KnownCarProblems2005 Saab 9-3 Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 95 complaints with NHTSA about the 2005 Saab 9-3, most often about the suspension (31% of complaints, typically around 64,000 miles). It is 6th of 12 9-3 model years by number of complaints and has 2 recalls.
Most common 2005 Saab 9-3 problems
Suspension
29 complaints · 31%Half of these problems showed up before 64,000 miles. Parts named most often: front, rear.
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…
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.
Seat belts
22 complaints · 23%Half of these problems showed up before 94,000 miles. Parts named most often: front.
Tl 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…
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.
Air bags
12 complaints · 13%Parts named most often: frontal.
: 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…
Airbag deployed on passenger side (no passenger present) and did not deploy on drivers side in less than 15 mile per hour accident. Appears to be a defect or malfunction of the system.
Electrical
9 complaints · 10%Half of these problems showed up before 24,500 miles.
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…
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
Fuel system
9 complaints · 10%Half of these problems showed up before 74,000 miles. Parts named most often: delivery, fuel injection system.
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…
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…
Brakes
5 complaints · 5%Parts named most often: disc, power assist.
: 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 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.
Engine
4 complaints · 4%Parts named most often: engine.
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…
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…
Seats
4 complaints · 4%Parts named most often: front assembly.
: 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.
: 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.
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2005 Saab 9-3 recalls
Seat belts: retractor
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Brakes: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Risk: If this condition were to occur when minimum stopping distance is required, a crash could occur.
Fix: Dealers will install a new redesigned check valve. The recall began on march 17, 2006. Owners should contact saab at 1-800-955-9007.
Full defect summary
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.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Front suspension coil spring fracture
Summary
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
Front suspension coil spring fracture
Summary
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
Questions about the 2005 Saab 9-3
- What are the most common problems with the 2005 Saab 9-3?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: suspension (29 complaints, typically around 64,000 miles); seat belts (22 complaints, typically around 94,000 miles); air bags (12 complaints).
- How many recalls does the 2005 Saab 9-3 have?
- 2 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from June 12, 2014 (seat belts). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2005 a bad year for the Saab 9-3?
- It is 6th of 12 9-3 model years by number of complaints, with 95 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.