Saab 9-3 2005

• Recall 103805 [USA]: In the event of a crash, a seat belt that has not retracted may not properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing their risk of injury.
  General motors llc (gm) is recalling certain model year 2004-2011 saab 9-3 convertible vehicles manufactured july 30, 2003, to february 15, 2011. In the affected vehicles, the driver's side front seat belt retractor may break, causing the seat belt webbing not to retract.
  gm will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's seat belt retractor, free of charge. The recall began on october 6, 2015. Owners may contact saab customer service at 1-800-955-9007. Gm's number for this recall is 14222. Note: special coverage 10086 will replace the passenger side seat belt retractor if it fails, free of charge, for the life of the vehicle.
  owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.Safercar.Gov.

• Recall 79844 [USA]: A vehicle crash could occur should the engine stall while in use.
  Ti automotive is recalling certain fuel pumps, part numbers tu456 and tu303, sold under various brand names as aftermarket and replacement equipment for the motor vehicles listed above. The defective fuel pump may seize, stopping the fuel flow to the engine creating a stalling condition.
  ti automotive will notify owners of record and will replace any defective fuel pump with a new or reworked fuel pump free of charge. The safety recall began on february 22, 2011. Owners may contact ti automotive at 1-866-867-3759 or log on to www.Recallresponse.Com.
  this recall only pertains to aftermarket and replacement fuel pumps and has no relation to any original equipment installed on vehicles manufactured by general motors.Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.Safercar.Gov .

• Recall 36244 [USA]: If this condition were to occur when minimum stopping distance is required, a crash could occur.
  Certain sport sedan and convertible passenger vehicles were produced with a vacuum pipe check valve for the brake booster that may fail from exposure to elevated temperatures. This could result in sudden loss of power brake assist, usually with little or no warning.
  dealers will install a new redesigned check valve. The recall began on march 17, 2006. Owners should contact saab at 1-800-955-9007.
  saab recall no. 15019 (gm recall no. 05057).Customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

• Recall R/2006/047 [UK]: Reduced braking performance
  It has been identified that under certain conditions a valve within the brake servo may have a shortened service life due to high ambient and engine bay temperatures. This could affect the functioning of the servo resulting in reduced braking performance
  recalled vehicles will have the subject valve checked and replaced if necessary.

• Recall 2014228 [Canada]: Seats and restraints
  On certain convertible model vehicles, the tensioning cable in the driver's seat belt retractor may break, causing the belt to fail to retract. If a crash were to occur with a seat belt in this condition, it could increase the risk of injury to the driver. Correction: dealers will replace seat belt retractor assemblies.

To ensure accuracy and for your safety, it is recommended to do a free VIN recall check here or here [USA] - UK - Canada.

Bulletins are notices put out by manufacturers in conjunction with the NHTSA to notify the public of manufacturing issues or changes.

• Front suspension coil spring fracture investigation as of 20081222

  To date, odi is aware of 142 non-duplicative complaints related to the alleged defect.In addition, odi is aware of 2,626 subject vehicles with one or more warranty claims related to the alleged defect.In total, odi is aware of 2,714 unique subject vehicles that have experienced one or more front suspension coil spring fractures.Odi is not aware of any crashes or injuries related to the alleged defect.The engineering design and testing data supplied by gm, along with the frequency of consumer complaints and warranty claims related to the alleged defect, tends to support the position that, in general, the coil springs that fractured on many subject vehicles did not achieve the expected service life.However, in regard to the subject vehicles, a front suspension coil spring fracture itself has little safety consequence, as evidenced by the minimal impact on vehicle ride and handling and by the number of drivers who were unaware of the failure condition for some time until alerted by service personnel.The ratio of tire punctures to coil spring fractures appears low and there are no reports of crashes, deaths or injuries related to the alleged defect. A safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.The agency will continue to monitor this issue and will take further action if warranted by the circumstances.See the ea08-026 engineering analysis closing report for more details.
  

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• Front suspension coil spring fracture investigation as of 20080828

  On august 28, 2008, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened a preliminary evaluation (pe08-051) to investigate alleged front suspension coil spring fractures in certain model year (my) 2003-2004 saab 9-3 vehicles sold or registered in "salt belt" states.(note: for purposes of this investigation, the "salt belt" includes connecticut, delaware, the district of columbia, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia and wisconsin).Subsequent analysis of data provided by general motors corp. (gm) has led the agency to expand the scope of this investigation to include all my 2003-2006 saab 9-3 vehicles sold or registered in "salt belt" states. To date, odi is aware of 53 non-duplicative complaints and/or field reports that allege coil spring fracture in the subject vehicles, including 23 alleging the fractured spring damaged a tire, with 16 of those involving a tire puncture.Analysis of warranty data provided by gm identified 1,218 claims paid to repair subject vehicles that experienced the alleged defect, of which 138 vehicles also suffered damage to the adjacent tire and of those, 79 vehicles experienced a tire puncture.Odi is not aware of any crashes or injuries related to the alleged defect. Gm made several design changes to the coil springs and/or mcpherson strut assemblies used in the subject vehicles in an apparent effort to address the alleged defect condition.However, gm maintains that the subject vehicles remain well controlled in the event of tire puncture, that the rate of tire puncture incidents related to coil spring fractures is low, and that the alleged defect does not pose an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety.Accordingly, this investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea08-026) to further study the safety consequences of the alleged defect.
  

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Common OBD Error codes specific to this vehicle.

• P0521 [1] Engine Oil Pressure Sensor/Switch Circuit Range/Performance
• P2126 [1] Throttle/Pedal Position Sensor/Switch "E" Circuit Range/Performance
• P2138 [1] Throttle/Pedal Pos Sensor/Switch D / E Voltage Correlation
• P2122 [1] Throttle/Pedal Position Sensor/Switch "D" Circuit Low
• P2123 [1] Throttle/Pedal Position Sensor/Switch "D" Circuit High
• P2127 [1] Throttle/Pedal Position Sensor/Switch "E" Circuit Low
• P2128 [1] Throttle/Pedal Position Sensor/Switch "E" Circuit High

It happened to me twice.. While driving the gas gauge will drop to empty and when pressing on the gas il just rev there be a cut off due to the fuel level sensor in which it's a common in all saabs i don't know why this issue hasn't become a recall. It's dangerous the cut off is around 2-3 seconds. I almost cause an accident due to the lost of power. I was entering the free way and an 18 wheeler had to switch lanes and passed i was going around 45 mph merging . The second time i was going 25 mph and it felt like the engine shut of and gather speed. There is a recall for the fuel pump and my vehicle has the same symptoms others have describe. It feels like the car has issues but their not parts to difficult to change but if you take the car to a mechanic theyl charge you ridiculous for labor almost $1200 just in changing the drive belt?

It happened to me twice.. While driving the gas gauge will drop to empty and when pressing on the gas il just rev there be a cut off due to the fuel level sensor in which it's a common in all saabs i don't know why this issue hasn't become a recall. It's dangerous the cut off is around 2-3 seconds. I almost cause an accident due to the lost of power. I was entering the free way and an 18 wheeler had to switch lanes and passed i was going around 45 mph merging . The second time i was going 25 mph and it felt like the engine shut of and gather speed. There is a recall for the fuel pump and my vehicle has the same symptoms others have describe. It feels like the car has issues but their not parts to difficult to change but if you take the car to a mechanic theyl charge you ridiculous for labor almost $1200 just in changing the drive belt?

Altornator keep malfunctioning happend multiple time

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 saab 9-3. The contact stated while trying to start the vehicle, he heard an abnormal noise. The contact stated he saw smoke coming the hood. The contact stated no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated he exited the vehicle and was informed fire was coming from a fuel leak on the front passenger side. The contact stated a bystander came with a fire extinguisher and extinguish the fire. The contact stated there were no injuries or medical attention needed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The contact called the local dealer flikkema saab located at 2424 176th st, lansing, il 60438, (708) 474-1933, and were made aware of failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired as of yet. The manufacturer had been informed of failure. The failure mileage was 74,000. *dt *jb

Nhtsa 14v318000 was a recall for seat belts that fails to retract. When i get into my car and pull it out to fasten it often remains slack. That event caused me to do research and find the recall. But it did not extend to my car which has the exact same problem. It appears to me that the recall was too narrow.

My car won't start and no mechanic can figure out exactly why due to there not being any saab dealers near the area i'm stuck in... I have been living out of my car for 3 months cuz i don't want anyone to steal my car

Power seat tracks on both driver and passenger slide back and forth such that when stopping quickly the seat slides forward about an inch. It's a known problem on saabs.

The driver's seat-belt has stopped retracting. The item has a recall but parts are not available

Horn does not blow, please wait light stays on. And burns the battery out over a day or so while car is stationary have to recharge.

Frequently the car stalls suddenly in traffic, looses power i can't accelerate this is very dangerous potential to get hit. The other problem is the car vibrates and all of sudden a lot of smoke comes out from back and rich gasoline smell comes and the speed turns to 0. I turn it off for five minutes and restart sometimes it starts ok sometimes it vibrates again. This happens very frequently

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 saab 9-3. While driving 30 mph, the front passenger side seat belt failed to retract without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 14v318000 (seat belts). The failure mileage was 128,000.

Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2006 saab 9-3. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v063000 (air bags) for the driver frontal air bag inflator. The parts to do the repair were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The vehicle had an appointment after receiving the letter six weeks later to take the vehicle to the dealer (schumacher buick gmc of west palm beach located on 3031 okeebhobee blvd west palm beach, fl, 33409). Once the contact arrived for the appointment, she was informed that the vehicle could not be serviced because the parts were not available. The saab manufacturer was contacted at 1-800-955-9007, but the phone disconnected. The contact also informed general motors at 1-800-462-8782 who stated that nothing could be done because they were no longer affiliated with saab and offered no additional assistance. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

What are the serial numbers for the takata recall airbags?

Takata recall why aren't parts available to fix this problem. How long can i expect to wait for a solution to this serious problem? Who is responsible if someone is injured as a result of this recall. Why isn't more being done about it. Why is this company still allowed to be in business?

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 saab 9-3. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v63000 (air bags); however, the part needed to perform the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 saab 9-3. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v063000 (air bags); however, the part was unavailable to perform the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. The vin was unavailable.

I received a safety recall from saab about the possibility of the inflator of the airbag rupturing and metal fragments could pass through the cushion. They do not currently have a solution to the problem. What can i do about this? How long do i have to wait til it is fixed or something happens? Can they take as much time as they need to fix the car without having any responsibilities? Any information will help. Thank you. *tr

Takata recall cant trust my car if i have takata airbags

Takata recall driver in front was in motion and came to an abrupt stop at the yellow signal light. I was not able to stop in time. There was a direct impact front end collision to my car. The force of collision activated my passenger airbag to inflate, but my driver's airbag did not...Updated 05/09/16 *bf *tr

While driving on the street at 30 mph i hear a bang! I start to lose control of the steering wheel i immediately put my hazard lights on and pulled over safely once i gained control when i get out the car to inspect it my passengers side front spring is broken in two and my passenger side tire is blown. I could have been very badly injured or killed! Saab you need to do a recall this is life threatening!

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 saab 9-3. The contact stated that the passenger strut was bent. The contact mentioned that the strut was replaced but was concerned that the failure would recur. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the struts needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000. The vin was not provided.

Recall 14222/15027. Received safety recall notice to replace driver's side seatbelt mechanism. Upon making service appointment with local gm dealer they stated they do not have a technician to do it. I tried calling the 800 number on the recall notice and got a recording that the number was no longer in service. How can i find out who can perform this recall service?

The driver seat belt internal cable broke. I took it to an authorized dealer. There is a recall. But, the parts are backordered over 10 months. This is a huge safety issue. Nothing i can do. Gm has not provided a date when the parts will be available.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 saab 9-3. While driving at 65 mph, the vehicle decelerated and began to vibrate as an abnormal noise emitted from the engine compartment without warning. As a result, the vehicle stalled and when attempting to restart the low fuel warning light illuminated. The contact mentioned that prior to the failure, the fuel gauge displayed to have half a tank full of fuel. An independent mechanic was able to bring fuel and refuel the vehicle. The vehicle was able to restart. The contact also stated that the failure had progressed and the fuel gauge fluctuates causing the contact to be unaware of the accurate fuel level. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 93,000.

The retractor for the driver side seat belt in my 2005 saab 9-3 aero convertible broke. This defect is already subject of a recall by gm. I am the original owner, but did not receive notice of this recall. I have contacted gm, the local dealer, and parts distributor several times, and was told that the item is on indefinite back order and is unlikely to be available any time in the future. I believe this significantly compromises the safety of the car and is an attempt by gm to avoid the recall and repairing this safety defect. What can be done to make sure gm complies with the recall requirements?

Much like nhtsa campaign id number: 14v318000 (gm recall number 14222), the driver's seat belt does not retract. This occurs every time the belt is pulled out. In the event of a crash, the belt would not be close enough to the driver to retract, since it is too loose.

Just put 2005 saab 9-3 into shop for new breaks and was informed that the front passenger coil spring was broken. Parts are unavailable. I have no recollection as to when this might have happened. Thankfully it was not on freeway. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 saab 9-3. The contact stated that nhtsa campaign number: 14v318000 (seat belts) exceeded a reasonable amount of time for repair. The dealer stated that the parts were not available for repair. The manufacturer stated that they still did not have the parts to satisfy the recall. Intermittently, the contact had an issue with retracting the driver side seat belt after use. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 10,000.

Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2005 saab 9-3. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign numbers: 14v318000 (seat belts) and 16v063000 (air bags); however, the parts to do the repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. West county volvo (14410 manchester rd, manchester, mo) was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not available for the recall remedy. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and was not able to confirm when the parts were to become available. The contact had not experienced a failure. The vin was not provided.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 saab 9-3. The contact stated that the seat belt failed to retract. The failure recurred on multiple occasions. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 116,000.

I got in my car to go to work and as i pulled the belt over my shoulder the retracting mechanism snapped. The belt was completely slack with no protective capacity. I called the dealership where i purchased the car new in 2005. I was told it was a recall item. I ordered the belt, it was backordered ("coming in from sweden"). I made the appointment for replacing it, took it in and confirmed that it was a recall. They said it was actually a "campaign" to replace faulty belt mechanisms. Ten minutes later they changed their minds, stating that they just found out (?) it didn't cover the convertible...Only the sedans. I paid $431.80 for the belt and $337.50 for the labor to install it. I felt that, as i or my wife could have been injured or worse had it failed in a collision, the responsibility should lie with the manufacturer. The dealership is west county (saab) volvo, 14410 manchester road, manchester, mo 63011. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 saab 9-3. The contact stated that there was a failure with the front driver side seat belt retracting. As the failure progressed, the seat belt became extremely tight upon release. The vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 04v226000 (seat belts). The vin was not available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 45,000. Updated 7/9/15*cn

Driver side seat belt does not retract. *tr

Numerous saab owners including myself have defective seat belts for the front driver and passengers seats. These seat belts break and do not retract properly and they must be manually fed back into the car body in order to tighten. If this is not done the seat belt will fail to hold the occupants in the seat during normal driving conditions as well as in the event of an accident which due to this defect may become fatal. *tr

Car stalled. Will not start....I was told there was a recall on the fuel pump. I called and was told i needed the fuel pump part number. I called the dealer that i bought the car from, still making payments, and he said that he could not assist me because he bought the car from an auction. Please help me , i need to get the fuel pump replaced. *tr

Vehicle stalled during a right turn at slow speed. *tr

I just purchased a saab and i noticed i have the driver side seat belt issue someone else complained about. The seat belt has no tension and wouldn't stop my forward momentum in an accident. Searching online i noticed this is a common issue in saabs from around this time and there are recalls on other year models. *tr

My seat belt retractor doesn't work at all. It is very weak and doesn't make the seat belt tight to my chest. Everyone else who has a 2005 saab have the same problem. I just think if i get in a major accident, it could kill me. *tr

I went to put new tires on the car because of a flat tire and the service garage indicated the front coil springs were broken. I called a saab dealearship and that indicated that the previous owner replaced the springs but the replacement springs were not covered. *tr

Front coil springs broke. Service station had to remove front strut assemblies to replace "broken" front coil springs- install struts-clean affected surfaces and two new tires. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 saab 9-3. The contact stated that while driving 5 mph, the front passenger side suspension coil spring fractured and punctured the front passenger tire. The vehicle was not drivable and was towed to a local mechanic shop where the failure was confirmed. The dealer was contacted and advised that the parts needed for the repair were on a national back order and the dealer was unaware of when the parts would become available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure who stated they were not sure when the parts would become available and offered no further assistance. The failure mileage was 78,000.

The front-right coil spring has broken (when turning 180 degree, at 3 or 5 mph); *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 saab 9-3. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 mph, she heard a loud noise and the vehicle started to drive differently. The vehicle was taken straight to the dealer where they advised her that the front passenger side coil springs were fractured and needed to be repaired. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and they advised her that they had issued an extended warranty but her vehicle was not one of the affected units that the warranty would cover. The failure and the current mileages were approximately 42,000.

A few weeks ago, i began to notice a clunking sound near front driver's side tire when going over bumps in the road. Upon investigation this week, i could see that the coil spring was broken right through the metal. I had never hears of anything like that. Mileage is approximately 77,000. Drove it to the mechanic, who confirmed that there is a broken spring. They informed me that, although the part is not expensive, there are none available, that this is a known defect, and the part is on a national backorder! I never rec'd any sort of notification from saab about this. The mechanic also said that i was incredibly lucky that the break didn't happen on the freeway, that it could have taken out the brand new front tire. I have a young daughter and i volunteer to drive other school kids on a weekly basis--this could have been catastrophic. Until a new spring is found, i was told not to drive the car, that it could blow out the tire at any time. There is no eta on the new part. Even though saab is bankrupt, there's a local dealer still in business, so i'm the wait list for the part with them as well. In the meantime, i'm stuck. *tr

Coil broke , and could have destroyed the tire at high speeds would have been really bad. *tt

While backing out of my driveway, i heard a loud noise that sounded like a spring. After taking the car to the dealer, i was informed that the passenger strut spring required replacement. Several hours later, i was informed that the part was only available from saab in sweden and the eta was unknown due to saab bankruptcy status. A day later the dealer was able to locate a used part with a 30-day warranty but i was responsible for all repair costs. Fortunately, no damage was done to my tires, as i had just replaced the set only two weeks prior. Also, i appreciate the dealer telling me of the risk in continuing to drive the car with the broken spring. They also provided a loaner car for the period of the repair. Still, if this is a known defect for this model and year, the repair cost should have been covered and/or consumers should have received some type of notification of the potential problem. *tr

Approximately 4 months ago my right front coil spring broke on my 2005 saab 9-3 at around 75,000 miles. I was pulling out of my garage when it snapped, but could not determine the source of the sound as nothing appeared broken to my untrained eye and the vehicle still operated fine. Over the next couple weeks i brought it in to the dealership for front end noise and the broken spring was discovered. Not a big deal as the repair was covered under a service bulletin and no damage occurred to the vehicle. However, a few days ago my right rear coil spring snapped as i was traveling down the highway. There was no apparent change in how the vehicle handled, but after my experience with the front spring the sound was familiar and therefore i had my husband inspect it. Apparently, there is no service bulletin for the rear springs, just the front springs and i'm wondering why both front and rear are not covered by this service bulletin. *kb

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 saab 9-3. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced several electrical failures. The air conditionaer, headlights and the motor on the front passenger door all failed. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that a burn out occurred in the electrical sockets for each component. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 37,440.

In april 2011, when i started my car my engine light came on. I had very little power on acceleration until my car hit 2000 rpm. A diagnostic showed it was a throttle position sensor. First occurrence was six months ago, it has happened at least 20 times since. The car will act like this for 2 days then work normal again. I have to proceed with extreme caution pulling out in traffic. I also take off extremely slow from any full stops i make. It is hit or miss every time i start my car. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 saab 9-3. The contact stated that after folding the seat back the seat belt became locked in place and he was unable to release it. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred him to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 95,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 saab 9-3. The contact stated that the driver's side seat belt would not retract. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000. *tr

I have a 2005 saab 9-3 that became undriveable after the front left coils/springs broke, puncturing the front driver's side tire. The car was in motion when a popping sound was heard, followed by grinding and a burning rubber smell. At that point the car was not able to be driven. It was towed to a local repair shop and then to a saab dealership to complete the repairs because there is a campaign out for this issue, but not a recall. The springs/coils were replaced for free but the tire cost was prorated and the car required an alignment after the repairs which was not covered in the cost. This car had been in the dealer service department 2 weeks prior to this failure and the coils/springs were specifically checked due to the campaign. The service department determined that the parts did not show any sign of damage and so were not replaced. Both tow truck drivers and the repair shop owner commented that i was lucky that this did not happen on the highway, considering how quickly it rendered the car undriveable and what could have happened had i been going at a fast rate of speed, surrounded by other cars. I am shocked that this issue is not a recall as it is a huge safety risk. *tr

Since i bought my car (new) in june '05 i have complained of a "crunching noise" in the front suspension every time the weather turned cold. I was told the problems varied from ball bearings to the sway bar, to just dirt build up. Each time the dealer made some "repair" to get me out the door. The problem continued. Now, april '11 i have a broken spring in the front passenger side. I have been told that i have to pay the dealer to diagnose the problem before they will consider fixing it under any special circumstance free of charge. I have sourced some parts for it and am considering having it fixed by myself, rather than go to the dealer who brushed me off for 5 years. Thankfully i was just pulling out of my parking spot when i heard the grinding noise from the front passenger side and i was not traveling at a high rate of speed when this happened. The spring broke downward and was very near the tire. There could have been a serious tire blowout on the highway had i not been so lucky. *tr

As i was pulling out of my garage, i heard a loud popping sound. When i got out of the car to inspect what happened, i noticed a broken strut coil on the passenger side. I am reporting this because when i visited several online forums, it seams that this is a common problem for saabs, and it could be dangerous if it occurs at highway speeds. The car had to be towed to a repair shop and is currently awaiting repair. The damaged part is available. Automobile is a 2005 saab 9-3 convertible arc. *tr

2005 saab 9-3 driver's side front strut spring just broke. No warning, drove yesterday and car was fine, went to back out of garage and a terrible grinding, scraping noise occurred. Discovered the spring broke and rubbing against tire. Luckily this did not occur while driving at normal speeds. Seems like it could have caused tire blow out and possibly an accident. *tr

To whom this may be concerned: i just called saab corp and my local saab dealer, and they're acting like it's no big deal???? I think it's a very big deal and according to my personal non-saab mechanic, this could have been a life-threatening ordeal if the coil-spring would have broke at a higher speeds... It's just plain wrong that saab-corp is not making a bigger deal about this issue??? Why??? Any and all info will be appreciated. Also i'm thinking about reporting this to my our local congressman and state senator?? Thank you and safe-driving:: [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.S.C. 552(b)(6). *tr

2005 saab 9-3 arc convertible. Brake issues. Spongy brakes, pedal goes almost to floor. Dealer replaced hydraulic unit & master cylinder - problem still exists. Reported to saab customer service - no response. *tr

Ongoing during routine driving: the headlights on my 2005 saab 9-3 burn out on approximately a monthly basis requiring replacement of the bulb. According to knowledgeable sources this is due to a corrosion issue with the headlight sockets known to the manufacturer and service providers. This is a safety concern due to the fact that when one headlight bulb burns out - the other headlight bulb burns out shortly thereafter exposing me to four occurrences where i have lost illumination in both headlights while driving at night. In addition, the headlight sockets are of poor construction as i have had two occurrences of one of the three tabs which secure the headlight socket into the headlight assembly break off. This initially creates a situation where the headlight bulb moves out of alignment causing improper illumination of the roadway ahead. Ultimately, the broken tab on the socket leads to bulb failure due to vibration associated with vehicle operation. Replacement sockets available from the manufacturer are of the same construction and the underlying issues have not been addressed. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 saab 93. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the engine coolant level service warning light illuminated on the dashboard. The coolant was refilled yet the failure would recur intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed the engine block was too porous, causing the coolant to leak. The vehicle had not yet been serviced and the failure persisted. The failure mileage was 67,000 and the current mileage was 72,000. The vin was unavailable.

The problem apparently occurred while driving down the freeway. I heard a loud "clunk" that sounded like i had hit something but there was nothing in the road. Following that, every time i would drive over an irregularity in the road i would hear a "clunk" in the front passenger side. I took it to a local shop to find out what was making the noise and they discovered the broken right front coil spring. The sharp broken end was very close to rotating into the side of the tire which would have been catastrophic. I have the broken piece of the spring. I have also learned that this is a disturbingly common problem with this model of saab as i ran across a web site with many saab 9-3 owners that have experienced the same thing at roughly the same mileage i have which is 49700. My four year, 50,000 mile warranty recently expired. I just found out about the broken spring yesterday and have not yet had it repaired. I intend to contact the dealer tomorrow morning but i want your organization to be aware of this dangerous defect. *tr

2005 saab 93 - front passenger coil broke and dug into tire. No warning indicated such as strange sounds or car handling differently. Just suddenly broke near bottom of coil and the broken end of the coil dug into the tire. The tire has an indentation the goes completely around the inside. Tire is damaged/dangerous now and needs to be replaced also. Was driving slowly at the time so no personal injury. *tr

2005 saab 9-3 arc, front right spring broke and destroyed front right tires. Approximately 38k mile on vehicle. *tr

My 2005 saab 93 44,500 miles. While driving to work on a six lane divided highway (i495) in the right travel lane the right front coil spring broke and shred the tire causing a blow out. The driver had never before experienced a tire blow out and was startled and jerked the steering wheel to the left in a moment of panic and the car began to slide sideways while scrubbing off speed. The car remained mostly in the right travel lane. There wasn't much traffic on the road at 5am and the car did not hit any other vehicles or objects. The driver regained control of the vehicle and pulled off the right shoulder of the road and got out of the vehicle to examine the damage. The right front tire was flat so the driver jacked the car up and removed the tire. Immediately apparent was the broken coil spring. The driver did not want to spend the money for a tow truck. Instead, the driver decided to install the temporary space saver spare tire and limp the car home by driving on the shoulder for about 10 minutes at 30mph with the hazard warning lights flashing. The car was parked in the driveway and another vehicle was driven to work. Later a mechanic was hired to repair the vehicle where it was parked in the owner's driveway. Both front coil springs and the damaged tire were replaced at a total cost of approximately $600.

Gas pedal gets stuck when depressed fully during takeover maneuvers or passing. This has happened on three occasions since we purchased the car used exactly two years ago in virginia and after the third time, i decided never to push the pedal all the way in for fear of an accident specially when my children are present. The pedal did become unstuck after a few frightening seconds on all occasions. Speed was not high, 35 mph once and 45 or so the other at the most. *tr

Front coil spring fracture. *tr

Normal driving. Bottom six inches of front right strut coil spring just broke. I have never seen a coil spring just break before. This part is still on the car and i have the broken six inch semi-circular piece. It took almost three months before i discovered where a clicking sound was coming from in the front right suspension. *tr

While shifting from stop the plastic shift knob fell off ejecting itself into the rear seat. Dealer cleaned old glue off and reassembled shift lever mechanism. Reinstalled shift knob with two step epoxy. *tr

2005 saab 9-3 arc sedan front coil spring fractured. Broken spring contacted tire side wall and caused irreparable damage. *tr

I have a 2005 saab 9-3, 2.0 liter turbo engine. My daughter owns the same car, but a 2004 model. The abs control unit with esp had to be replaced on both vehicles; in my vehicle at 73,000 miles and her car at 121,000 miles. Was there a recall on this part? *tr

Wipers are not parking correctly. Dealer found wiper motor faulty and replaced. *tr

Repeated attempts to tighten gas cap have failed, and results in the cel (check engine light). Since the cap's mechanism is obviously worn out, and this is emissions related, i feel that it should be covered under extended emission warranty. *tr

Passenger side front coil spring cracked and broke approx. 4-5 inches from strut mount. This caused the coil to bounce against the strut. *tr

Broken front coil springs. *tr

With a little over 50,000 miles an odd noise started in the front suspension. A couple of months after this clunking noise began i made an appointment at a saab dealer and it was diagnosed as a broken spring. I had both springs replaced (the right front was broken) as a precaution, because i have learned that this is a common problem for newer saab 9-3's. Although i was able to drive the vehicle with the broken spring, a spring failure of this nature could cause catastrophic failure of the tire, hence the safety concern. The frequency of broken springs in this model of car leads me to conclude that a recall is in order. *tr

Traction control failure light is on. Dealer found yaw rate sensor failure and replaced. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 saab 9-3. The contact stated that the front passenger side coil spring failed. While driving 45 mph, she heard a noise as her front passenger side tire blew out. The vehicle was pulled to the side of the road and towed to a repair shop. The manufacturer has not been notified. The contact called her insurance company. The failure mileage was 48,000.

I have a 2005 saab 9-3 with 56,000 miles on it. Recently i experienced a broken right front coil spring which poses a significant safety issue not limited to the potential for a shredded tire. Luckily this issue was caught quickly and before causing an accident. The warranty on this vehicle lapsed at 50,000 miles and saab is unwilling to replace the part. After researching this issue i have found numerous reports of similar cases - some breakages happening at speed and shredding tires. Similar issues can be found at: http://www.Saabscene.Com/forum/index.Php?Showtopic=31635698. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 saab 9-3. While driving at various speeds and changing gears, the plastic shift knob fell off into the contact's hand. The dealer advised him to file a complaint with nhtsa. The current mileage was 61,000 and failure mileage was 54,000. Updated 09/17/08. *lj updated 09/25/08. *jb

This is the sixth failure on the engine. My wife was in maryland when the check engine light came on (this is not the 1st time). The vehicle was towed an hour away in baltimore. The throttle body failed, it was repaired and then she had to get her own ride to the dealer (we are from ohio). This started happening after the engine was using a tremendous amount of oil. There was a recall because the factory aligned all the ring gaps in the same direction. After the engine was torn down and repaired the check engine light kicks on every 400 to 1000 miles. They have replaced the rings, computer, throttle body twice, air box and other smaller items. By the way each time this happens the engine goes into limp mode and doesn't go above thirty miles an hour. This is real safe at highway speeds. *tr

The rear brake pads on the saab 9-3 sedans wear prematurely, possibly resulting in rear break failures with as few as 20-28k miles on the car, while the front brakes are completely normal.*cn

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 saab 9-3. The contact stated that the front passenger's side seat belt pretensioner would not function. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis. The technician stated the seat belt pretensioner would have to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 20,000. *tr

Routine maintenance of 2005 saab 9-3 with 23,000 miles revealed "front and rear brake pads and rotors needed to be replaced. Worn below limits." *tr

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 30 mph on normal road conditions, the vehicle impacted a semi truck and the air bags did not deploy. There were no warning lights illuminated prior to the incident however, after the crash, a warning message illuminated indicating an air bag malfunction. The fire department was at scene of the accident but there were no injuries sustained. The police was also present and a police report was taken. The vehicle remained inoperable and neither the dealership nor the manufacturer had been contacted yet.*ak

The plastic around the tongue of the drivers seat belt has a vertical crack presenting a potential point of failure in an accident whereby the webbing would be pushed through the plastic surrounding the tongue and causing the occupant to be unrestrained. *jb

Loss of power at highway speed 4 times on 5/17/2006, 4/17/2006. 04/7/2006/and 4/03/2006. Serviced each time by saab dealer with assistance from national technical. Problems continued. Made request for re-purchase under lemon laws of st of wa. Car re-purchased by saab usa. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while attempting to move the passenger front seat forward to let passengers out of the back seat the seat slid back and pinned the passengers. 3 of them sustained injuries. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and it was determined the seat was designed that way.

Dt*: the contact stated a recall letter was received on 3-24-06. The dealership informed the contact the parts were not available. The dealership was contacted on 3-29-06 and informed the contact the parts were still not available and to call back next week. There is an nhtsa recall, #05v236000 on the vehicle regarding the service brakes, hydraulic: power assist: vacuum: hoses, lines/piping, and and fittings. The parts needed to repair the vehicle are not available at the local dealership. The manufacturer confirmed the parts are not available.

Dt*: the contact stated while adjusting the driver side seat, forward, backward, up, or down, the seat will not stop until it is in the furthest possible position. The dealership determined the switch needs to be replaced. The switch was replaced and the problem still exists. *nm

I have an on going problem with my saab linear 9.3 two-door convertible. I have the type of seats that are manually adjusted. When trying to access the rear seat, the front seat don't stay stationary. This means that 1) you can not load luggage or other cargo without the assistance of a second person but more importantly 2) the seat slides freely back and forth while passengers are trying to get in or out of the car. A number of rear seat passengers have been bruised by the seats and the potential for much greater harm is clearly apparent. *jb

The engine in my 2005 saab 9'3 linear has failed many times within the first 4000 miles. The saab dealership on each of the three occasions could not find the problem. This appears to be a serious concern to me and to the other drivers around me, i hope that saab recalls this model! *jb

Seat belt repair problem re 2005 saab 9.3 vin [xxx] purchased dec '04, involved in accident aug '05. No repair parts stocked in usa, therefore ordered from sweden. After seven weeks on order, most repair parts received and repairs finally have been started more than eight weeks since accident. However seat belt repair kit is still on back order. Am advised that saab's original supplier of seat belt units has been discontinued and a new supplier has not been contracted. Seems to me that auto manufacturers should be required to stock safety items and should not be allowed to let supply of safety items lapse without replacement sources, particularly on late model cars (mine is of the current 2005 model year). Local dealer trying utmost, but saab usa and saab sweden appear not too responsive. *jb updated 07/18/2012 *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.S.C. 552(b)(6)

The engine on my 2005 saab 9-3 has failed two times within the first 4900 miles on the odometer. The first failure occurred in june of 2005 and the problem was diagnosed as a throttle body failure. The failure results in the car accelerating extremely slow without any prior notice. The second failure occurred on july 18, 2005 when i was nearly hit making a left hand turn. The same symptoms presented without any indication that there was a failure about to occur. I have researched the saabnet website and it appears i am not alone in falling victim to the defective throttle body in the saab 9-3 model. It appears to be a pervasive problem. Saab's attorney indicated that this did not rise to the level of a recall nor a problem that require replacement of the vehicle. *jb

Since i have purchased my saab 9-3 convertible the digital compass always reads north and calibrated. Went in for service and dealership says they cannot fix it. They advised me the saab representative is aware of the problem, and all of the convertible are having the same problem, secondary to a magnetic field created during the manufacturing process.*ak