2002 Saab 9-3 Electrical Problems

The soft top is faulty and the rear lights are as well.

NHTSA ID

11507579

Incident

Feb 11, 2023

SAAB 9-3 2002 FREQUENTLY WILL NOT START EVEN THOUGH IT HAS NEW BATTERY AND NEWER ALTERNATOR- MAY BE IGNITION DISCHARGE MODULE.

NHTSA ID

10838086

Incident

Feb 8, 2016

Mileage

71,000 mi

I JUST PURCHASED MY 2002 SAAB 9-3 FROM KARZ AND MORE IN LONGVIEW WA. IN NOVEMBER 2012 AND DROVE ABOUT ONE MILE WENT INTO A STORE CAME OUT AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE THERMOSTAT AND THE IGNITION COIL PACK WERE BAD. REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT JUST ONCE AND THE IGNITION COIL PACK TWICE. CAR IS STILL NOT RUNNING I HAVE DIED ON THE FREEWAY, IN TOWN, TOO MANY TIMES TO EVEN COUNT THE CAR WILL START WITH A JUMP BUT WONT RUN FOR VERY LONG BEFORE IT DIES. FRUSTRATED AND AT MY WITTS END! HAD A FULL DIAGNOSTIC....SHOWED NOTHING NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW THE PROBLEM. ITS RAN ABOUT A WEEK SINCE I HAVE HAD THE CAR UGH! *JS

NHTSA ID

10598054

Incident

Nov 30, 2012

Mileage

139,702 mi

MY DIC FAILED FOR A SECOND TIME! I HEAR ITS AN EXTREMELY COMMON ISSUE WITH THESE VEHICLES. *JS

NHTSA ID

10598027

Incident

Jun 11, 2014

Mileage

169,500 mi

I HAVE A 2002 SAAB 93 AND THE DIC CASSETTE ON THOSE CAR ALWAYS GOOD BAD. THEY ARE DEFECTIVE THERE WAS A RECALL ON THOSE CARS AND I CALLED THE DEALER AND ASKED THEM AND THEY SAID THERE WASN'T NO SUCH RECALL, THEY DENIED IT BECAUSE THE PARTS IS EXPENSIVE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10408441

Incident

Apr 1, 2011

Mileage

98,000 mi

THE SAAB 9-3 2002 STALLED SUDDENLY WHILE IDLING ON AN EXIT RAMP ON THE HIGHWAY. THE CAR FAILED TO RESTART AND HAD TO BE TOWED. THE IGNITION MODULE HAD BEEN REPLACED 4 YEARS EARLY AS PART OF A PRIOR RECALL. THE CAR IS CURRENT AT A GAS STATION AND THE MECHANIC HAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REPLACED IGNITION MODULE HAS AGAIN FAILED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10361921

Incident

Oct 22, 2010

Mileage

77,199 mi

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AT APPROXIMATELY 79,900 MILES. UPON DIAGNOSIS BY THE SAAB DEALER, THEY SAID THE IGNITION CASSETTE WAS FAILING. REPLACEMENT WAS NECESSARY AS WHEN THE PART CEASED TO FUNCTION THE CAR WOULD NOT RUN. THIS IS THE FOURTH TIME THIS PART HAS BEEN REPLACED. : DATES THE IGNITION CASSETTE WAS REPLACED -- 6/30/08 (82,903 MI), 3/21/07 (56,231 MI.), 12/15/05 (32,671 MI.), 8/17/04 (18,720MI.). THE REPLACED PART IS AVAILABLE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10233062

Incident

May 7, 2008

Mileage

79,900 mi

THIS CAR HAS DIED 3 TIMES WHILE DRIVING AND REQUIRED A TOW. THE FIRST TIME THE IGNITION MODULE WAS REPLACED FOR FREE (RECALL). THE 2ND TIME THE CAR MYSTERIOUSLY RE-STARTED BEFORE THE TOW TRUCK ARRIVED. THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT RESULTED IN A TOW TO THE NEAREST DEALER AND THE (DEFECTIVE) THROTTLE BODY BEING REPLACED AT A COST OF $714. ALSO, THE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS HAD TO BE REPLACED (NON-WARRANTY) AFTER THE IGNITION MODULE (RECALL). AT APPROX. 118,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10200472

Incident

Aug 12, 2007

Mileage

121,000 mi

SAAB INFORMATION DISPLAY (SID) IS LOSING ITS PIXELS AND IS UNREADABLE. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME UNIT HAS FAILED. THE FIRST WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY IN MAY 2005. SID PROVIDES ENGINE INFORMATION AND MAINTENANCE UPDATES AS WELL AS GENERAL INFORMATION SUCH AS TIME, RADIO/CD PLAYER OPERATION ,AND HANDS FREE TELEPHONE (CONSTAR) INFORMATION. I HAVE NOT REPLACED THE SECOND UNIT SINCE IT WAS APPROXIMATELY $400 TO REPLACE AND REQUIRED A SAAB CERTIFIED TECHNICIAN WITH SPECIAL EQUIPMENT TO MATE WITH THE CAR. *AK

NHTSA ID

10196154

Incident

Jun 13, 2007

Mileage

50,500 mi

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE AIR CONDITIONER AND THE DEFROSTER HAS BEEN REPAIRED MULTIPLE TIMES DUE TO A SENSOR PROBLEM. THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED A FEW MONTHS AGO BUT THE REPLACEMENT ENGINE WAS NOISY.

NHTSA ID

10168526

Incident

Jun 1, 2006

Mileage

47,300 mi

2002 SAAB 93, MANUFACTURER REFUSES TO REIMBURSE CONSUMER. *KB THE IGNITION DISCHARGE MODULE BROKE WHILE DRIVING. THE CONSUMER HAD THE REPAIRS MADE BEFORE THE RECALL WAS RECEIVED. THE CONSUMER WAS ASSURED HE WOULD RECEIVED REIMBURSEMENT WITHIN 60 DAYS (RECALL 05V399000). *JB

NHTSA ID

10162629

Incident

Feb 11, 2006

Mileage

51,383 mi

2002 9-3 SAAB STALLED ON 2 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS WHILE DRIVING. *TS THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT SINCE HE DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM HE EXPERIENCED WAS RECALL RELATED. *JB UPDATED

NHTSA ID

10155191

Incident

Aug 8, 2005

DT: THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING SLOWLY SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTO REPAIR FACILITY. THEY REPLACED THE IGNITION MODULE. *JB THE VEHICLE STALLED SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. THE RADIO AND CD PLAYER STOPPED WORKING. THE CONSUMER HEARD TIRE NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TOT HE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THAT THE TIRES WERE CUPPED AND CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO PULL TO THE RIGHT. THE ALIGNMENT WAS OK ON THE FRONT BUT THE REAR COULD NOT BE ADJUSTED, THE PIRELLI TIRES WERE CHANGED TO YOKOHAMA BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO PULL TO THE RIGHT. *NM

NHTSA ID

10121404

Incident

May 16, 2005

Mileage

59,163 mi

MY 2002 SAAB 9-3 STALLED IN TRAFFIC AND COULD NOT BE STARTED AGAIN. THE DIRECT IGNITION MODULE HAD BURNT OUT SUDDENLY, AND SMOKE WAS SEEN COMING OUT OF THE CONNECTOR WHEN I TRIED TO START THE CAR. THE MODULE FAILED WITH NO WARNING AT ALL, AND I WAS LUCKY TO HAVE BEEN IN HEAVY, BUT SLOW TRAFFIC. THE MODULE WAS REPLACED AND THE CAR IS RUNNING. THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 50,000 MILES ON IT, SO THE SUDDEN FAILURE OF SUCH A CRITICAL COMPONENT IS SURPRISING AND DISCONCERTING. I HAVE LITTLE FAITH THAT THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN, WITHOUT ANY WARNING.*AK

NHTSA ID

10116082

Incident

Mar 19, 2005

Mileage

48,000 mi