start, my hydraulic brakes fails to operate. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 saab 9-3. The contact discovered that his brakes failed shortly after starting the vehicle when he placed the vehicle in reverse to back out of his parking space. When the transmission is shifted from park into reverse or drive before the engine has been warmed up, the brakes do not work to slow the vehicle and the brake pedal feels rock hard. To stop the vehicle the contact shifted the transmission into park. Brake function appeared to return to normal after the engine warmed up. This failure has occurred on four separate occasions. At 15,383, the contact struck another vehicle when the brakes failed while reversing out of a parking space. The crash occurred at low-speed approximately 2mph and no one was injured. The contact's vehicle was scratched but there was no apparent damage to the other vehicle. Dealer replaced electric vacuum pump multiple times under warranty. Contact claims faulty vacuum check valve caused brake booster to leak and electric vacuum pump to run too long and burn out. The contact pursued remedy under lemon law and the vehicle was repurchased by saab on january 7, 2008.

Brake failure. Resulted in collision. Dealership identified failed brake components and replaced the master cylinder, abs manifold, brake pads and rotors. Claim was made to saab/gm, claim# 513166, and warranty covered the brake repairs. They settled in full for the substitute transportation and collision deductible but only offered a percentage of the insurer's collision repair payments. This could result in an adverse policy rating for the commercial account. *nm

Large sections of the front brake rotors are flaking apart. The rotor surface is reduced to about half of normal and no longer provides safe stopping ability. Stopping distance is significantly increased and safety is severely compromised. Vehicle mileage at time pf problem discovery 14,000 miles.

During routine under hood inspection, brake fluid reservoir cap was observed to have split into multiple pieces. This damage, apparently heat related, compromised the ability of the braking system to maintain pressure and could result in loss of braking, crash, and bodily injury. Vehicle was removed from service pending receipt of replacement part. *tr

Upon starting after sitting, the brakes have a greatly increased pedal effort and a correspondingly greatly reduced braking effect. This combined with the relatively high idle for this model of engine, (v-6), at start up combines to creates a situation where the car is very difficult to stop when driving away from first start-up.

After starting car and adjusting seat i backed out of parking space and applied the brakes which did not seem to work properly. The car eventually stopped as i was not going very fast. I put the car in drive and began to accelerate to move to another parking spot and as i turned the corner going approximately 10 mph i applied the brakes and they did not work; i accelerated again to test the brakes again and they did not work; i again accelerated to test the brakes again and they still did not work. I cautiously moved my car to another parking spot and applied the brakes which did not work and subsequently over shot the parking space.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 saab 9-3. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced an intermittent loss of brake assist power. The failure occurred without warning. The vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic and the technician diagnosed that the vacuum assist pump failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified the failure. The contact referenced nhtsa campaign number: 05v236000 (service brakes, hydraulic), but the vin was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 53,000.

Intermittent brake failure at start. Depress brakes, either from driveway in reverse or starting forward after leaving driveway, and brakes do not work. Depressing brakes feels like power braking system is not engaging. Have to pull over to side of road, and after a few minutes, brakes return. This has happened periodically over the period since i bought the car new, december 2009. The consumer experienced an intermittent brake issue that was evident from the first year of ownership. Upon starting the vehicle in the morning, there was brake failure until the vehicle warmed up sufficiently for the problem to be resolved. He would generally catch the problem before exiting his driveway, but there were times the problem persisted upon shifting into forward gear. The consumer had the vacuum pipe replaced. The consumer referenced nhtsa action number pe08005, in which he believed was closed prematurely. Updated 08/27/14

At 65 mph, the gear shift knob, shift cover and assembly separated from the car - the base-metal stick shift was all that remained, and thus the safety latch that prevents car from being shifted into reverse, instead of a forward moving gear, normally attached to the exterior, was now missing. Alas, safely shifting into any of its 6 gears, was not an option ... It's odd, but per its original manufacturing specs, the entire transmission system in the 9-3, has zero locking mechanism to keep the knob and cosmetic housing from separating. Numerous other reports have been reported to dealerships and across the internet. Gm still covers 9-3, 2008, under its warranty policies. *tr

When child put key in ignition without depressing clutch, vehicle started up, rolling backward .*ak *jb

Sudden acceleration. I have a 2003 saab 9-3 arc, bought on 9/03, around 13,000 miles, yesterday i went to office and stopped in the right position to park in front of the wall, i stepped on brake, push the gear to "p", all of a sudden the engine started "howling", and accelerated to hit the wall, im pretty sure that's not the human error, 'cause the gear's in park, and my foot stepped on brake( i have more than 20 years driving experience, to park a car is like normal reaction), i walk out the car, there're two short tire burn mark( if im not stepped on brake, why does it have the burn mark), so i called my car dealer, they towed the car and try to find out the problem, but it come out the result is nothing wrong with the car! I really want to know if there're anybody has the experiences. Im glad that the thing occurred in front of a wall, if it's in front of a store that might cause lives!!!!!*ak im afraid of driving my saab again; ill call saab tomorrow to find out if they can do something about it? If you need some picture evidence that i took after the thing happen, i can send you by mail!

Several months ago i had placed my 2004 9-3 saab in park and left the car running to get out and turn off my sprinklers. While out of the car the vehicle rolled up the driveway and headed to wards my garage narrowly missing my house. I ran after the car and jumped in the drivers seat just as the car made contact with the garage door. I was able to put on the brake and stop the car before it knocked down the whole garage. I contacted saab immediately and they had the car checked by their mechanics who said they could find nothing. I know that i had put the car in park before exiting. The car also was parked on an incline and instead of rolling backwards had it not been in park it actually rolled up the driveway as if it went from park into drive. I was unaware of the issue until i heard that gm has other cars with the same issue. Since they are trying to sell saab i am sure they are trying to hide that this problem may also exist in the saabs as well. *tr

The all wheel drive hydraulic pump went bad and there are none available to fix car. The haldex all wheel drive is being used on various other makes and i believe that there is a defect in the design of the system. When i checked on line there have been a number of people reporting this same problem with the hydraulic pump on their all wheel drive cars. *tr

at about 98,000 miles the starts to fail transmission fails Also when the car gets too cold in the winter it refuses to start and it is not a battery issue. the cylinders get to cold to start. When the warm weather comes back around it starts again.

Significant decrease in average mpg (problem from research online suggests it is from lowered compression from intake valve design/material used). 109700 miles on engine. Meticulously maintained by us navy submariner. Haven't contacted gm or saab affiliate yet. Forums used infer this problem is widespread for 2007-2009 saab 9-3 2.0t with b207 engine. Summer time mpg is around 32-33, winter mpg is 30-31 in the pacific northwest. Last 3 fill ups, average mpg has dropped steadily from 30.5 to 26 on the most recent fill up. Respectfully request to know if a recall or financial compensation by the manufacturer to consumers has been ordained?

My 2008 saab 93 2.0t has intake valve failures. In the morning it idles rough until it warms up; this has been verified by a saab specialist. My engine is not molded or altered in anyway other than the consumables over time (belts and such). A quick check for 2008 saab valve problem leads to forums chalk full of other owners with the same issue. Gm should foot the bill for this $2500+ rebuild of the engine that they poorly manufactured in the first place. *tr

On the 2007-2011 saab 9-39-3 there is a common issue with the intake valve seals going bad causing a rough idle and/or misfire on cold starts. Mine exhibits this behavior but is not still under warranty. This is not just wear and tear it is a bad part or bad design that is basically designed to fail. To fix this it costs $1500+ and gm should be responsible for a flaw in the vehicle regardless of the 5 year/100,000 mile warranty. *tr

We purchased a 2008 saab 9-3 in 3/2011 with 34,000 miles. As of 2/2015 the vehicle has 104,000 miles. Last month the vehicle barely started after sitting overnight and would take several minutes to reach a normal idle. It would then start the rest of the day, sometimes after a "hard" start. The check engine light came on and the mechanic said the code read as a "cylinder misfire" code. 8 days ago the car would not start and is now sitting in my driveway. I called a saab specialist about 2 hours away from me who knew exactly what the problem was. He explained the intake valve problem that a lot of saab owners are experiencing due to defective materials used by gm and/or suppliers. He said the cost will be at least $2,200 but could easily be more depending on the severity. This is a known defect (a service bulletin has been issued detailing this issue) that should be subject to a recall. We cannot afford to fix an engine that does not work due to substandard valves. This is not a normal "wear and tear" issue, but an issue dealing with parts that were doomed from the beginning. *tr