Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | ||||||||||||||||
| 04V540000 | SAAB CARS USA, INC. | V (Vehicle) | 12249 | 01/15/2004 | MFR | SAAB CARS USA, INC. | 10/20/2004 | 11/10/2004 | ||||||||
| Defect Summary | On certain passenger vehicles, the engine management system software may cause engine hesitation or stalling. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | If the vehicle stalls as a result of this condition, it can be restarted immediately. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will update the engine management system. owners may contact saab at 1-800-955-9007. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Gm/saab customer satisfaction no. csc 15419.this action is deemed a safety improvement campaign and is not being conducted under the safety act. | |||||||||||||||
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||||
| 2912494 | 11/01/2004 | 10012036 | Reduced performance and diagnostic trouble codes for the turbo control valve. *eh | 02/09/2005 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||||
| 2102554 | 10/01/2006 | 10020715 | Noise from the timing chain and oil sludge in the engine. *kb | 12/29/2006 | |
| 3652399 | 01/01/2003 | 10001071 | Time for service message will display prematurely. *tt | 04/14/2003 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | ||||||
| EA04008 | SAAB CARS USA, INC. | 03/19/2004 | 10/27/2004 | ENGINE STALL | ||
| On december 30, 2003, odi opened a preliminary evaluation (pe03-059) to investigate 16 complaints alleging engine stall while driving in model year 2003 saab 9-3 sport sedans with 2.0l turbocharged engines.on january 15, 2004, general motors (gm) advised odi that gm and saab had decided to conduct a global customer satisfaction campaign to correct two distinct engine management software conditions that could result in engine stall in approximately 12 thousand saab 9-3 vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions.the remedies for both conditions involved reprogramming the engine management software. gm has stated that neither condition can occur during vehicle acceleration and in both cases the vehicle can be safely controlled and immediately restarted after engine stall. for these reasons, among others, gm believes that the subject vehicles do not contain a safety-related defect. to date, odi has not received any reports of crashes allegedly due to stalling of the subject vehicles.nevertheless, odi believes that the circumstances associated with these stalling conditions can have a significant adverse effect on safety.odi believes that the conditions addressed by gm | ||||||
| PE03059 | SAAB CARS USA, INC. | 12/30/2003 | 03/19/2004 | ENGINE STALL | ||
| The subject vehicles are equipped with automatic transmissions and turbocharged engines with two different power outputs, 175 hp and 210 hp.saab has modified the electonic control module (ecm) software in the subject vehicles to correct problems that could result in engine stall in both engines. in january 2003, saab disabled the dual mass flywheel (dmf) protection (intended only for manual transmission vehicles) in subject vehicles with 175 hp engines.according to saab, dmf protection in a vehicle with automatic tranmssion may cause the engine to stall when releasing the accelerator pedal when coming to a stop or when the vehicle is coasting. in august 2003, saab revised the ecm software in the 210 hp engines to address a concern with engine stall during aborted take-off manuevers.according to saab, aborted take-off stalls occur when the vehicle is stationary and in drive gear, the engine is idling, and the accelerator pedal is pulsed (pressed quickly and released in less than 1 second). there have been 553 non-duplicative complaints to odi and saab alleging engine stall in the subject vehicles.there is one reported crash and no injuries.saab initiated a customer satisfaction program in early february to reprogram the ecm's.saab reported that 36% of the vehicles had been serviced in the program as of march 9, 2004.this investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis to further assess the alleged defect in the subject vehicles and saab's actions to address the problems. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 10/10/2006 | 64000 | 8 | 06/09/2006 |
| No warning or signs of anything wrong... one day i am driving down the highway and taking an exit, when my car stalls out on me at 90km and hour, i almost hit the guard rail. this has happened 7 times in the last month where my car has stalled out on me. this happens when i am in neutral and depressing the brake. i took the car to saab for service, and they said nothing is wrong with the car and let me drive it home. tonight i almost killed a child on a bike as i slid to a stop after my car stalled on me again. i do not understand how saab can let someone drive their car home when reporting such a serious problem. please contact me as soon as possible! *jb | |||
| 07/13/2005 | 16000 | 25 | 03/15/2003 |
| 2003 saab 93 fails to accelerate from a stop in a timely manner. delay can be as long as 5 seconds before reasonable rate of acceleration is achieved with light or heavy application of the gas pedal. can occur when turning or in straight line acceleration. only occurs in very hot weather (phoenix, summer). in normal weather, auto exhibits typical, slight turbo lag, but nothing nearly as severe as this condition. auto did not exhibit problem during its first summer in 2003, but was serviced in 2004 for same condition. updated engine control software was loaded and slight improvement resulted. this time (2005), car was again serviced with updated engine control software, but absolutely no improvement resulted. this is an extremely hazardous condition, and requires exceptional care while driving. i consider it an accident waiting to happen, and have warned several individual at the servicing dealer, kachina cadillac/saab of htis. per saab's owner's manual instructions, i am contacting you. i have contacted saab directly today after dealer failed to rectify the problem, was unresponsive and seemed completely uninterested in doing any anything to correct this extremely unsafe condition. | |||
| 04/01/2005 | 3 | ||
| 2003 saab 9-3 vector has problems with sunroof, front passenger seat belt, alarm system, gas cap, side view mirrors and the board computer. ***no answer required***. *mr the onboard computer could not be fixed after 3 service visits, until finally the vehicle was recalled and exchanged for another. the gas cap would not close properly, the alarm system went off inadvertently, the side view mirrors would adjust themselves after the consumer turned the vehicle off. the cd player malfunctioned. the seat belt light came on even when there were no passengers. the front spoiler is falling apart. *jb | |||
| 02/13/2004 | 15000 | 15 | 07/02/2003 |
| The consumer was able to remove the key from the ignition switch while the vehicle was still running. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the dealer replaced the ignition module. the repairs worked fine for two weeks, then the problem recurred. *jb the fuel pump was replaced, the fog and head lights would go out once a month, the traction control was not working properly, the seat belts did not recoil to provide security for the passengers, the clutch pedal did not have the proper pressure when applied, the engine would not spin over, there was a blown fuel pump fuse, the driver window was inoperative, the sunroof deflector did not collapse when closing the glass causing the glass to re-open on it's own, the driver door panel did not fit the flush to the door panel, the radio and the onstar feature did not work. *sc *jb | |||
| 02/19/2004 | 10000 | 12 | 01/16/2003 |
| Wanted to give an update. after 2 months of waiting for saab to respond to my lemon law filing with an attorney, i have been able to get rid of my 9-3 linear. car still has hesitation after they have claimed to have repaired the software problem. transmission is now slipping, onstar malfunctions once a week, and have a rattle in the dash board. saab is fully aware of all of the problems. just wanted to give others the confidence to fight them on the problems of the engine stalling. *ak | |||
| 01/09/2004 | 5500 | 1 | 09/26/2003 |
| Leased 2003 saab 9-3 arc on 9/26 and this is my second complaint (10051379) and i still have not heard from saab customer care regarding their fixing the loud right rear rattling/knocking noise. i have called numerous times with no call back. i now have two more problems... the car hesitates, sputters and almost stalls... the dealer increased the idle and that was the fix... i do not feel safe when starting off from a stop or driving in stop and go traffic. also the transmission is shifting hard between gears between 10 and 30 mphs... it started a few days ago and is becoming more prevalent as each day passes..both these problems along with the loud rattling/knocking noise from right rear that dealer says is normal tell me that this car has problems that saab doesn't want to deal with and that is not right. *la | |||
| 10/19/2003 | 5000 | 1 | 07/20/2003 |
| This is my second complaint. i had originally filed complaint 10041666 a few weeks ago. now the problem with my saab stalling has become worse. i was travel in traffic, when the vehicle stalled while in traffic. the engine stalling caused me to rear end the vehicle in front me. which in turn caused a four car accident. there were no injuries reported, but now my problem is much more severe. i have contacted saab about this problem (much like i did the first time) and noting is being done to help me. i am now stuck with a defective vehicle that stalls all the time, and is as far as i am concerned totally useless and a huge safety problem. the accident caused over $15000 in damage to my saab alone, along with deployment of the air bags. i am really surprised that i was not killed or severely hurt in the accident. the nhtsa needs to step up to the plate and help out all the saab 9-3 owners here... these cars are not safe, and the represent a very large problem just waiting to happen. *la | |||
| 10/17/2003 | 3 | ||
| My 2003 saab 9-3 has stalled 3 times in traffic. took it to the dealer and they came up with nothing. car is in shop right now and will see if anything is found but i doubt it. saab customer care is oblivious to problem. this is a potentially life threatening problem. seems to happen while cruising in traffic at speed under 30 mph. car completely locks up and will not start until pulled off the road, turned off and turned on again. *la | |||
| 04/28/2003 | 1912 | 03/10/2003 | |
| Vehicle stalled while accelerating. lost power steering and power brake assist. could have easily caused an accident if i hadn't been able to stop safely. the car started with no issues after the stop. | |||
| 03/29/2003 | 31 | 4 | 03/01/2003 |
| Engine stalls while stopping or coasting to intersections. 4 indicents of this to date and vehicle has under 2000 miles. dealer service has twice said they found no problems and there is no software or updates to address the problem. running recommended octane fuel (premium). | |||
| 04/30/2003 | 1800 | 04/02/2003 | |
| I just bought a 2003 saab 9-3 about a month ago and it has approx. 1800 miles on it. i was driving home from work and suddenly lost power steering followed by complete power. luckily i was on a back road and pulled over safely. if i had been on the highway there may have been a different outcome. i feel that this is a very big safety issue. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 01/15/2003 | 3650 | 3 | 10/22/2003 |
| I have has 2 saabs in the last 6 months due to the electrical system failing constantly and the engine stalling. after 3 months of inconvenience and arguments saab gave me another car. now with 3800 miles the car completely dropped dead on me as i was driving on the expressway at 55 mph. it was -40 degrees and it took roadside assistance 2.5 hours to get me. saab headquarters was nothing but useless after driving around in a two truck for 8 hours since saab roadside and saab headquarters could not tell me where to take my car. i was towed from queens, to brooklyn, to manhattan and treated with no respect. i ended up getting extremely sick from sitting in the car waiting for roadside for 2.5 hours. when i called saab they told me its the weather that caused my car to drop dead. i was never told that my car would be temp. temperamental and i had to go to florida for the winter. this is why american car companies suck. *cb | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 03/16/2007 | 57000 | 18 | 02/04/2004 |
| Tl* the contact owns a 2003 93 saab. the engine lost power without warning, and when attempting to restart the vehicle the steering function was lost as well. the onstar indicator read that the steering and engine were malfunctioning. on eighteen occasions the saab dealer was unable to diagnose the failure ,and refused to purchase back the vehicle. also, the dealer stated that the vehicle was operating normally. on march 16, 2007, the vehicle was parked and accelerated without warning and drove into a cement wall. after the recent failure saab's diagnosis was to replace the fuel pump. however, the failure continued to occur. the contact was injured while being three months pregnant. the air bags deployed, and there was severe damage to the vehicle. the current and failure mileage were 57,000. *ak | |||
| 11/06/2003 | 10 | 10/06/2003 | |
| The lease on this vehicle began on october 6, 2003. it has had multiple electrical issues starting less than 30 days after delivery. most recently, september 11, 2005. i have been stranded three times and had to have the car towed twice. each time the onstar did not work because of electrical malfunctions. we no longer have any confidence in this vehicle and if we owned it we would sell it. problems include but are not limited to: * cd player stopped working and was replaced within first 30 days of lease. * brakes replaced within first 60 days of lease. * onstar computer replaced within first 60 days of lease. * vehicle computer updated within first year of lease. this left me stranded and almost required a tow due to inoperative transmission but, the vehicle eventually shifted into limp mode before the tow truck arrived allowing us to drive it to the dealership. * vehicle computer updated again within first year of lease. * onstar computer repaired again within first year of lease. * door handles faded and replaced within second year * parking break stuck and vehicle required a tow within second year of lease. * engine immobilizer malfunction requiring another tow of the vehicle within second year of lease. we were told that the battery abruptly died. * trip computer must be reset after gas is added in order to show correct distance to empty. * miles between oil changes seem incorrect. we are at 27000 miles and have only had one oil change. the dealership continues to tell us to wait until the computer requests the service. *nm | |||
| 12/15/2004 | 40000 | 3 | 09/09/2004 |
| Over a span of two months, my 2003 saab 93 has had a vacuum pump replaced 3 times. on each occasion, the dealer, cherry hill classic cars, has advised me that the part is on back order, and that saab must be having problems with or, or that sabb is redesigning the part. after each time the dealer replaced the part, the check engine light comes on again. the first time this happened, the car would hesitate upon acceleration, or would sputter. the dealership now claims that the system to which the valve is connected is filling up with water. as i understand it, the valve recirculation engine exhaust to help the engine warm up and/or burn fuel more efficiently. saab customer service, if you can call it that, was unaware of the problem. customer service has no way of tracking the problem as each dealer is independently owned. as a result, the dealer has had my car for almost a two month period, and the part is still on back order. *jb | |||
| 12/30/2003 | 17000 | 2 | 08/04/2003 |
| Twice while stopping at a stop light my car has stalled. it has stalled once while driving in traffic at about 35 mph. it has also gotten stuck in park twice afrter i start it. the sid says gear box malfunctioned. the lights burn out and the interior is falling apart. this car has 17,000 miles in it.*ak | |||
| 02/19/2004 | 10000 | 12 | 01/16/2003 |
| I purchased my saab 9-3 linear on 1/16/03, and within 2 months my check engine light started turning on, and stalled out 3 times. it has been in the shop over 11 times due to this problem and every time i have been told it is my gas cap, gas evap leak, or software updates. mind you i am 6 months pregnant and the last stall out i was on a very busy street going 40mph (last month). they have replaced my gas cap too - saying this will solve the problem. i can never get a hold of any one at saab to discuss - so i have resulted to the lemon law. but in reality this is a critical problem that needs to be fixed as many people on this sight have escaped injury. *ak | |||
| 01/30/2004 | 9225 | 01/31/2003 | |
| While driving thru a s curve, my car stalled and lost all power. the split second loss of power on a turn caused me to cross into on coming traffic before i reacted to bring my car back into my own lane. i was luckily that no other vehicles were coming from the opposite direction or i would hit them head on. my 2003 saab 9-3 coasted to an area off the side of the road where i stopped and restarted the engine. again luckily that there was a road shoulder to pull over on. this is the 3rd time this has happened. the dealer response at the first time was that's ok if it only happens once...but guess what it is still happening and seems to be a well known problem.. hopefully we dont have to wait for someone to be killed before saab fixes it. | |||
| 12/29/2003 | 5200 | 1 | |
| While driving 30 mph vehicle stalled. driver was able to avoid a collision, and got the vehicle to the side of the road. dealership mechanic upgraded the software for the engine. *ak | |||
| 01/10/2003 | 500 | 50 | 12/06/2002 |
| I have experienced intermittent stalling with my 2003 saab 9-3. after giving the dealership approximately 5 chances to fix the problem, they were unable to. i then called customer service and they denied that there was any problem with the car and tried to say this was the normal function of the vehicle. they have made another attempt to fix the car. i then learned on your website that others had experienced this problem. i hope it is resolved. *la | |||
| 07/21/2003 | 50 | 2 | 07/20/2003 |
| Brand new 2003 saab 9-3 arc just stalls. my engine has stalled for no reason numerous times. this problem has been happening since the days after i got the car. i have been to the dealership several times to have this problem corrected, every time they tell me that i am just about making it up. they can never find a problem with the car, and saab corporation is no help. *la | |||
| 10/08/2003 | 1 | ||
| While driving vehicle stalled, and the steering wheel locked. the cause had not been determined. *ak | |||
| 08/14/2003 | 4 | ||
| I have a 2003 saab 9-3 linear. i have had the car stall on me in traffic 4 times now over the last 4 months. i now realize i'm far from the only one this has happened to. this is a very dangerous situation as i have been in highway traffic 3 of the 4 times. luckily in the outside lane and able to pull off. i have automatic transmission and run high octance fuel (recommended). hopefully something can be done to press gm and force them to fix this problem.*ak | |||
| 07/22/2003 | 3100 | 1 | 12/05/2002 |
| My saab 9-3 ss 2003 stalled today .completely lost e power also couldnt turn steering wheel.lucky not to get hit from behind since i was driving in a residential area .the car started after i turned it back on ,there was no error messages,only the engine light came on while the problem happened.an occurance like this in the freeway would have been catastrophic .from various internet forums i have read owners of the same type of vehicle having similiar problem.nhtsa will need to take action to prevent injuries or even fatalities in the future | |||
| 05/17/2003 | 4840 | 0 | 01/09/2003 |
| My 2003 saab 9-3 had intermittent stalling and loss of power issues. since delivery on 1/09/2003, the car has stalled 4 times and lost power twice. i have been in contact with the dealership and saab and the problem has not been resolved. on 5/13/03 new engine management firm ware was installed. on 5/17/03 the car again malfunctioned. there appears to be a serious issue with the vehicle that saab is not able to resolve. *jb | |||
| 04/16/2003 | 1100 | 1 | 03/08/2003 |
| My brand new 2003 saab 9-3 with 1100 miles on it, failed me. i was in the middle of making a right turn in rush hour traffic, and my engine quit - the engine light came on, power steering and power brakes were off so it made the car incredibly heavy to turn. i was able to coast into a parking lot without getting hit, but it was still terrifying. i turned the key off, and started the car right back up, drove it to the dealership a mile away where it's been awaiting a software upgrade for 5 days. on www.edmunds.com i found that several owners of 2003 saab 9-3s have experienced the same thing. how dangerous! *jb | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 01/15/2004 | 11933 | 3 | 02/21/2003 |
| 2003 safe 9-3 2.0t linear, purch new 2/21/03 dies' unexpectedly when being driven. first incident: car 'died' right in the middle of the road completely unexpectedly. assumed it was a 'fluke' and took no action. after second incident: dealer reset fuel adaptation valve. after third incident (dangerous - merging into freeway) dealer reprogrammed t8 and reset fuel adaptation per safe technical hot line all incidents occurred within last two weeks. car restarts with no warning light or side indication of problem upon ignition. *cb | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE) | |||
| 01/02/2008 | 46200 | 3 | 06/03/2003 |
| After the outside temperature drops below 40f, the vehicle displays a malfunction light on the dashboard. upon investigation, the diagnosis is a failure on the secondary air pump and check valve. this is an emissions system. the pump was added to improve performance under emissions testing. the vehicle warranty has expired and saab is not covering this item under emissions warranty. this is an extremely common issue, many saab owners are complaining about the issue. *tr | |||