2003 SAAB 9-3 Arc from UK and Ireland - Comments

I brought an 2003 93 ARC 2 months ago, so far very happy with it. Only problem is that all the windows randomly go down while its parked, there doesn't seem to be any reason it just happens. This is my third Saab having found them to be almost bulletproof, only time will tell if this is still true?!

Just bought a 2005 Saab 9-3 Arc 33,000 miles. Drove it about 3 times before the car refuses to recognize the key, shows some kind of ABS warning and seems to be a victim of the immobilizer failure. The sunroof doesn't work either. The drivers side automatic seat is very quirky compared to the passengers and doesn't seem to have a full range of motion. Very disappointing, fun to drive, but the car is a complete failure so far.

I'm just glad I didn't get stranded anywhere (yet)!

I drive a 2003 9-3 that has had its share of problems.

In June when it had about 110K miles on it, we decided to have a full maintenance check on it and get it ready for our teenage children to use as their car. After close to $2000 in repairs (things like driver's side window not operating, new vacuum pump, new brake pads and rotors (apparently rotors were for 9400 style and not 285 mm ones for 93), oil and filter change and cost of diagnostics), the car seemed to be okay.

Then today as I pulled into the lot of a grocery store (45 minutes from my home), the LCD panel gave the warning that the anti-lock brake system was failing, immediately followed by an indication that the high beams on the lights were failing, and I noticed that the air conditioning stopped. Seconds later I was in a parking space and turned off the car. I could not re-start it. I was towed to the same Saab dealership where the car had been repaired just a couple months ago and am waiting to find out (tomorrow) what (how much it will cost) is wrong with the car.

Any advice on what I can expect to hear from the service department, and whether this is a car we should continue to put money into?

I bought a 2003 SAAB with about 25,000kms (ex-Singapore vehicle). After I bought it, I was warned that buying from such a high humidity country might be asking for problems, but still I made the mistake of buying it. I looked at several examples, most not from the tropics, and noticed that electrical glitches seemed to be prevalent on these cars. I also noticed that MOST had what seemed to be the notorious "peeling" problem of all the surface buttons that one is expected to touch. it seemed that every button or surface had an ultra-thin layer of nice, tactile rubber that peels off and looks hideous. The car I bought was perfect, but after just a few months, looks terrible, and I can only assume the previous owner never touched anything! After 3 weeks of ownership, it drained all its power steering fluid, which I thankfully got replaced by the reluctant car yard (blown seal), and now it stopped dead with a faulty fuel pump, which I have been told by the SAAB dealership is a non-serviceable unit that will cost $1200 NZ dollars to replace! $1,900 with labour, although I might be able to get a generic replacement for $400. Great looking car, but I will NEVER buy a SAAB again, and wish I had taken the extended warranty... I never did because I thought that modern low km cars were reliable! I will buy Japanese next time, I must say, or an older car that I can fix readily. it has ruined my brief (never again!) SAAB ownership experience.

I have a 2003 Saab 93 Vector, and I've had every single problem that everyone has mentioned:

Immobilizer failure, which supposedly means the car thinks it's being stolen, because I think my key wouldn't work. The car was locked, so I had to call a tow truck, then the key no longer works for doors has to get a new pod I was told, has to go straight to a Saab dealer.

I've had a steering lock malfunction; the key would not turn the car off. I figured out you gotta unhook the battery for this to work again.

Just had the tranny case half done.

I've had an engine malfunction, now gotta get that fixed.

Driver's window won't work any more.

Moon roof doesn't open all the way.

Sometimes no sensor on the windows.

Gas sensor doesn't work, and much more.

Thought these cars were supposed to be made to last. Problem after problem. Saab should do something about this, cause it's not just my car I know now!!!

I have a Saab 2003 9-3 with about 50,000 miles. For a number of years, I periodically have electrical problems when the engine is cold, e.g., the following systems won't work: power windows, windshield wipers, radio, heater. The dealer can't figure out what is wrong and they charge hundreds of dollars not to find anything. Does anybody know what is wrong with my car? Thanks.

Check out these guys. They will sort out your problem for you.

http://www.uksaabs.eu/UKS/

I bought a 2003 Saab 9-3 Arc about 2 years ago and have come across the following problems:

-Sometimes the fans for the heat/ac do not come on. This is a real pain in the winter as I cannot get my windows to clear. Restarting doesn't seem to work. It usually takes the car sitting for a few hours before I can try again and it will work.

-Driver's side door lock no longer works with automatic locks... I need to manually lock and unlock it.

-Windows seem to have a mind of their own. The driver window will not utilize "auto" feature to go up. It goes all the way up then comes back down about 2 inches. I have to put it up again and try to catch it in the right place to make it stay up. The other 3 windows will not go auto-up anymore (they go down with the auto feature but I have to hold the switch to put them up).

Any advice?

Hello everybody. I read some all the comments posted and trying to compare to mine.

I have 2003 Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan, the new model. Now I've got 72000 miles on it and now is the time when I started to have the most of the problems.

I saw that almost everybody has the problem with windows and locks, well me too. Sometimes when you try to close it, it goes up and then down or other way around. But let me tell you one thing about windows: if you disconnect the battery for a while, then you have too program the windows,. What I mean is, open the window all the way down and then close it, but hold it up and you should hear a BEEP, that means it recorded it - do it to all the windows.

But I still have problem with my driver side lock, I can't unlock the doors or lock... can only do it by reaching the passenger side door lock button.

Main problem I've got is the alarm, only in winter I have that problem, the alarm goes off anytime, even at night, but what I did, I disconnected the fuse for alarm/horn, and now it only blinks the flashers but it's OK, because it turns off after couple minutes, but now I don't have a horn,.. but like I said everything is alright in summer - put the fuse back in and then you have alarm and horn.

Recently I got the gear box failure problem. Don't know what to do yet, but from the reading it looks like I have to replace the trans "Sucks". But if you get this message and it doesn't let you switch the gears from park to drive: turn off the engine, then turn the key on but do not start the car, hit the brake, put it in neutral and then start it up and go to drive or reverse. That's what helped me, but who know what's going to happen next.

Electrical problems are the main issue with these cars.

Overall, a fast and gorgeous looking car.

I own a 2003 Saab 9-3. I was out of town for 5 days and started the car and noticed a burning smell shortly after starting it. I checked underneath the hood and everything seemed normal. Then I noticed smoke coming up from the drivers seat. I quickly turned off the seat heater and saw the leather seat start to crumble. I took it to the Saab dealer and they told me it would cost $400 to fix. The car almost caught fire and I'm supposed to pay for the repair. The vehicle is 2 months out of warranty. I'm furious not sure what to do next, any suggestions???

I had posted previously about my 2003 9-3 Arc and how awful this car was. Well, it got worse.

Within two weeks of my previous post, the sway bar bracket BROKE, with the bolt sheared off in the subframe, so the entire subframe had to be lowered to get it out. That repair was over 500 bucks.

It was leaking oil. After replacing the vacuum pump (another 500 bucks), it still leaked. Rear main seal leak. 1300 job! So now we're up to 2300 bucks, ON TOP of all the things I complained about in my previous post. (I'm the one who said a headlight bulb is 150 bucks).

I cannot tell those reading these posts enough how unreliable this car is.

Still considering a Saab? Take it from someone who owns one, don't do it.

Well I'm a very satisfied Saab 9-3 owner and I've had the exact opposite experience. I'd buy another one tomorrow.

Saabs are excellent cars.

I love my 2003 9-3! I have put only 38 K on it but it's upstate NY and snow happens - a lot. It had a broken coil this week which was found on annual state inspection. This repair is the first money I have put into this car. I will eagerly buy another Saab - if the new owners don't mess it up.

Quick fix for window that rolls up but then comes back down a couple of inches. The reason this happens is because of a "pinch protection" feature that Saab's have.

Remove fuse #5 from the near fuse box on the driver's side. Put the fuse back in and then roll the window up and down twice. When you roll the window back up the second time hold the switch until you hear a chime. Your windows should be reset and the problem fixed.

Does anyone have any advice on the lock issue. Many people on here seem to have the same issue. The remote won't open the locks, mainly on the drivers door. What can this be. Has anyone tried resetting this somehow, like disconnecting the battery. Any comments are appreciated. And as far as the plastic peeling inside, can this be painted with a durable plastic paint.