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 2006 Saab 9-3 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 16 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
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SAAB 9-3. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE MALFUNCTIONED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN UNKNOWN DEALER WHO REPLACED THE FUEL CAP, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000. THE VIN WAS INVALID.
VEHICLE STALLS WHILE IN DRIVE THERE IS INTERNAL FUEL ISSUE CAUSING ENGINE TO MISFIRE AND POTENTIAL DAMAGE
I WAS DRIVING CAR ON MIDDLE LANE ON HIGHWAY APPROACHING TRAFFIC, WHEN MY CAR COMPLETELY SHUT OFF. THIS WAS AFTER GETTING A COMPLETE TUNE UP INCLUDING OIL CHANGE, NEW BATTERIES AND TIRES. TOWED CAR TO REPAIR SHOP AND AFTER REPAIR, THE ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ON AND THEN THERE WAS SMELL OF GAS AND CAR CONTINUED TO STALL. TOOK CAR BACK TO REPAIR SHOP, WHERE THE FUEL INJECTOR WAS REPLACED AND GAS SMELL WAS ELIMINATED. BUT ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ON AND CAR COMPLETELY SHUT OFF AGAIN. TOOK IT TO REPAIR SHOP, YET AGAIN. THIS TIME, STARTER WAS CHANGED AND MECHANIC CLAIMS THAT A NEW ECU/ECM IS NEEDED FOR ENGINE BUT PART FOR 2006 MODEL HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED AND IS NOW RUNNING ON 2004 ECI/ECM AND ENGINE LIGHT STILL REMAINS ON AND STARTED IS A BIT ROUGH.
WAS AT A STOP SIGN, VEHICLE SUDDENLY CUT OFF, HAD PLENTY OF GAS. TRIED TO START, IT WOULDN'T ABOUT 10 MIN. PASSED AND TRIED AGAIN, IT STARTED. THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A FLUKE. WENT ON ABOUT MY BUSINESS. ABOUT 2 WEEKS LATER, I WAS DRIVING AND IT CUT OFF, WAITED ABOUT 10 MIN. AGAIN. IT STARTED. THIS TIME I TOOK IT TO THE SHOP AND EXPLAINED THE SITUATION. THE TESTED IT AND NOTHING CAME UP. ALTERNATOR WAS GOOD, BATTERY WAS GOOD. THIS HAS HAPPENED ABOUT 6 MORE TIMES. TOOK IT TO ANOTHER SHOP, THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. NOT SURE WHAT IT COULD BE NOW. ANYONE ELSE HAVING THIS PROBLEM? *TR
I HAVE A 2006 SAAB 9-3 AERO. MY ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME ON. I HAVE TRIED TO GET THIS SERVICED SEVERAL TIMES. EACH TIME THE DEALERSHIP/OTHER MECHANIC RESETS THE CODES AND TELLS ME THERE IS NOTHING WRONG. NOW THEY TELL ME IT IS A EVAPORATOR CANISTER PURGE VALVE. THEY TELL ME THAT THE PART COSTS $425. NO LABOR INCLUDED. I HAVE FOUND THIS PART FOR UNDER $45. THIS IS CRAP!!! I HAVE EVEN FOUND TUTORIALS ON HOW TO DO IT, 1 HOUR JOB. I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET THIS FIXED SINCE IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY TWO YEARS AGO. NOW THEY FIND THE PROBLEM? A LITTLE SUSPICIOUS IF YOU ASK ME! *TR
1. THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE. NONE 2. THE FAILURE, HOW OFTEN IT OCCURS, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES. PERIODIC UNCOMMANDED CHANGES IN THROTTLE. DEALERSHIP TEST EQUIPMENT SHOWS EVIDENCE OF DATA CORRUPTION ON CHANNEL 1 OF THE TWO CHANNEL THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR (TPS) OCCURRING EVERY COUPLE OF SECONDS. DRIVER PERCEPTION OF PROBLEM IS IN FORM OF JERKY THROTTLE RESPONSE AT LOW THROTTLE WITH ONE INSTANCE OF SUDDEN, UNCOMMANDED ACCELERATION. THE SUDDEN THROTTLE CHANGES HAVE RESULTED IN TRACTION LOSS ON SLIPPERY ROADS SEVERE ENOUGH THAT THE VEHICLE DEPARTED THE ROADWAY. 3. WHAT WAS DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE; I.E, PARTS REPAIRED OR REPLACED (AND IF OLD PART IS AVAILABLE) DEALERSHIP REPLACED THROTTLE BODY, WIRING HARNESS, AND ENGINE CONTROL MODULE IN AN ATTEMPT TO RESOLVE TPS DATA CORRUPTION PROBLEM AND DRIVABILITY PROBLEMS, BUT WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR PURSUIT. DEALERSHIP REQUESTED ASSISTANCE FROM THE MANUFACTURER'S FIELD ENGINEERING TEAM. A FIELD ENGINEER WAS DISPATCHED, EVALUATED THE VEHICLE, DECLARED THAT IT WAS "OPERATING WITHIN MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATIONS", AND TOLD THE DEALERSHIP TO IGNORE WHAT THEIR TEST EQUIPMENT WAS TELLING THEM. WHEN REQUESTED TO PROVIDE THE SPECIFICATIONS, WHAT TESTS WHERE PERFORMED TO DETERMINE COMPLIANCE, AND THE RESULTS OF THOSE TESTS, THE MANUFACTURER REFUSED. *TR
1. NORMAL DRIVING LEADS TO ISSUE. 2. LOW OIL INDICATOR ILLUMINATES WHEN DRIVING FOR MORE THAN 1 HOUR AT HIGHWAY SPEED. 3. NOTHING DONE TO CORRECT ISSUE, DEALERSHIP SAYS SAAB IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE, BUT NO CORRECTIVE ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN. *TR
MY 2006 SAAB 3 CONVERTIBLE ONLY HAS 46,000 MILES ON IT. WE PURCHASED IT IN MAY OF 2006. RECENTLY THE "COOLANT LEVEL LOW" LIGHT KEPT COMING ON. WE WOULD TOP OFF THE COOLANT AND IN ABOUT 8 DAYS THE LIGHT WOULD BE ON AGAIN. THE SAAB DEALER IN GUILFORD, CT. 06437, WHERE I BROUGHT IT TO BE REPAIRED, HAS INDICATED TO ME THAT IT NEEDS A NEW ENGINE BECAUSE THE COOLANT WAS LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE!! SAAB SAID THAT THEY WOULD PAY $6,000 TOWARD ENGINE PARTS. I HAVE TO PAY THE REMAINING $2,000. THE NEW ENGINE MIGHT BE REBUILT OR NEW AND ONLY GUARANTEED FOR ONE YEAR. THE CAR WILL BE IN THE SHOP FOR "AT LEAST" A WEEK. DURING THAT TIME SAAB IS GIVING ME A FREE LOANER TO USE. I BELIEVE THAT MY CAR WAS AT DANGER FOR AN ENGINE FIRE BECAUSE THE COOLANT WAS LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE, ACCORDING TO SAAB. THE CAR WAS TOO NEW WITH TOO LITTLE MILEAGE FOR SUCH A SAFETY HAZARD TO OCCUR. I HAVE HEARD OF OTHER SAABS HAVING THIS PROBLEM AND BELIEVE THAT SAAB SHOULD PAY THE ENTIRE COST OF THE REPAIR UNDER A RECALL. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SAAB 9-3. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED. IMMEDIATELY, THE BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR PEDALS FAILED TO RESPOND AND THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE ENGINE FAILED TO RESTART AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE IDLING WITHIN THE COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS FOR IDENTICAL FAILURES. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE FAILURES WERE RELATED TO THE TEMPERATURE SENSOR, WHICH WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE CONTINUED AND THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY BEING REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 40,550.
FOR THE SECOND TIME IN 24 HOURS THE COOLANT TANK HAS FAILED. THIS TIME IT REQUIRED THE CAR TO BE TOWED BACK TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS. TANK LEAKED ALL THE COOLANT FROM THE SYSTEM DUE TO TANK FAILURE. *TR
MAJOR LEAKAGE FROM COOLANT EXPANSION TANK. SAAB DEALER REPORTED THE TANK HAD CRACKED AND REQUIRED REPLACING. TANK REPLACED. SERVICE MGR STATED THAT SAAB HAS AN ISSUE WITH THESE TANKS ON THE 2.8 V6 TURBO ENGINES. *TR
IN AUGUST 2007, WE HAD TO HAVE OUR 2006 SAAB 9-3 SPORTCOMBI TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, AS THE COOLANT EXPANSION TANK RUPTURED WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY AND ALL THE COOLANT HAD LEAKED FROM THE ENGINE. THE COOLANT EXPANSION TANK WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. IN OCTOBER 2008, WE AGAIN EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE COOLANT EXPANSION TANK LEAKING AND AGAIN HAD TO HAVE IT REPLACED AT A COST OF $389.32 PLUS THE COST OF A RENTAL CAR, AS THE PARTS WERE NOT IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN HAS BEEN ISSUED BY SAAB REGARDING THIS RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THE TURBO V-6 ENGINE, AS THE TURBOCHARGER IS LOCATED TOO CLOSE TO THE EXPANSION TANK. I DO NOT FEEL THAT IT IS REASONABLE TO HAVE TO REPLACE THE COOLANT EXPANSION TANK TWICE WITHIN A 14 MONTH PERIOD ON A CAR THAT IS LESS THAN 3 YEARS OLD. I FILED A CLAIM WITH SAAB CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY RESPONDED THAT SINCE IT HAD BEEN MORE THAN ONE YEAR SINCE THE PARTS HAD BEEN REPLACED, AND THE CAR WAS NO LONGER COVERED UNDER THE BUMPER-TO-BUMPER WARRANTY, THEY WOULD NOT TAKE ANY ACTION. ALSO, THE ORIGINAL REPAIRS WERE MADE AT A DEALERSHIP THAT HAS SINCE CLOSED AND CONSOLIDATED AT A SECOND DEALERSHIP THAT IS SOME DISTANCE AWAY (IN SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA). THE DEALERSHIP IN SAN FRANCISCO SAYS THAT THE REPAIRS IN SAAB'S SYSTEM INDICATE THAT ONLY THE COOLANT EXPANSION TANK CAP WAS REPLACED THE FIRST TIME, WHICH DOES NOT AGREE WITH THE INVOICE THAT I HAVE. IN SUMMARY, I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A FAULTY DESIGN INVOLVED, AND THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD COVER THE COST OF THE REPAIRS, NOT US. I AM CONCERNED REGARDING THE RELIABILITY OF THE CAR, AND SHOULD WE CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS WITH THE COOLANT SYSTEM, WE WILL HAVE TO REPLACE THE VEHICLE. *TR
THE COOLANT SYSTEM TANK RUPTURED SPRAYING ENGINE COOLANT OVER TURBO AND ENGINE. THE COOLANT TANK HAS BEEN REPLACED 2 TIMES IN THE PAST 9 MONTHS. IT IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP AWAITING A NEW COOLANT TANK. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SAAB 9-3. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. NO WARNING LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A TEN FOOT BARRIER. GM SENT AN ENGINEER TO GATHER EVIDENCE AND SURVEY THE DAMAGE. ONE OCCUPANT WAS INJURED AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. GM STATED THAT THEY WILL TAKE APART THE VEHICLE TO FIND OUT WHY IT STALLED AND CRASHED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 36,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT EVERY FOUR MONTHS AND APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES, THE COOLANT RESERVOIR CRACKS, WHICH CAUSES LEAKAGE ONTO THE ENGINE. AS A RESULT, A FIRE ERUPTS UNDER THE HOOD. THE FAILURE WAS NOTICED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 12,500 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,000.
THE COOLANT RESERVOIR HAS CRACKED THREE TIMES IN 16 MONTHS ON MY BRAND NEW SAAB 9-3 AERO 2006. IT ONLY HAS APRX. 12K MILES. SAAB REPLACES IT FOR FREE, BUT OFFERS NOT FURTHER EXPLANATION EVEN UPON REQUEST BY OWNER. THEY REFUSE TO ISSUE A RECALL AND THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM WITH CAR ACCORDING TO SERVICE DEPT. ON THE FIRST AND MOST RECENT INCIDENT, OF THREE INCIDENTS, THERE WAS COMBUSTION OF THE COOLANT RESERVOIR, AND RESULTING SMOKE. THE VEHICLE IS UP TO DATE ON INSURANCE, SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE AND LEASE PAYMENTS. I HAVE THIS DOCUMENTED ON SAAB SERVICE DEPT. SERVICE RECORDS. I FEAR FOR MY SAFETY, DAILY. *TR
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 .