SAAB 9-3 Complaints

1,407 consumer complaints on file.

#10574624March 24, 2014
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
DURING COLDER STARTS, THE ENGINE WILL TAKE MUCH LONGER THAN IT SHOULD TO START. EITHER IT WILL TRY AND CRANK UNTIL IT DOES OR IT WILL CRANK AND STALL. USUALLY A FEW TRIES AND IT WILL CLEAR UP ONCE THE ENGINE IS WARM. I THINK THIS MIGHT HAVE TO DO WITH THE INTAKE VALVES BEING WARN OUT PREMATURELY. MANY OTHER SAAB OWNERS IN THE SAME FEW YEARS AND MILEAGE ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10567588March 6, 2014
SUSPENSION, WHEELS, TIRES
DRIVING DOWN STREET AT 30 MPH. LEFT SIDE FRONT SPRING BROKE. SPRING STUCK OUT AND SHREDDED TIRE. LEFT SIDE OF CAR DROPPED, WHICH THEN CAUSED RIGHT SIDE SPRING TO COME OFF AND CUT RIGHT SIDE TIRE. HAD TO REPLACE BOTH FRONT SPRING / STRUT ASSEMBLIES, AND REPLACE 2 TIRES. RESEARCHED PROBLEM, FOUND THAT GM MANUFACTURED THESE CARS IN 2003 - 2006 AND WAS OFFERING A WARRANTY TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. MY SAAB IS SEVERAL MONTHS PAST THE WARRANTY DATES BUT NOT THE MILEAGE LIMIT. HOWEVER, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE ORIGINAL PARTS WERE FAULTY OR DEFECTIVE. VERY DANGEROUS, AS IF CAR WERE TRAVELING FASTER IT COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I WOULD HOPE GM WOULD CORRECT OR PAY FOR A TRUE SAFETY ISSUE. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10567614March 6, 2014
SUSPENSION
THE LEFT FRONT STRUT SPRING SNAPPED AND THE RIGHT FRONT STRUT SPRING IS MOVING (CIRCULAR BACK AND FORTH MOTION). *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10566935March 4, 2014
ENGINE
THE INTAKE VALVE IN THE FIRST CYLINDER HAS TO BE REPLACED AT THE COST OF APPROXIMATELY $2500. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE FOR ALL SAABS (2009-2011). THERE IS A TECHNICAL BULLETIN RELEASED FOR HOW TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT VEHICLE WORKMANSHIP IS THE PROBLEM AND THE COST OF REPAIR IS BEING PASSED ON TO THE CONSUMER. AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE IN GOOD FAITH WITH THE EXPECTATION THAT I AM PURCHASING A QUALITY VEHICLE FROM GM, I AM DISAPPOINTED THAT THIS KNOWN ISSUE IS A PROBLEM WITH ALL SAABS MANUFACTURED BY GM. THE 2009-2011 SAABS ALL HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. THIS IS A MANUFACTURER PROBLEM. I WANT TO VOICE A COMPLAINT ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THE WORKMANSHIP PRODUCED BY GM. AFTER THE TAX DOLLAR BAILOUT, COSTUMERS SHOULD BE ABLE TO EXPECT, AT THE VERY LEAST, A QUALITY PRODUCT. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10566511February 28, 2014
ENGINE
THE PROBLEM OF A COLD START ROUGH IDLE INITIALLY STARTED LAST YEAR AROUND FEBRUARY 2013. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DID COME ON EVERY SO OFTEN AND WOULD EVENTUALLY RESET ITSELF. I HAD THE CODE CHECKED OUT, AND I WAS TOLD IT WAS MISFIRING OF THE SPARK PLUGS. I HAD THE SPARK PLUGS REPLACED, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THIS DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I DID NOT HAVE THE CAR LOOKED AT AGAIN TILL THIS YEAR, FEBRUARY 2014, AS I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I DIDN'T HAVE BAD GAS, OR IT WASN'T CARBON BUILDUP IN THE ENGINE. AFTER INFORMING THE DEALER OF THE PROBLEM I WAS HAVING, THEY SUGGESTED I LEAVE IT OVERNIGHT SO THEY COULD TEST IT OUT THE NEXT MORNING. THAT MORNING THEY CALLED AND TOLD ME THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE INTAKE VALVES GOING BAD. THEY ARE IN THE PROCESS OF ORDERING THE PARTS AND I WILL HAVE THE WORK COMPLETED IN MARCH 2014. I HAVE CONTACTED SAAB PARTS NORTH AMERICA TO SEE IF THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO HELP IN ANYWAY SINCE MY CAR WAS JUST OUT OF WARRANTY, AND I WAS TOLD THEY WOULD NOT AND THAT GM PROBABLY WOULDN'T EITHER DUE TO THE BANKRUPTCY. I WILL BE ATTEMPTING TO CALL GM AND SEE IF THEY ARE WILLING TO HELP IN ANYWAY SINCE MY VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED WHILE SAAB WAS STILL OWNED BY GM. I HAVE ALSO FOUND OUT AT SAAB CENTRAL FORUMS THERE ARE NUMEROUS OWNERS OF THE 07-11 YEARS THAT ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM AT ABOUT THE SAME MILEAGE. I HAVE ALSO LEARNED THERE IS A SPNA BULLETIN THAT HAS BEEN SENT TO DEALERS, SO THEY KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE CHOSEN NOT TO STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT BY ISSUING A RECALL. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10565879February 25, 2014
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS, SEAT BELTS
DURING THE TIME FRAME THAT I FIRST RECEIVED THE NOTICE OF THE RECALL OF THE FRONT SEAT BELT RETRACTORS FOR MY VEHICLE THE REAR SEAT BELT RETRACTORS (LEFT-SIDE PASSENGER BEHIND THE DRIVER) ON MY VEHICLE HAD FAILED TO RETRACT PROPERLY. WHEN I INITIALLY TOOK MY VEHICLE IN TO REPLACE THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTORS I INQUIRED AS TO THE REAR SEAT BELT RETRACTORS AND I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THE REAR SEAT BELTS AT THAT TIME HOWEVER, I SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR SAAB WEBSITE FOR ANY ADDITIONAL SEATBELT RECALLS. AS OF DATE I HAVE NOT LOCATED ANY ADDITIONAL RECALL NOTICES FROM SAAB REGARDING THE SEAT BELTS ON THE 2004 9-3 AERO. FOR SAFETY REASONS I NO LONGER USE THE LEST SIDE PASSENGER SEAT IN MY VEHICLE AS NOW THE SEAT BELT DOES NOT RETRACT AT ALL. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10565538February 23, 2014
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
UPON START, ROUGH IDLE AND MISFIRES. OCCASIONAL STALLING. DEFECT TRACED TO METALLURGICAL ISSUES IN THE INTAKE VALVES OF THE VEHICLE CAUSING AN IMPROPER SEAL WHEN THE ENGINE IS COLD. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10565113February 20, 2014
SUSPENSION
MY 2008 SAAB 9-3 2.0T HAD A SIMILAR ISSUE TO THE SAAB'S AFFECTED BY THE 2003-2006 WARRANTY EXTENSION FOR THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS. I AM IN A SALT BELT STATE, MASSACHUSETTS, AND MY FRONT COIL SPRINGS FAILED AT 64,500 MILES. IT WAS FOUND DURING A ROUTINE INSPECTION. CLEARLY THE DESIGN CHANGES MADE AFTER THE 03-06 ISSUE WERE NOT ENOUGH TO STOP THE FRONT COIL SPRING FRACTURES AND THE ENGINEERING ANALYSIS DONE WAS NOT ADEQUATE. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10563904February 11, 2014
ENGINE
MY SAAB HAS WORN INTAKE VALVE SEATS WHICH WAS CONFIRMED WITH A COMPRESSION TEST. BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM, MY CAR IS HAVING TROUBLE STARTING COLD. ACCORDING TO MULTIPLE SAAB BLOGS, THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND IS POSSIBLY CAUSED BY DEFECTIVE PARTS. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10562116January 29, 2014
SUSPENSION
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE TIRE BLEW. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC, WHO REPLACED THE DAMAGED TIRE AND ALSO ADVISED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY FRACTURED COIL SPRINGS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 140,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10561087January 22, 2014
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE, ENGINE
BEGAN HAVING ISSUES STARTING, AND MISFIRES, AND FINALLY ENGINE LOST COMPRESSION BUT STILL ABLE TO START WHEN WEATHER WAS WARM. NOV -DEC 2011 NO START OR HARD START IN WEATHER BELOW 35F,LOCAL SERVICE SHOP SAID NEEDED NEW ENGINE, NO COMPRESSION WHEN SAT FOR LONG PERIODS OR EXTERIOR TEMP BELOW 35F APPROX 94,000 MILE. DEC 2011- CALLED SAAB BUT BANKRUPT SO NO CUSTOMER SERVICE, REACHED OUT TO GM CORPORATE REGARDING WARRANTY AND WAS TOLD NOT HONORING THEM SINCE BANKRUPTCY. JAN 2012 -2ND OPINION BY INDY SAAB FOCUSED SERVICE CENTER. THOUGHT WRONG OIL WAS PUT IN AND WITH PROPER OIL CAR, NEW SPARK PLUGS, FUEL PUMP, ETC STARTED EVEN IN COLD WEATHER, BUT STILL MISFIRED AND ROUGH IDLE AND HAD TO START IN COLD HAD MILD WINTER.JAN 2013- SAME NO START IN COLD AND COMPRESSION TEST AGAIN AND COLD TEST SHOWED NO COMPRESSION IN ALL CYLINDERS. HARD TO START WHEN OUTSIDE TEMP WAS BELOW 30F AND TESTED COMPRESSION AGAIN AND LOSS OF COMPRESSION, AND RAN SEA FOAM THROUGH ENGINE TO REMOVE CARBON BUILDUP UPON SUGGESTION FROM WEBSITE BOARD, OTHERS HAVING ISSUES WITH GM MOTORS! NOT SPECIFIC TO SAAB. STILL RANDOMLY STARTED CAR EVER 6 HOURS WHEN TEMP DROPPED BELOW 28F. MAR 2013- DID ANOTHER TOP ENGINE CLEANING WITH SEA FOAM, MILD WEATHER UNTIL DECEMBER. DEC 4TH 2013-AGAIN HARD START IN COLD WEATHER DID ANOTHER TOP ENGINE CLEANING WITH SEA FOAM.JAN 8, 2014- TEMP OUTSIDE 22F NO START AGAIN AFTER SITTING FOR 6 HOURS, BATTERY DEAD FROM CRANKING, CAR TOWED, AND NO COMPRESSION AGAIN, ANOTHER 2 CYCLES TOP ENGINE CLEANING, CAR STARTED AFTER SITTING IN SHOP OVERNIGHT. JAN 22, 2014- TEMP OUTSIDE 16F, SAT IDLE FOR 8 HOURS, NO START AGAIN, BATTERY DIED FROM CRANKING, CAR TOWED TO SHOP, WAITING ON DIAGNOSIS. FOUND MENTION OF SPNA TECHNICAL BULLETIN DATED 12/17/2013 HARD STARTING COLD W/ ENGINE MISFIRE AND LOW COMPRESSION 9-3 B207 AND IT DESCRIBED MY ISSUE PERFECTLY. REACHING OUT LOCAL SAAB/GM SERVICE CENTER. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10560804January 21, 2014
ENGINE
I'M NOT CERTAIN IF THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BUT IT CERTAINLY QUALIFIES AS AN EMISSIONS ISSUE AND A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. ON EVERY COLD START, THE ENGINE WOULD RUN ROUGH UNTIL I PUT IT IN DRIVE AND WOULD RUN FINE AFTER A FEW MINUTES. I LET IT SIT AND IDLE FOR A WHILE ONCE AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AS A RESULT. A LOCAL DEALERSHIP FOUND LOW COMPRESSION ACROSS 2 CYLINDERS AND INFORMED ME IT WAS THE DREADED VALVE ISSUE (INTAKE VALVE CUPPING THEY CALLED IT). THE DEALERSHIP HAD FIXED A NUMBER OF THESE AND FROM VARIOUS ONLINE FORUMS, I SEE THAT A NUMBER OF 2007 AND 2008 SAAB 9-3 OWNERS SEEM TO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. THE REPAIR CONSISTED OF REMOVING AND REPLACING ALL 8 INTAKE VALVES, HAND LAPPING THEM, REMOVING AND REPLACING ALL VALVE SEALS, AND REFINISHING THE HEAD MATING SURFACE. THE REPAIR WAS VERY EXPENSIVE, SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS. I'VE HAD THE CAR BACK FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS AND THE PROBLEM IS GONE. I WAS TOLD THIS ISSUE SEEMS TO HAPPEN AROUND THIS AMOUNT OF MILEAGE AND IN COLD WEATHER STATES. OF COURSE MY WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED 6 MONTHS EARLIER AND I IMAGINE THIS IS THE CASE WITH MANY OTHER SAAB 9-3 OWNERS WITH '07 AND '08 VEHICLES. WITH THE NEW PARTS, I WAS TOLD I SHOULDN'T RUN INTO THIS PROBLEM AGAIN. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10560695January 20, 2014
ENGINE
IT HAS VERY ROUGH START EVERY MORNING WHEN IT'S COLD. FROM SAAB FORUM (HTTP://WWW.SAABCENTRAL.COM/) THERE ARE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE THAT IS HAVING THE SAME ISSUE FOR NEWER SAAB 9-3'S. THE PROBLEM IS INTAKE VALVES OF ENGINE BECOMING REALLY THIN AND FAILING OVER TIME.. THE ENGINE SHAKES THE WHOLE CAR AND SOMETIME THE CAR DOESN'T EVEN WANT TO START.. I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISE IF ONE DAY I CANT START THE CAR.. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10560192January 16, 2014
ENGINE
MY CAR WAS EXHIBITING A HARD START AND MISFIRES FROM 90,000 AND UP. IT WAS MORE PRESENT IN COLD WEATHER. IT FINALLY FAILED TO TURN OVER IN -15 DEGREE WEATHER (-40 WIND CHILL), HAD I BEEN IN A REMOTE AREA THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A VERY REAL DANGER OF HYPOTHERMIA AND FROSTBITE. AFTER SOME ONLINE INVESTIGATION I FOUND THAT NUMEROUS PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH ANY SAAB 9-3 2.0T (B207 ENGINE) OVER 75,000 MILES. THE PROBLEM IS RELATED TO BAD INTAKE VALVES THAT BECOME RAZOR SHARP AND CANNOT HOLD COMPRESSION ESPECIALLY IN COLDER CLIMATES. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10560252January 16, 2014
SUSPENSION
I WAS TRAVELING AT 50MPH WHEN I HEARD A LOUD POP FROM THE FRONT SUSPENSION. AFTER THE POP THE FRONT END WOULD RATTLE OVER BUMPS. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION I DISCOVERED THE FRONT RIGHT COIL SPRING HAD CRACKED. AFTER LOOKING AT THE SPRING MORE I FOUND ANOTHER CRACK IN THE SAME SPRING. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10559042January 8, 2014
ENGINE, EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY
NO START/COLD CLIMATE FOR 2008 SAAB 9-3 2.0T. TOWED TO SAAB DEALERSHIP AFTER COLD NO START YESTERDAY 01/07/2014. SAAB TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSIS(01/08/2014): INTAKE/INLET VALVES WORN CAUSING LOW ENGINE COMPRESSION, HENCE; FAILED START ATTEMPTS. ENGINE COMPRESSION AND LEAK DOWN TESTS PERFORMED TO PINPOINT EXACT PROBLEM.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10558752January 7, 2014
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE PARKED IN COLD TEMPERATURES THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WHERE THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10558892January 7, 2014
SEAT BELTS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRACT OR LATCH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 84,200.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10558603January 6, 2014
ENGINE
IN COLD WEATHER (SLIGHTLY BELOW FREEZING AT THE TIME) VEHICLE STARTED BUT IDLED VERY ROUGHLY. DROVE DOWN STREET AND WHILE COASTING ENGINE WAS IDLING AND SPUTTERED AND STALLED WITHIN 1 MINUTE OF INITIAL START. LOSS OF BRAKE ASSIST, POWER STEERING, POWER TO ACCELERATE WITH TRAFFIC. PULLED OFF TO SIDE AND RESTARTED ENGINE. AGAIN ROUGH IDLE. APPLIED GAS PEDAL AND HELD RPMS SLIGHTLY ABOVE IDLE TO WARM ENGINE. AFTER ~5 MINUTES, CAR WAS IDLING NORMALLY. NO FURTHER ISSUES ONCE ENGINE REACHED OPERATING TEMPERATURE. UPON RESEARCH SAAB/GM (SPNA TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE) HAS ISSUED A NOTICE TO CERTIFIED SERVICE CENTERS THAT INTAKE VALVES ARE PREMATURELY WEARING CAUSING SEVERE ISSUES IN COLD START SITUATIONS. NOTICE IS DATED 12/17/2013 AND WAS RE-ISSUED TO EXPAND SCOPE OF MODEL YEARS KNOWN TO BE EFFECTED. THIS WARRANTS AN INVESTIGATION FOR POTENTIAL RECALL, AS NO VEHICLE SHOULD RESULT IN SUCH SIGNIFICANT DEGRADATION OF A MAJOR ENGINE COMPONENT WITH SUCH LIMITED MILES. REPAIR REQUIRES MAJOR ENGINE WORK TO REPLACE ALL INTAKE VALVES. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10558676January 6, 2014
ENGINE
ROUGH IDLE AND LOW COMPRESSION WHEN COLD, SYMPTOM DID NOT APPEAR AFTER THE ENGINE IS WARM. INTAKE VALVES FAILED AND COST $1,700 TO REBUILD THE HEAD. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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