2004 Saab 9-3 Engine Problems

WHILE DRIVING, WITHOUT ANY WARNING THE CAR ENGINE STALLS. NO WARNING AT ALL!! ONCE IT STOPS, IGNITION KEY WON'T WORK. THE ONLY WAY TO RESTART THE CAR IS TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY. THIS IS ALL DONE IN THE EMERGENCY SHOULDERS, BREAKDOWN LANES, ITS ALSO HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY EXIT RAMPS. LUCKILY EACH TIME THERE WAS A PLACE TO PULL OVER. WE COULD GET KILLED. IT HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES . SOMETIMES IT STALLS 2-3 TIMES A DAY. I AM SO DISAPPOINTED IN THIS CAR. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT, AND HOW CAN I SELL IT KNOWING THAT SOMETHING BAD COULD HAPPEN TO THE NEW OWNER.

NHTSA ID

10894074

Incident

Aug 7, 2016

Mileage

1,855 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE AT A STOP SIGN, THERE WAS A ODOR OF BURNING OIL INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE VALVE COVER GASKET WAS LEAKING. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 117,000.

NHTSA ID

10786664

Incident

Oct 7, 2014

Mileage

117,000 mi

APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES AFTER STARTING, THE CAR STALLED ON A BUSY, 6 LANE ROAD. THE ENGINE WAS NOT ABLE TO START AGAIN, OR EVEN ATTEMPT TO IGNITE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. THE CAR SPENT 2 DAYS IN THE MECHANIC, WHO WAS ABLE TO SOURCE A P1605 ERROR CODE. HOWEVER, HE TOLD US ONLY A LICENSED SAAB TECHNICIAN COULD EXTRACT DETAILS FROM THE CODE. WHILE AT THE SHOP, THE CAR WAS ALSO STARTED BY THE MECHANICS AND APPEARED TO BE WORKING NORMALLY, UPON WHICH THEY DELETED THE ERROR CODE. TWO DAYS AFTER THE INITIAL INCIDENT, WE DROVE IT BACK APPROXIMATELY 12 MILES BACK HOME WITHOUT ANY ISSUES. LATER THAT SAME DAY, THE CAR STALLED A SECOND TIME ON THE EXPRESSWAY AFTER 10-15 MINUTES OF DRIVING; FORTUNATELY I WAS DRIVING IN THE RIGHT-HAND LANE AND WAS EASILY ABLE TO PULL OVER ON THE SHOULDER. AFTER THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A SPECIALIZED SAAB MECHANIC, THEY WERE ABLE TO CONCLUDE THAT THE ISSUES WERE STEMMING FROM A DEFECTIVE ECU (ENGINE CONTROL UNIT). WE EXCHANGED THE ECU WITH A BRAND NEW PART, AT THE COST OF $1400. WHILE CLEARING UP THE FINANCES, I SPOKE WITH A SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE AT THE MECHANIC/DEALER WHO INFORMED ME THAT WHILE MY CAR WAS IN THE SHOP, THERE WERE 2 MORE CARS THAT HAD CAME IN WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. ALSO, CUSTOMER SERVICE FROM AN ONLINE SAAB PARTS RETAILER INFORMED ME THAT THIS HAS BEEN A KNOWN PROBLEM TO HIM, BASED OFF OTHER CUSTOMERS' EXPERIENCES. THEIR CARS WOULD STALL, BE FINE AFTER COOLING DOWN, BUT WOULD STALL AGAIN LATER.

NHTSA ID

10759779

Incident

Aug 11, 2015

Mileage

151,000 mi

VEHICLE OWNER PULLED INTO A PARKING SPACE AND STOPPED, SAW SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. OWNER REPORTED THAT THE SMOKE BECAME BLACK AND A FIRE ERUPTED. FIRE ORIGIN IN RIGHT REAR OF ENGINE COMPARTMENT, CAUSE UNDETERMINED. VEHICLE HAS 2.0 LITER TURBOCHARGED 4-CYLINDER ENGINE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10406957

Incident

Nov 17, 2009

COOLING SYSTEM .. ALTHOUGH THE CAR DOES NOT "OVER HEAT" THE ANTIFREEZE IS SPILLING OUT. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR A FEW MONTHS AND I ALWAYS CONSIDERED THIS TO BE A PROBLEM OF OTHER CARS SINCE MY CAR IS RELATIVELY NEW. THE OTHER DAY THE CAR INDICATED THAT THE COOLANT WAS LOW. *TR

NHTSA ID

10214626

Incident

Mar 15, 2007

Mileage

55,000 mi

CABIN FAN RUNS ALTHOUGH KEY IS NO IN IGNITION AND UNIT IS ON OFF POSITION. THE SITUATION ALSO HAPPENS WHEN UNIT IS IN OFF POSITION AND CAR IS BEING DRIVEN. *TR

NHTSA ID

10204232

Incident

Sep 24, 2007

Mileage

70,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE AT NORMAL SPEED THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME VEHICLE HAS QUIT WHILE DRIVING. PREVIOUS 2 TIMES DEALERSHIP HAS CHECKED VEHICLE AND FOUND NO PROBLEMS. *NM

NHTSA ID

10171588

Incident

Oct 22, 2006

Mileage

33,000 mi

CAR DOES NOT ACCELERATE WHEN GAS PEDAL IS PRESSED - HAVE HAD NUMEROUS "NEAR MISSES" OF BEING REAR-ENDED WHEN PULLING OUT ONTO STREET BECAUSE OF THE DELAY IN ACCELERATION. *NM

NHTSA ID

10164238

Incident

Jul 31, 2006

Mileage

2,000 mi

1) SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT OF CYLINDER HEAD DUE TO SPARK PLUG THREADS MISSING. DEALER USED INSERT TO REPLACE THREADS. *JB

NHTSA ID

10153746

Incident

Jul 20, 2005

Mileage

20,664 mi

OWNER WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. VEHICLE "B" REAR ENDED OWNER'S VEHICLE WHILE BEING DRIVEN AT 70 MPH. UPON IMPACT, THE FRONTAL AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. OWNER SUSTAINED INJURIES, WAS TAKEN TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM AND RELEASED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10115268

Incident

Mar 15, 2005

Mileage

15,123 mi

ENGINE MAY STALL WHEN COLD AND CAR IS TRAVELING 30-45MPH. NEARLY LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE ON 2 OCCASIONS DUE TO LOSS OF STEERING AND RAN ONTO SHOULDER/LAWN OF HOMEOWNER. WE HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE IN 4 TIMES FOR REPAIRS OR MODIFICATIONS IN ATTEMPTS TO FIX THIS BUT SAAB WILL NOT EVEN ADMIT THERE IS AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS FIXING. *JB

NHTSA ID

10108508

Incident

Feb 17, 2004

Mileage

120 mi

THE HEATING SYSTEM, UPON EACH INITIAL START UP, BLEW A FOUL-SMELLING GAS INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. (NAR) *PH *CB

NHTSA ID

10066960

Incident

Apr 1, 2004

Mileage

4,661 mi