2001 SAAB 9-3 SE 2.0 turbo

Summary:

I am extremely upset by the infamous sludge crisis

Faults:

Automatic climate control screen pixels died at 65,000.

Oil sludge and rod knock at 83,000.

General Comments:

This car was a beauty when it ran. Extremely fuel efficient, the interior is quirky yet very comfortable. I was surprised to find that for its fuel efficiency, this baby has some get up and go when the sport mode is activated. I'm not a big fan of the turbo lag, but it's to be expected...

What wasn't to be expected was that even though I changed the oil using Mobil 1 every 3,000 miles, and performed every recommended maintenance procedure from checking tire pressure to all fluid levels, to even sending out the automatic climate control screen to Sweden to have a few pixels repaired, out of nowhere my oil light begins to flicker before staying on, within 30 seconds the light comes on. I was no more than 5 minutes away from my home, so I continued driving, as I approached my driveway I noticed a ticking noise... long story short, the car currently has a rod knock.

As far as customer service goes, I contacted 2 dealers concerning the common oil sludge issue, but neither had any idea what I was talking about, and were concerned only with attempting to quickly set up an appointment to have it looked at. I even asked that they simply look at the paperwork if I fax it to them (5 page letter to Saab owners from "Saab Cars USA, inc."), but both refused when I could not give them an exact policy number. The letters state only that it is called the "special policy".

After contacting Saab directly using the 1-800 number on the letter, I was informed that the "special policy" coverage expired on Nov 11th of 2008; 8 years after my car was first put into service. Saab feels that they have no responsibility in fixing this err due to my Saab being outside of the time frame, and therefore my spontaneous rod knock could have come from a number of issues completely unrelated to faulty design.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 18th January, 2010

21st Jan 2010, 07:40

Out of warranty, don't know prior records, looking for a free engine, maybe this is why Saab needs a buyer.

21st Jan 2010, 12:39

I came across your story looking for news of the Saab sale/demise Jan 2010. I come from a "Saab family" and have followed the company since the '80's. Otherwise I have no connection to Saab or any other car company.

I'm sorry that your Saab 9-3 has the sludge issue. Had you been paying attention, you would have known that there were many service bulletins for your vehicle to fix it before the motor was ruined. Or, you could have inspected the motor directly to see if sludge is present (remove cam cover, remove oil pan). For added protection and peace of mind, there are even aftermarket parts out there, like a modified oil pan, that keep the motor safe (or safer) even when sludge is present.

Many modern autos have the sludge issue. Why? It is a huge challenge for automakers to design an efficient, powerful, low-emissions motor that is still cost-effective and reliable. Sometimes they don't work out so well. For instance, in its previous iterations, the Saab 4-cylinder turbocharged engines (especially the B235 variant) were considered indestructible! But they weren't especially fuel efficient or clean running. When your version (1999 to 2003, 9-3 and 9-5's) of the motor was conceived, a certain part of the recipe was lost and the sludge issue cropped up.

For the record, the current version in the 'new' 9-3 Sport Sedan and Sport Combi has seemed to find the right mix of power, smoothness, reliability, emissions, etc. No reason to dis this motor.

And finally, you wrote that you drove the car for 5+ miles with the Oil Pressure Warning Light ON? You killed a repairable motor with that move. And you are still asking Saab to fix your car?

21st Jan 2010, 14:07

If you drop the oil pan and inspect the bearings, you will be able to determine the extent of the damage. I have salvaged cranks that other people would have condemned. Using ultrafine sandpaper, you can clean up moderately scored journals and install new bearings. Clean the oil screen and change the oil using 5w-30 fully synthetic oil. If you remove the valve cover and the valve springs are caked in sludge, then look for another car. Spending several hundred dollars is a fraction of what a new car will cost.

2001 SAAB 9-3 2.0 turbo

Summary:

The car is junk

Faults:

My turbocharger went bad at 68,000 thousand miles. GM refused to pick up the cost of repair; it was 1,900 dollars.

Bad customer service from General Motors. I will never buy another SAAB again. One of the worst cars I could ever own.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 25th May, 2008

24th Jun 2008, 20:00

What was the warranty on the turbo-charger?

If it was out of warranty WHY should the manufacturer pick up the bill for it?

I'm constantly amazed at how many reviewers seem to expect a lifetime warranty on their vehicles.

Cars are machines - they do break now & again.

No, I do not work in the automobile industry, not for a dealer, manufacturer or anything else related to automobiles, however I am fairly knowledgable when it come to cars, and in my opinion Saab makes some very fine automobiles.

I see people on this site calling Lexuses junk, Toyotas lemons, complaining about Saabs, and many other fine automobiles.

People often complain that their engines failed due to sludge. Some engines do suffer from design flaws, however I really wonder how many people are changing their oil as often as they should given today's high performance engines, especially turbo-charged engines.

I really think that people need to take better care of their vehicles, and if they choose not to, they should stop blaming the manufacturer when they break.

Again, I'm not saying that vehicles are perfect, they are machines and they can break, some break far too often. But I am saying that vehicles are not nearly as bad as some reviewers would have you believe.

In my opinion, as well as from my personal experience as a Saab owner - Saab builds fine automobiles.

I've owned well over 20 vehicles in my driving lifetime, most have been superb, and NONE have been as anywhere near as bad as many of these reviews would lead you to believe.

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