1999 SAAB 9-3 SE from North America - Comments

I have a Saab 9-3 2001 with about 84K miles. Last year the check engine light came and stayed on for a few days. When I took the car to the Saab dealer they said that when they started it there was no light and there were no light related codes. I never had the light come up again until this weekend. I wonder if anyone has any experience on this. The engine light is the only light on. No oil or other lights. Thanks.

We are having problems with a recurring "check-engine light." At 76K miles, and the recall on an ignition switch sensor, I took the 2000 93 Turbo HO to a Saab Dealer and paid the $150 for a 73 point inspections which turned up nothing, they said it was the recall issue and told me to drive the vehicle 40 or 50 miles and it would reset itself.

It did reset itself and additionally, after the 73 point inspection the starter/ignition is on the blink, periodically not starting after having driven it a short distance and waiting 20-30 minutes or so and then it magically starts. I contacted the Saab dealer who passed it on the 73 point inspection and low and behold they told me now it was a bad starter and that would cost $700. I found another mechanic who said it was a bad ignition switch at $380... so I replaced and am not having starting problems, but within 40 miles the check engine light came back on again.

I can't get the vehicle inspected with the light on and here in Texas the engine must cycle 4 times after resetting the check engine light or it won't pass inspection. Now I'm being told that it is the catalytic coverter and that's around $700-$1000.

I'm another victim of the sludge problem. And while I feel your pain, it makes me feel better to know that I am not alone. My story is the same as everyone else's - oil light flashing at 46,000 while hours away from home despite regularly having the oil changed by the dealer etc. I brought the car to a local dealer, who dropped the pan and cleaned out the sludge.

My question is - how long will this solve the problem for? Based upon the way the engine is built, it sounds like this is always going to be an issue. If anyone has had the pan dropped and cleaned I'd love to know what the result has been. Thanks.

I'm with the last writer. I just purchased a 1999 9-3 S Convertible with 73,000 miles on it. This is a beautiful car and I just drove it form Washington DC to Columbus OH with no issues, it performed flawlessly. But my question is this, I have an oil change scheduled with a Saab dealer for Friday and I am going to ask them to pull the pan and clean any sludge. Can I expect that if they clean the sludge (barring it doesn't seize up by Friday) and put in full synthetic oil with the proper oil filter, can I expect the car to run well in the future, with 3k intervals between changes?

I just got rid of my Wrangler for this car because the gas mileage was bad, but the Wrangler is reliable, should I just ask the dealer if they'd consider taking the car back in exchange for my old car since it's been less than a week?

Just looking for advice.

Good gosh! Now there is hysteria in the streets!

Please, don't worry about your car seizing up by Friday!!!

If your Saab was taken care of, you have nothing to worry about.

Just change your oil regularly (with synthetic oil) and you'll be fine.

I have driven turbo Saabs since 1979 when I bought a 99 turbo.

I could never get more than 50,000 miles without my turbocharger seizing, until I changed to full synthetic oil. With synthetic oil I have never had another turbo failure or even noise. I had one 900 that I bought with 179,000 miles on it, but had always had synthetic oil, and had the original turbo charger according to very thorough records by the original owner. I drove this car until 280,000 miles before I sold it in good running condition. The turbocharger problem is heat related (turbo oil line passes directly over exhaust manifold, so gets very hot, and cokes up inside). I am certain that using synthetic oil will prevent the sludge in the oil pan. By the way, I have never changed my oil at less than the 10,000 mile interval recommended by Saab, usually much longer, use synthetic oil, people.

I have an Audi A4 with 1.8 turbo engine that is having the same problems. Does anyone know if there's a class action suit in process for Audi owners? I understand there is a class action suit underway for Toyota and Lexus owners for the same problems. How can we get this defective product off the roads and out of our cars and make the product manufacturers responsible for the cost?

The issue isn't really defective products. I believe the problem is that some manufacturers are not properly educating consumers on how to maintain small turbocharged engines, and they are recommending service intervals far, far too long.

They seem to use 7500 mile service intervals as a selling point, but no one should go that long between oil changes.

Use synthetic from the time you buy it, change oil every 3 months/3000 miles (no more than 5000 miles please!) and you

should be fine.

I am the owner of 2001 95se wagon with 72k miles as this writing. After 60k major service, the transmission went busted at 63k miles. How could it be? Saab refused to share the responsibility. As if this wans't enough, I had changed the turbo, DIC, sid... and had the car towed 8 times in a year. Subsequently, I filed a complaint with NHTSA. It is for the record and people should know this inferior car with inferior Saab support.

Please file all of your complaints with NHTSA. Dept of Transportation would take action asking Saab to recall, if there are enough of complaints.

Its cheaper to own high quality brands including BMW becuase Saab's sky high repair costs.

I just got done reading through all of these statements as I'm looking at a 99 9-3 SE and there are a few things that really bug me.

While it doesn't hurt that people are tyring to understand why the sludge issue is happening some people have posted a cause that doesn't line up. It was stated that in 94 in the 900 and 9000 that the cat was placed under the oil pan which is incorrect. To the three or four people that said that go put a 900 or 9000 on jack stands and crawl under there and you'll see your wrong.

As to the cause of the sludge issue the three things that have really caused it have been excessively long oil change intervals, the PCV system, and the oil pickup screen size.

With the length that was originally stated the oil was broken down much farther than it should have been allowed to be; people just didn't use common sense. The PCV system hasn't been the greatest as evident by all the TSB for this part. The oil pickup screen is really the last contributor; it was just to small in an effort to keeping the oil clean going through the motor.

Now yes the cat on the 9-3 and 9-5 is under the oil pan, but engineers wouldn't have put it there if it would create the sludge issue and if it was there retesting of the design to find a problem would have shown it and a TSB with a new downpipe cat assembly would have occurred already. The oil within a car is already close to that temperature most likely so the cat doesn't make a difference there.

Now at saab forums I've heard nothing but glowing praise and remarks about a 99 9-3 so far so when I got and look at this one for me it'll get a good look through and test drive.

I have a 2000 SAAB 9-3 used that just had the oil light come on. Engine did not seize, but I can hear Knocking. I have not driven it since. I brought it to a SAAB mechanic who is looking at it. If it is a sludge issue, is there anything that can be done to clean it? Is replacement the only option even if the engine has not seized?

I have a few clarifying questions. My '96 900S was recently totalled during a snowstorm and I am looking for a replacement. I wouldn't mind updating to a newer model year, but skipping the turbo only 9-3's seems like a sensible idea after reading all these comments. I am considering trying to find lower mileage '95's and '96's (some are turbos), but they are increasingly more difficult to find. Are they (the older turbos) plagued by the same problems?

I totally agree with the 3000 mile synthetic oil change comments, but I am hesitant to believe that all these be chalked up to user-error. Is older, better?

Saavy advice would be appreciated.

I think all of this is a result of a few very vocal writers, some who I believe have fabricated accounts of "Saab Sludge", other's neglect their cars, Saabs or otherwise.

This is not to say that there isn't a sludge problem. These are 4 cylinder turbos which run hot & require special care.

But I don't think it is anywhere near as bad as these people are making it out to be.

Don't worry about buying a 9-3. I love mine.

Did any of you people with the "sludge problem" ever bother to read your owner's manuals?

Saab recommends either a synthetic blend or full synthetic oil in the 9-3 Turbos.

If you (try to) save yourself money by using cheaper oil and/or don't change your oil when you should - blame yourselves - not your car.

My 2002 Saab 9-3 SE seized at 42,000 miles. I had missed one oil change and Saab won't cover the damage.

If missing one oil change causes an engine to fail, then I'm guilty of neglect, and Saab is guilty of making really bad automobiles. I have complained to the Center for Auto Safety in DC and with my local Attorney General's office.

Anyone have advice for finding a good replacement engine? Tips or advice?