Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE
210255410/01/200610020715Noise from the timing chain and oil sludge in the engine. *kb12/29/2006

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
10/26/201184000
 My car was built in 2002 as well as others reported, i purchased it used 3 years ago with 64k miles. my direct ignition control in 2003 9-5 linear sedan 2.3t ceased. upon research, my dic is the original part 9197559 tk3.6 2000-2002 are recalled and 'some' 2003 vin's. with the over abundance of dic failures with the exact same part number, these need to be recalled as a whole. upon removal of the dic, the engine is leaking at the seams of the head from where the bolts are located, inside the dic and engine section is perfectly clean. bolts in the head of the engine loose, 1 was lifted out enough to just remove straight out. car blows blueish smoke when it was starting, switches are defective (gm known issue), oil / engine / head known issues, suspension known issues (among other serious saab failures). i have spent thousands of dollars on this vehicle since purchase. the known recalls must be expanded to include the parts, not just 'year' or 'specific vin'. this was supposed to be a safe, reliable car but instead is causing serious financial issues. please help the owners all over the world, we should not have to pay for all of this.. we already paid for their 'bailout'! sincerely~ can not take any more repairs!!!
07/08/2008778001
 I was driving on the highway when my cruise control shut off and the check engine light came on. when i came to a stop my entire car died. i was stuck at a stop light in the middle of rush hour. i had to hold my left foot on the brake and pump the gas pedal to get the car to rev, but it wouldn't continue to idle. it kept dying. i had to use both the brake pedal and the gas pedal to get it off the highway to a side street, which was extremely dangerous. several times the car died. i took it to a gm certified repair shop who after three diagnostic checks determined the ignition module needed to be replaced along with the spark plugs because the engine was misfiring. i want saab to recall this part and pay for the repair. it is the exact same part and problem that they recalled for 2000-2002 vehicles. it makes absolutely no sense that the 2003 part has not been recalled. this is a serious safety hazard and something needs to be done to fix it and i should not have to pay for it.*tr
10/15/20033000909/03/2003
 The vehicle stalled on 4 separate occasions from various speeds of 25 mph or more while driving. the vehicle has been to the dealer on 3 separate occasions. the dealer has cleaned and tightened the battery cables, the first time, they replaced the crank sensor, t-7 and the ignition switch, the second time and the third time, they were unable to duplicate the problem. *jb the ecm was replaced but the vehicle stalled again, the cup holder crack and had broken, the battery cables were loose and dirty, the transmission did not shift properly and caused a jerking motion, the electrical gauges dropped and the vehicle lost acceleration. *sc
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM
08/20/201098723
 Without warning, on two occasions, my wife's 2003 saab 9-5 aero wagon has stopping running while she was driving in traffic at approximately 45 miles per hour. the car has been factory maintained and is in excellent condintion. obviously, it is very dangerous to have the vehicle stop running without any warning. the car had a new fuel pump and crankshaft sensor installed but the problem recurred about 6 weeks after the repair. thank you for your time and consideration. richard birnbaum
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE
03/10/200732200204/20/2003
 Driving on the interstate - exited onto an interchange ramp at 50 mph - and the engine stalled without warning. vehicle at rear nearly rear-ended mine - but missed by a hairs whisker. another piece of luck was that i was at the crest of the ramp so managed to coast towards the shoulder. waited for a bit - the car wouldn't restart. had to spend perilous time on the left shoulder before getting my car towed. at the time of writing - the car is sitting in the dealers lot. nothing special happened prior to this incident. previously a similar incident had occurred just outside my residence - and the dealer checked it out and said it might just be bad gas. saab's customer assistance program was useless. based on the other incidents reported - refer to odi #s: 10162804, 10137685, 10097342 - there is something definitely wrong with this vehicle. please take action before someone loses their life.*jb
07/01/2006105/03/2005
 I was driving on the highway at 70 mph and the engine suddenly shut down without any warning. the car completely lost power and i had to quickly coast to the shoulder. i was not able to restart the car and it had to be towed to saab dealer. i was told there was a fault in di cassette. *nm
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
03/19/2003103/19/2003
 We purchased our 2003 9-5 arc in march of 2003. immediately, i noticed the exhaust smelled of human gas, seriously. soon after the stench seeped into the cab of the vehicle. at 7000 i couldn't take it anymore and i brought the car in to have checked out by the dealer. they informed me there was nothing wrong with the car, that sometimes new cars smell. it was suggested that i use only premium or better fuel to lessen the smell. 3000 miles later, the car stunk. i brought it in for its first oil change and informed them that the car still stunk. it was discovered that the catalytic converter was defective and it was replaced, no charge to me. now at 14000+ miles the car still stinks. i brought the car in today 1/12/04 and was told that there's nothing they can do. basically, i have to live with the smell. i've been driving this vehicle for ten months with nauseating fumes seeping into the cab of the vehicle. these fumes not only upset my stomach but cause me headaches. i've been waking up with headaches since spring of 2003. something has to be done. please respond asap. i'm literally sick over this situation. - kim *la