2009 SAAB 9-3 Problems & Recalls

MY 2009 SAAB 9-3 STARTED AND RAN FINE ON THE WAY TO WORK, BUT AT LUNCH IT STARTED FOR A COUPLE SECONDS AND SHUT OFF. THE CAR CRANKS, BUT IS AUDIBLY TOO FREE SPINNING. A LOCAL SHOP SAID COMPRESSION IN THE ENGINE WAS VERY LOW, AND AFTER MULTIPLE CALLS IT SEEMS THAT MY CAR HAS THE INFAMOUS "SOFT INTAK...

Mileage: 78,000

MISFIRES WHEN COLD, RESULTING IN ROUGH LOW IDLE SPEED AND POSSIBLE STALLING AFTER COLD START.

Mileage: 71,000

MY CAR HAS FALLEN VICTIM TO THE SOFT INTAKE VALVE ISSUE. MY CAR WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY, IT RAN PERFECTLY WELL THE NIGHT BEFORE. I ATTEMPTED TO MOVE IT ON CHRISTMAS EVE MORNING 12/24/2017 BUT IT WOULD NOT START. I THEN HAD IT TOWED TO MY LOCAL SAAB MECHANIC, AUTOMOTION IN BILLERICA, MA- THE OW...

Mileage: 70,000

THE INTAKE VALVES ARE WORN ON THE ENGINE THIS STARTED AROUND 80,000 MILES AND HAS PROGRESSIVELY GOTTEN WORSE. THE CAR WILL NOT START ON VERY COLD DAYS. IF IT DOES, IT IDLES VERY ROUGH AND HARD. DATE BELOW IS AN ESTIMATE OF WHEN THIS STARTED.

Mileage: 80,000

I HAVE OWNED MY 2008 SAAB 9-3 FOR ABOUT A YEAR NOW AND I HAVE HAD AN ONGOING ROUGH RUNNING ISSUE THAT SEEMS TO BE GETTING WORSE. WHEN I START MY CAR UP IN THE MORNING IT RUNS VERY ROUGH. IHAVE GOTTEN IT DIAGNOSED AND IT IS MISFIRING DRAMATICALLY LIKE 6000 ON ONE CYLINDER AND 1081 ON ANOTHER . I HAVE...

Mileage: 80,000

I WAS FIRST NOTIFIED OF THE RECALL IN 2016, BUT TOLD THAT THE REPLACEMENT PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. WHEN I GOT THE NOTICE EARLY THIS YEAR THAT PARTS AVAILABLE, I CALLED THE AUTHORIZED DEALER SEVERAL TIMES AND NEVER GOT A RESPONSE. ON ONE OCCASION I SPOKE TO SOMEONE WHO SAID HE WOULD CALL ME BACK BUT NEV...

TAKATA RECALL I WAS INFORMED IN A LETTER THAT GM IS WORKING ON AIRBAG RECALL FOR MY CAR. IT STATED THAT IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT MY AIRBAG CAN EXPLODE AND I MAY DIE. THEY ALSO SAID THAT IN ANOTHER LETTER THEY WILL SPECIFY WHEN THE REPLACEMENT PART IS AVAILABLE. IT HAS BEEN A WHILE AND I HAVE NOT H...

TAKATA RECALL - MY COMPLAINT IS THAT ABSOLUTELY NOTHING HAS HAPPENED, AND THAT THE STATUS OF THE RECALL ISSUED APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR AGO IS: "RECALL INCOMPLETE. REMEDY NOT YET AVAILABLE". PEOPLE ARE STILL DYING OUT THERE BECAUSE TAKATA HAS NOT YET SOLVED THIS PROBLEM. THOSE OF US WHO OWN VEHICLES...

TAKATA RECALL. I WAS NOTIFIED OF THE RECALL IN MAY 2016. THERE HAS BEEN NO FOLLOW-UP OR FIX AVAILABLE TO THIS DATE. THIS IS A DRIVER-SIDE AIRBAG RECALL. I CANNOT SAFELY DRIVE MY CAR UNTIL THIS IS FIXED. I LIVE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS WHERE IT IS HOT AND HUMID MUCH OF THE YEAR. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR T...

TAKATA RECALL--IT'S BEEN 9 MONTHS SINCE I WAS NOTIFIED OF THE RECALL, AND CALLED MY LOCAL DEALER. BUT I'VE RECEIVED NO FURTHER WORD. I LOVE THIS CAR, HOWEVER, I AM VERY CONCERN, SINCE MY WIFE USES THIS CAR EVER DAY TO GO TO WORK. IF, GOD FORBID, SOMEONE HITS THE CAR AND THE AIR BAG IMPLODES AND SH...

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V063000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART FOR THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE AIR BAG WARNING IN...

Mileage: 140,000

IT IS PUBLIC INFORMATION THAT TAKATA'S AIRBAGS CARRY A VERY HIGH RISK SINCE THE INFLATOR PROPELLANT DEGRADES TO THE POINT OF BRAKING THE STEEL HOUSING AND THROWING IT TO THE OCCUPANT CAUSING SEVERE INJURIES OR DEATH. IN SPITE OF ALL THESE FACTS, THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT INITIATED A RECALL AND DOES ...

TAKATA RECALL I HAVE BEEN AWARE OF MY VEHICLE'S RECALL FOR GREATER THAN 6 MONTHS AND MY MANUFACTURER HAS NOT YET PRESENTED A SAFE SOLUTION.

Mileage: 50,000

TAKATA RECALL--IT'S BEEN 5 MONTHS SINCE I WAS NOTIFIED OF THE RECALL, BUT I'VE RECEIVED NO FURTHER WORD. SAAB'S ARE NO LONGER BEING MANUFACTURED AND SOLD AS NEW CARS, AND THEREFORE I EXPECT I'M AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LIST. BUT I JUST PUT A GREAT DEAL OF MAINTENANCE INTO THE CAR, IT HAS 60,000 MILES ...

TAKATA RECALL - IT HAS BEEN OVER SIX MONTHS SINCE THIS RECALL WAS ISSUED, AND THE PARTS ARE STILL NOT AVAILABLE TO FIX A POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING CONDITION. IT IS DIFFICULT TO DRIVE A VEHICLE THAT MAY KILL ME IF I AM INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. WHEN WILL THE REPLACEMENT AIR BAGS BE AVAILABLE? WH...

TAKATA RECALL: GM ANNOUNCED THIS RECALL 6 MONTHS AGO. STILL NO REMEDY AND NO COMMUNICATION. MY CHILDREN ARE ABOUT TO START LEARNING TO DRIVE - I DON'T WANT TO RISK THEIR LIVES BY ALLOWING THEM TO DRIVE THE SAAB - I NEED A NEW AIRBAG. SORRY IF THIS IS THE WRONG FORM - I FOLLOWED THE SAFER LIN...

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SABB 9-3. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V063000 (AIR BAGS). THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTUR...

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V063000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACT...

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V063000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACT...

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V063000 (AIR BAGS) AND STATED THAT THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME FRAME TO SCHEDULE THE RECALL REPAIR. THE DEALER DID NOT GIVE A SPECIFIC DATE FOR WHEN THE PART WOU...

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V338000 (AIR BAGS) EXCEEDED A REASONABLE TIME FOR REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE PART TO PERFORM THE REPAIR WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR OVER SIX MONTHS. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCE...

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V063000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART OR REMEDY FOR THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL ...

THE INTAKE VALVES ARE BAD ON THIS CAR AND IT HAS 100K MILES ON THIS. THIS IS A $2000 PLUS JOB THAT COMES OUT OF POCKET. IT SEEMS TO BE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH SAABS AND IT APPEARS THERE ARE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ON HERE. THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED AND PAID FOR BY GM, BECAUSE THEY DID NOT PROPERTY ...

Mileage: 103,000

THE INTAKE VALVES ARE BAD ON THIS CAR AND IT HAS 100K MILES ON THIS. THIS IS A $2000 PLUS JOB THAT COMES OUT OF POCKET. IT SEEMS TO BE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH SAABS AND IT APPEARS THERE ARE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ON HERE. THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED AND PAID FOR BY GM, BECAUSE THEY DID NOT PROPERTY ...

Mileage: 103,000

CAR WENT INTO "LIMP-HOME" MODE. UPON MECHANIC INSPECTION, FAILED COMPRESSION TEST AND HAD BAD INTAKE VALVES. OUT-OF-POCKET FIX, CAR RUNNING FINE NOW. KEPT ALL PARTS REPLACED, EDGES OF VALVES ARE AS SHARP AS A KNIFE. SIMILAR EXPERIENCE AS DOCUMENTED BY OTHER SAAB OWNERS AT LINK BELOW. HTTP:...

Mileage: 77,000

THE CYLINDER VALVES ARE ALL HAVING TO BE REPLACED THOUGH THE CAR ONLY HAS 77K MILES. I HAVE NOW RESEARCHED AND LEARNED THAT THIS WAS A PROBLEM ON THE 2007,2008, AND 2009 SAABS AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO RECALL THE CARS. THE RESULTING PROBLEM IS THAT THE CAR WILL NOT START WHEN COLD AND THE COMPR...

Mileage: 77,000

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WHILE ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT N...

Mileage: 76,000

MY SAAB HAS FALLEN VICTIM TO THE, NOW WELL KNOWN, WELL DOCUMENTED ,SOFT VALVE ISSUE. WHILE GM OWNED SAAB THEY SOMEHOW ALLOWED NON-HARDENED VALVES TO BE PLACED INTO SAAB ENGINES THAT ARE NOW FAILING AT ASTRONOMICAL RATES. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR ENGINES TO FAIL AT 50-60M MILES. THE COST OF REPAIR T...

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SAAB 9-3. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR WAS FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V318000 (SEAT BELTS). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE....

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SAAB 9-3. WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ABLE TO RESTART AND WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHI...

Mileage: 33,000

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SAAB 9-3. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, A STRONG ODOR OF FUEL EMITTED INTO THE VEHICLE. AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT OBSERVED FUEL LEAKING FROM THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED TH...

Mileage: 7,000

SINCE 18000 MILES THE DASHBOARD HAS BEEN DISPLAYING "SYSTEM FAILURE..TIRE PRESSURE SYSTEM". IT HAS BEEN RE CALIBRATED SEVERAL TIMES. TODAY AT 47000 MILES THE AUTHORIZED SAAB REPAIR FACILITY HAS DECLARED THAT THE MONITORS ARE THE OLD STYLE, WHICH HAS HAD MANY PROBLEMS AND HAS BEEN SINCE RE-ENGINEERED...

Mileage: 18,200

SINCE 18000 MILES THE DASHBOARD HAS BEEN DISPLAYING "SYSTEM FAILURE..TIRE PRESSURE SYSTEM". IT HAS BEEN RE CALIBRATED SEVERAL TIMES. TODAY AT 47000 MILES THE AUTHORIZED SAAB REPAIR FACILITY HAS DECLARED THAT THE MONITORS ARE THE OLD STYLE, WHICH HAS HAD MANY PROBLEMS AND HAS BEEN SINCE RE-ENGINEERED...

Mileage: 18,200

SINCE 18000 MILES THE DASHBOARD HAS BEEN DISPLAYING "SYSTEM FAILURE..TIRE PRESSURE SYSTEM". IT HAS BEEN RE CALIBRATED SEVERAL TIMES. TODAY AT 47000 MILES THE AUTHORIZED SAAB REPAIR FACILITY HAS DECLARED THAT THE MONITORS ARE THE OLD STYLE, WHICH HAS HAD MANY PROBLEMS AND HAS BEEN SINCE RE-ENGINEERED...

Mileage: 18,200

WHILE DRIVING I RECEIVED A MESSAGE THAT SAID STEERING LOCK MALFUNCTION COME TO A SAFE STOP. IT LASTED ABOUT 3 TO 4 SECONDS AND THEN WENT OFF. THE STEERING WAS NOT AFFECTED. IT HAPPENED AGAIN ABOUT AN HOUR LATER AT A LOWER SPEED, SAME MESSAGE AND AGAIN IT ONLY LASTED A FEW SECONDS. IT OCCURRED THE NE...

Mileage: 59,500

MY HOOD RELEASE( WHAT I PULL TO POP THE HOOD INSIDE OF THE CAR) BROKE 14 MONTHS AGO AND I HAD THE OLD SAAB DEALER FIX IT. YOU WOULD PULL IT AND NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN. ABOUT A MONTH AGO THE SAME THING HAPPENED. THE HOOD WOULD REMAIN IN THE COMPLETELY SHUT POSITION. ON 3-14-15 I WAS DRIVING 40 MILE...

Mileage: 23,000

CAR BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH UPON COLD START UP, BUT WOULD RUN BETTER AFTER A FEW MINUTES. I HAD THE PLUGS REPLACED AND PROBLEM PERSISTED. PROBLEM BECAME MORE PRONOUNCED AS WEATHER GOT COLDER. SAAB TECHNICIAN SUSPECTED AN INTAKE VALVE PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN VERY COMMON IN THESE CARS. A COLD COMPRESSIO...

Mileage: 79,223

THE DRIVER SIDE AND PASSENGER SEAT BELT RETRACTOR FAILS TO RETRACT. THE DRIVER SIDE HAS SOME RETRACTION LEFT AND PASSENGER SIDE HAS NONE LEFT. I FOUND THE RECALL NOTICE FROM JUNE 2014 HOWEVER IT ONLY MENTIONS THE CONVERTIBLE MODEL WHILE MY VEHICLE IS THE STATION WAGON. THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXPAND...

Mileage: 25,000

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SAAB 9-3. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE CONTACT HEARD A RATTLING SOUND NEAR THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT SELF-DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE AND STATED THAT THE FRONT COIL SPRING WAS FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS ...

Mileage: 44,000

DURING ROUTINE UNDER HOOD INSPECTION, BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR CAP WAS OBSERVED TO HAVE SPLIT INTO MULTIPLE PIECES. THIS DAMAGE, APPARENTLY HEAT RELATED, COMPROMISED THE ABILITY OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM TO MAINTAIN PRESSURE AND COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF BRAKING, CRASH, AND BODILY INJURY. VEHICLE WAS REMOV...

Mileage: 62,500

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED AND NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OVERHEATING AND HAD TO WAIT FOR THE VEHICLE TO COOL DOWN ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ABLE TO RESTART INTERMITTENTLY DUE TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTAC...

Mileage: 60,000

THE INTAKE VALVE IN THE FIRST CYLINDER HAS TO BE REPLACED AT THE COST OF APPROXIMATELY $2500. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE FOR ALL SAABS (2009-2011). THERE IS A TECHNICAL BULLETIN RELEASED FOR HOW TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT VEHICLE WORKMANSHIP IS THE PROBLEM AND THE COST OF REPAIR IS BEING ...

Mileage: 71,000

MY SAAB HAS WORN INTAKE VALVE SEATS WHICH WAS CONFIRMED WITH A COMPRESSION TEST. BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM, MY CAR IS HAVING TROUBLE STARTING COLD. ACCORDING TO MULTIPLE SAAB BLOGS, THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND IS POSSIBLY CAUSED BY DEFECTIVE PARTS. *TR

Mileage: 80,000

UPON STARTING AFTER SITTING, THE BRAKES HAVE A GREATLY INCREASED PEDAL EFFORT AND A CORRESPONDINGLY GREATLY REDUCED BRAKING EFFECT. THIS COMBINED WITH THE RELATIVELY HIGH IDLE FOR THIS MODEL OF ENGINE, (V-6), AT START UP COMBINES TO CREATES A SITUATION WHERE THE CAR IS VERY DIFFICULT TO STOP WHEN DR...

Mileage: 6,989

AFTER STARTING CAR AND ADJUSTING SEAT I BACKED OUT OF PARKING SPACE AND APPLIED THE BRAKES WHICH DID NOT SEEM TO WORK PROPERLY. THE CAR EVENTUALLY STOPPED AS I WAS NOT GOING VERY FAST. I PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE AND BEGAN TO ACCELERATE TO MOVE TO ANOTHER PARKING SPOT AND AS I TURNED THE CORNER GOING AP...

Mileage: 12,800

DRIVERS SIDE LOW BEAM IS DIM. DEALER FOUND THE LOW BEAM BULBS WERE OVERHEATING. REPLACED LOW BEAM BULBS AND REPROGRAMMED THE ELECTRICAL CENTER UNDER THE HOOD WITH NEW SOFTWARE TO PREVENT THE HEADLIGHT BULBS FROM OVERHEATING. *TR

Mileage: 39,269