2001 Saab 9-3
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
These records cover every 2001 Saab 9-3. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
4 recalls name the 2001 Saab 9-3. Newest first.
On certain passenger vehicles, the fuel pump retaining tabs holding the fuel lines were damaged during production.
Over time, this could cause the fuel lines to loosen from the pump resulting in fuel leakage. if an ignition source were present, the fuel may ignite resulting in a vehicle fire.
Dealers will develop a securing bracket that will secure the fuel lines to the fuel pump even if the plastic retaining tabs should break. The recall began on may 12, 2006. owners may contact saab at 1-800-955-9007.
Certain passenger vehicles equipped with b205/b235 4-cylinder gasoline engines and B308 6-cylinder gasoline engines may experience overheating and burnout of the isolated gated bipolar transistor (igbt) within the ignition discharge module (idm) due to increased susceptibility to electrical loads.
Overheating of the igbt occurs most often at engine start-up, but it may also occur while the engine IS running. engine stalling may occur, which could result in a crash.
Dealers will inspect to see what version idm IS in the vehicle and replace the idm if it IS a version built prior to the introduction of QP3. an interim letter will be mailed to owners in october 2005, informing them of the condition. parts are now available and owners will be notified to bring their vehicles in to the dealers to have the idm replaced by letter dated march 13, 2006. owners may contact saab at 1-800-955-9007.
On certain passenger vehicles, the fuel pump retaining tabs holding the fuel lines were damaged during production.
Over time, this could cause the fuel lines to loosen from the pump resulting in fuel leakage. if an ignition source were present, the fuel may ignite resulting in a vehicle fire.
Dealers will develop a securing bracket that will secure the fuel lines to the fuel pump even if the plastic retaining tabs should break. The recall began on march 14, 2005. owners should contact saab at 1-800-955-9007.
Vehicle description: certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with requirements of fmvss no. 208, "occupant crash protection." the air bag alert labels may not be permanently affixed as required by this standard.
These vehicles do not comply with the requirements.
Dealers will clean the sunvisor surface and apply a new air bag alert label on both sunvisors. owner notification began july 30, 2001. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact saab at 1-800-955-9007.
The contact owns a 2001 Saab 9-3. The contact stated that the vehicle was overheating while driving. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. A mobile independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 05V399000 (Electrical System) and 06V126000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
unexpected and unrequested deployment of driver side seat air bag. i was driving the vehicle at a speed of 0-5mph attempting to back the vehicle into a parking spot when the driver seat air bag deployed. a report was made with the local police department. no indicator or failure lights were present, the vehicle is able to be inspected at this time for further information. It is unknown about any other inspections by anyone other than the local police department.
I left my home with my daughter in the afternoon to go to the bank and hardware store. I drove to the bank to make a deposit. We had to wait for quite awhile in the drive-through line at the bank, so I turned off my engine a couple of times rather than having the car idle. After making the deposit at the bank, I pulled out of the bank lot and began driving to the hardware store. I had driven for about two minutes and was driving along at approximately 25-30 miles an hour, and suddenly there was a terrible explosion at my left ear and massive pain in my left arm. I thought the car had been shot at and my arm hit. I was terrified we were still being shot at and looked at my daughter whose hands were over her ears. I could tell by that time that I was not bleeding and so was worried that the bullet had hit her. I could hear only faintly out of my left ear. There was smoke and the smell of an explosion. I could see by this time that an airbag had come out of my driver's seat and thought that it had been hit too. My daughter told me she was o.k. and to pull the car over so that we could see what had happened. I was shaking with fear and pain in my arm but finally calmed down enough to park the car and get out to see what had happened. It became clear that the car had not been shot at and that the driver's side seat airbag had simply spontaneously exploded without any warning whatsoever. The driver's seat side seam was completely ripped, multiple pieces of seat foam were lying about, and the air bag in the seat was out and ripped. The seat was still smoking. Luckily I had had my window completely down, or the explosion would have been louder in the car, and my arm and left side could have been more badly injured. I called my longtime Saab repairman who told me that what happened to me was extremely rare. He said I would need a new seat and that the computer system would need to be reset for the airbag system to work again. Insurance will examine soon. I may try GM too.
No incident
Excessive leaking. Was driving on e-way and engine stopped or something occured where it sounded as if the car turned off. The battery was working but, when I pressed on accelerator it didn't propel forward. I carefully steered with hazard lights to side of the road. Ignition cranks but, car won't turn over. Replaced direct ignition coil, crankshaft sensor but, issue seems to be the fuel pump. A recall was issued regarding this: recall 06v126000 affected cars saab 9-3 2001 engine, may 12, 2006 original recall from the nhtsa manufacturer's report date may 12, 2006 nhtsa action number rq05003 potential number of units affected 11,886 nhtsa campaign ID number 06v126000 component fuel system, gasoline:delivery:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings summary on certain passenger vehicles, the fuel pump retaining tabs holding the fuel lines were damaged during production. consequence over time, this could cause the fuel lines to loosen from the pump resulting in fuel leakage. If an ignition source were present, the fuel may ignite resulting in a vehicle fire.
When I changed the battery of the car key, its doors and trunk stopped lock and unlock. The belt of the gas tank was broken also. I replaced also the fuel tank.
TL* the contact owns a 2001 saab 9-3. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start while the battery warning indicator was illuminated. In addition, the vehicle would stall. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the ignition discharge module failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 05v399000 (electrical system). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 186,000.
TL * the contact owned a 2001 saab 9-3. The contact was involved in a crash and the air bags failed to deploy. The vehicle was destroyed. The driver died and a police report was filed. The manufacturer was not notified. The speed was 40-45 mph. The failure mileage was 98,000. updated 09/11/14*lj the consumer stated the 7 year old passenger was rushed to the hospital. The a pillar as well as the roof caved in. Police determined vehicle speed was not a factor. updated 1/13/2015 *js
When coming to a stop at an intersection, the drivers side seat belt locks repeatedly making it impossible to lean forward to see if the intersection IS clear. Even after slowly leaning all of the way back and trying to lean forward again, it locks. The seat belt must be removed to avoid being held back in the seat and unable to see. In addition, when trying to remove the seat belt, the button sticks and must be pressed several times before it releases. *tr
TL* the contact owns a 2001 saab 9-3 convertible. The contact stated while attempting to engage the brake pedal, the accelerator pedal extended to the floor with out any warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the technician was unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 108,000.
Brought my 2001 saab 9-3 for campaign recall 05v399000 idm to dirito brothers saab of walnut creek, california. dealer stated not required to change the idm. if my idm fails at a later date, I could be susceptible to injury or death. need to know if dealer IS required to change idm. *tr
Saab 93 - heated driver seat melted a hole in the seat. *Tr
At approximately 75,000 miles, driving on the interstate around 70mph, oil light begins flickering. after slowing down to 60 the light stopped flickering and instead stayed on. from the time I was able to slow down to pull off the road a knocking sound could be heard from the engine progressively getting louder. the car was then taken home and inspected. removing the oil pan revealed that the oil pick-up tube was clogged and the pan was caked with burnt oil. a local mechanic estimated $3,000 to repair the internal damage. called saab, they said the car was beyond any warranty and that it was my fault for not turning the car off immediately after seeing the light. furthermore after researching this issue, I spoke with 3 saab representatives who claimed to know nothing of this oil sludge issue and were not able to bring it up as it does not have a recall number, a fourth one was able to pull up a record based on my v.i.n. Showing that this known oil sludge problem was "repaired" back in 2006 under the name "special policy" which was good for 8 years after the in service date so long as all records of the car were kept. according to this report my argument was pointless considering I was approximately 5 months out of warranty and did not have the required service logs. *Tr
Driving on freeway on ramp, without warning vehicle lost all power in the middle of traffic, almost causing a serious crash. Took vehicle to mechanic and it was discover that there was a faulty throttle body. part was replaced. *Tr
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 saab 9-3. While driving at approximately 30 mph, the oil pressure light illuminated. The contact turned the vehicle off and the light turned off. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis and the mechanic flushed the oil sludge out. The current mileage was approximately 102,500. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000. updated 07/15/10 *bf the consumer stated he received a letter from saab acknowledging a problem with several year models regarding internally lubricated engine parts. The letter stated they were extending the warranty for a total of eight years from the service date with unlimited mileage. the consumer stated his coverage expired. The cost to repair the problem was $2500. Updated 07/19/10*jb
Nhtsa campaign ID # 04v557000 and 06v126000 are recalls which necessitated saab to inspect the fuel pump brackets. the 2001 saab 9-3, which I own, was first repaired because the fuel lines were corrupted and caused fuel to pump out into the open on top of the gas tank. this was repaired under warranty and was not under recall at that time. much later, I received a recall notice for an inspection of the fuel pump bracket to make sure the a "new" bracket had been installed. these two inspections required the lowering of the fuel tank. I received a code 0442 a few months later and had the saab dealer inspect possible cause. it was discovered that the vent hose filler pipe has a leak as determined by a "smoke" check. later, at a different shop, while having a tire rotation, the technician had me come out and check the right wheel area with the wheel assembly removed. what was revealed was a "rub" hole in the vent hose caused by contact with the shock absorber. I have digital photos of the damage. the damaged vent line IS either 1) poor engineering of the vent line in relation to the shock absorber, or 2) the damage was the act of poor re-installment of the fuel tank either on the repair or later inspection. my question IS this, " has there been any reports of shock absorbers, or other parts, causing holes in the vent lines which pass near the right wheel assembly?" saab has not been very helpful in trying to resolve this issue. *Tr
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 saab 9-3. while driving at any speed, the instrument panel stopped functioning and the brake pedal had to be applied with more pressure than normal to stop the vehicle. the failure occurs every time the vehicle IS driven. the contact did not notice any differences in the vehicle prior to the failure. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. the vin was unknown. the current mileage was 70,000 and failure mileage was 60,000.
The direct ignition cassette has been replaced four different times. The initial replacement was only 8,000 miles into the original ownership. The last two were in 2006 with 80,000 miles. It IS apparent continued problems have been experienced with this vehicle. *tr
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 saab 9-3. while driving 70 mph, the check engine light illuminated. the contact drove to the dealer and they stated that the ignition cassette failed. she then found a recall on her vehicle for the same failure her vehicle was experiencing; however, the dealer stated that her vin was not included. the contact believes that her vehicle should be included in the recall because it IS experiencing the same failure. the recall number was unknown. the failure and current mileages were 82,347. Updated 05/20/08. *Lj the door handle was replaced. Updated 05/20/08
2001 saab 9-3 with oil light illuminated. Consumer states that the vehicle would not restart when pulled to the side of the road. Consumer stated that there were a lot of reports of oil sludge on this make and model. *kb the consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealer and was informed the vehicle needed a new engine, due to sludge build-up in the oil pan.
No warning. oil light goes on while driving on the highway. vehicle towed to saab dealership. engine seized. sludge found in the oil pickup pan. perfect service records. saab/gm will not honor extended 8 year warranty. for known sludge problem. *tr
Engine seized. *tr
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 saab 9-3. while driving approximately 45 mph, the contact noticed smoke rising from under the driver seat. her legs became extremely hot so she pulled over and shut off the seat warmer. the vehicle became engulfed with smoke and a hole was burned into the driver seat. shortly after the seat warmer was shut off, the smoke ceased. the vehicle has not been taken to the dealer. the current and failure mileages were 94,000.
TL* - the contact owns a 2001 saab 93. the contact stated that there was safety recall on the ignition discharge module. the first time he took the vehicle to the dealer to have the safety recall repair work done was 04/17/2006. the contact drove back home at 60 mph for approximately 40 miles, and during that time and for the first time, the engine light turned on. the contact went back a second time on 05/11/2006 because the engine light stayed on and, there were gas fumes in the vehicle. the contact went back to the dealer on 06/08/2006 because there were overwhelming gas fumes in the vehicle. currently the engine on light stayed on consistently. The contact was told that he would be charged for repairs. the failure mileage was 15,949 and the current mileage was 17,900. *Ak the consumer provided the invoices for repairs and documents for the saab dealership. Update 4/25/07 *tr
Car taken to dealer twice because "check engine light" on intermittently; told there were "no problems" and instructed on how to clear message. "check engine light" and "oil" light began to flicker intermittently; taken to 2 independent mechanics for check; both stated there was oil in the pan, oil in the engine, no obvious problem. "check engine" and "oil" lights came on and stayed on; car began making noise. pulled over and had towed to independent mechanic who stated bearings were shot and new engine needed. saab USA has persisted in denying culpability despite letter and mechanic's statement. told me car was under warranty resulting in towing from independent shop to dealer; dealer then said car was not under warranty. bbb complaint filed; now saab USA insists engine must be torn down to diagnose problem and I must accept risk that if the problem IS not theirs, I will owe $1500 for tear-down; dealer wants storage charges. car out of service now 43 days and counting. *Jb
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
On november 19, 2004 gm notified odi of a defect condition that could result in fuel leakage at the fuel pump connections in approximately 17,400 model year (my) 2001 and 2002 saab 9-3 passenger vehicles built at the uusikaupunki, finland assembly plant between may 2000 and july 2002 (gm recall no. 14101, nhtsa recall no. 04V-557).according to gm, plastic fuel pump retaining tabs holding the fuel lines were damaged during the manufacturing process for some of the 9-3 vehicles built at the finland plant.gm indicated that, over time, this could cause the fuel lines to loosen from the pump resulting in fuel leakage which, in the presence of an ignition source, couldcause a vehicle fire.the recalled vehicles were fitted with a securing bracket to hold the fuel lines to the fuel pump even if theretaining tabs should break. Rq05-003 was opened to investigate complaints of fuel pump retaining tab failure resulting in fuel leakage in my 2001 saab 9-3 vehicles built at the trollhatten, sweden plant.in its response to rq05-003 gm indicated that concerns with the retaining tab failure in my 2001 saab 9-3 vehicles were not limited to vehicles produced in finland.in an april 20, 2006 letter (copy attached), gm informed nhtsa that it was expanding its recall to include the my 2001 9-3 vehicles built in sweden (gm recall no. 14101, nhtsa recall no. 06V-126).saab plans to begin mailing owner letters for the additional vehicles in may 2005.this investigation IS closed.
Odi opened pe05-017 based on 35 reports of alleged engine stalling due to the failure of the idm cassette on the subject vehicles.all complainants reported that the engine shut down suddenly without warning and most reported that the vehicle would not restart.in 3 incidents, the complainants reported smoke and/or fire resulted from the idm failure.during pe05-017, additional failure data was identified as noted in the failure report summary above.the complaint data represents incidents where the complainants alleged a stall or fire.on september 13, 2005, general motors (gm) notified nhtsa of a safety defect on 95,081 my 2000-2002 saab 9-3 and 9-5 vehicles with 4-cylinder gasoline engines and 8,117 my 2001 9-5 vehicles with 6- cylinder gasoline engines (recall 05v-399).the notification stated that certain vehicles within these populations may experience overheating and burnout of the isolated gated bipolar transistor (igbt) within the idm due to increased susceptibility to electrical loads.overheating of the igbt occurs most often at engine start-up for both a 4-cylinder and 6-cylinder engine, but it may also occur while the engine IS running.when the idm fails on a 4-cylinder while it IS running, the engine may stall without warning, with no ability to be restarted.when the idm fails on a 6-cylinder engine while it IS running, the driver will initially experience reduced power and rough operation because the engine will only be running on three cylinders.the check engine light will flash.if the driver continues, unburnt fuel in the exhaust can cause thermal damage to the catalytic converter.the engine may stall and not restart.thermal damage to other underhood components and the underbody may also result from prolonged driving.the recall population encompasses 84% of the stalling and fire complaints (215 for vehicles with 4-cylinder engines and 36 for vehicles with 6-cylinder engines).the 36 months in service (mis) stalling rates for each model year of recalled vehicles with 4-cylinder engines were all greater than two percent.although the 36 mis stall rate for the recalled my 2001 vehicles with V6 engines was lower, at 1.3 percent, these vehicles also had the highest rate of confirmed (open flame verified) fires at 62 per 100,000 vehicles.gm will instruct owners to bring their vehicles to a dealer for idm inspection and replacement, if necessary.consequently, this investigation IS closed.odi will monitor the effectiveness of the scope and remedy of gm's action and take further action if warranted.
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.