2003 SAAB 9-3 Linear 2.0t 176hp

Summary:

Worst car I've ever owned or heard of

Faults:

1. Brakes failed after 10,000 miles.

2. Headlights didn't work first 6 months (gravity sensor)

3. Wouldn't start on the 2nd day I had it.

4. Wouldn't start the 5th day I had it after getting it back from the dealer.

5. Wouldn't start the 8th day I had it after getting it back from the dealer.

6. Dealer refused to honor CPO warranty saying fuel was contaminated. I hadn't even purchased a tank of gas yet ($500.00) + could not return the car according to dealer (later learned this was BS)

7. Bad battery, stranded 3 times.

8. Alarm malfunctioned (=300.00$ "noise violation" ticket plus $150.00 tow.) dealer did not reimburse.

9. Sunroof wouldn't close. Pinch protection?

10. Temp sensor located beneath front air dam (!?!) broke during a rain storm, leading the cars climate control system to fog up all windows, essentially disabling the vehicle (couldn't see) = $600.00.

11. Front plastic underneath bumper all fell off including wheel wells = $400.00. This was like this from the dealer.

12. Brake failure x2. Nearly crashed on the highway when vehicle went out of control (nearly).

13. Vehicle unbalanced, when accelerating all over the place.

14. Steering wheel unbalanced (see 15)

15. Car was in an accident prior to purchase, which I wasn't notified by the dealer about (note that this vehicle was sold "certified").

16. Grille fell off. Dealer wants $180.00 for it, claiming that it isn't under warranty due to prior body work. Since I refuse to pay this, I've had a large hole in the front of my car for almost a year.

17. None of the "stated" recalls had been done by dealer, none of the service bulletins done. See 18.

18. Difficulties shifting into and out of first. "repaired" at least 6 times.

19. Dealer called me an A**HOLE when they refused to fix the headlights or brakes under warranty during the first month. HIGHLY INSULTED.

20. Saab refused to do ANYTHING for me. Wouldn't buy back car or pay any kind of service. Stupid operator laughed at me... HIGHLY INSULTED.

21. Headlight gravity sensor bad again. Dangerous to drive at night again.

22. "Ghosts in the machine" random warning lights, random problems, random noises, etc.

23. Radio is terrible.

24. Dealer is a total a-hole (see 19 & 20). (

25. Did I mention how many times it went away on a flatbed?

26. Missed at least a week of work between all of these issues. Nearly fired.

27. Customer service ran out of space for all the complaints.

28. Tires were bad from the dealership. They were new when they sold it to me, but appeared severely worn after the second or third service.

29. Expensive to service. Supposed to be certified with warranty. Why have I paid $3000.00 on top of all regular service?

30. Seatbelt retractor works sometimes... sometimes...

31. I wonder if the seatbelt will fail the next time the brakes or headlights fail... Will I die a horrible death in this "5 star" rated vehicle? Probably.

32. Scared to drive vehicle due to safety. See numerous lines above.

33. Scared to drive the car because I will probably get stranded.

34. Scared to drive to my parents house on the vineyard for Christmas, because there are no Saab dealerships to "rescue" me when it dies the next time.

35. I've spent at least $3000.00 on service, at least $500.00 on tows when, say, street cleaning happens and I can't move my vehicle. Or when the alarm goes off randomly, etc.

36. Alarm will go off if you leave the windows down: car locks itself when you leave it... good thing? alarm gets armed, goes off when the wind blows... won't shut off.

37. Running out of space and time. I'm at work.

38. I could probably go to 100 if I remember everything.

General Comments:

Horrible.

Terrible.

"Saab story"

Unsafe.

Scary.

Expensive.

Terrible service.

Expensive.

Terrible service.

See 1-38 above.

Letter to company & dealership stated "Did I purchase a KIA and nobody wants to hurt my feelings by informing me?"

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 20th December, 2007

31st Dec 2007, 15:27

Perhaps you could've done more homework before purchasing this particular 9-3. You did buy a pre-owned vehicle.

My 2003 9-3 has been a delight.

Ultra-reliable, powerful, great handling & comfortable.

I couldn't be more pleased with it.

7th Jan 2008, 23:02

Wow, wow, wow, wow nothing I can say. I have never seen too many problems on any car. I love Saabs I would have kicked the dealers manger ass and hunted down the sales man. You got screwed.

Have you called GM's Detroit office? I live in Detroit and GM is better here about lemons, since 20% of metro Detroit works for them in one way or another.

Good luck with everything. Don't give up on Saab, just lease, never buy. Way tooo much in repairs as you have seen first hand.

View 30 more comments

2003 SAAB 9-3 SE Convertible 2.0 Litre turbo

Summary:

Tons of thumbs up on this red convertible

Faults:

The stereo stopped working at 32000 miles. It would not play CDs. This gave me a good excuse to upgrade to better aftermarket system.

General Comments:

Beautifully styled red convertible. I get a lot of stares. Saabs are rare in this area and I like that.

Seat heaters are great.

Converible top has a nice up and down mechanism.

Stock stereo and speakers are not good for a 40k dollar car.

The engine is pretty quick and the mileage is about 28 mpg. Transmission is sort of jerky.

Car could be more solid. It creaks more than I would like, but then again it is a convertible. I wonder if the newer ones don't do this as much?

This is our weekend car. It has been enjoyable thus far.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 4th October, 2007

27th Sep 2009, 07:51

Update here from the original poster:

I have driven this weekend car another 12,000 miles since the original post. Only a few minor things have gone wrong. The relay that switches between high and low beams stopped working. The part was around $180, but it takes 30 seconds to change. The passenger rear window regulator is slipping a bit. It'll be an easy fix, I just haven't gotten around to it yet. I'll buy a used one at a junk yard.

Other than that, this car is very reliable. Some of the things that have happened to so many owners haven't happened to me, and this car is now 6 years old, including the information display losing pixels, etc. I am trying to avoid the oil sludge issue by using full synthetic every 5,000 miles and will also change the PCV system shortly. That part is around $50.

The convertible top, which can be several thousands of dollars to fix, is as reliable as when I bought her. I am amazed at how warm she keeps the inside of the car when it is 18 degrees out.

3rd Oct 2009, 19:06

I own an 02 Saab Convertible and love it. One of 2 cars (Honda CRV), but it gets lots of use.

It was a lease car in CA. I bought it on ebay with 29K from a Minneapolis dealer who got it at auction.

I've had it for 4 years, put on 50K more, which include 3 cross country trips of 10,000, 8,000 and 7,000 miles each.

I had problems with the headlight relay, the SID and a plastic shield around the drivers seat. That's IT. Consumer reports doesn't like this car, but I am glad I ignored them for once.

It's quick and fast. It's very reliable. Yup!

I had a below Blue Book price when I got it, so it was a potential private resale. The drive from MN home to MD convinced me it was a keeper. I sold my Celica Convertible right after.

4th Oct 2009, 16:55

19:06: I have a similar story regarding my 2003 9-3 convertible.

Best car I've ever owned, and I've personally owned over 2 dozen vehicles.

1st Nov 2010, 12:31

Original Poster:

Now have 50,000 miles on it and nothing has gone wrong since the last time I posted. This thing is very reliable.

An old man walked up to me last week and said "Sweet looking car son! Have fun!"

This is the 9-3 Aero Convertible so it has those turbine looking rims, spoiler, front and rear body kits, side skirts, etc.

I change the oil every 5,000 miles with Mobil 1. She continues to run like a dream.