Page 2 of 2 · complaints 51–59 of 59

2001 Saab 9-3 complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2001 record →

Fuel System, Other › Delivery › Fuel Pump
Filed Nov 3, 2004289,981 milesFL

VEHICLE LOST POWER. FUEL LEAKED FROM THE VEHICLE. IT HAD TO BE TOWED. FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED. MANUFACTURER INDICATED THAT WARRANTY WAS IN EFFECT. *AK

Electrical System
Filed Jul 10, 200449,000 milesCA

SAAB 9-3 (2001) AUTOMATIC 49000 MILES STALLED ON FREEWAY WHILE PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL AFTER BRAKING (BUT STILL MOVING) FOR CONGESTION. RESTART SUBSEQUENT TO STALL DID NOT SUCCEED. HAD TO TOW THE CAR TO DEALER (B&B SAAB). SECOND TIME THIS HAS OCCURRED -- FIRST TIME (SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES) THE DEALER SAID A SOFTWARE UPGRADE SHOULD FIX THE PROBLEM. NOW THEY THINK IT IS THE THROTTLE UNIT. LUCKY ON BOTH OCCASSIONS NOT TO GET INTO AN ACCIDENT.*AK

Electrical System › Wiring › Front Underhood
Filed Jan 3, 200422,500 milesMD

WITHOUT ANY WARNING, CAR LOST ENGINE POWER, INCLUDING POWER STEERING AND BRAKES AND WOULD NOT RESTART. HAPPENED IN CONGESTED TRAFFIC CIRCLE, CAUSING NEAR MISSES FROM BUSES AND TRUCKS. SAAB ROADSIDE SERVICE TOOK NEARLY 5 HOURS TO SEND A TOW TRUCK. CAR PUSHED TO SIDEWALK BY PASSING POLICEMAN. JSW. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Oct 29, 200342,389 milesCA

HAD THE CAR SERVICED FOR 40000 SERVICE. COMPLAINED OF STALLING WHEN LIFTING OFF THE GAS. THE VERY NEXT DAY THE CAR STALLED ON THE FREEWAY AND UNABLE TO RESTART. THE DEALER IS SAYING THAT MY AFTERMARKET BYPASS VALVE CAUSED THE FAILURE. THEY ARE REFUSING TO COVER THE REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY. THE FAILURE LOOKS MORE LIKE A HEAD GASKET FAILURE AND NOT AN OVERBOOST PROBLEM. *AK

Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings
Filed Sep 22, 2003MI

FUEL LINE BROKE AND LEAKED GAS UNDER REAR PASSENGER'S SEAT. DEALER NOTIFIED. WARRANTY EXPIRED.*AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Jul 8, 2003FL

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING TVEHICLE SHUTDOWN, AND WOULD NOT RESTART. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Dec 5, 2002NY

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED THE ENGINE SHUT CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOSE POWER STEERING. TS

Electrical System › Ignition
Filed Sep 18, 2002NY

WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING VEHICLE SHUT OFF COMPLETELY. LOSING ALL POWER, RESULTING IN NO STEERING, BRAKES ETC,. CONTACTED DEALER.*AK

Suspension › Rear
Filed Aug 18, 2002OR

RIGHT REAR CONTROL ARM BENT, LEADING TO MASSIVE MIS-ALIGNMENT, AND THE RUINING OF 4 TIRES. SAAB CLAIMS IT RESULTED FROM "ENERGY" NOT A DEFECT. THEY SAY I MUST HAVE DRIVEN IT "TOO HARD." I IN FACT BABIED THE CAR, DRIVING MODERATELY, HITTING NO MAJOR BUMPS OR HOLES. STATE FARM CLAIMS IT PROBABLY RESULTED FROM METAL FATIGUE, NOT AN IMPACT. WON'T PAY BECAUSE NOT IMPACT RELATED. I BELIEVE THE ARM WAS DEFECTIVE. ORDINARY DRIVING SHOULD NOT LEAD TO A BENT SUSPENSION.*AK

Reading these

NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Full record for the 2001 Saab 9-3 → · Every 9-3 year → · How the figures are calculated →