2008 Saab 9-3 Electrical Problems

I have been trying to get this recall done for many years and with no luck. Most recently June 26th 2026 I was informed my recall was not fixable again and I hope for the last time. Enough is enough! Van Bortel Chevrolet in Macedon Ny tried again today which is there 2nd attempt. I had to buy a software card to give them the tool they didn’t have to fit in there tech 2 scanner and even with the card they were unable to fix. It’s a major safety issue I have been more than patient with and can’t even begin to tell you over the years how much time and money spent trying to fix. I think at this point they need to replace car with similar or purchase from me.

NHTSA ID

11746834

Incident

Jun 26, 2026

AIRBAG MALFUNCTION CONTACT SERVICE

NHTSA ID

11389921

Incident

Aug 2, 2020

ACCIDENT HAPPENED AFTER HEADLIGHT LOW-BEAM FAILED.WAS TOLD AND SHOWN A MELTED HEADLIGHT MODULE THAT OVERHEATED AND CAUSED THE LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHTS TO GO OUT. THE ENTIRE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED. AS WERE OTHER CRASH INVOLVED PARTS

NHTSA ID

11099428

Incident

Jul 5, 2017

Mileage

74,653 mi

THE HEADLIGHTS IN MY VEHICLE STARTED FLICKERING AND SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING IN THE DARK A FEW DAYS AGO. AFTER SAFELY PARKING THE CAR, I INVESTIGATED AND FOUND THAT THE HOUSINGS ARE DESIGNED TO BE UNSERVICABLE BUT I WAS ABLE TO INVESTIGATE AND FOUND THAT NEARLY ALL OF THE INTERNAL WIRING SHIELDING HAD CRACKED AND FALLEN OFF (PLEASE SEE ATTACHED PHOTOS, I APPOLOGIZE ABOUT THE QUALITY). THE HEADLIGHTS FAILING WITHOUT NOTICE CREATED A VERY DANGEROUS BLACKOUT SCENARIO WHICH COULD HAVE VERY EASILY RESULTED IN SERIOUS INJURY AND/OR DEATH DUE TO MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND BY NO FAULT BY OR PRIOR WARNING TO THE OPERATOR. I WAS LUCKY!

NHTSA ID

11053416

Incident

Nov 29, 2017

Mileage

127,000 mi

RECENTLY, WHILE STARTING THE CAR IT STARTED UP VERY ROUGH. A FEW WEEKS AGO THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ALSO CAME ON AND THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THERE WAS AN ISSUE IN CYLINDER 2. WE REPLACED ALL SPARK PLUGS AND COILS, AND THE ISSUE DID NOT GO AWAY. IN ADDITION, THE CAR HAS ALSO STARTED STALLING RANDOMLY. LUCKILY, I HAVEN'T BEEN DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS WHEN THIS HAS HAPPENED BUT IT'S NOW SHUT OFF ABOUT 7 OR 8 TIMES IN THE LAST MONTH. BEEN WONDERING IF ITS INTAKE VALVES, FUEL PUMP, POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE, CAMSHAFT TIMING... SOUNDS LIKE LOTS OF OTHER PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR ISSUES AND HOPING MINES NOT BECAUSE OF THE INTAKE VALVES. PLEASE EMAIL [XXX]@HOTMAIL.COM IF YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR ISSUES AND KNOW THE FIX. CAR IS A MANUAL TRANSMISSION.*JB

NHTSA ID

11044367

Incident

Nov 7, 2017

Mileage

90,000 mi

I RECENTLY BOUGHT A 2008 SAAB 9-3 AND THE FUEL READER LIGHTS UP AND SAYS IT'S EMPTY, EVEN WHEN THE TANK IT FULL. ALSO, THE DOOR LOCKS DOESN'T WORK WHEN UNLOCKING OR LOCKING THEM. THIS HAPPENS WHEN TRYING TO LOCK OR UNLOCK WITH REMOTE KEY AND WHEN YOUR LOCK OR UNLOCK IT FORM THE SINCE. YOU HAVE TO LOCK OR UNLOCK IT MANUALLY BY PULLING UP OR PUSHING DOWN WITH YOUR HAND. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND I CAME ACROSS A LOT OF OTHER SAAB 9-3 OWNERS THAT HAVE CAME ACROSS THE SAME PROBLEM. I THINK IT SHOULD BE RECALL SINCE I THINK IT SHOULD BE FAIR ENOUGH FOR SAAB TO FIX THE SITUATION.

NHTSA ID

10970394

Incident

Mar 1, 2017

Mileage

160,000 mi

UPON STARTING MY VEHICLE IT HAD A ROUGH IDLE, I WENT AHEAD AND PUT IT IN GEAR AND BEGAN TO LEAVE MY GARAGE, THEN MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STARTED BLINKING AND THERE WAS A BURNING SMELL. I THEN PUT IT BACK IN PARK AND GOT MY HUSBAND TO CHECK IT OUT WHEN HE OPENED THE HOOD SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE FIRST CYLINDER ON THE ENGINE. HE QUICKLY UNHOOKED THE BATTERY AND REMOVED THE OEM BOSCH COIL PACK WITH GLOVES ON BECAUSE IT WAS EXTREMELY HOT (TOOK OVER AN HOUR TO COOL DOWN AFTER REMOVED FROM THE CAR), SO HOT THAT THE COIL PACK CAME APART, HAD SPLIT OPEN AND MELTED. I HAVE PICTURES AND KEPT THE PACK FOR EVIDENCE. I DO BELIEVE HAD HE NOT GOT THE PACK OUT IT COULD HAVE VERY QUICKLY BEEN AN ELECTRICAL/ENGINE FIRE. PART NUMBER FROM COIL PACK #12613057. *TR

NHTSA ID

10676623

Incident

Jan 19, 2015

Mileage

130,000 mi

THE PASSENGER-SIDE TAILLIGHT BULBS HAVE BECOME SO DIM THAT THEY ARE VISIBLE ONLY UPON VERY CLOSE INSPECTION. THE TAILLIGHT BULBS ALSO SERVE AS THE BRAKE LIGHTS, EMITTING A BRIGHTER LIGHT WHEN THE BRAKE IS DEPRESSED. BECAUSE OF THIS MALFUNCTION, FOLLOWING CARS MAY NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT VISUAL NOTICE THAT THE CAR IN FRONT OF THEM IS BRAKING, RESULTING IN A TRAFFIC COLLISION. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A RELATIVELY COMMON PROBLEM AND WAS ABLE TO HAVE THE CONNECTOR FOR THE MALFUNCTIONING TAILLIGHT REPLACED. THIS WAS AN EXERCISE IN FUTILITY AS, ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, THE TAILLIGHT BECAME AS DIM AS IT HAD BEEN PRIOR TO THE CONNECTOR REPLACEMENT. THIS ISSUE, WHICH EVIDENTLY CANNOT BE EASILY REMEDIED, CREATES A HAZARD TO VEHICLE OCCUPANTS, AND THOSE IN CARS FOLLOWING THE AFFECTED VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10615057

Incident

Jan 1, 2014

Mileage

65,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE PARKED IN COLD TEMPERATURES THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WHERE THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000.

NHTSA ID

10558752

Incident

Nov 26, 2012

Mileage

95,000 mi

DRIVING ON TURNPIKE AND CAR HESITATED VERY BADLY AT 1/2 THROTTLE IN 3RD-5TH GEAR AT 50-70MPH. CAR STUTTERED SO BADLY I BACKED OFF THEN ENGINE MALFUNCTION LIGHT COMES ON FOR 10 SECS, GOES OFF AND CAR THEN IN A DRIVING VERY POOR - ALMOST LIKE ITS IN LIMP MODE. I BELIVE IT WAS LIMP HOME MODE. CAR FELT LIKE IT WAS RUNNING ON 3 CYLINDERS WITH A HOSE BLOWN OFF (NOT THAT I KNOW WHAT A HOSE IS !!). I BASICALLY COULDN'T ACCELERATE WITHOUT THE CAR FEELING LIKE IT WAS GOING TO FALL APART. YOU COULD FEEL THE CAR VIBRATING. I DROVE HOME VERY STEADY AT 50 MPH, BEING PASSED BY ALL OTHER VEHICLES. THERE ARE MANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS MODEL SAAB TURBOX 9-3 2.8L V6 AND FAULTY IGNITION COILS. I KNOW OF SCORES OF OTHERS HAVING THE SAME ISSUE, WITH ONLY 600 OF THIS MODEL PRODUCED. HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/NOTES/SAAB-TURBO-X/DEFECT-OF-IGNITION-COIL/104750332952290. *TR

NHTSA ID

10502493

Incident

Feb 16, 2013

Mileage

38,500 mi

2008 SAAB 93 2.0T SEDAN STALLED (NO SPUTTER OR BUCK, BUT JUST A LOSS OF POWER) WHILE DRIVING. RESULTED IN A COLLISION. INITIAL DEALERSHIP MECHANICS HAVE "NO FINDINGS" - THEY WILL HAVE A FIELD ENGINEER INVESTIGATE TOMORROW. *TR

NHTSA ID

10250425

Incident

Dec 1, 2008

Mileage

7,000 mi