SAAB 9-3 Complaints

1,407 consumer complaints on file.

#10018802May 16, 2003
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
THE CAR STALLED ON ME UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS - TWICE. THE FIRST TIME I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND WAS ON A SIDE ROAD GOING ABOUT 30 MILES AN HOUR WHEN THE GAS PEDAL TOTALLY STOPPED WORKING BECAUSE THE CAR ACTUALLY HAD STALLED. THE SECOND TIME WAS ABOUT A WEEK LATER AND UNFORTUNATELY I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY DURING RUSH HOUR CRAWLING AT ABOUT 5 MPH AND THE CAR TOTALLY STALLED AGAIN. IN BOTH INSTANCES I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND TURNED IT ON AGAIN AND THE PROBLEM WAS GONE. WHEN I CALLED MY SAAB DEALER AFTER THE SECOND OCCURRENCE, THE SERVICE CONSULTANT TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS A REPROGRAMMING EFFORT THAT WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM. I WAS SURPRISED THAT HE OFFERED A SOLUTION RIGHT AWAY, SO I ASKED IF HE KNEW THERE WAS A PROBLEM AND THEY WEREN'T SENDING A RECALL NOTICE TO FIX IT. HE SAID THAT NOT ALL CARS WERE STALLING, ONLY ABOUT A QUARTER OF THEM, AND IF A CUSTOMER CALLED WITH A COMPLAINT THEN THEY WOULD FIX IT. SO I BROUGHT IT IN FOR SERVICE THE NEXT DAY, AND THEY SAID THAT THEY CALLED THE HOTLINE, FOUND A PROBLEM AND WERE ABLE TO REPROGRAM THE CAR SO IT SHOULD BE ALL FIXED. *NLM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10018437May 8, 2003
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER, POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IF TRAFFIC COMES TO A SUDDEN STOP, BRAKING IS HORRIBLE. THE CAR DOES NOT GRIP THE ROAD IT SLIDES. WHEN PUTTING CAR INTO DRIVE OR REVERSE, CAR HESITATES FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS THEN JERKS INTO ACTION. THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM STOPPED WORKING. THE CAR IS LITERALLY FALLING APART PIECE BY PIECE. *NLM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10018394May 7, 2003
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
AFTER SLOWING DOWN IN TRAFFIC, MY WIFE ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE, BUT THE ENGINE STOPPED AND THE ENGINE ICON ON THE DASH DISPLAY WAS ILLUMINATED. THE SAAB INFORMATION DISPLAY (SID) DID NOT SHOW ANY PROBLEMS. LUCKILY SHE WAS ABLE TO RESTART AND CONTINUE ON TO WORK. APPROXIMATELY 25 MILES LATER THE ENGINE WAS SLUGGISH AND ALMOST STOPPED AGAIN. IN ADDITION THE RADIO HAS BEEN KNOWN TO CHANGE STATIONS BY ITSELF, AND THE REMOTE MIRRORS WILL SOMETIMES MOVE BY THEMSELVES. THE CAR HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE SAAB DEALER AND A SOFTWARE UPDATE HAS SUPPOSEDLY TAKEN CARE OF THE MIRRORS AND ENGINE/IGNITION, BUT THE RADIO PROBLEM IS NEW. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE IF SAAB HAD BEEN PROACTIVE AND SOUGHT OUT OWNERS OF THIS PARTICULAR MODEL (9-3 LINEAR) SOONER AND NOTIFIED THEM OF A NECESSARY SOFTWARE UPDATE. AN ENGINE DYING IN TRAFFIC, AN INTERSECTION, A TRAIN CROSSING, ETC., CAN BE A DANGER. ALSO, I'M STILL WAITING FOR THE ONSTAR SERVICE TO BE INSTALLED. WE PURCHASED THE CAR THE FIRST WEEK IN JANUARY, AND NOW IT'S MAY AND STILL NO ONSTAR! *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10017127May 6, 2003
PARKING BRAKE
FAILURE OF EMERGENCY BRAKE CAUSING CAR TO ROLL WHILE UNOCCUPIED. *NLM
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10016852May 1, 2003
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
ENGINE STALLS WHILE STOPPING OR COASTING TO INTERSECTIONS. 4 INDICENTS OF THIS TO DATE AND VEHICLE HAS UNDER 2000 MILES. DEALER SERVICE HAS TWICE SAID THEY FOUND NO PROBLEMS AND THERE IS NO SOFTWARE OR UPDATES TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. RUNNING RECOMMENDED OCTANE FUEL (PREMIUM).
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10016863May 1, 2003
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
VEHICLE STALLED WHILE ACCELERATING. LOST POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKE ASSIST. COULD HAVE EASILY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT IF I HADN'T BEEN ABLE TO STOP SAFELY. THE CAR STARTED WITH NO ISSUES AFTER THE STOP.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10016750April 30, 2003
SUSPENSION:FRONT
CRADLE BOLT HEAD (SAAB PART NUMBER 43-45-674) WAS FOUND UNDER LEFT SIDE OF CAR. IT APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN FRACTURED. CAUSE UNKNOWN, BUT DEALER STATED IT WAS DUE TO POT HOLE. IT COULD HAVE ALSO BEEN OVER TOQURED AT INSTALLATION/SERVICE, OR DEFETIVE BOLT.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10016784April 30, 2003
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
I JUST BOUGHT A 2003 SAAB 9-3 ABOUT A MONTH AGO AND IT HAS APPROX. 1800 MILES ON IT. I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND SUDDENLY LOST POWER STEERING FOLLOWED BY COMPLETE POWER. LUCKILY I WAS ON A BACK ROAD AND PULLED OVER SAFELY. IF I HAD BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A DIFFERENT OUTCOME. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A VERY BIG SAFETY ISSUE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10016251April 21, 2003
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
MY BRAND NEW 2003 SAAB 9-3 WITH 1100 MILES ON IT, FAILED ME. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF MAKING A RIGHT TURN IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, AND MY ENGINE QUIT - THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES WERE OFF SO IT MADE THE CAR INCREDIBLY HEAVY TO TURN. I WAS ABLE TO COAST INTO A PARKING LOT WITHOUT GETTING HIT, BUT IT WAS STILL TERRIFYING. I TURNED THE KEY OFF, AND STARTED THE CAR RIGHT BACK UP, DROVE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP A MILE AWAY WHERE IT'S BEEN AWAITING A "SOFTWARE UPGRADE" FOR 5 DAYS. ON WWW.EDMUNDS.COM I FOUND THAT SEVERAL OWNERS OF 2003 SAAB 9-3S HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME THING. HOW DANGEROUS! *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10014184April 9, 2003
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I PURCHASED A 2003 SAAB 9-3 LINEAR W/ LAUNCH PACKAGE (STEEL GREY) APPROXIMATELY 2 MONTHS AGO. FOUR DAYS AFTER MY PURCHASE I WAS DRIVING USING THE STEPTRONIC SHIFTING AND THE CAR LOST POWER. WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE DASH SAID TO PULL OVER AND CONTACT SAAB. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE AND PULL OVER, A SEVERE GRINDING NOISE WAS HEARD AND FELT UNDER MY RIGHT FOOT. I CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND THEY BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. AFTER SEVERAL DAYS THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY SAW A COMPUTER EVENT "WHEEL SPEED MISMATCH" BUT WAS NOT SURE WHAT HAPPENED OR HOW THIS WAS CAUSED. THEY SAID WHEN THE CAR DETECTS A PROBLEM IT DISABLES PORTIONS OF THE ENGINE AND COMPUTERS AND ONLY ALLOWS YOU TO GO APPROX 20 MPH TO MAKE A SAFE STOP. THE DEALERSHIP CALLED THIS "LIMP HOME MODE" THEY SAID IT WAS SIMILAR TO A WINDOWS "SAFE MODE". AS YOU COULD IMAGINE I WAS ANGRY BUT UNDERSTAND SOMETIMES UNEXPLAINABLE THINGS HAPPEN. NOW LESS THAN 2 MONTHS LATER IT HAPPENED AGAIN. THIS TIME THOUGH I WAS ON THE FREEWAY IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. AFTER NEARLY GETTING INTO AN ACCIDENT I MANAGED TO CALL SAAB ROADSIDE AND AGAIN THEY HAD TO TOW ME. ALL OF THE SYMPTOMS WERE THE SAME AND EVEN THE GRINDING.. I SIT HERE WITH A LOANER WAITING FOR INFO ON THE CAUSE. I WAS WONDERING IF ANYONE ELSE HERE HAS EXPERIENCED ANYTHING SIMILAR? OR HAS ANYONE HERE HEARD OF ANYTHING LIKE THIS WITH THE SAAB? ANY INFORMATION OR INSIGHT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.*JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10008210February 27, 2003
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE
SAAB 93 - LINEAR - 2003 - AFTER 71 MILES THE ONBOARD COMPUTER SYSTEM DISPLAYED A WARNING LIGHT AND BUZZER - AIR BAG MALFUNCTION - CALL SAAB DEALER. - THIS WAS AFTER 24HOURS OF OWNERSHIP. THE VEHICLE IS PURCHASED.*JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10008127February 26, 2003
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:WINDSHIELD:ELECTRICAL HEATING ELEMENT
99 SAAB 93 - AT 60K MILES..NEEDED TO DEFROST THE WINDSHIELD...TURN THE VENTILATOR CONTROL AND IT SNAPPED OFF...SAAB TELLING ME THEY ISSUED DEALERS A BULLETIN ON THIS..REPAIR COST ESTIMATED BETWEEN $600 AND UP TO $2000.00 US DOLLARS...WILL ONLY WARRANTY THE REPAIR FOR 1 YEAR INFERRING THAT AT 120K MILES THIS MIGHT HAPPEN AGAIN...PERSONALLY FEEL THE ASSEMBLY IS DEFECTIVELY ENGINEERED . VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT THE COST TO REPAIR CAN APPROACH 1/5 THE CAR'S BLUE BOOK VALUE...VERY CONCERNED THAT THIS WILL OCCUR AGAIN AFTER BEING REPAIRED AND PUT MY SAFETLY IN JEAPORDY. *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10002905January 18, 2003
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
MY 2003 SAAB 9-3 WITH 900 MILES HAS BEEN BACK TO THE DEALER TO BE SERVICED ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS FOR COMPUTER MALFUNCTIONS. I HAVE LEASED THIS CAR FOR ABOUT A MONTH. THE DEALER HAS ATTEMPTED REPAIRS BUT HAS NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL. THE COMPUTER PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN A HAZARD WHILE DRIVING THE CAR AND HAVE ALSO BEEN A NUISANCE. THE LOCKING SYSTEM ON THE CAR HAS FAILED TO WORK ON MORE THAN 3 OCCASIONS LEAVING THE CAR UN-LOCKABLE AND IT HAS TRIGGERED THE ALARM SYSTEM ON MANY OCCASIONS. THE DOME LIGHT WILL LIGHT AND STAY ON WHEN I AM DRIVING MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO DRIVE AT NIGHT. THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER COMPUTER MALFUNCTIONS THAT I CAN DISCUSS IN DETAIL IF NEEDED. THE COMPUTER PROBLEMS MAKE THIS CAR UNPREDICTABLE AND IN MY OPINION DANGEROUS TO DRIVE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10000555January 6, 2003
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC
WET BRAKING PERFORMANCE: WET BRAKING PERFORMANCE IN TERRIBLE IN MY 2002 SAAB 93. THERE IS LITERALLY NO BRAKING RESPONSE FOR THE FIRST 2-3 SECONDS AFTER APPLYING SIGNIFICANT PRESSURE TOTHE BRAKE PEDAL WHEN DRIVING IN WET CONDITIONS. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY WATER BUILDING UP ON THE BRAKE DISCS THAT IS CAUSING THE DELAYED BRAKE RESPONSE. CREATES A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#8023796December 5, 2002
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED THE ENGINE SHUT CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOSE POWER STEERING. TS
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#8020899October 16, 2002
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW, SEATS
THE DRIVER SIDE SIDE-CURTAIN AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT VEHICLE BEING IN AN ACCIDENT. THIS CAUSED INJURIES TO THE DRIVER. MR AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, CONSUMER EXPERIENCED RINGING IN THE EARS AND SOME APPARENT HEARING LOSS WHICH NOW HAS BEEN DETERMINED TO BE PERMANENT. ALSO, THE LUMBAR IN THE DRIVER SEAT SEEMS TO BE TOO HIGH. *JG
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#8018909September 18, 2002
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING VEHICLE SHUT OFF COMPLETELY. LOSING ALL POWER, RESULTING IN NO STEERING, BRAKES ETC,. CONTACTED DEALER.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#765834August 18, 2002
SUSPENSION:REAR, TIRES
RIGHT REAR CONTROL ARM BENT, LEADING TO MASSIVE MIS-ALIGNMENT, AND THE RUINING OF 4 TIRES. SAAB CLAIMS IT RESULTED FROM "ENERGY" NOT A DEFECT. THEY SAY I MUST HAVE DRIVEN IT "TOO HARD." I IN FACT BABIED THE CAR, DRIVING MODERATELY, HITTING NO MAJOR BUMPS OR HOLES. STATE FARM CLAIMS IT PROBABLY RESULTED FROM METAL FATIGUE, NOT AN IMPACT. WON'T PAY BECAUSE NOT IMPACT RELATED. I BELIEVE THE ARM WAS DEFECTIVE. ORDINARY DRIVING SHOULD NOT LEAD TO A BENT SUSPENSION.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#765586August 13, 2002
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
CAR WAS POURING FUEL (OVER 1/4 TANK) ONTO GROUND AFTER BACKING CAR OUT OF GARAGE. SAAB ROADSIDE TOLD ME TO CONTACT FIRE DEPT. TO CERTIFY THE ABILITY TO TOW THE CAR. FIRE DEPT. STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO AFTER ARRIVING ON THE SCENE. SAAB ROADSIDE TOWED THE CAR TO SANTA ANA, CA SAAB DEALER. DEALER WAS VERY NONCHALANT ABOUT THE REPAIR, EVEN THOUGH THE FIRE DEPT. HAD TO BE CALLED. DEALER STATED IT WAS A BROKEN BRACKET AT THE GAS TANK. I HAVE CONTACTED SAAB LEGAL DEPT. AND THEY STATE THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO FROM A LEMON LAW STATUS. AFTER SOME OF THE COMMENTS I HAVE SEEN ON THE NHTSA SITE, I BELIEVE THEY HAVE FUEL LINE ISSUES, AND DON'T WANT TO FACE THEM. DON'T BUY THIS CAR. IT IS A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#765420August 9, 2002
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
ON HOT DAYS, TEMPERATURE IN EXCESS OF 90 DEGREES, THE OUTSIDE REAR DOOR HANDLES DO NOT RELEASE AND OPEN DOORS. IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT OR MEDICAL EMERGENCY, THE FAILURE TO OPEN MAY LEAD TO SERIOUS DEATH, INJURY, AND DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE IF EMERGENCY WORKERS HAVE TO PRY OPEN THE REAR DOORS.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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