2001 SAAB 9-3 Reviews - Page 4 of 7

Engine seized. Driving 65 mph in the left lane on the highway. Had to maneuver through traffic to the shoulder. No warning.

Contacted Saab NA. They said the car must be diagnosed by a Saab dealer.

Paid $250.00 for tow to the dealer.

Dealer diagnosed sludge in the engine.

Service records from prior owner are impeccable.

Not a single oil change was missed!

Saab denies claim!!

They said the oil light must have been on for some time.

The oil light never went on until the car was on the shoulder!!

Previous oil change was 2600 miles prior to failure.

The thought of an engine seizing at 65 mph still gives me nightmares.

Dangerous.

Bought the car in August. Had 59000 miles. Impeccable service records.

Engine seized at 61300. Saab dealership diagnosed sludge.

Saab is denying a claim under its extended sludge warranty.

http://www.autosafety.org/uploads/phpdeyczZ_SaabOilSludgeJune2005Letter.pdf

They said the engine light must have been on.

This car had oil changes as specified by Saab - plus a few extra oil changes in between.

Car was travelling 65 mph in the left lane on the highway when the engine seized. Had to maneuver through traffic to get to the shoulder.

VERY scary.

Owning a Saab and dealing with Saab have been my worst nightmare.

Not long after getting it, the SID2 information display, had segments fail.. leaving blanks in the read out. This seems to be common, and they are expensive to replace. However, there are both used available for a couple hundred, or several people will attempt repairs to fix them. I went the repair route, and it was cheaper and seems to fix the problem (most of the time).

Another incident, the clutch disc failed (68k miles), and this is a problem with the springs popping out of the seat. Although I was told it is not unique, I do drive the car quite hard.

A recall for a bracket failure at point of supply lines for the gas tank took care of a major gas leak. I would suggest having it checked if one had a SAAB that was part of the recall. Waiting and hoping it didn't could be dangerous, and a big problem should one get caught a distance from the dealer.. say on a vacation.

Although failure is rare, it's certainly one that should be checked into.

Another recall/check was for the ignition cassette (fires the spark plugs), but was found to be OK. I did replace it as a matter of maintenance, and keep the original as a back up on long trips, as failure will result in a 'dead' engine... (not good on a long trip and away from the dealer).

This is an exceptionally fun car to drive. It is very quick, and the newer.. almost seamless turbo, allows for quick and smooth acceleration in all gears from low revs.

Thus, it's easily driven in all traffic conditions, but really shines if you need power now, at any speed... any...

Fit and finish is good for a car in this bracket. You know and feel the intent to have comfort in a driver oriented car was not left out. Six to eight hour drives leave you feeling ready to do it again the next day, and I have many times.

Wind noise is not bad for a convertible, and body flex is not a big issue until you push it. Aftermarket kits for reinforcing front 'sub-frame' under engine are cheap, and really clear up flex.

Gearbox is slick and precise, considering the FWD layout.

Vision to the rear with the top up is not great, leaving a fair blind spot. Also backing into parking spaces is the worst of any of the 6 SAABs I have had. Yes, a back up/rear view camera would be a nice addition to make.

Would I buy another Viggen? Simple, YES, in a heartbeat.

Driving one of these raises one's heart rate every time you start it..

Sweet ride.