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 2003 Saab 9-5 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 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
AFTER DRIVING MY CAR TO MY DESTINATION, I PUT THE CAR IN PARK BUT THE CAR WON'T STAY IN PARK. THE CAR POPS OUT OF PARK INTO REVERSE, THEN IT WON'T START WHEN I GET BACK INTO MY CAR. *TR
MY CAR WAS BUILT IN 2002 AS WELL AS OTHERS REPORTED, I PURCHASED IT USED 3 YEARS AGO WITH 64K MILES. MY DIRECT IGNITION CONTROL IN 2003 9-5 LINEAR SEDAN 2.3T CEASED. UPON RESEARCH, MY DIC IS THE ORIGINAL PART 9197559 TK3.6 2000-2002 ARE RECALLED AND 'SOME' 2003 VIN'S. WITH THE OVER ABUNDANCE OF DIC FAILURES WITH THE EXACT SAME PART NUMBER, THESE NEED TO BE RECALLED AS A WHOLE. UPON REMOVAL OF THE DIC, THE ENGINE IS LEAKING AT THE SEAMS OF THE HEAD FROM WHERE THE BOLTS ARE LOCATED, INSIDE THE DIC AND ENGINE SECTION IS PERFECTLY CLEAN. BOLTS IN THE HEAD OF THE ENGINE LOOSE, 1 WAS LIFTED OUT ENOUGH TO JUST REMOVE STRAIGHT OUT. CAR BLOWS BLUEISH SMOKE WHEN IT WAS STARTING, SWITCHES ARE DEFECTIVE (GM KNOWN ISSUE), OIL / ENGINE / HEAD KNOWN ISSUES, SUSPENSION KNOWN ISSUES (AMONG OTHER SERIOUS SAAB FAILURES). I HAVE SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON THIS VEHICLE SINCE PURCHASE. THE KNOWN RECALLS MUST BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE THE PARTS, NOT JUST 'YEAR' OR 'SPECIFIC VIN'. THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A SAFE, RELIABLE CAR BUT INSTEAD IS CAUSING SERIOUS FINANCIAL ISSUES. PLEASE HELP THE OWNERS ALL OVER THE WORLD, WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR ALL OF THIS.. WE ALREADY PAID FOR THEIR 'BAILOUT'! SINCERELY~ CAN NOT TAKE ANY MORE REPAIRS!!! *TT
WITHOUT WARNING, ON TWO OCCASIONS, MY WIFE'S 2003 SAAB 9-5 AERO WAGON HAS STOPPING RUNNING WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING IN TRAFFIC AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MILES PER HOUR. THE CAR HAS BEEN FACTORY MAINTAINED AND IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. OBVIOUSLY, IT IS VERY DANGEROUS TO HAVE THE VEHICLE STOP RUNNING WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE CAR HAD A NEW FUEL PUMP AND CRANKSHAFT SENSOR INSTALLED BUT THE PROBLEM RECURRED ABOUT 6 WEEKS AFTER THE REPAIR. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).*TR
I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN MY CRUISE CONTROL SHUT OFF AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. WHEN I CAME TO A STOP MY ENTIRE CAR DIED. I WAS STUCK AT A STOP LIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF RUSH HOUR. I HAD TO HOLD MY LEFT FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND PUMP THE GAS PEDAL TO GET THE CAR TO REV, BUT IT WOULDN'T CONTINUE TO IDLE. IT KEPT DYING. I HAD TO USE BOTH THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE GAS PEDAL TO GET IT OFF THE HIGHWAY TO A SIDE STREET, WHICH WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. SEVERAL TIMES THE CAR DIED. I TOOK IT TO A GM CERTIFIED REPAIR SHOP WHO AFTER THREE DIAGNOSTIC CHECKS DETERMINED THE IGNITION MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH THE SPARK PLUGS BECAUSE THE ENGINE WAS MISFIRING. I WANT SAAB TO RECALL THIS PART AND PAY FOR THE REPAIR. IT IS THE EXACT SAME PART AND PROBLEM THAT THEY RECALLED FOR 2000-2002 VEHICLES. IT MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE THAT THE 2003 PART HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD AND SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE TO FIX IT AND I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR IT.*TR
DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE - EXITED ONTO AN INTERCHANGE RAMP AT 50 MPH - AND THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. VEHICLE AT REAR NEARLY REAR-ENDED MINE - BUT MISSED BY A HAIRS WHISKER. ANOTHER PIECE OF LUCK WAS THAT I WAS AT THE CREST OF THE RAMP SO MANAGED TO "COAST" TOWARDS THE SHOULDER. WAITED FOR A BIT - THE CAR WOULDN'T RESTART. HAD TO SPEND PERILOUS TIME ON THE LEFT SHOULDER BEFORE GETTING MY CAR TOWED. AT THE TIME OF WRITING - THE CAR IS SITTING IN THE DEALERS LOT. NOTHING SPECIAL HAPPENED PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. PREVIOUSLY A SIMILAR INCIDENT HAD OCCURRED JUST OUTSIDE MY RESIDENCE - AND THE DEALER CHECKED IT OUT AND SAID IT MIGHT JUST BE "BAD GAS". SAAB'S CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM WAS USELESS. BASED ON THE OTHER INCIDENTS REPORTED - REFER TO ODI #S: 10162804, 10137685, 10097342 - THERE IS SOMETHING DEFINITELY WRONG WITH THIS VEHICLE. PLEASE TAKE ACTION BEFORE SOMEONE LOSES THEIR LIFE.*JB
I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH AND THE ENGINE SUDDENLY SHUT DOWN WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE CAR COMPLETELY LOST POWER AND I HAD TO QUICKLY COAST TO THE SHOULDER. I WAS NOT ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR AND IT HAD TO BE TOWED TO SAAB DEALER. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A FAULT IN DI CASSETTE. *NM
CAR STALLED WHILE CRUISING AT 75 MILES PER HOUR ON A BUSY INTERSTATE. CAR COULD NOT BE RESTARTED, EVEN AFTER PULLING TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. NO PRIOR INDICATION OF IMMINENT FAILURE WAS GIVEN'THE ENGINE SIMPLY CUT OUT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. DEALER DIAGNOSED AS THE FAILURE OF AS A BAD THROTTLE BODY. THIS IS A KNOWN WEAKNESS IN THE CAR FOR WHICH SAAB HAS BEEN TRYING TO FIND A SOLUTION FOR YEARS. THE SERVICING DEALER WAS SURPRISED THAT THE PART WAS NOT IN STOCK SINCE IT FAILS OFTEN. MANY PEOPLE HAVE THROTTLE BODY PROBLEMS WHICH TRIGGER LIMP HOME MODE AND REQUIRE A CLEANING AND/OR REPLACEMENT OF THE THROTTLE BODY. REPORTEDLY NEWER SOFTWARE TRIGGERS A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BEFORE COMPLETE FAILURE. THIS EARLY WARNING WAS NOT GIVEN THIS CASE. IT IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE THAT THIS SHOULD STILL BE AN ISSUE ON A 2003 MODEL YEAR VEHICLE WHEN THE PROBLEM FIRST SHOWED ITSELF IN 1998. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO DIE IN A REAR END COLLISION BEFORE SAAB OR THE NHTSA WILL ACT ON THIS? *NM
THE VEHICLE STALLED ON 4 SEPARATE OCCASIONS FROM VARIOUS SPEEDS OF 25 MPH OR MORE WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE DEALER HAS CLEANED AND TIGHTENED THE BATTERY CABLES, THE FIRST TIME, THEY REPLACED THE CRANK SENSOR, T-7 AND THE IGNITION SWITCH, THE SECOND TIME AND THE THIRD TIME, THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *JB THE ECM WAS REPLACED BUT THE VEHICLE STALLED AGAIN, THE CUP HOLDER CRACK AND HAD BROKEN, THE BATTERY CABLES WERE LOOSE AND DIRTY, THE TRANSMISSION DID NOT SHIFT PROPERLY AND CAUSED A JERKING MOTION, THE ELECTRICAL GAUGES DROPPED AND THE VEHICLE LOST ACCELERATION. *SC
WE PURCHASED OUR 2003 9-5 ARC IN MARCH OF 2003. IMMEDIATELY, I NOTICED THE EXHAUST SMELLED OF HUMAN GAS, SERIOUSLY. SOON AFTER THE STENCH SEEPED INTO THE CAB OF THE VEHICLE. AT 7000 I COULDN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE AND I BROUGHT THE CAR IN TO HAVE CHECKED OUT BY THE DEALER. THEY INFORMED ME THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR, THAT SOMETIMES NEW CARS SMELL. IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT I USE ONLY PREMIUM OR BETTER FUEL TO LESSEN THE SMELL. 3000 MILES LATER, THE CAR STUNK. I BROUGHT IT IN FOR ITS FIRST OIL CHANGE AND INFORMED THEM THAT THE CAR STILL STUNK. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS DEFECTIVE AND IT WAS REPLACED, NO CHARGE TO ME. NOW AT 14000+ MILES THE CAR STILL STINKS. I BROUGHT THE CAR IN TODAY 1/12/04 AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE'S NOTHING THEY CAN DO. BASICALLY, I HAVE TO LIVE WITH THE SMELL. I'VE BEEN DRIVING THIS VEHICLE FOR TEN MONTHS WITH NAUSEATING FUMES SEEPING INTO THE CAB OF THE VEHICLE. THESE FUMES NOT ONLY UPSET MY STOMACH BUT CAUSE ME HEADACHES. I'VE BEEN WAKING UP WITH HEADACHES SINCE SPRING OF 2003. SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE. PLEASE RESPOND ASAP. I'M LITERALLY SICK OVER THIS SITUATION. - KIM *LA
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 .