Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2000 Saab 9-3 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 13 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
SAAB 2000 9-3 TURBO CONTINUED TO BE PLAGUED WITH NO START PROBLEMS (RECALLED ITEM REPAIRED BY SAAB DEALERSHIP. OIL SLUDGE AS A RESULT OF PROBLEMS RELATED TO RECALL CAUSED ENGINE/TURBO TO FAIL AT 94,000 ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. CAR HAS BEEN TOWED TO MECHANIC. SERVICE AT DEALERSHIP IS DOCUMENTED AND SHOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS TYPE OF ENGINE. TURBO FAILURE. *TR
2000 9-3 HAD THE IGNITION MODULE RECALL DONE A FEW YEARS AGO. WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH THE MOTOR STOPPED. LOST ALL ELECTRICAL POWER. CAR WOULD NOT RESTART. THE REPAIR SHOP REPLACED THE CATALYTIC BECAUSE IT WAS PLUGGED. THEY SAID IT COULD BE CAUSED BY THE IGNITION MODULE. *TR
I BOUGHT A USED 2.0L 2000 SAAB 9-3 A YEAR AGO. SINCE THEN, THE CAR HAS HAD PROBLEMS THAT MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THIS SIMILAR MAKE/MODEL/YEAR HAVE HAD. I'VE REPLACED THE THROTTLE HOUSING, SERPENTINE BELT, BELT TENSIONER, CRANKSHAFT SENSOR, AND MOST RECENTLY THE WATER PUMP. NOW, I'M GETTING A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FAULT CODE P1312 AND P1334, WHICH POINTS TO THE DIRECTION IGNITION MODULE. I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A RECALL OF THE DIRECT IGNITION MODULE IN CERTAIN SAABS FOR THIS MAKE/MODEL/YEAR, BUT IT'S ODD THAT MY CAR COINCIDENTALLY HAPPENS TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I'M THINKING THAT THE PROBLEM IS LARGER THAN INITIALLY ANTICIPATED WITH THE ORIGINAL RECALL. *TR
2000 SAAB 9-3 WITH SEVERAL PROBLEMS AFTER REPAIRS WERE MADE. CONSUMER STATES THAT AFTER THE SERPENTINE BELT WAS REPLACED. THE NEW BELT SHRED. DEALER SAID TO PAY FOR THE SECOND REPAIR AND THEN GET REIMBURSED. *KB THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED FOLLOWING THE REPLACEMENT OF THE WATER PUMP WHICH FAILED TWICE, THE VEHICLE DEVELOPED A RATTLING SOUND. THE DEALER STATED THE PROBLEM WAS THE CLUTCH, HOWEVER THE CONSUMER DISAGREED WITH THEIR FINDINGS. THE DEALER THEN INSTALLED AN AC COMPRESSOR BRACKET INCORRECTLY WHICH RESULTED IN ANOTHER FAILURE OF THE SERPENTINE BELT. THE DEALER STATED THE FAILURE OF THE SERPENTINE BELT WAS NOT A RESULT OF IT BEING FAULTY, IT WAS DUE TO THE BELT BEING DAMAGED OR CRACKED. THE DEALER STATED THE AIR CONDITIONING BRACKET HAD BROKEN AND IN DOING SO, IT THREW THE BELT OFF OF THE PULLEYS. THE AC BRACKET WAS THE CASUAL PART FAILURE NOT THE BELT. THE BELT WAS DAMAGED WHEN IT CAME OFF. THE OIL PUMP RING AND CRANKSHAFT SEAL WERE REPLACED DUE TO AN OIL LEAK AT THE PUMP. *JB
MY CAR STOPPED ON MASS TURNPIKE AROUND MIDNIGHT. I HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO THE NEAREST SAAB DEALER. THEIR DIAGNOSIS WAS THE OIL SLUDGE. EVEN AT THAT TIME THE DEALER DID NOT MENTION ANYTHING ABOUT SPECIAL WARRANTY THE SAAB ANNOUNCED IN 2005. I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED ANY INFORMATION FROM THE SAAB AS WELL. AFTER I SEARCH THE INTERNET I FOUND OUT ABOUT THE SPECIAL WARRANTY. I FILED A CLAIM AND SUBMITTED ALL OIL CHANGE RECEIPTS I HAD ( IT IS THEIR REQUIREMENT TO QUALIFY FOR THE SPECIAL WARRANTY). THE CAR IS ALMOST 8YEARS OLD. THE ONLY THREE RECEIPTS I DID NOT SUBMIT WERE WHEN THE CAR HAD 10,000, 20,000, AND 30,000 MILES. MY CLAIM WAS REJECTED BASED ON THESE 3 MISSING OILCHANGE RECEIPTS. I AM A SECOND OWNER THEREFORE I DO NOT HAVE THESE RECORDS AND SAAB REFUSED TO PROVIDE ME WITH THE PREVIOUS OWNER'S NAME ( PRIVACY ACT) AND THEY ALSO REFUSED TO CONTACT THE PREVIOUS OWNER ON MY BEHALF. THE MILEAGE ON THE CAR AT THE TIME OF THE ENGINE FAILURE WAS 104,000 MILES. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THE OIL CHANGE IN THE FIRST YEAR OF THE CAR HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PROBLEM I HAVE EXPERIENCED. THE CAR WOULD NOT DRIVE FOR THE NEXT 7 YEARS. THE PEOPLE IN THE SAAB'S SPECIAL WARRANTY DEPT. WERE ARROGANT AND TOTALLY UNPROFESSIONAL. THEIR RESPONSE TO ME WAS " BUY A NEW CAR". AS OF NOW MY CAR IS UNDRIVABLE AND HAS NO VALUE. I STRONGLY FEEL THAT SAAB CORP. SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THAT PROBLEM UNDER THE SPECIAL WARRANTY. IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO HELP ME PLEASE DIRECT ME TO THE RIGHT PLACE. THAT CAR COST ME SO MUCH MONEY AND I REFUSE TO ACCEPT THEIR DECISION. *TR
THE SERPENTINE BELT ON MY SAAB 9-3, MODEL YEAR 2000 HAS FAILED 3 TIMES ON ME. THE LAST TIME THE SERPENTINE BELT DISINTEGRATED INTO TINY PIECES WHILE THE CAR WAS DRIVEN AND ALMOST LED TO AN ACCIDENT. THIS HAPPENED LESS THAN 6 MONTHS AND 5,000 MILES AFTER THE BELT WAS REPLACED. ACCORDING TO THE REPAIR FACILITY THE DISINTEGRATION WAS DUE TO THE IDLER PULLEY SEIZURE AND THEY CLAIM IT HAPPENS FREQUENTLY ON SUCH CARS. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SAAB 9-3. AT 68,359 MILES, THE ENGINE WAS REBUILT DUE TO A BLOWN PISTON. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. FIFTEEN MONTHS LATER, THE ENTIRE ENGINE HAD TO BE REBUILT FOR THE SAME FAILURE. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE ENGINE SUDDENLY FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE CONTACT BELIEVES THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD CONSIDER THIS A RECALL BECAUSE OF THE FREQUENCY OF THE FAILURES. THE RECALL NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 97,780.
CONSUMER'S 2002 SAAB 9-3'S ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE IT WAS BEING DRIVEN. *KB THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT THEY REFUSED TO PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. *NM
SINCE PURCHASING MY 2000 SAAB 9-3 [XXX] IN 2003, I HAVE SPENT $9,000 IN VEHICLE REPAIRS WHICH HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY BECOME "RECALL NOTICES" ISSUED FROM SAAB CARS USA. THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE FAILED FALL 2004 - WITH SUBSEQUENT REPAIR COVERAGE UNDER A RECALL NOTICE ISSUED 5/17/05. THE IGNITION DISCHARGE MODULE FAILED IN 7/05, WITH REPAIRS SUBSEQUENTLY COVERED THROUGH AN IDM RECALL NOTICE ISSUED 3/31/06. AT THE TIME OF THE IDM FAILURE IN 7/05, THE SAAB DEALERSHIP ALSO DIAGNOSED CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILURE IN THE VEHICLE. DO THE MAJOR MECHANICAL ISSUES THAT EXIST WITH THIS VEHICLE CAUSE A CASCADE OF EVENTS WHICH HAVE DAMAGED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, NOW REQUIRING REPLACEMENT? *NM *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
EXPERIENCED ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO SLUDGE IN ENGINE. TOLD BY WARRANTY COMPANY WARRANTY VOIDED DUE TO SLUDGE IN ENGINE. MONTHS LATER SAAB SEND OUT NOTICE STATING ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO SLUDGE, EXTENDS WARRANTY AND STILL DENIES CLAIM.
WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED. *JB
TIRE RIM'S DENTED IN NORMAL USE & TIRES BLEW. TIRES & RIMS EACH $250 FOR TOTAL OF $2000 TURBO FAILED; INSTALLED NEW TURBO AT COST OF $1200.
I AM THE CURRENT OWNER OF A SAAB 9-3SE. THIS VEHICLE WAS LEASED NEW 2-28-2000 AND THEN PURCHASED 2-27-03. THE ORIGINAL ENGINE WAS REBUILT AT 46,000 MILES IN 2001 AND NOW HAD TO BE REPLACED AGAIN 12-15-2003 AT 100,000 MILES.*AK
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .