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We found the following complaints for SAAB 9-3 (2003)

Read complaints for SAAB 9-3 (2003)


Takata recall. The contact owns a 2003 saab 9-3. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v063000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.

I was driving at about 15 - 20 mph trying to enter hwy i-75. Upon routine braking,the airbag deployed, causing an accident.after i hit the car in front of me,the second airbag deployed. I am hurt. The vehicle was deemed totalled because the airbags deployed, and taken away.

Takata recall...i am advised that there is risk of injury/death due to deployment of air bags. Asking for repair advised today 4/4/2016by (general motors) they are not now doing/cannot do same. Unacceptable safety.

Takata recall i do not have a date for or my saab air bag recall. This clearly sends amessage about gm."don't buy gm, and from those companies which place people at risk of air bag failure"

The contact owns a 2003 saab 9-3.while driving 75 mph, the contact heard an explosion.she realized that the passenger side air bag deployed without an impact or crash occurring.the air bag injured a teenager seated in the vehicle.the teenager suffered temporary hearing loss and a chest abrasion due to the seat belt.the manufacturer agreed to send an investigator to inspect the vehicle, but this has not yet transpired.neither the contact nor the manufacturer could determine what caused the air bag to deploy.the current and failure mileages were 91,000.

Takata recall.driver's seat airbag deployed while waiting at a red light this morning.

Takata recalli was notified by saab in march 2016 that i have takata airbags installed and are subject to recall.it is now six (6) months since the notification.i have had no further communication from saab.i feel that the recall should take place immediately before i get killed from the airbag inflating.six months should be more than adequate to resolve the problem.i ask that saab be compelled to immediately make the necessary repairs!

Takata recall. The contact owns a 2003 saab 9-3. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v063000 (air bags); however, the part for the recall repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

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.

I was driving my 2003 saab 9-3 se convertible to the nearby publix supermarket.the car has never been in an accident or hit. I parked it in the lot with the top down and went into the store for approximately 10 minutes.it was a warm dry day in florida about 85 degrees.i came out and put the key in the ignition and turned it to start the car, and the passenger side airbag exploded for no known reason.i called gm, they took the car to a gm facility and inspected it, and then came back a week later and said the unexplained deployment of the airbag was not a manufacturers defect and they would not repair it.i find that difficult to believe.the airbag should not deploy arbitrarily when the ignition key is turned.

2003 saab. Consumer writes in regards to airbag inflator safety recall. *ldthe consumer stated the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time completing the recall repair.

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.

Air bag defect(s).eight saab certified service technician attempts to correct faulty safety system, without success.i believe this vehicle to be unsafe for on-road and/or highway travel.i have already notified saab (manufacturer) many times via email and telephone, again without follow up from manufacturer.

Airbag malfunction light had come on 4 days prior.i was packed the key was off but still in the ignition.i went to start the car and the side air bags went off.

2003 saab 9-3 vector has problems with sunroof, front passenger seat belt, alarm system, gas cap, side view mirrors and the board computer. ***no answer required***. *mr the onboard computer could not be fixed after 3 service visits, until finally the vehicle was recalled and exchanged for another.the gas cap would not close properly, the alarm system went off inadvertently, the side view mirrors would adjust themselves after the consumer turned the vehicle off.the cd player malfunctioned. The seat belt light came on even when there were no passengers.the front spoiler is falling apart.

Brake pads & rotors, seat belt, battery replacement, tire, transmission, sunroof malfunction.

The consumer was able to remove the key from the ignition switch while the vehicle was still running.the vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer replaced the ignition module. The repairs worked fine for two weeks, then the problem recurred.the fuel pump was replaced, the fog and head lights would go out once a month, the traction control was not working properly, the seat belts did not recoil to provide security for the passengers, the clutch pedal did not have the proper pressure when applied, the engine would not "spin over," there was a blown fuel pump fuse, the driver window was inoperative, the sunroof deflector did not collapse when closing the glass causing the glass to re-open on it's own, the driver door panel did not fit the flush to the door panel, the radio and the onstar feature did not work. *sc

The contact owns a 2003 saab 9-3. While driving approximately 30 mph, smoke emitted underneath the hood. The vehicle was maneuvered to the side of the road. The contact mentioned that smoke emitted from the battery compartment. There were no flames visible.the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the failure was contributed to the electrical system. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 158,000. The vin was unavailable.

Passenger and i were driving and activated both front heated seats on the highest setting. Soon after, both of us detected a burning smell and immediately shut off both heated seats. Upon arrival, we exited and visually observed a small burn mark where the passenger's left shoulder would be. It burned through the leather and singed the hair of the passenger. The burn mark is about the size of a nickel and we can no longer use the heated seat function.

The day prior i was driving and the car would not accelerate immediately.the next day my wife was driving with our newborn and nephew to the mall when all of a sudden the car would not accelerate on a busy street. The fastest it would go was 20-25 mph. There is only have 37k miles on it and take good care of it.this had happened also on may 1 and the customer service agent said that the computer software had a error and that they were downloading new software.he said he was familiar with this problem and that it has happened a couple times to other drivers.this seems like it would be a case for recalls.this incident could have been more severe if the car had been rear-ended.

The saab will intermittently fail to start. When the key is turned in the ignition, all electrical components operate as designed, however the car will not turn over. This is not a battery or starter problem. The car does not make any cranking sounds or starter clicks. Rather, there is no engine turn over at all. After waiting for 30 - 60 minutes, the car will start as if there was no problem whatever. The issue appears to be the neutral safety switch. There is no electronic diagnostic test for this problem. The problem is not "recreatable." it is 100% unpredictable as to when it will occur. A search of the internet for "saab 9-3 (or s900) intermittent start" will return thousands of posts from drivers describing the exact same problem. Fixes include pouring water or snow on top of the nss, drilling a hole in the dashboard and running a by-pass switch to the starter, and replacing the nss. Dealership will try to replace starters, batteries, ect and claim they have not heard of the nss problem.

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 workingbecause 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

2003 9-3 linear. Requesting follow up status on memo, dated 3-26-06. The vehicle engine would not shut off although the key was removed from the ignition.the vehicle had several brake problems.the vehicle hesitated slightly when moving.when braking the vehicle would jerk and skid.the brakes grabbed which caused the vehicle to stop quickly.the alarm was very sensitive.everytime a bus or truck passed the vehicle with the alarm engaged it would sound.the dealer said there was not way to adjust the sensitivity of the alarm.the windows were off track.the steering wheel seized when the consumer was driving on the highway.***nar***

2003 saab 93 linear - heating/air condition blower motor component failure. Power driver window regulator component failure.dealer replacing both parts.the transmission has slippage when accelerating at lower shifts after coasting at slower speeds 20 to 30 mph or hard spring to next gear from stop, very similar to complaints already recorded.dealer has previously updated the software to correct and now suggests new value body or complete transmission.

While driving at 70 mph, the vehicle stalled.the driver restarted the vehicle and drove it to the dealer for analysis.the mechanic noticed that electrical system had a shortage.*ph

Headlights was too low which caused difficulty in driving at night.*lathere was noise in the rear while backing and turning (the dealer could not find the problem), the onstar feature would not work and was intermittent, the seat belt light had come on and would go off intermittently (unable to duplicate), need service soon light would come on (unable to be duplicated), the squeal in the rear, could have also been linked to salt and sand in the rotors, the trunk would not stay open, the head lights were found to be out of adjustment, and the pads had rust on them. *sc

Vehicle was stalling during acceleration , then fuel pump had complete malfunction .... After replacement,engine has always run poorly and almost always stallsduring acceleration. Replaced ignition coil , and it didn't fix problem . I have talked to 4 other saab9-3 owners for this model year and 2004 and every one has the same problem.

Owner had just left the dealer after having the 15,000 mile oil change and check up.while driving, the owner heard a loud popping sound. Passing motorist informedthe owner that the vehicle was on fire. A fire report was taken at the scene. Provide further details.

I was driving and the car shut down 2 times while driving. I did some research and it is a know problem that the ignition switch on the 2003 saab 9-3 causes stalling and lock system failures. If fact at one point the ignition switches were back ordered for this problem. This is a sporadic problem and comes and goes.

The contact owns a 2003 saab 9-3. After the vehicle was started, the steering wheel lock warning light illuminated and the doors of the vehicle failed to lock. On another occasion, the ignition key failed to move into the on position. A tow truck operator stated that the vehicle could not be moved because the wheels were locked. The vehicle was restarted; however, the contact stated that the failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000.

Vehicle computer began to malfunction. Vehicle computer no longer works. Shows odd data on display screen locks may not work. Window may not work causing a serious safety problem. Unable to tell whether airbags would be affected.

Wednesday march 3, 2007, my 2003 saab 9-3 linear sports sedan (automatic transmission) with 61,000 miles on the odometer was at a traffic light waiting to switch from red to green.once the light turned green, i depressed the accelerator to proceed across the intersection.the initially accelerated to 20 mph and ceased to accelerate.i noticed that i was slowing down and steering had become heavy, i glanced at the tachometer and it showed that the engine had shut down but the electrical systems were functioning.i coasted into a parking lot and attempted to restart the engine.the engine would not start for over 15 minutes.the electrical system was running, onboard diagnostics showed ok, but the starter would not engage.after the interval of no starts, the car started.the car was brought to the dealership and diagnostic codes indicated that the ecm needed to be reprogrammed.dealer provided no real explanation for failure.within 3 week period, vehicle had been in for fuel system failure and replacement.prior to that repair the car had 60k service performed on 12/13/07.the vehicle is current on all repairs required by prior recalls.

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.

2003 safe 9-3 2.0t linear, purch new 2/21/03 dies' unexpectedly when being driven.first incident: car 'died' right in the middle of the road completely unexpectedly.assumed it was a 'fluke' and took no action.after second incident: dealer "reset fuel adaptation valve".after third incident (dangerous - merging into freeway) dealer "reprogrammed t8 and reset fuel adaptation per safe technical hot line"all incidents occurred within last two weeks. Car restarts with no warning light or "side" indication of problem upon ignition.

The contact owns a 2003 saab 9-3. The contact stated that the fuel gauge and message display board was defective. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who refused to make repairs. The manufacturer was not contacted and the vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 65,300.

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!

I received my saab 9-3 back in feb 2003 and have experienced numerous problems with the onstar system as well as the electrical system (radio snd sid).the onstar computer has been rebooted twice, the sid has finally been replaced, however, i still experience problems with the radio.periodically, when you start the car, nothing but static comes out of the speakers and the system needs turned off and back on to correct the problem.one last item i forgot to mention.after the last reboot of the onstar system, i discovered that the steering wheel controls no longer work except for the volumn and channel changer.

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.

The lease on this vehicle began on october 6, 2003.it has had multiple electrical issues starting less than 30 days after delivery.most recently, september 11, 2005.i have been stranded three times and had to have the car towed twice.each time the onstar did not work because of electrical malfunctions.we no longer have any confidence in this vehicle and if we owned it we would sell it.problems include but are not limited to:* cd player stopped working and was replaced within first 30 days of lease.* brakes replaced within first 60 days of lease.* onstar computer replaced within first 60 days of lease.* vehicle computer updated within first year of lease.this left me stranded and almost required a tow due to inoperative transmission but, the vehicle eventually shifted into limp mode before the tow truck arrived allowing us to drive it to the dealership.* vehicle computer updated again within first year of lease.* onstar computer repaired again within first year of lease.* door handles faded and replaced within second year* parking break stuck and vehicle required a tow within second year of lease.* engine immobilizer malfunction requiring another tow of the vehicle within second year of lease.we were told that the battery abruptly died.* trip computer must be reset after gas is added in order to show correct distance to empty.*miles between oil changes seem incorrect.we are at 27000 miles and have only had one oil change.the dealership continues to tell us to wait until the computer requests the service.

Driving steady pace, sid fades out, radio shuts off, gauges turn off, and engine shut off. Pulled over and white smoke came out from engine bay. It was from the solenoid on the starter. I got a new starter and the battery was dead. I then bought a new battery and the same issue occurred. I had to charge the battery up to 100% to get the car started. The alternator was fine so my belief is there is an open circuit somewhere in the car. Just recently the same situation happened again, starter motor burned up and battery drained.

Consumer was driving at approximately 25-30 mph and the vehicle lost steering and brake power. Consumer looked at the dashboard and saw the engine check light illuminated. Consumer took the vehicle back to the dealer, and was advised by the manufacturer to update the computer.however,the dealer could not diagnose the defect which occurred.

I picked up my car on february 24, 2003 at night.the next morning i was testing the cd player in the car and it wouldnt work.so i brought back the car for the first time.they said they had to fix something with the computer.about 1 month later my wife was driving my 2 month old son and the car stalled in the middle of the highway.while i was trying to bring it into saab it stalled another 2 times.they said they have to replace some computer.about 1 month later i started noticing that i was having serious pickup issues.for example, if i was accelerating after a red light i could hit the gas as hard as possible and i still wouldnt move for a solid 2 seconds.this almost became disastrous when a truck nearly hit me because i couldnt move the car.again i brought the car in and again they replaced some computer.this time they said it was an issue with the fuel injector so they replaced the entire computer.now about 2 weeks later the car seems to be having the first stages of the same problem.im trying to get out of my lease but saab says they believe my car is fixed.

Since purchasing my 2003 saab 9-3 in june the car has stalled 4 times while either at stop lights or sitting in traffic. Once the car stalled while going 40 mph.i've taken the car to the dealership several times to have the problem corrected. Each time a software upgrade is performed. And every time i contact the service dept they are surprised as to this occurrence.

Twice while stopping at a stop light my car has stalled. It has stalled once while driving in traffic at about 35 mph.it has also gotten stuck in park twice afrter i start it. The sid says gear box malfunctioned. The lights burn out and the interior is falling apart. This car has 17,000 miles in it.

I am receiving an onstar not available error - there was a recall 08089-b part # 10027804 - i want my onstar disabled.who do i contact?

I brought my car in to the dealership because i received a safety recall notice.the car was working completely fine before i brought it in, but i figured i should take care of this recall item (the fuel pump retaining tabs - recall id# 12866).when i went to pick up my car after they performed the necessary service, the car was making a lot of noise and shaking significantly.the mechanic reassessed the vehicle and told me that my ignition discharge module has an internal fault.the dealer has offered to repair the car for $996.

As i was driving in the middle lane of the 3 northbound lanes of u.s. 23, the engine suddenly stalled. I was going about 62 mph. I activated my emergency flashers, shifted the automatic transmission to neutral, and shut off the ignition key. I then turned the ignition key to restart the engine and it restarted. This is about the 5th time this has happened in the past 5 months. This vehicle should be included in gms ignition recall!!!

The vehicle will become almost immobile in first and second gear (manual transmission). Once in third gear, performance is back to normal. If driver is not aware of situation (cruise light off is only indication if cruise control system is turned on), driver can easily get into bad situation as car will not perform as usual (very significant degradation of performance). All that is needed to reset problem is to turn the key off and restart the engine and the condition will go away for as little as 10 minutes or up to as much as 2 hours of driving. It is suspected that this problem could be associated with the air mass sensor as replacing air mass sensor with used part, problem disappeared for several months. This condition could cause a serious safety issue if driver is not aware and tries to make a quick maneuver involving tight traffic (left turn when performance is paramount). Whatever this condition is that the electronics/engine controls is/are entering is unacceptable and this problem needs to be corrected by the manufacturer in a recall.

Under normal driving conditions while driving approximately 45 mph, the gas gauge read just over 1 bar of fuel remaining when a traction control system failure and gearbox malfunction message appeared in the display screen. Immediately following, the engine shut off and all control of the vehicle failed. No one was injured at the time due to the late hour and there being no other traffic near by but had there been traffic an accident would have most likely resulted from the failures.

The contact owns a 2003 saab 9-3. While driving at 55 mph, the brake and air bag warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. Seconds later, the vehicle suddenly stalled. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership where the alternator and battery were replaced. The current and failure mileages were approximately 118,000.

Dt*: the caller stated, the ignition switch would not start the vehicle. When the vehicle was towed to the dealership, the battery was replaced. However, nothing was done about the rusted wiring to the ignition. The manufacturer was contacted by a letter.the emergency brake was locked and would not release, the horn did not work, the low head beam failed. The tires were defective, the alarm would sound without warning. Updated 07/25/06.

Dt*: the caller stated, the ignition switch would not start the vehicle. When the vehicle was towed to the dealership, the battery was replaced. However, nothing was done about the rusted wiring to the ignition. The manufacturer was contacted by a letter.the emergency brake was locked and would not release, the horn did not work, the low head beam failed. The tires were defective, the alarm would sound without warning. Updated 07/25/06.

2003 9-3 linear. Requesting follow up status on memo, dated 3-26-06. The vehicle engine would not shut off although the key was removed from the ignition.the vehicle had several brake problems.the vehicle hesitated slightly when moving.when braking the vehicle would jerk and skid.the brakes grabbed which caused the vehicle to stop quickly.the alarm was very sensitive.everytime a bus or truck passed the vehicle with the alarm engaged it would sound.the dealer said there was not way to adjust the sensitivity of the alarm.the windows were off track.the steering wheel seized when the consumer was driving on the highway.***nar***

Reoccuring engin stall while driving in traffic (spoke with consumer on 4/5/2005 - said his stall was due to faulty engine management software - car)

The contact owns a 2003 saab 9-3.while driving 5 mph under normal dry conditions, the vehicle shut off without warning. The contact was able to restart the vehicle.there is a recall for the electrical system ignition module (recall#06v410000).the manufacturer stated that the recall applied to the 2002-2003 saab 9-5 model.there was a defect investigation (nhtsa action # ea04008) for the electrical system ignition module; however, it was closed on october 27, 2004.the failure mileage was 60,200 and the current mileage was 61,000.

Short in fuse box in engine compartment caused and electrical fire with smoke from the engine bay, engine shut down on the highway causinglost of power steering and braking/ car was able torestart with the lost of the light,turn signals, horn and windscreen wipers.

Dt*: the caller stated, the ignition switch would not start the vehicle. When the vehicle was towed to the dealership, the battery was replaced. However, nothing was done about the rusted wiring to the ignition. The manufacturer was contacted by a letter.the emergency brake was locked and would not release, the horn did not work, the low head beam failed. The tires were defective, the alarm would sound without warning. Updated 07/25/06.

While driving owner smelled something burning and thought it was coming from outside. Owner parked the vehicle and went into the department store to shop. When the owner returned to the vehicle fire trucks were outside extinguishing the flames. It appeared that the fire started under the hood. Owner had the vehicle towed to the dealer, and they could not determine the cause.

Message appeared on the display notifying me that the passenger side headlamp and directional signal had failed.i attempted to change the bulbs and found that the wiring had melted and broken away from the electrical connectors.

The automobile that we would like to inform you about is a 2003 saab 9-3 arc.we have owned this car for 2 1/2 years and have driven it over 63,000 miles.currently the car does not have operable low beam headlights.the wiring on the passenger's side low beam headlight has burnt through and is nearly so on the driver's side low beam headlight.in addition the driver's side front turn signal has stopped working.in the time we have owned this car we have had to have the low beam headlights replaced approximately 7 times.i noticed the wiring to the low beam headlights becoming discolored last year, at that time our dealer was not aware of any tsbs concerning the headlights for our car.thus far no damage has occurred to the vehicle except for the burnt wiring on the low beam headlights.we will be reporting this to our dealer again and will have to have them fix this problem.however, should saab not have upgraded the wiring to the low beam headlight this problem will repeat.also, at no time have we had lights put in the car that were above the wattage specified by saab in the owner's manual.

While driving owner smelled something burning and thought it was coming from outside. Owner parked the vehicle and went into the department store to shop.owner was in the store for approximately 45 minutes. When the owner returned to the vehiclefire trucks were outside extinguishing the flames. It appeared that the fire started under the hood. Owner had the vehicle towed to the dealer, and they could not determine the cause.

[xxx]bought just in may.

The contact owns a 2003 saab 9-3. When the vehicle decelerated, it shut off without warning at will. The contact also stated that the vehicle decelerated when driving up a hill. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 102,000.

The contact owns a 2003 saab 9-3. While driving approximately 60 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning and was able to be restarted. The failure recurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was not diagnosed; however, the mechanic replaced the dic and the crankshaft sensor. The vehicle was repaired and the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the mechanic and the dic was replaced. The failure persisted and it took several attempts to start the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact stated that the failure mirrored nhtsa action number: ea04008 (electrical system, engine and engine cooling). The approximate failure mileage was 45,000.updated 02/23/16*lj

The vehicle will become almost immobile in first and second gear (manual transmission). Once in third gear, performance is back to normal. If driver is not aware of situation (cruise light off is only indication if cruise control system is turned on), driver can easily get into bad situation as car will not perform as usual (very significant degradation of performance). All that is needed to reset problem is to turn the key off and restart the engine and the condition will go away for as little as 10 minutes or up to as much as 2 hours of driving. It is suspected that this problem could be associated with the air mass sensor as replacing air mass sensor with used part, problem disappeared for several months. This condition could cause a serious safety issue if driver is not aware and tries to make a quick maneuver involving tight traffic (left turn when performance is paramount). Whatever this condition is that the electronics/engine controls is/are entering is unacceptable and this problem needs to be corrected by the manufacturer in a recall.

The contact owns a 2003 saab 9-3. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked when the brake pedal was depressed and stalled. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The failure recurred intermittently. In addition, it took multiple attempts to open the driver side door. The vehicle was taken to an independently mechanic where it was diagnosed that the spark plugs had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 87,171.

The contact owns a 2003 saab 9-3. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 mph, the vehicle failed to accelerate and decelerated independently without warning. The vehicle was taken to a dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. In addition, the contact stated that while driving, there was an abnormal odor and smoke coming from the front of the vehicle. The contact pulled over and discovered that oil was leaking from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the valve cover gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 184,000. ...updated 01/07/16 the consumer stated the vehicle failed to accelerate when entering traffic from the driveway, it moves out of gear, and the vehicle had an electrical glitch that caused the headlights to go out often needing to be replaced.

While driving at highway speed, the engine suddenly stalled. Slowed and stopped vehicle off side of road. Turned key to off position, then re-started vehicle when turned key to on. Car ran fine after re-started. This has happened multiple times. Suspect defective ignition switch, but this vehicle is not on the recall list.

As i was driving in the middle lane of the 3 northbound lanes of u.s. 23, the engine suddenly stalled. I was going about 62 mph. I activated my emergency flashers, shifted the automatic transmission to neutral, and shut off the ignition key. I then turned the ignition key to restart the engine and it restarted. This is about the 5th time this has happened in the past 5 months. This vehicle should be included in gms ignition recall!!!

2003 saab 93 fails to accelerate from a stop in a timely manner.delay can be as long as 5 seconds before reasonable rate of acceleration is achieved with light or heavy application of the gas pedal.can occur when turning or in straight line acceleration.only occurs in very hot weather (phoenix, summer).in normal weather, auto exhibits typical, slight turbo lag, but nothing nearly as severe as this condition.auto did not exhibit problem during its first summer in 2003, but was serviced in 2004 for same condition.updated engine control software was loaded and slight improvement resulted.this time (2005), car was again serviced with updated engine control software, but absolutely no improvement resulted.this is an extremely hazardous condition, and requires exceptional care while driving.i consider it an accident waiting to happen, and have warned several individual at the servicing dealer, kachina cadillac/saab of htis.per saab's owner's manual instructions, i am contacting you.i have contacted saab directly today after dealer failed to rectify the problem, was unresponsive and seemed completely uninterested in doing any anything to correct this extremely unsafe condition.

My 2003 saab 9-3 has stalled 3 times in traffic.took it to the dealer and they came up with nothing. Car is in shop right now and will see if anything is found but i doubt it.saab customer care is oblivious to problem.this is a potentially life threatening problem.seems to happen while cruising in traffic at speed under 30 mph. Car completely locks up and will not start until pulled off the road, turned off and turned on again.*la

The contact owns a 2003 saab 9-3 convertible. The contact was having an unrelated repair performed at the dealer when he was advised that the vehicle was in need of additional repairs. The dealer recommended having repairs to the engine and service brakes. The repairs were not performed. The contact located two recalls for the repairs recommended by the dealer (nhtsa campaign id numbers 04v540000 (engine and engine cooling) and 05v236000 (service brakes, hydraulic: power assist: vacuum: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings). The dealer advised that that contact's vin was not included with either recall. The manufacturer was contacted and advised they would speak with the dealer to determine if the repair needed was associated with the repair listed in the recalls. The contact was unsure if his vehicle was included with the recall or not. The failure mileage was 90,180.

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).

Vehicle was stalling during acceleration , then fuel pump had complete malfunction .... After replacement,engine has always run poorly and almost always stallsduring acceleration. Replaced ignition coil , and it didn't fix problem . I have talked to 4 other saab9-3 owners for this model year and 2004 and every one has the same problem.

This is my second complaint. I had originally filed complaint 10041666 a few weeks ago. Now the problem with my saab stalling has become worse. I was travel in traffic, when the vehicle stalled while in traffic. The engine stalling caused me to rear end the vehicle in front me. Which in turn caused a four car accident. There were no injuries reported, but now my problem is much more severe. I have contacted saab about this problem (much like i did the first time) and noting is being done to help me.i am now stuck with a defective vehicle that stalls all the time, and is as far as i am concerned totally useless and a huge safety problem. The accident caused over $15000 in damage to my saab alone, along with deployment of the air bags.i am really surprised that i was not killed or severely hurt in the accident. The nhtsa needs to step up to the plate and help out all the saab 9-3 owners here... These cars are not safe, and the represent a very large problem just waiting to happen.*la

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.

2003 saab 9-3 vector has problems with sunroof, front passenger seat belt, alarm system, gas cap, side view mirrors and the board computer. ***no answer required***. *mr the onboard computer could not be fixed after 3 service visits, until finally the vehicle was recalled and exchanged for another.the gas cap would not close properly, the alarm system went off inadvertently, the side view mirrors would adjust themselves after the consumer turned the vehicle off.the cd player malfunctioned. The seat belt light came on even when there were no passengers.the front spoiler is falling apart.

The contact owns a 2003 saab 9-3. The contact started the ignition and applied pressure to the accelerator pedal, followed by an extremely slow delayed response. The vehicle traveled approximately 10 mph. The failure occurred intermittent which progressed to an engine stall. However, the vehicle would restart after stalling. There was a recall under the nhtsa campaign id number 04v540000 (engine and engine cooling). The manufacturer was notified and they informed the contact that the recall expired and were unable to honor the recall defect. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired at the time of the complaint. The failure mileage was 70,000. The vin was unavailable.

No warning or signs of anything wrong... One day i am driving down the highway and taking an exit, when my car stalls out on me at 90km and hour, i almost hit the guard rail.this has happened 7 times in the last month where my car has stalled out on me.this happens when i am in neutral and depressing the brake.i took the car to saab for service, and they said nothing is wrong with the car and let me drive it home.tonight i almost killed a child on a bike as i slid to a stop after my car stalled on me again.i do not understand how saab can let someone drive their car home when reporting such a serious problem.please contact me as soon as possible!

Wanted to give an update. After 2 months of waiting for saab to respond to my lemon law filing with an attorney, i have been able to get rid of my 9-3 linear. Car still has hesitation after they have claimed to have repaired the software problem. Transmission is now slipping, onstar malfunctions once a week, and have a rattle in the dash board. Saab is fully aware of all of the problems. Just wanted to give others the confidence to fight them on the problems of the engine stalling.

Leased 2003 saab 9-3 arc on 9/26 and this is my second complaint (10051379) and i still have not heard from saab customer care regarding their fixing the loud right rear rattling/knocking noise. I have called numerous times with no call back. I now have two more problems...the car hesitates, sputters and almost stalls...the dealer increased the idle and that was the fix...i do not feel safe when starting off from a stop or driving in stop and go traffic. Also the transmission is shifting hard between gears between 10 and 30 mphs...it started a few days ago and is becoming more prevalent as each day passes..both these problems along with the loud rattling/knocking noise from right rear that dealer says is normal tell me that this car has problems that saab doesn't want to deal with and that is not right.*la

2003 saab 9-3 se conv (73k mikes at time of incidentwhile driving 65 mph on highway car suddeenly quit runningdirect ignition cassette failed and ruined catalytic converter and o2 sensorssaab forced to recall this part up to year 2002.my 2003 is old saab body style with defective di cassette.part number on cassete is from the 2002 and earlier model years.

The consumer was able to remove the key from the ignition switch while the vehicle was still running.the vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer replaced the ignition module. The repairs worked fine for two weeks, then the problem recurred.the fuel pump was replaced, the fog and head lights would go out once a month, the traction control was not working properly, the seat belts did not recoil to provide security for the passengers, the clutch pedal did not have the proper pressure when applied, the engine would not "spin over," there was a blown fuel pump fuse, the driver window was inoperative, the sunroof deflector did not collapse when closing the glass causing the glass to re-open on it's own, the driver door panel did not fit the flush to the door panel, the radio and the onstar feature did not work. *sc

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.

I have has 2 saabs in the last 6 monthsdue 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.

While driving thru a s curve, my car stalled and lost all power.the split second loss of power on a turn caused me to cross into on coming traffic before i reacted to bring my car back into my own lane.i was luckily that no other vehicles were coming from the opposite direction or i would hit them head on.my 2003 saab 9-3 coasted to an area off the side of the road where i stopped and restarted the engine.again luckily that there was a road shoulder to pull over on.this is the 3rd time this has happened.the dealer response at the first time was "that's ok if it only happens once"...but guess what it is still happening and seems to bea well known problem.. Hopefully we dont have to wait for someone to be killed before saab fixes it.

My 2003 saab 9-3 had intermittent stalling and loss of power issues.since delivery on 1/09/2003, the car has stalled 4 times and lost power twice.i have been in contact with the dealership and saab and the problem has not been resolved.on 5/13/03 new engine management firm ware was installed.on 5/17/03 the car again malfunctioned.there appears to be a serious issue with the vehicle that saab is not able to resolve.

The lease on this vehicle began on october 6, 2003.it has had multiple electrical issues starting less than 30 days after delivery.most recently, september 11, 2005.i have been stranded three times and had to have the car towed twice.each time the onstar did not work because of electrical malfunctions.we no longer have any confidence in this vehicle and if we owned it we would sell it.problems include but are not limited to:* cd player stopped working and was replaced within first 30 days of lease.* brakes replaced within first 60 days of lease.* onstar computer replaced within first 60 days of lease.* vehicle computer updated within first year of lease.this left me stranded and almost required a tow due to inoperative transmission but, the vehicle eventually shifted into limp mode before the tow truck arrived allowing us to drive it to the dealership.* vehicle computer updated again within first year of lease.* onstar computer repaired again within first year of lease.* door handles faded and replaced within second year* parking break stuck and vehicle required a tow within second year of lease.* engine immobilizer malfunction requiring another tow of the vehicle within second year of lease.we were told that the battery abruptly died.* trip computer must be reset after gas is added in order to show correct distance to empty.*miles between oil changes seem incorrect.we are at 27000 miles and have only had one oil change.the dealership continues to tell us to wait until the computer requests the service.

Brand new 2003 saab 9-3 arc just stalls. My engine has stalled for no reason numerous times. This problem has been happening since the days after i got the car. I have been to the dealership several times to have this problem corrected, every time they tell me that i am just about making it up. They can never find a problem with the car, and saab corporation is no help.*la

While driving vehicle stalled, and the steering wheel locked.the cause had not been determined.

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!

My saab 9-3 ss 2003 stalled today .completely lost e power also couldnt turn steering wheel.lucky not to get hit from behind since i was driving in a residential area .the car started after i turned it back on ,there was no error messages,only the engine light came on while the problem happened.an occurance like this in the freeway would have been catastrophic .from various internet forums i have read owners of the same type of vehicle having similiar problem.nhtsa will need to take action to prevent injuries or even fatalities in the future

Over a span of two months, my 2003 saab 93 has had a vacuum pump replaced 3 times.on each occasion, the dealer, cherry hill classic cars, has advised me that the part is on back order, and that saab "must be having problems" with or, or that "sabb is redesigning" the part.after each time the dealer replaced the part, the check engine light comes on again.the first time this happened, the car would hesitate upon acceleration, or would "sputter".the dealership now claims that the system to which the valve is connected is "filling up with water".as i understand it, the valve recirculation engine exhaust to help the engine warm up and/or burn fuel more efficiently.saab customer service, if you can call it that, was unaware of the problem.customer service has no way of tracking the problem as "each dealer is independently owned". As a result, the dealer has had my car for almost a two month period, and the part is still on back order.

While driving 30 mph vehicle stalled.driver was able to avoid a collision, and got the vehicle to the side of the road. Dealership mechanic upgraded the software for the engine.

The contact owns a 2003 93 saab.the engine lost power without warning, and when attempting to restart the vehiclethe 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 dealerstated 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 beingthree months pregnant.the air bags deployed, and there was severe damage to the vehicle. The current and failure mileage were 57,000.

Twice while stopping at a stop light my car has stalled. It has stalled once while driving in traffic at about 35 mph.it has also gotten stuck in park twice afrter i start it. The sid says gear box malfunctioned. The lights burn out and the interior is falling apart. This car has 17,000 miles in it.

I have a 2003 saab 9-3 linear. I have had the car stall on me in traffic 4 times now over the last 4 months.i now realize i'm far from the only one this has happened to.this is a very dangerous situation as i have been in highway traffic 3 of the 4 times.luckily in the outside lane and able to pull off.i have automatic transmission and run high octance fuel (recommended).hopefully something can be done to press gm and force them to fix this problem.

I have experienced intermittent stalling with my 2003 saab 9-3.after giving the dealership approximately 5 chances to fix the problem, they were unable to.i then called customer service and they denied that there was any problem with the car and tried to say this was the normal function of the vehicle.they have made another attempt to fix the car.i then learned on your website that others had experienced this problem.i hope it is resolved. *la

2003 safe 9-3 2.0t linear, purch new 2/21/03 dies' unexpectedly when being driven.first incident: car 'died' right in the middle of the road completely unexpectedly.assumed it was a 'fluke' and took no action.after second incident: dealer "reset fuel adaptation valve".after third incident (dangerous - merging into freeway) dealer "reprogrammed t8 and reset fuel adaptation per safe technical hot line"all incidents occurred within last two weeks. Car restarts with no warning light or "side" indication of problem upon ignition.

After the outside temperature drops below 40f, the vehicle displays a malfunction light on the dashboard. Upon investigation, the diagnosis is a failure on the secondary air pump and check valve. This is an emissions system. The pump was added to improve performance under emissions testing.the vehicle warranty hasexpired and saab is not covering this item under emissions warranty. This is an extremely common issue, many saab owners are complaining about the issue.

The consumer was able to remove the key from the ignition switch while the vehicle was still running.the vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer replaced the ignition module. The repairs worked fine for two weeks, then the problem recurred.the fuel pump was replaced, the fog and head lights would go out once a month, the traction control was not working properly, the seat belts did not recoil to provide security for the passengers, the clutch pedal did not have the proper pressure when applied, the engine would not "spin over," there was a blown fuel pump fuse, the driver window was inoperative, the sunroof deflector did not collapse when closing the glass causing the glass to re-open on it's own, the driver door panel did not fit the flush to the door panel, the radio and the onstar feature did not work. *sc

The contact owns a 2003 saab 9-3.the air conditioner blower stopped working in the vehicle.the contact took the vehicle to the dealer for repair and discovered that the heat from the blower melted the wiring in the engine.the cause of the failure has not yet been determined. The current and failure mileages were 60,000.update 10/01/08 *cw updated 10/02/08.

A/c had an odor of mildew - had a disinfect heater box.

Headlights was too low which caused difficulty in driving at night.*lathere was noise in the rear while backing and turning (the dealer could not find the problem), the onstar feature would not work and was intermittent, the seat belt light had come on and would go off intermittently (unable to duplicate), need service soon light would come on (unable to be duplicated), the squeal in the rear, could have also been linked to salt and sand in the rotors, the trunk would not stay open, the head lights were found to be out of adjustment, and the pads had rust on them. *sc

Dealer - saab exchange won't/can't fix vehicle.steering problem, rattle problem, fan blower problem, seat problem, brake light problem, etc... *la

2003 saab 9-3 vector has problems with sunroof, front passenger seat belt, alarm system, gas cap, side view mirrors and the board computer. ***no answer required***. *mr the onboard computer could not be fixed after 3 service visits, until finally the vehicle was recalled and exchanged for another.the gas cap would not close properly, the alarm system went off inadvertently, the side view mirrors would adjust themselves after the consumer turned the vehicle off.the cd player malfunctioned. The seat belt light came on even when there were no passengers.the front spoiler is falling apart.

2003 saab 9-3 se conv (73k mikes at time of incidentwhile driving 65 mph on highway car suddeenly quit runningdirect ignition cassette failed and ruined catalytic converter and o2 sensorssaab forced to recall this part up to year 2002.my 2003 is old saab body style with defective di cassette.part number on cassete is from the 2002 and earlier model years.

2003 saab se showing a 0340 code wondering if it is related to the di cassette.

Rear light over license plate would not go out, leaving my car at night illuminated.taken to dealer.problem resolved.

The consumer was able to remove the key from the ignition switch while the vehicle was still running.the vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer replaced the ignition module. The repairs worked fine for two weeks, then the problem recurred.the fuel pump was replaced, the fog and head lights would go out once a month, the traction control was not working properly, the seat belts did not recoil to provide security for the passengers, the clutch pedal did not have the proper pressure when applied, the engine would not "spin over," there was a blown fuel pump fuse, the driver window was inoperative, the sunroof deflector did not collapse when closing the glass causing the glass to re-open on it's own, the driver door panel did not fit the flush to the door panel, the radio and the onstar feature did not work. *sc

Dealer - saab exchange won't/can't fix vehicle.steering problem, rattle problem, fan blower problem, seat problem, brake light problem, etc... *la

The contact owns a 2003 saab 9-3. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 mph, the vehicle failed to accelerate and decelerated independently without warning. The vehicle was taken to a dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. In addition, the contact stated that while driving, there was an abnormal odor and smoke coming from the front of the vehicle. The contact pulled over and discovered that oil was leaking from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the valve cover gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 184,000. ...updated 01/07/16 the consumer stated the vehicle failed to accelerate when entering traffic from the driveway, it moves out of gear, and the vehicle had an electrical glitch that caused the headlights to go out often needing to be replaced.

Headlights was too low which caused difficulty in driving at night.*lathere was noise in the rear while backing and turning (the dealer could not find the problem), the onstar feature would not work and was intermittent, the seat belt light had come on and would go off intermittently (unable to duplicate), need service soon light would come on (unable to be duplicated), the squeal in the rear, could have also been linked to salt and sand in the rotors, the trunk would not stay open, the head lights were found to be out of adjustment, and the pads had rust on them. *sc

Message of "headlight leveling malfunction, contact saab dealer" came up on car computer.taken to dealer immediately.came up during the day so was unaware if there was a lighting system malfunction.

Twice while stopping at a stop light my car has stalled. It has stalled once while driving in traffic at about 35 mph.it has also gotten stuck in park twice afrter i start it. The sid says gear box malfunctioned. The lights burn out and the interior is falling apart. This car has 17,000 miles in it.

I had my headlights changed at 65k because the beam was getting to low and it was hard to see at night. While the lights were getting changed the mechanic told me that the wires connecting the light to the car were melting. Three months later at 80k the driver side headlight low beam finally died. The sid says low beam failure, which is due to the melting of the wires.

Dt*: the caller stated, the ignition switch would not start the vehicle. When the vehicle was towed to the dealership, the battery was replaced. However, nothing was done about the rusted wiring to the ignition. The manufacturer was contacted by a letter.the emergency brake was locked and would not release, the horn did not work, the low head beam failed. The tires were defective, the alarm would sound without warning. Updated 07/25/06.

The consumer experienced many problems with 2003 saab 9-3 linear as engine failure light appear and ect.there were repeated problems with the sun roof remaining stuck open, stability control problems, low front head beam, getting air to the gas cap, the mud flap was cracked, and on one occasion when driving up a hill the consumer lost control of the steering. *sc

Can not dim lights while engine is running. Entry to some military base or other entry gates require lights to be dimmed to parking lights. There is a three way switch to tune light to parking but only work when engine is not running. This is a serious design flaw in my opinion. Yes saab just gives you the run around on what's the fix,even suggest to remove a fuse?? i demand action!!!!

Directional signals have no sound.they are hooked up to the ehu unit which the manufacturer says is not covered under warranty.i feel it is a safety issue if can not hear the signal and you do not know if they are still on.they refuse to replace this part.my sound system is not working either.

The consumer was able to remove the key from the ignition switch while the vehicle was still running.the vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer replaced the ignition module. The repairs worked fine for two weeks, then the problem recurred.the fuel pump was replaced, the fog and head lights would go out once a month, the traction control was not working properly, the seat belts did not recoil to provide security for the passengers, the clutch pedal did not have the proper pressure when applied, the engine would not "spin over," there was a blown fuel pump fuse, the driver window was inoperative, the sunroof deflector did not collapse when closing the glass causing the glass to re-open on it's own, the driver door panel did not fit the flush to the door panel, the radio and the onstar feature did not work. *sc

The vehicle will become almost immobile in first and second gear (manual transmission). Once in third gear, performance is back to normal. If driver is not aware of situation (cruise light off is only indication if cruise control system is turned on), driver can easily get into bad situation as car will not perform as usual (very significant degradation of performance). All that is needed to reset problem is to turn the key off and restart the engine and the condition will go away for as little as 10 minutes or up to as much as 2 hours of driving. It is suspected that this problem could be associated with the air mass sensor as replacing air mass sensor with used part, problem disappeared for several months. This condition could cause a serious safety issue if driver is not aware and tries to make a quick maneuver involving tight traffic (left turn when performance is paramount). Whatever this condition is that the electronics/engine controls is/are entering is unacceptable and this problem needs to be corrected by the manufacturer in a recall.

No warning or signs of anything wrong... One day i am driving down the highway and taking an exit, when my car stalls out on me at 90km and hour, i almost hit the guard rail.this has happened 7 times in the last month where my car has stalled out on me.this happens when i am in neutral and depressing the brake.i took the car to saab for service, and they said nothing is wrong with the car and let me drive it home.tonight i almost killed a child on a bike as i slid to a stop after my car stalled on me again.i do not understand how saab can let someone drive their car home when reporting such a serious problem.please contact me as soon as possible!

2003 saab 9-3 se conv (73k mikes at time of incidentwhile driving 65 mph on highway car suddeenly quit runningdirect ignition cassette failed and ruined catalytic converter and o2 sensorssaab forced to recall this part up to year 2002.my 2003 is old saab body style with defective di cassette.part number on cassete is from the 2002 and earlier model years.

Vehicle was stalling during acceleration , then fuel pump had complete malfunction .... After replacement,engine has always run poorly and almost always stallsduring acceleration. Replaced ignition coil , and it didn't fix problem . I have talked to 4 other saab9-3 owners for this model year and 2004 and every one has the same problem.

The contact owns a 2003 93 saab.the engine lost power without warning, and when attempting to restart the vehiclethe 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 dealerstated 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 beingthree months pregnant.the air bags deployed, and there was severe damage to the vehicle. The current and failure mileage were 57,000.

I owns a 2003 saab 1993 linear with automatic. When driving a car, car stalled middle of the road. It happend 3 times so far. Car stalled and handle got locked up. Engine light came up. It was dangerous epecially at the freeway. Luckily never resulted in big accidents. Dealer are saying it's computer problem, but some people said it might be the faulty fuel pump.

While driving vehicle intermittently hesitated andstalled.consumer took vehicle back to the dealer, who did not want to do anything about it. Also, consumer contacted the manufacturer, who refused toassist the consumer.

Was driving car smelt fuelpulled over and found gas spraying out from under car by fuel tankno check engine light came on and car ran fine but there was a lot of fuel coming out. Fuel lines had started to come out from fuel pump like reported in the 2001 saab 93 recall.

Consumer was driving when someone honked the horn.after pulling into the service station gas was pouring from the fuel line.manufacturer was contacted.

Dt*:the contact stated fuel was noticed leaking from the vehicle while traveling 65 mph.the vehicle was towed to the dealership where it was determined road debris punctured the tank.the fuel tank does nothave any protection from debris.the fuel tank was replaced. Updated 06/15/06 - dealer diagnosed and dropped gas tank .swapped over fuel pump assembly to new gas tank.

In, approximately, the last four months, my engine warning light my engine warning light has gone on.in contacting the dealer, the first time, the gas cap had not been properly put back on. The two subsequent times, i am certain that it had been.after the third time, i took the vehicle to the dealer, thinking it was either the o2 sensor, or the gas cap.i was told, by the service advisor, that there was (i believe he said) a vapor leak.it would require putting on a redesigned gas cap.the service write-up stated it was "replaced with an updated gas cap".

2003 saab 9-3 vector has problems with sunroof, front passenger seat belt, alarm system, gas cap, side view mirrors and the board computer. ***no answer required***. *mr the onboard computer could not be fixed after 3 service visits, until finally the vehicle was recalled and exchanged for another.the gas cap would not close properly, the alarm system went off inadvertently, the side view mirrors would adjust themselves after the consumer turned the vehicle off.the cd player malfunctioned. The seat belt light came on even when there were no passengers.the front spoiler is falling apart.

The consumer experienced many problems with 2003 saab 9-3 linear as engine failure light appear and ect.there were repeated problems with the sun roof remaining stuck open, stability control problems, low front head beam, getting air to the gas cap, the mud flap was cracked, and on one occasion when driving up a hill the consumer lost control of the steering. *sc

I would like to report a very dangerous situation that i experienced with my 2003 9-3. After about a 40 mile drive on the freeway, i , along with my wife and daughter, pulled into my friends driveway and heard a loud scrapping noise from beneath my car. I looked underneath the car to find that the right fuel tank strap was hanging down and was only 3 or 4 inches from the ground. The forward bolt had loosened completely out and the fuel pump wiring harness (which attaches to the strap) is keeping it from being even closer to the ground. Also the tank itself is hanging about 3 inches lower on the right side. Luckily the bracket for the harness had a bolt retaining washer because the bolt was still there, hanging on to the end of the flopping strap.my friend (a mechanic by trade) and i applied loctite to the bolt and refastened it. It appered that there was no visable damage to the tank, line or wiring. Scary part was that it was the forward end hanging down so it could have easily caught on something and ripped out fuel lines and wiring and who knows what else and could have easily started a fire resulting in injury or death.

Purchase date feb 12, 2003.engine light went on after car shook a bit immediately after starting car.told cause was "miss firing" taken to dealer.problem resolved.

Consumer complained about gas gauge failure. When consumer started vehicle gas gauges were okay. However, when driving gauges suddenly dropped. Sometimes when this happened vehicle shut off. There had been incidents where vehicleturned off while driving. No injury reported.*tc

[xxx]bought just in may.

As i was driving in the middle lane of the 3 northbound lanes of u.s. 23, the engine suddenly stalled. I was going about 62 mph. I activated my emergency flashers, shifted the automatic transmission to neutral, and shut off the ignition key. I then turned the ignition key to restart the engine and it restarted. This is about the 5th time this has happened in the past 5 months. This vehicle should be included in gms ignition recall!!!

Since owning my 2003 9-3, the parking brake stuck and would not release ultimately having to be replaced.the rear bushings on the sway bar had to be replaced, multiple light bulbs.at about 20,000 miles the steering rack needed to be replaced, most recently the power sterring pump now needs to be replaced.the seat belt also let go and had to be replaced.i thought that all that could go wrong, had gone wrong until the power steering pump went.now reading other owner comments i have no faith in this vehicle.this is my fourth saab, my last i traded at over 180,000 miles with no problems.

The contact owns a 2003 saab 9-3.when the parking brake was engaged, it remained stuck in position.it took the contact approximately ten minutes to return the parking brake to its normal position.on a separate occasion, the vehicle was serviced by aaa and they too were unable to move the brake out of position.the vehicle was towed to another service station to see if the parking brake could be moved.the dealer was notified, but could not assist with the repairs.the vehicle has not been repaired and the contact must apply masking tape over the parking brake so it canbe used.the failure mileage was less than 12,000 and current mileage was 61,000. Updated 12/11/08 updated 12/11/08.

The lease on this vehicle began on october 6, 2003.it has had multiple electrical issues starting less than 30 days after delivery.most recently, september 11, 2005.i have been stranded three times and had to have the car towed twice.each time the onstar did not work because of electrical malfunctions.we no longer have any confidence in this vehicle and if we owned it we would sell it.problems include but are not limited to:* cd player stopped working and was replaced within first 30 days of lease.* brakes replaced within first 60 days of lease.* onstar computer replaced within first 60 days of lease.* vehicle computer updated within first year of lease.this left me stranded and almost required a tow due to inoperative transmission but, the vehicle eventually shifted into limp mode before the tow truck arrived allowing us to drive it to the dealership.* vehicle computer updated again within first year of lease.* onstar computer repaired again within first year of lease.* door handles faded and replaced within second year* parking break stuck and vehicle required a tow within second year of lease.* engine immobilizer malfunction requiring another tow of the vehicle within second year of lease.we were told that the battery abruptly died.* trip computer must be reset after gas is added in order to show correct distance to empty.*miles between oil changes seem incorrect.we are at 27000 miles and have only had one oil change.the dealership continues to tell us to wait until the computer requests the service.

Dt*: the caller stated, the ignition switch would not start the vehicle. When the vehicle was towed to the dealership, the battery was replaced. However, nothing was done about the rusted wiring to the ignition. The manufacturer was contacted by a letter.the emergency brake was locked and would not release, the horn did not work, the low head beam failed. The tires were defective, the alarm would sound without warning. Updated 07/25/06.

Parking brake failed -- car rolled while unoccupied -- rolled down slight hill and crashed into another car.*nlm

Failure of emergency brake causing car to roll while unoccupied. *nlm

The contact owns a 2003 saab 9-3. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 mph, the vehicle failed to accelerate and decelerated independently without warning. The vehicle was taken to a dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. In addition, the contact stated that while driving, there was an abnormal odor and smoke coming from the front of the vehicle. The contact pulled over and discovered that oil was leaking from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the valve cover gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 184,000. ...updated 01/07/16 the consumer stated the vehicle failed to accelerate when entering traffic from the driveway, it moves out of gear, and the vehicle had an electrical glitch that caused the headlights to go out often needing to be replaced.

As i was driving in the middle lane of the 3 northbound lanes of u.s. 23, the engine suddenly stalled. I was going about 62 mph. I activated my emergency flashers, shifted the automatic transmission to neutral, and shut off the ignition key. I then turned the ignition key to restart the engine and it restarted. This is about the 5th time this has happened in the past 5 months. This vehicle should be included in gms ignition recall!!!

The vehicle will become almost immobile in first and second gear (manual transmission). Once in third gear, performance is back to normal. If driver is not aware of situation (cruise light off is only indication if cruise control system is turned on), driver can easily get into bad situation as car will not perform as usual (very significant degradation of performance). All that is needed to reset problem is to turn the key off and restart the engine and the condition will go away for as little as 10 minutes or up to as much as 2 hours of driving. It is suspected that this problem could be associated with the air mass sensor as replacing air mass sensor with used part, problem disappeared for several months. This condition could cause a serious safety issue if driver is not aware and tries to make a quick maneuver involving tight traffic (left turn when performance is paramount). Whatever this condition is that the electronics/engine controls is/are entering is unacceptable and this problem needs to be corrected by the manufacturer in a recall.

Ecu in car becomes completely fried because of the location it is mounted from the factory because of heat soak

2003 saab 9-3 brakes does not stop vehicle when depressed.the consumer experienced extended stopping distance while braking.the brakes were tested but the technician indicated that the brakes were fine.the consumer also experienced problem with the transmission that caused the vehicle to lurch forward while stopped.the vehicle was taken to the dealer but they were unable to find anything wrong.

While driving at 40 mph the vehicle stalled.the driver tried to restart the vehicle and was able to get it started.the driver was able to take the vehicle to the dealer for inspection. The mechanic can not duplicate the problem.*mr

Vehicle equipped with automatic transmission stalls at low speeds during brief periods of acceleration.frequently, this occurs while crossing an intersection, making a left hand turn from a stop sign, or a turn in front of traffic.*la

Consumer statedwhen accelerating to pass another vehicle it felt as though transmission wasslipping.took vehicle todealer, anddealer performed an adaptation adjustment.

2003 saab 93 linear - heating/air condition blower motor component failure. Power driver window regulator component failure.dealer replacing both parts.the transmission has slippage when accelerating at lower shifts after coasting at slower speeds 20 to 30 mph or hard spring to next gear from stop, very similar to complaints already recorded.dealer has previously updated the software to correct and now suggests new value body or complete transmission.

Automatic transmission completely failed while driving on highway without prior warning.only 35,400 miles at failure.had to be towed to dealer which is replacing transmission under warranty.

The lease on this vehicle began on october 6, 2003.it has had multiple electrical issues starting less than 30 days after delivery.most recently, september 11, 2005.i have been stranded three times and had to have the car towed twice.each time the onstar did not work because of electrical malfunctions.we no longer have any confidence in this vehicle and if we owned it we would sell it.problems include but are not limited to:* cd player stopped working and was replaced within first 30 days of lease.* brakes replaced within first 60 days of lease.* onstar computer replaced within first 60 days of lease.* vehicle computer updated within first year of lease.this left me stranded and almost required a tow due to inoperative transmission but, the vehicle eventually shifted into limp mode before the tow truck arrived allowing us to drive it to the dealership.* vehicle computer updated again within first year of lease.* onstar computer repaired again within first year of lease.* door handles faded and replaced within second year* parking break stuck and vehicle required a tow within second year of lease.* engine immobilizer malfunction requiring another tow of the vehicle within second year of lease.we were told that the battery abruptly died.* trip computer must be reset after gas is added in order to show correct distance to empty.*miles between oil changes seem incorrect.we are at 27000 miles and have only had one oil change.the dealership continues to tell us to wait until the computer requests the service.

Gearbox malfunction, intermittent shifting or sudden decelerationwe bought the car in april 2006. The car ran fine until august 2006 when the first gearbox malfunction light was indicated with an inability for the automatic transmission to downshift. Since the first gearbox malfunction the 2003 93 saab has been in the garage (under warranty) six times for a total of 49 days.i have asked for gm/saab to take/buy the car back.my car was in the authorized saab service garage (portland saab) for the entire month of december 2006 where the entire transaxle was replaced.the car is currently at coldbrook saab (where i bought the car) for another gearbox malfunction.

Brake pads & rotors, seat belt, battery replacement, tire, transmission, sunroof malfunction.

Under normal driving conditions while driving approximately 45 mph, the gas gauge read just over 1 bar of fuel remaining when a traction control system failure and gearbox malfunction message appeared in the display screen. Immediately following, the engine shut off and all control of the vehicle failed. No one was injured at the time due to the late hour and there being no other traffic near by but had there been traffic an accident would have most likely resulted from the failures.

This is a second complaint and update to 1/1/04 complaint previously submitted.since then car has been to the dealer 2 additional times for transmission slippage with no resolution.also car has been in for broken front seat, faulty finish on door handles and dash board, brake squeal, and problems closing sun roof.all problems cured other than transmission slippage and steering alignment.called saab usa previously whom advised to continue working with the dealer, who can not fix.transmission slippage can be dangerous when depending on an auto to react a certain way in accident avoidance situations and auto responds differently.in my opinion this problem coupled with all the others is a violation of express warranties of the manufacture.please investigate this transmission slippage issue as there are multiple complaints on this message board.thank you.

When driving, the transmission will come out of gear at any rpm's.

Car doesn't want to shift into the next gear. Second timethis car has been in for the same issue.this time they had to replace the transmissions.

Leased 2003 saab 9-3 arc on 9/26 and this is my second complaint (10051379) and i still have not heard from saab customer care regarding their fixing the loud right rear rattling/knocking noise. I have called numerous times with no call back. I now have two more problems...the car hesitates, sputters and almost stalls...the dealer increased the idle and that was the fix...i do not feel safe when starting off from a stop or driving in stop and go traffic. Also the transmission is shifting hard between gears between 10 and 30 mphs...it started a few days ago and is becoming more prevalent as each day passes..both these problems along with the loud rattling/knocking noise from right rear that dealer says is normal tell me that this car has problems that saab doesn't want to deal with and that is not right.*la

"gear box malfunction". After owning a pre-owned 2003 9-3 saab for not even three weeks, the transmission in the vehicle went out. Now that the vehicle is out of warranty, at 55k it is costing well over $7,000.00!! the transmission skips every gear except for 2nd and 5th. Very nice car, but won't ever own another.

Transmission slips and the vehicle stalls in the middle of the road.

Abruptly, at 53,000 miles, the transmission failed.dealer could not explain why, except to cite various "codes."dealer said they do not check those codes at the 45,000 mile interval.saab refused to do anything about it, even after a polite appeal.apparently, saab doesn't value me as a customer, and refuses to admit that they have any blame.estimated dealer cost, including tax, is about $7,500.i have always meticulously maintained my saab.a transmission that fails at 53,000 miles (on the highway, creating a safety issue) on its own, with no advance warning, is obviously defective.i am a 4 time saab owner -- won't be buying a saab again, for sure, although before this incident i was planning to buy an 9-7 in a couple of years.if it wasn't such a hassle, i would file a lawsuit -- among other things, i am sure that this defective transmission was defective at 50,000 miles, just as it obviously was at 53,000.

Wanted to give an update. After 2 months of waiting for saab to respond to my lemon law filing with an attorney, i have been able to get rid of my 9-3 linear. Car still has hesitation after they have claimed to have repaired the software problem. Transmission is now slipping, onstar malfunctions once a week, and have a rattle in the dash board. Saab is fully aware of all of the problems. Just wanted to give others the confidence to fight them on the problems of the engine stalling.

Gearbox malfunction has occurred twice leaving me stranded on the highway and the car will not go over 5 mph.extremely dangerous as this occurs unexpectedly in traffic.dealer fixed both times, but transmission still slipped and i feared driving it.the dealer took it in again and had their transmission specialist drive and inspect it.the dealer says that there is a known problem with the 2003 9.3 saabs with contamination of the transmission fluid causing the transmission to fail.the transmission fluid is cooled within a section of the radiator.the block that separates the coolant from the transmission fluid is bad and causes the coolant to leak into the transmission fluid.i was scheduled for a new transmission, a new radiator (under warranty), but the car failed a 3rd time when i was trying to drive to the dealer for service.they had another 9.3 scheduled at the same time for the same problem.additionally, they are telling me that i need front and back brakes - not under warranty - will cost me $1,000.this is the most serious of the problems i have had with this car, but have had it in the shop 16 days for numerous problems with headlights, on star, sid, locks, door issue, window issue, oil leaks.i am very concerned that a car with this safety rating can have this many problems and especially the extremely dangerous transmission issues that leave you stranded in traffic.

The contact owns a 2003 saab 9-3.when the contact turned the vehicle, the instrument panel indicated that there was a gear box malfunction.the warning light dimmed a few days later.afterwards, the contact experienced acceleration failures.after idling at a traffic light, it was difficult to accelerate.the vehicle would also shift uneasily.while attempting to merge onto the freeway, the vehicle would not pick up speed and allow her to shift gears.the contact was concerned that the lack of acceleration could cause a crash while merging into traffic.the dealer stated that a new transmission was needed.she spoke with the manufacturer and is awaiting a return call; however, she was informed that they probably would be unable to assist.the speed was unknown.the current mileage was approximately 54,000 and failure mileage was approximately 38,000.

Purchased 2003 9-3 linear in august 2003.the car has been back to the dealer for service several times within the first few months of ownership.first time car was in on complaint of front wheels out of alignment (car pulls to the left all the time coasting, under acceleration, etc.).the steering wheel must be held slightly off center to allow the car to go straight.dealer denied problem and attributed it to curvature in the road.i have driven other cars over the same road even the same model loaner car without the pull to the left.complained two additional times with no response from dealer.because the car has more significant problems i have given up on this one for now.second time car was out of service for over 20 consecutive days while dealer diagnosed and fixed onstar and stereo malfunction.the stereo was not functioning at several points in the day and then would come back on automatically at the next start-up.dealer replaced all components of the system stereo, cd player, onstar module, ect. To correct the problem.third time was a major complaint.i have experienced slippage in the automatic transmission at almost every other shift under moderate to hard acceleration.the car actually revs rpms between shift for 3 to 4 seconds before shifting to the next gear.additionally, under hard acceleration from a complete stop the car will not shift until after fuel pump cut-off in the rpm range.dealer could not diagnose via computer; however i suggested a tech drove the car for a day or two.tech acknowledged slippage problem and said he experienced a similar problem on other 2003 9-3 vehicles; however; was unable to diagnose or fix.he put in a call to saab technical to see if they have further information.we await saab technical response.

I have a 2003 saab 9-3 linear. I have had the car stall on me in traffic 4 times now over the last 4 months.i now realize i'm far from the only one this has happened to.this is a very dangerous situation as i have been in highway traffic 3 of the 4 times.luckily in the outside lane and able to pull off.i have automatic transmission and run high octance fuel (recommended).hopefully something can be done to press gm and force them to fix this problem.

Transmission slips constantly.service center states that the diagnostic is not indicating any issues and all is normal.the incident date was the last time it occurred.

My 2003 saab 9-3 arc (purchased this july) with automatic transmission nearly stalled (sputtered, hesitated and nearly lost power) while making a left hand turn between oncoming traffic.while this car has not fully stalled out, i have felt it hesitated on a number of other occasions.iowned another 2003 saab, identical in every way, that completely stalled out at idle speed while stuck in traffic and also while starting out in reverse and in forward.the fact that this new car nearly stalled in front of oncoming traffic has really scared me.i have read a number of complaints on the web about stalling in the 2003 saab 9-3.i spoke to saab customer service yesterday and they denied any other complaints on the stalling issue.i am bringing my car to the dealer on monday, however, ifeel that saab needs to address this potentially very serious issue.*la

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!!!!!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!

While driving 10 mph vehicle suddenly surged forwardand the engine stalled. The dealer statdsaxle exploded. As a result,vehicle had to be towed.

The consumer was able to remove the key from the ignition switch while the vehicle was still running.the vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer replaced the ignition module. The repairs worked fine for two weeks, then the problem recurred.the fuel pump was replaced, the fog and head lights would go out once a month, the traction control was not working properly, the seat belts did not recoil to provide security for the passengers, the clutch pedal did not have the proper pressure when applied, the engine would not "spin over," there was a blown fuel pump fuse, the driver window was inoperative, the sunroof deflector did not collapse when closing the glass causing the glass to re-open on it's own, the driver door panel did not fit the flush to the door panel, the radio and the onstar feature did not work. *sc

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.

The consumer was able to remove the key from the ignition switch while the vehicle was still running.the vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer replaced the ignition module. The repairs worked fine for two weeks, then the problem recurred.the fuel pump was replaced, the fog and head lights would go out once a month, the traction control was not working properly, the seat belts did not recoil to provide security for the passengers, the clutch pedal did not have the proper pressure when applied, the engine would not "spin over," there was a blown fuel pump fuse, the driver window was inoperative, the sunroof deflector did not collapse when closing the glass causing the glass to re-open on it's own, the driver door panel did not fit the flush to the door panel, the radio and the onstar feature did not work. *sc

My vehicle was covered under a seat belt recall, and was serviced in 2005. I purchased the car used, but according to the previous owner, the seat belt on the driver's side has been broken for at least a year. The replacement did not fix the issue, in this case.

2003 saab 9-3 front seatbelts do not retract. Reported to dealer prior to april 2010 and was informed that this recall was fixed. Apparently the dealer that claimed they replaced these seatbelts had not. Quite a safety issue to not have properly working front seat belts.

I just bought a 2003 saab 9-3 vector. After purchasing the vehicle, i noticed the seat belt would not retract properly and did some research on the internet. I then found out about the recall about that exact thing and took the car to an authorized dealer which could perform service. They told me it had already been replaced, and that it would cost a few hundred dollars to do it again, even though there is a recall out on it. I have a hard time believing it was replaced once and then it went bad again, and i should say that the car only went over 50000 miles this evening on my way home from work. The dealer should repair this faulty item for free and then be reimbursed by the manufacturer.

2003 saab 9-3, seatbelt will not retract properly1. Seat belt is slow to retract, almost to the point where i have to push it back into the retract system.2. It fails everytime i enter my car3. Nothing yet.saab usa is unwilling to help with the issue.

Brake pads & rotors, seat belt, battery replacement, tire, transmission, sunroof malfunction.

Since owning my 2003 9-3, the parking brake stuck and would not release ultimately having to be replaced.the rear bushings on the sway bar had to be replaced, multiple light bulbs.at about 20,000 miles the steering rack needed to be replaced, most recently the power sterring pump now needs to be replaced.the seat belt also let go and had to be replaced.i thought that all that could go wrong, had gone wrong until the power steering pump went.now reading other owner comments i have no faith in this vehicle.this is my fourth saab, my last i traded at over 180,000 miles with no problems.

The contact owns a 2003 saab 93. The contact stated that the front driver side seat belt would not retract when the vehicle was parked. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that they were not going to cover the cost associated with the repair. The vehicle was previously included and repaired under nhtsa campaign id number: 04v226000 (seat belts:front:retractor) yet the failure persisted following repairs. The vehicle was not further repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.updated 01/18/11 updated 01/31/11

The contact owns a 2003 saab 9-3.the driver's seat belt does not retract and remains loose.the contact has not taken the vehicle to the dealer, but he discovered nhtsa campaign id number 04v226000 (seat belts:front:retractor).the manufacturer stated that his vin was not included in the recall.the contact felt that it was unsafe to drive a vehicle with a malfunctioning seat belt.the failure mileage was 49,000 and current mileage was 51,000.

2003 saab 9-3 vector has problems with sunroof, front passenger seat belt, alarm system, gas cap, side view mirrors and the board computer. ***no answer required***. *mr the onboard computer could not be fixed after 3 service visits, until finally the vehicle was recalled and exchanged for another.the gas cap would not close properly, the alarm system went off inadvertently, the side view mirrors would adjust themselves after the consumer turned the vehicle off.the cd player malfunctioned. The seat belt light came on even when there were no passengers.the front spoiler is falling apart.

Dealer - saab exchange won't/can't fix vehicle.steering problem, rattle problem, fan blower problem, seat problem, brake light problem, etc... *la

Passenger and i were driving and activated both front heated seats on the highest setting. Soon after, both of us detected a burning smell and immediately shut off both heated seats. Upon arrival, we exited and visually observed a small burn mark where the passenger's left shoulder would be. It burned through the leather and singed the hair of the passenger. The burn mark is about the size of a nickel and we can no longer use the heated seat function.

My 2003 saab 9-3 vector started to have a burning sensation on the driver's seat under my left thigh.it was so hot that i had to put a towel under my leg when the heated seat was on.eventually, after 2 months of this, the heated seat quit working all together.i did take it in for maintenance and they told me i would have to bring it back again to have them disassemble the seat.i have read on saab chatlines that it's a common problem and people have been getting their seat leather replaced because of burn marks.i think this is a very real safety issue that should called to light.i have been told it's a bad heating element.

I have owned 4 different saab models and i have allays had heated seats.this last winter while wearing a suit and wool overcoat i felt a burning sensation on my back.i immediately turned my seat off, when i got out of the car there where coil burn marks in my leather seat.there has to be a safety issue if a heated seat coil can burn through leather, and can be felt through an inch of wool...

Since purchasing saab 9-3 arc in august 2003, the car has been in service 7 times.problems include:key inoperable, back brakes loud sound, front brakes squealing, window problems, sunroof problems, loose heat console, onstar malfunction.saab has been contacted and can not fix the brake issue.they state that the loud foghorn like sound is normal.i have contacted a lawyer and am pursuing the issue.

The brake pedal on my '03 saab 9-3 sports sedan sinks to the floor when constant moderate pressure is applied.the saab dealer assures me that all cars of this type do this.i believe strongly that it is a serious safety defect.

2003 saab 9-3 customer states that the front end of the car just dropped off after having the car inspected the front coil spring was found to be broken**ccthe consumer was told the passenger side coil spring was also in the process of failing. The consumer was informed that the failure was caused by rust that had formed inside a rubber boot that was used at the base of the spring to dampen noise. Water was able to get inside the boots and remain, which caused rust to form and eventually compromised the integrity of the spring.the front pads and rotors were replaced.the consumer was informed that the new springs did have the rubber boots that the original springs had.

The lease on this vehicle began on october 6, 2003.it has had multiple electrical issues starting less than 30 days after delivery.most recently, september 11, 2005.i have been stranded three times and had to have the car towed twice.each time the onstar did not work because of electrical malfunctions.we no longer have any confidence in this vehicle and if we owned it we would sell it.problems include but are not limited to:* cd player stopped working and was replaced within first 30 days of lease.* brakes replaced within first 60 days of lease.* onstar computer replaced within first 60 days of lease.* vehicle computer updated within first year of lease.this left me stranded and almost required a tow due to inoperative transmission but, the vehicle eventually shifted into limp mode before the tow truck arrived allowing us to drive it to the dealership.* vehicle computer updated again within first year of lease.* onstar computer repaired again within first year of lease.* door handles faded and replaced within second year* parking break stuck and vehicle required a tow within second year of lease.* engine immobilizer malfunction requiring another tow of the vehicle within second year of lease.we were told that the battery abruptly died.* trip computer must be reset after gas is added in order to show correct distance to empty.*miles between oil changes seem incorrect.we are at 27000 miles and have only had one oil change.the dealership continues to tell us to wait until the computer requests the service.

Headlights was too low which caused difficulty in driving at night.*lathere was noise in the rear while backing and turning (the dealer could not find the problem), the onstar feature would not work and was intermittent, the seat belt light had come on and would go off intermittently (unable to duplicate), need service soon light would come on (unable to be duplicated), the squeal in the rear, could have also been linked to salt and sand in the rotors, the trunk would not stay open, the head lights were found to be out of adjustment, and the pads had rust on them. *sc

Brake pads & rotors, seat belt, battery replacement, tire, transmission, sunroof malfunction.

2003 saab 9-3 brakes does not stop vehicle when depressed.the consumer experienced extended stopping distance while braking.the brakes were tested but the technician indicated that the brakes were fine.the consumer also experienced problem with the transmission that caused the vehicle to lurch forward while stopped.the vehicle was taken to the dealer but they were unable to find anything wrong.

2003 9-3 linear. Requesting follow up status on memo, dated 3-26-06. The vehicle engine would not shut off although the key was removed from the ignition.the vehicle had several brake problems.the vehicle hesitated slightly when moving.when braking the vehicle would jerk and skid.the brakes grabbed which caused the vehicle to stop quickly.the alarm was very sensitive.everytime a bus or truck passed the vehicle with the alarm engaged it would sound.the dealer said there was not way to adjust the sensitivity of the alarm.the windows were off track.the steering wheel seized when the consumer was driving on the highway.***nar***

When accelerating from 55 to 65 mph in the passing lane with the cruise control engaged the vehicle continued to accelerate up to 90 mph. Consumer applied the brakes hard to reduce the speed down to 70 mph, but the vehicle continued to accelerates up to 95 mph.consumer reapplied the brakes and got the vehicle down to 10 mph when he shifted the vehicle into neutral and turned the vehicle off. A fire has temporary develop in both front wheels and extinguish itself within 5 minutes. Consumer got back into the vehicle and drove the vehicle to the dealer. The cause of the problem has not been determined. Dealer is replaced the complete braking system and the cruise control deactivation switch.

Dt: the contactowns a 2003 saab 93 linear.approximately two weeks ago there was complete brake failure while trying to stop at a stop light on dry pavement.the vehicle was towed to a dealership, and they stated that there was nothing wrong with the brakes.this was the first total brake failure.but since the purchase of the vehicle, when the brake pedal was depressed there wasvibration in the pedal while in reverse and while trying to stop.this has been a consistent problem with the vehicle since the day of purchase of the vehicle.this problem didnot occur every time the contact drove the vehicle.the dealership could not duplicate the problem . They said that there was nothing wrong with the brakes.the manufacturer stated there was nothing they could do because the service dealer said that there was nothing wrong with the brakes.

Brake pads wore through and rotors were damaged on the front end.no indication of brake wear from dealer service department at regular service intervals.saab has a long approximately 15,000 engine service interval.consequently brakes may only be inspected every 15,000 miles.neither dealer nor manufacturer can advise customer of when brake pads should be replaced.customer has no avenue to receive advice regarding brake wear and replacement.ulitmately pads are worn out completely without warning, and rotors are damaged, creating a safety issue.all parts are replaced at a cost to the consumer of $800.

Dt:front brake rotors and pads wore out completely without warning.the consumer stated that there was a lot of brake dust thelast 10,000 miles.the dealer stated that this was normal and that they could not do anything about it.the manufacturer has been called three times and they said this was normal wear.the caller only has 26,000 miles on vehicle and he believes this is not normal.

Dt:front brake rotors and pads wore out completely without warning.the consumer stated that there was a lot of brake dust thelast 10,000 miles.the dealer stated that this was normal and that they could not do anything about it.the manufacturer has been called three times and they said this was normal wear.the caller only has 26,000 miles on vehicle and he believes this is not normal.

Brake pads wore through and rotors were damaged on the front end.no indication of brake wear from dealer service department at regular service intervals.saab has a long approximately 15,000 engine service interval.consequently brakes may only be inspected every 15,000 miles.neither dealer nor manufacturer can advise customer of when brake pads should be replaced.customer has no avenue to receive advice regarding brake wear and replacement.ulitmately pads are worn out completely without warning, and rotors are damaged, creating a safety issue.all parts are replaced at a cost to the consumer of $800.

The contact owns a 2003 saab 9-3 convertible. The contact was having an unrelated repair performed at the dealer when he was advised that the vehicle was in need of additional repairs. The dealer recommended having repairs to the engine and service brakes. The repairs were not performed. The contact located two recalls for the repairs recommended by the dealer (nhtsa campaign id numbers 04v540000 (engine and engine cooling) and 05v236000 (service brakes, hydraulic: power assist: vacuum: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings). The dealer advised that that contact's vin was not included with either recall. The manufacturer was contacted and advised they would speak with the dealer to determine if the repair needed was associated with the repair listed in the recalls. The contact was unsure if his vehicle was included with the recall or not. The failure mileage was 90,180.

Approximately 14 months after leasing a new 2003 saab 9.3 i was driving and my steering wheel locked up for no reason.i got the vehicle to the dealership and they said that it was fixed.approximately 12 months later i am merging onto i75 from i285 and the steering wheel locks again and thankfully i was not in an accident.

The contact owned a 2003 saab 9-3. While driving approximately 55 mph, the steering lost power. The driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a concrete wall. The driver side tire became stuck under the driver seat without warning. The driver and passenger side air bags deployed. Both the driver and passenger received injuries that required medical attention. The police was at the scene, but did not file a report. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard. The insurance company totaled the vehicle. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. One day after the failure, the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v063000 (air bags). The failure mileage was 71,810.

The contact owns a 2003 saab 9-3. The contact stated that the key refused to turn to the on position and a steering wheel lock malfunction message appeared. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 160,000.

The contact owns a 2003 saab 9-3. After the vehicle was started, the steering wheel lock warning light illuminated and the doors of the vehicle failed to lock. On another occasion, the ignition key failed to move into the on position. A tow truck operator stated that the vehicle could not be moved because the wheels were locked. The vehicle was restarted; however, the contact stated that the failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000.

2003 9-3 linear. Requesting follow up status on memo, dated 3-26-06. The vehicle engine would not shut off although the key was removed from the ignition.the vehicle had several brake problems.the vehicle hesitated slightly when moving.when braking the vehicle would jerk and skid.the brakes grabbed which caused the vehicle to stop quickly.the alarm was very sensitive.everytime a bus or truck passed the vehicle with the alarm engaged it would sound.the dealer said there was not way to adjust the sensitivity of the alarm.the windows were off track.the steering wheel seized when the consumer was driving on the highway.***nar***

Since i bought my car 7/1/06 i have had several steering problems with the car pulling and jerking.i have had 2 alignments done wheels balanced and calipers adjusted. The car pulled on my test drive before purchasing the car and i was promised it would be resolved. When it was not resolved the dealership refused to buy back the car.two dealerships worked on this problem with no solutionthis is still a problem and i cannot drive my car strait without a firm grip on the steering wheel.saab has not been helpful at all and has no solution and has offered no help. The car is dangerous to drive because the car can jerk unexpectedly.

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

Hit concrete wall

The contact owns a 2003 saab 9-3. The contact stated that with the key fob in the ignition, the power steering wheel lock malfunction warning light illuminated. The contact manually turned the ignition key to the left to right in order to have the vehicle started. The vehicle was taken to flikkema saab (2424 176th st, lansing, il 60438 (708) 474-19330)to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the column integrated module (cim) needed to be reprogrammed. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred several times. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.

Dealer - saab exchange won't/can't fix vehicle.steering problem, rattle problem, fan blower problem, seat problem, brake light problem, etc... *la

2003 saab 9-3's steering locked while driving on the highway**ccwhen the steering locked, the consumer crossed into the oncoming lane, hit a snow bank, a snow ramp to a flower bed, went airborne and hit a wooden business sign, crossed to more properties, and came to rest on the rear end of a pleasure boat. The computer on the vehicle read steering lock malfunction. The consumer had no control over the vehicle during the accident; when the vehicle stopped the steering worked again, but the message steering locked malfunction remained.

The steering column had to be replaced. The dealer stated the steering column was installed incorrectly. Please provide additional information.*nlm

A reoccurring error will display on the saab information management display indicating a wheel lock error. This error seems to be happening with increasing frequency. Saab has reviewed the vehicle more than four times, each time replacing parts; these parts have been: a new key, a new steering wheel column, and two new solenoids in the steering column. The saab delearship has indicated that there is possibly a faulty solenoid but is unable to do anything but to keep replacing parts.

A reoccurring error will display on the saab information management display indicating a wheel lock error. This error seems to be happening with increasing frequency. Saab has reviewed the vehicle more than four times, each time replacing parts; these parts have been: a new key, a new steering wheel column, and two new solenoids in the steering column. The saab delearship has indicated that there is possibly a faulty solenoid but is unable to do anything but to keep replacing parts.

While driving vehicle stalled, and the steering wheel locked.the cause had not been determined.

Since owning my 2003 9-3, the parking brake stuck and would not release ultimately having to be replaced.the rear bushings on the sway bar had to be replaced, multiple light bulbs.at about 20,000 miles the steering rack needed to be replaced, most recently the power sterring pump now needs to be replaced.the seat belt also let go and had to be replaced.i thought that all that could go wrong, had gone wrong until the power steering pump went.now reading other owner comments i have no faith in this vehicle.this is my fourth saab, my last i traded at over 180,000 miles with no problems.

Under normal driving conditions while driving approximately 45 mph, the gas gauge read just over 1 bar of fuel remaining when a traction control system failure and gearbox malfunction message appeared in the display screen. Immediately following, the engine shut off and all control of the vehicle failed. No one was injured at the time due to the late hour and there being no other traffic near by but had there been traffic an accident would have most likely resulted from the failures.

The contact owns a 2003 93 saab.the engine lost power without warning, and when attempting to restart the vehiclethe 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 dealerstated 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 beingthree months pregnant.the air bags deployed, and there was severe damage to the vehicle. The current and failure mileage were 57,000.

Since owning my 2003 9-3, the parking brake stuck and would not release ultimately having to be replaced.the rear bushings on the sway bar had to be replaced, multiple light bulbs.at about 20,000 miles the steering rack needed to be replaced, most recently the power sterring pump now needs to be replaced.the seat belt also let go and had to be replaced.i thought that all that could go wrong, had gone wrong until the power steering pump went.now reading other owner comments i have no faith in this vehicle.this is my fourth saab, my last i traded at over 180,000 miles with no problems.

The consumer was able to remove the key from the ignition switch while the vehicle was still running.the vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer replaced the ignition module. The repairs worked fine for two weeks, then the problem recurred.the fuel pump was replaced, the fog and head lights would go out once a month, the traction control was not working properly, the seat belts did not recoil to provide security for the passengers, the clutch pedal did not have the proper pressure when applied, the engine would not "spin over," there was a blown fuel pump fuse, the driver window was inoperative, the sunroof deflector did not collapse when closing the glass causing the glass to re-open on it's own, the driver door panel did not fit the flush to the door panel, the radio and the onstar feature did not work. *sc

The consumer is experiencing problems with the acceleration. When the pedal is applied, the vehicle hesitates. The consumer took the vehicle to be inspected and he was told it was normal.

Door handles and side body molding are fading abnormally.door handles are pretty much white in color.they were originally black.this shouldn't happen after only 4 years, especially with a car like a saab (for which you think you are paying for quality).

2003 saab 9-3 vector has problems with sunroof, front passenger seat belt, alarm system, gas cap, side view mirrors and the board computer. ***no answer required***. *mr the onboard computer could not be fixed after 3 service visits, until finally the vehicle was recalled and exchanged for another.the gas cap would not close properly, the alarm system went off inadvertently, the side view mirrors would adjust themselves after the consumer turned the vehicle off.the cd player malfunctioned. The seat belt light came on even when there were no passengers.the front spoiler is falling apart.

The contact owns a 2003 saab 9-3. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked when the brake pedal was depressed and stalled. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The failure recurred intermittently. In addition, it took multiple attempts to open the driver side door. The vehicle was taken to an independently mechanic where it was diagnosed that the spark plugs had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 87,171.

Headlights was too low which caused difficulty in driving at night.*lathere was noise in the rear while backing and turning (the dealer could not find the problem), the onstar feature would not work and was intermittent, the seat belt light had come on and would go off intermittently (unable to duplicate), need service soon light would come on (unable to be duplicated), the squeal in the rear, could have also been linked to salt and sand in the rotors, the trunk would not stay open, the head lights were found to be out of adjustment, and the pads had rust on them. *sc

When car is locked and trunk lid is opened with the key for the car alarm will sound off, the rear trunk handle also only works when rear trunk hatch is actually opened.

The consumer experienced many problems with 2003 saab 9-3 linear as engine failure light appear and ect.there were repeated problems with the sun roof remaining stuck open, stability control problems, low front head beam, getting air to the gas cap, the mud flap was cracked, and on one occasion when driving up a hill the consumer lost control of the steering. *sc

I have also been having issues with the front passenger side suspension.i would have to check my records, but i believe it started when the car had about 25k miles on it.the springs are still in tact, but i would notice a very loud creaking noise going over speed bumps in parking lots, especially in cold temperatures.i brought it to the attention of the dealership while it was still under warranty and they did not offer any resolution.after reading the large number of complaints of broken springs, i now know why i am afraid to drive this car on the freeway.i would really like to get this fixed under a recall before it causes an accident and someone gets seriously injured or killed.

Hit concrete wall

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.

The consumer experienced many problems with 2003 saab 9-3 linear as engine failure light appear and ect.there were repeated problems with the sun roof remaining stuck open, stability control problems, low front head beam, getting air to the gas cap, the mud flap was cracked, and on one occasion when driving up a hill the consumer lost control of the steering. *sc

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

Front spring failure from corrosion damage ' front passenger spring broken, completely broken off piece approximately 5-6' found.every time the vehicle was driven over a rough road surface (aka pothole, dirt road, speed bump), a vibration / rattling noise was heard coming from the front passenger side.originally, it was believed that the noise was due to a wheel or brake issue, so we drove the car for quite some time thinking it was just a minor annoyance, not a serious safety risk (some drivers have had the spring shoot out and shred their tires while driving!).we got the tires / wheels balanced, rotated and also replaced the brakes, none of which helped the problem.then another mechanic confirmed the problem during an oil change when they found the broken off piece of spring which was causing the rattle.the broken off piece has a significant concentration of rust the last 1' or so where the break occurred.there is a rubber sheath that partially covers that section of the spring, but it is obviously flawed in keeping water from corroding the spring as there is a lot of rust all throughout.the other spring has rust on it as well, but has not failed yet'we plan to replace both springs now, hopefully with the next model year's springs which i heard have a better shield to prevent this from occurring.researching online what the problem was, i found that this problem also occurs on this model year saab in the uk as found on the saabscene.com forum and i read that the nhtsa just started investigating this issue august 28, 2008 as investigation # pe08051.

At 65 mph the vehicle pulls to the right and left very hard even at the slightest turn.this pulling is really violent.consumer has to drive at low speeds to control vehicle.dealer suggested consumer to get skinnier tires. Please provide any further information.

Left front spring snapped while in normal driving circumstances.potential for serious accident exists.dealer replacing both front springs stating this is a common occurrence.

The front drivers side spring broke.happened while the car was sitting still.

Passenger side front spring broke about 4" up from the bottom. Car mileage apprx. 75k. Problem was indicated by clunking noise and oddness in the steering.

The contact owns a 2003 saab 9-3.the contact heard a strange noise in the front end of the vehicle while driving at any speed.the dealer stated that the front coil spring snapped.he chose not to have the vehicle repaired because he believes it is a manufacturer defect.through online research, the contact found an open investigation for the same failure (nhtsa action number ea08026 (suspension:front:springs:coil springs) date investigation opened : december 22, 2008).he believes that a recall should be issued.the current and failure mileages were 85,000.

Coil spring failed on 2003 saab 9-3 puncturing tire and causing car to cross center line of roadway.had there been any oncoming traffic, this coil spring induced tire blowout may have resulted in a head-on frontal collision on a busy two-lane state highway.had this been on an interstate or other roadway with higher speeds, it may have been fatal.

Passenger side front spring snapped. While driving home, i noticed a loud metal on metal tapping noise after going over any bumps. I knew right away something with my right front was wrong, about a minute later i heard a loud bang, followed by metal bouncing on pavement. I pulled over and found a piece of my spring had broken completely off. Right after this happened it was much harder to steer and thank god that this happened in a neighborhood where i was only doing 20mph. Suppose this happened on a freeway doing 65? supposedly this is a very common problem as i have read about it on forums.

Another front suspension coil spring failure on a saab 9-3.on returning from a 2 week vacation i started the car in the airport parking lot and heard a clicking / rubbing noise from the front left wheel.i stopped and inspected the wheel and noted rust on the brake rotor and assumed that this was the cause of the noise and would wear off when the brakes were applied.drove ~1/4 mile and stopped at a light before turning on to the interstate when i saw smoke coming from the wheel.closer inspection revealed that the front left suspension coil spring had failed and the fractured spring was rubbing on the tire. The car was towed to the saab dealer where the front springs were replaced and the damaged tire replaced.i have the failed spring hardware.despite the large number of similar failures of the front spring on saab 9-3s, saab refused to acknowledge that this was an issue and charged me for the repair.i feel lucky that i stopped to investigate before turning on to interstate.if i had not it would have undoubtedly resulted in a high speed tire failure.

No events leading to failure. Passenger front spring broke at 71,000 miles. Broke previously at 35,000 miles.current brake at 71,000, broken spring dug into passenger front tire and prevent the car from steering to the left.springs were replaced by the dealer after the 35,000 mile failure.springs and struts were replaced with aftermarket parts after the 71,000 file failure.

Front coil spring brakes and the broken piece launches off the car into the wheel well area which may result in tire damage at high speeds.

Both front suspension springs on my 2003 saab 9-3 broke.a front tire was punctured while the car was in motion due to the break.no accident occurred, but could have been deadly if it was on the freeway.there seems to be a pattern of this.my car only has 36,000 miles on it.something like this should not be happening on this type of car.it was taken to the nearest dealer that wants to charge $1100 for the fix because i am out of warranty by 6,000 miles.i am also in the process of contacting saab usa.

Returned from 2 week vacation where car was parked in an outdoor airport parking lot. When car was put into reverse to back out of parking space, extra gas was required to start movement, then loud bang / pop and the car started to move.(sometimes after a rain, the disk brakes seem to rust / weld to the rotors and require extra effort to brake loose. But this bang / pop was louder than normal.)started to drive out of parking lot, then onto street to get onto interstate.smelled rubber burning odor.other drivers indicated white smoke coming from right wheel well area. Stopped to investigate and found right front suspension spring broken and cutting a groove in the side wall of tire. Car handled normally, so we were glad we hadn't entered interstate and gotten up to highway speed.car towed to mechanic. He said only right side had physically broken, but felt the left side was about to break also. He replaced both left / right struts, springs, bracket, support struts, sway bar links and right front tire.

I am another saab owner with the problem described complaint "investigation # pe08051."this was discovered during other work being performed on the car.along with other numerous problems, this may explain why we have gone through many sets of tires and alignment has always been a problem.the 1st and last saab i will ever own.

The front left coil springs snapped in half, shoving a jagged, broken spring into the inner side wall of the tire while my wife was driving our son to school.the ensuing drama consisted of a nearly uncontrollable vehicle and plumes of smoke billowing out from the front of the vehicle.fearing for the safety of herself and our son, my wife pulled him out of the car and ran a distance away as she feared it was about to catch fire.she called me from her cell phone, crying, and in a near panic as other drivers pulled over to help.everything turned out okay for us, but i can?t say that the same would have happened if the spring had broken after she dropped off our son and was on the interstate going to work.we are thankful she was only traveling 35 mph rather than 70 mph.after this occurred, and after a complete lack of help or explanation from our dealer, we were motivated to research this issue further to determine if this was a ?freak accident? or if in fact there was some issue with the design of the suspension system.it appears from a cursory search of the internet that there are at least several dozen other instances of this happening to this particular year, make, and model of vehicle.in most cases, the same thing happened exactly as it did to us.and when we learned that saab had redesigned the front coil spring seats the following year (presumably to address this issue), it became apparent that even the manufacturer had acknowledged that a problem existed.i am hoping that this will lead to a full investigation into this issue which could not only potentially protect the lives of other unknowing owners and their vehicle occupants as well as other drivers, but also to help shoulder the financial burden of this problem.in all cases that i have researched, the springs broke just after the factory warranty ran out (at 4 years/50,000 miles), and consequently, the dealers have been charging for this repair.in our case it was $500.00!!!

My saab 9 3 has been in the shop 5 times for the same issue - "front end creaks when i turn or goes over bumps" this started on march 2, 2006 with 41,694 up until october 172008 with 98,508 (sept 2007, dec 2007 june 2008). Out of the 5 times 4 of those times they have replaced the front stabilizers. In october 17 they stated nothing was wrong however, after we left the dealership we still heard the front end making noise. Called the dealership right away who then tells me that they were unable to find anything. May 2009 - my spring broke off my car.

No accident or anything yet, but according to a forum i follow, {saab central} there are alot of people experiencing front coil spring failure on 2003 saab 9-3.this on cars with under 100,000 miles. Don't have to tell you that this could be bad news if the broken spring punched into the tire at speed. To me, having to replace coil springs as a maintenance item every 70000 miles is unacceptable. I will have my 03 saab up on jack stands to check out the springs as best as i can, but this is the type of failure you can not really see until it is to late. I have no way of checking for metal fatigue. Hopefully, this is a problem you can move on before someone gets hurt.

2003 saab 9-3 arc.started car and smelled tire burning, drove around building, checked tires -- all 4 looked fine, checked, drove about 1 mile and right front tire blew.had aaa change tire, and was shown it blew from the inside.took vehicle to costco for tire replacement.was informed that the spring coil broke (was handed about a 6 inch piece) and that was what blew through the tire.car was towed to the saab dealership and both springs were replaced.the left front is very eroded from rust and also appears ready to break.consequences - 2 new tires, 2 new front coil springs and a tow.

My 2003 saab 9-3 linear with 79,500 miles. Driving on average road when hearing a pop. After further investigation (as rattling continued for some time afterwards) the front, driver-side coil spring has broken. While the piece has not (yet) popped out into my tire, any further driving risks doing so and bursting a tire as well. Am waiting for saab dealership to order this part.this seems to be a common problem, as indicated by many online forums and your website.http://www.saabcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=155844&highlight=broke+spring&page=1http://www.saabsunited.com/2009/05/are-saab-having-issues-with-springs.html.

On 8/2/09, i was driving my vehicle when suddenly there was a loud bang.car pulled to the extreme right with a strong odor of burning rubber. Luckily was able to gain control without hitting anyone and stopped the vehicle.it was quite obvious the front of the car was lower than the back.the smell of rubber was from the spring going into the front passenger tire.the vehicle was towed to a local garage where it was discovered the front passenger spring broke & ate into the front tire.it also pulled out the struts & broke the bracket/top as well.i was very satisfied with saab until this.car is 6 years old, well maintained with only 56,700 miles.this incident has certainly made me apprehensive especially when i did research an found there has been a rash of broken front passenger springs reported, yet no recalls.parts replaced: strut assembly, strut top, spring pair, bracket, stabilizer bar control link, pirelli tire.

My 2003 saab 93 vector had the front passenger coil spring broke, im still driving on it with the parts on order. Seems to be a common problem with many other peoples saabs. And sounds like their will be no help from the dealer. I am assuming its going to take a fatality or 2 before saab wakes up and makes some better springs or just recall the '!@#$% things.

Front right suspension springs on my 2003 saab 9-3 broke.no accident occurred, but could have been deadly if it was on the freeway. There seems to be a pattern of this. . something like this should not be happening on this type of car. It was taken to the nearest dealer that wants to charge $1100 for the fix because i am out of warranty by. I am also in the process of contacting saab usa.

On may 14 i wentout to my car and noticed that the front left of my car was leaning towards the ground. After my husband took off the tire, the spring to my car just fell off.the car was towed to the dealership where i was advise that this is an going issue with saab. When i contacted saab usa they stated that this was not a problem and that they would not help me pay to have a new spring on my car. The gentlemen who towed my car also advise me that this was his 5th saab he towed this monthwith the same problem that i have - broken spring.

2003 saab 9-3 linear.oem front spring broken (passenger side). Noticed when doing brakes one day. No damage to vehicle or any property, but still a huge problem.

Left front coil spring failure on 2003 saab 9-3 ss linear.i have read that there is a defect investigation on this issue, and that the nhtsa has reviewed warranty claims.my car is out of warranty, so it would not be included in this data.

This is on a 2003 saab 9-3 2.0t linear model. There were no injuries this time but the potential is very much there. My wife was pulling out from a stop light and hear a loud pop followed by a loud grinding noise. She pulled off immediately. When i arrived on scene, i found that the drivers front wheel was pushed up into the wheel well. When i removed the tire i found that the spring had broken in two (the bottomlast ring broke off) and had dropped down to where the jagged end (still attached/wrapped around the shock) was poking into the tire. It had left a relatively deep gouge all the way around the tire.i am sure i don't have to explain to you what could happen if the spring were to break on the interstate at 70mph and puncture the tire. I am quite certain that if my wife would have kept driving any distance that the spring would have dug its way through the side wall and punctured it. Remember, we cant always just pull off the interstate or stop at the drop of a hat. If you have ever driven through atlanta you will know this to be true ;)anyway, went digging on the internet trying to purchase replacement springs and found out that saab had issued a special warranty for spring failures on some of the 9-3's (including mine). Apparently,saab is aware that road debris can get jammed in the spring mount and eat at the coating away on the bottom coil and allow corrosion to work its magic resulting in the springs breaking/failing.so, i call saab. They tell me that i am not covered because i do not live in what they consider to be the snow belt. Which is the upper/more northern states. They tell me that the failure has been reported more in these states and it is due to road salting. Furthermore, i am told that they are only replacing the springs after they have failed. As these cars start to get some age on them, i think we are going to start seeing more and more of these failures. Will it take someone dying for them to issue a recall campaign?

1. There is a distinct sound when the vehicle goes over bumps, it rattles on the driver side, strut. Brought it to a saab dealership they can't find the problem. Brought it to a small shop, they replaced the dust covers on the front struts and after bringing it back six times for the same problem they can't find the problem. Both shops state that the struts are just fine. Rattles like the strut is ready to fall off. Have no more idea where to go. Saab dealership states that it's supposed to sound like that because of a sport sedan. I don't believe it. Battery draw. Draws battery dead after two days letting it sit. Brought it to authorized saab dealership they can't find a draw. Brought it to small shop, they found a draw of 1amp. After three new batteries, still draws and dead battery.

While backing up out of a driveway on a flat level surface the vehicles front passenger coil spring broke in two pieces.the car was rendered un-drivable and was towed to a dealership.the part was replaced. The vehicle is a 2003 saab 9-3 with only 41,400 miles.

Driving on local city street, when right front tire blows out.blow happened because right front coil spring sheered into two pieces and cut into right front tire causing blowout.right front tire replaced and new coil spring installed on right front suspension.yes, i have the failed coil spring in my possession.

2003 saab 9-3 customer states that the front end of the car just dropped off after having the car inspected the front coil spring was found to be broken**ccthe consumer was told the passenger side coil spring was also in the process of failing. The consumer was informed that the failure was caused by rust that had formed inside a rubber boot that was used at the base of the spring to dampen noise. Water was able to get inside the boots and remain, which caused rust to form and eventually compromised the integrity of the spring.the front pads and rotors were replaced.the consumer was informed that the new springs did have the rubber boots that the original springs had.

The contact owns a 2003 saab 9-3.the contact stated that the suspension front coil springs have been failing since spring of 2008.the vehicle has been repaired.the contact wanted to go on record and referenced investigation number ea08026.the failure mileage was 35,210.

Front driver side spring coil broke which caused tire blowout and car to be immobilized..did not cause any injuries or accidents but very well could have had there been anyone else on the road at the time.

Front right suspension springs on my 2003 saab 9-3 broke.no accident occurred, but could have been deadly if it was on the freeway. There seems to be a pattern of this. . something like this should not be happening on this type of car. It was taken to the nearest dealer that wants to charge $1100 for the fix because i am out of warranty by. I am also in the process of contacting saab usa.

The contact owns a 2003 saab 9-3.while the contact was examining his vehicle, he noticed that the front driver's side coil spring split in half.prior to the failure, he noticed that the steering had become slightly difficult to turn.the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer.the current and failure mileages were 60,200. Updated 08/04/09 the dealer repaired the vehicle as a goodwill gesture. Updated 08/06/09.

No accident or anything yet, but according to a forum i follow, {saab central} there are alot of people experiencing front coil spring failure on 2003 saab 9-3.this on cars with under 100,000 miles. Don't have to tell you that this could be bad news if the broken spring punched into the tire at speed. To me, having to replace coil springs as a maintenance item every 70000 miles is unacceptable. I will have my 03 saab up on jack stands to check out the springs as best as i can, but this is the type of failure you can not really see until it is to late. I have no way of checking for metal fatigue. Hopefully, this is a problem you can move on before someone gets hurt.

The contact owns a 2003 saab 9-3.while driving approximately 40 mph she heard a loud grinding noise. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technicianstated that the sway bar failed because of the right front coil spring. The manufacturer took a report. The manufacturer wanted to offer $100.00 towards the cost for repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 83,000.

Leased 2003 saab 9-3 arc on 9/26 and this is my second complaint (10051379) and i still have not heard from saab customer care regarding their fixing the loud right rear rattling/knocking noise. I have called numerous times with no call back. I now have two more problems...the car hesitates, sputters and almost stalls...the dealer increased the idle and that was the fix...i do not feel safe when starting off from a stop or driving in stop and go traffic. Also the transmission is shifting hard between gears between 10 and 30 mphs...it started a few days ago and is becoming more prevalent as each day passes..both these problems along with the loud rattling/knocking noise from right rear that dealer says is normal tell me that this car has problems that saab doesn't want to deal with and that is not right.*la

Since owning my 2003 9-3, the parking brake stuck and would not release ultimately having to be replaced.the rear bushings on the sway bar had to be replaced, multiple light bulbs.at about 20,000 miles the steering rack needed to be replaced, most recently the power sterring pump now needs to be replaced.the seat belt also let go and had to be replaced.i thought that all that could go wrong, had gone wrong until the power steering pump went.now reading other owner comments i have no faith in this vehicle.this is my fourth saab, my last i traded at over 180,000 miles with no problems.

Car leased 9/23/03 and one week after a loud rattling/knocking noise starts up from right rear. To dealer 6 times for this problem. Right rear shock replaced twice and on 12/19/03 district saab rep concluded that noise comes from shock and is a normal noise.i disagree and do not understand this explanation. Delearship will not make any more attempts to fix this rattling/knocking noise. Filed a complaint with saab customer service on 12/23/03 and have not heard from them. Am disappointed and upset that the noise can not be located and fixed.

Car leased 9/23/03 and one week after a loud rattling/knocking noise starts up from right rear. To dealer 6 times for this problem. Right rear shock replaced twice and on 12/19/03 district saab rep concluded that noise comes from shock and is a normal noise.i disagree and do not understand this explanation. Delearship will not make any more attempts to fix this rattling/knocking noise. Filed a complaint with saab customer service on 12/23/03 and have not heard from them. Am disappointed and upset that the noise can not be located and fixed.

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.

Dt*: the caller stated, the ignition switch would not start the vehicle. When the vehicle was towed to the dealership, the battery was replaced. However, nothing was done about the rusted wiring to the ignition. The manufacturer was contacted by a letter.the emergency brake was locked and would not release, the horn did not work, the low head beam failed. The tires were defective, the alarm would sound without warning. Updated 07/25/06.

Brake pads & rotors, seat belt, battery replacement, tire, transmission, sunroof malfunction.

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

2003 9-3 linear. Requesting follow up status on memo, dated 3-26-06. The vehicle engine would not shut off although the key was removed from the ignition.the vehicle had several brake problems.the vehicle hesitated slightly when moving.when braking the vehicle would jerk and skid.the brakes grabbed which caused the vehicle to stop quickly.the alarm was very sensitive.everytime a bus or truck passed the vehicle with the alarm engaged it would sound.the dealer said there was not way to adjust the sensitivity of the alarm.the windows were off track.the steering wheel seized when the consumer was driving on the highway.***nar***

[xxx]bought just in may.

After putting the vehicle in park enginerevved at a high rate, causing vehicle to hit a wall. Consumer sustained injuries.dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem.

The contact owns a 2003 93 saab.the engine lost power without warning, and when attempting to restart the vehiclethe 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 dealerstated 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 beingthree months pregnant.the air bags deployed, and there was severe damage to the vehicle. The current and failure mileage were 57,000.

The contact owns a 2003 saab 9-3.when the contact turned the vehicle, the instrument panel indicated that there was a gear box malfunction.the warning light dimmed a few days later.afterwards, the contact experienced acceleration failures.after idling at a traffic light, it was difficult to accelerate.the vehicle would also shift uneasily.while attempting to merge onto the freeway, the vehicle would not pick up speed and allow her to shift gears.the contact was concerned that the lack of acceleration could cause a crash while merging into traffic.the dealer stated that a new transmission was needed.she spoke with the manufacturer and is awaiting a return call; however, she was informed that they probably would be unable to assist.the speed was unknown.the current mileage was approximately 54,000 and failure mileage was approximately 38,000.

When accelerating from 55 to 65 mph in the passing lane with the cruise control engaged the vehicle continued to accelerate up to 90 mph. Consumer applied the brakes hard to reduce the speed down to 70 mph, but the vehicle continued to accelerates up to 95 mph.consumer reapplied the brakes and got the vehicle down to 10 mph when he shifted the vehicle into neutral and turned the vehicle off. A fire has temporary develop in both front wheels and extinguish itself within 5 minutes. Consumer got back into the vehicle and drove the vehicle to the dealer. The cause of the problem has not been determined. Dealer is replaced the complete braking system and the cruise control deactivation switch.

2003 9-3 linear. Requesting follow up status on memo, dated 3-26-06. The vehicle engine would not shut off although the key was removed from the ignition.the vehicle had several brake problems.the vehicle hesitated slightly when moving.when braking the vehicle would jerk and skid.the brakes grabbed which caused the vehicle to stop quickly.the alarm was very sensitive.everytime a bus or truck passed the vehicle with the alarm engaged it would sound.the dealer said there was not way to adjust the sensitivity of the alarm.the windows were off track.the steering wheel seized when the consumer was driving on the highway.***nar***

The contact owns a 2003 saab 9-3.the contact stated that the driver's side window made a grinding sound and would no longer go up or down.the dealer stated that the power window failed due to freezing rain.the window was repaired.the current mileage was 34,895 and failure mileage was 34,700. Updated 3/5/08 the consumer stated the dealership offered a gmc smart cure which is a package coil change and tire rotation at no cost. Updated 03/05/08

Drivers side window continues to either fail or non-operate. Automatic drivers window has:1)malfunctioned to where it would not go up after 5 - 10 minutes of trying,2) completely broken once to where it would not go down,3) was replaced and same problems were experienced to where it will not go up after 5-10 minutes of trying.4) was replaced a second time5) having the same problems as the first two window lifts to where it takes 5 - 10 minutes sometimes to lift up and is making the same noises as the first two when they broke. No major consequences, except that i have had to leave my window open several times because it will not lift up. A couple of times it has been raining, but luckily i was able to find a garage to park in. I have talked with another 9-3 owner and they have experienced the same issue and have had the window modular replaced twice as well. I've had the car into the dealer 4 times for the window lift, once to have it completely replaced and the new lift is starting to make the same noises as the first one did when it broke

The consumer was able to remove the key from the ignition switch while the vehicle was still running.the vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer replaced the ignition module. The repairs worked fine for two weeks, then the problem recurred.the fuel pump was replaced, the fog and head lights would go out once a month, the traction control was not working properly, the seat belts did not recoil to provide security for the passengers, the clutch pedal did not have the proper pressure when applied, the engine would not "spin over," there was a blown fuel pump fuse, the driver window was inoperative, the sunroof deflector did not collapse when closing the glass causing the glass to re-open on it's own, the driver door panel did not fit the flush to the door panel, the radio and the onstar feature did not work. *sc

2003 saab 9-3 vector has problems with sunroof, front passenger seat belt, alarm system, gas cap, side view mirrors and the board computer. ***no answer required***. *mr the onboard computer could not be fixed after 3 service visits, until finally the vehicle was recalled and exchanged for another.the gas cap would not close properly, the alarm system went off inadvertently, the side view mirrors would adjust themselves after the consumer turned the vehicle off.the cd player malfunctioned. The seat belt light came on even when there were no passengers.the front spoiler is falling apart.

I am the owner of a 2003 saab 9-3. My moonroof shattered without any explanation. As i was driving my car, it sounded like an explosion. Glass rained down on me. There was no object that hit the moonroof. It simply shattered. Is this a problem for this model?

2003 saab 9-3 vector has problems with sunroof, front passenger seat belt, alarm system, gas cap, side view mirrors and the board computer. ***no answer required***. *mr the onboard computer could not be fixed after 3 service visits, until finally the vehicle was recalled and exchanged for another.the gas cap would not close properly, the alarm system went off inadvertently, the side view mirrors would adjust themselves after the consumer turned the vehicle off.the cd player malfunctioned. The seat belt light came on even when there were no passengers.the front spoiler is falling apart.

Moon roof thinks it is pinching and retracts when attempting to close.

The consumer experienced many problems with 2003 saab 9-3 linear as engine failure light appear and ect.there were repeated problems with the sun roof remaining stuck open, stability control problems, low front head beam, getting air to the gas cap, the mud flap was cracked, and on one occasion when driving up a hill the consumer lost control of the steering. *sc

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.




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