Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2000 Saab 9-3 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The ignition switch is located in the center console of the vehicle. A child, kneeling in the pasenger seat (no one else was invehicle) turned the ignition switch on, the car started in reverse and jerk backwords trowing the child from the vehicle, hitting him with the passenger door, hitting the garage in which it was housed, and proceeded down the driveway and into across the yard hitting a tree and ending up in the brush. The ignition switch is located in the center console, which is accessible from all front and rear seats. We have been informed by the dealer the car has no safety device preventing the car from starting in gear. There is evidently no saftey switch requireing the clutch to be depressed or any other means of stopping the car from starting in gear and taking off causing unthinkable damage to people and property. …
Di cassette failure I was driving in the i80 during rush hour (5:30 pm near san francisco-richmond) at about 50 miles per hour when the engine died on me. I had to cut across 3 lanes of traffic with a dead engine to get to the side. I am surprised that I could even do this given the volume of traffic. It could have been very nasty since I was just coming around a corner when it occurred. I had to have the car towed to a Saab dealer. Apparently the di cassette has failed and it needs to be replaced plus spark plugs ($725) and possibly the catalytic converter ($1,100). According to the dealer there is absolutely no warnings given on this nor would it be detectable in a normal service. Doing some research it appears that this is a common failure with Saab's around the world. …
My wife was driving our 2000 Saab 9-3 at approximately 55 MPH on the h-3 enroute to kaneohe, hi. On the down hill side, the engine shut off with no warning. Nothing on the sid or other instrumentation. The car had plenty of fuel. She attempted to restart several times. Since she was coming down the mountain, she was able to safely coast to the shoulder of the road. The car was towed to the local Saab dealer. The next day they ascertained the problem to be failure of the direct ignition cassette. Cost for replacement was $647.79. Shortly thereafter, the catalytic converter failed due to raw fuel being dumped through the exhaust after the di cartridge failed. The converter was eventually replaced free of charge under the emission warranty after an extensive correspondence and telephone exchange with Saab USA. The car had 69,779 miles on it when this event occurred. …
Was driving down the gsp during the evening rush hour (5 pm or so) in the left lane on the express side. Pickup truck approximately 4 ft off my rear bumper(nj you know). Heavy rain. My 2000 Saab 9-3 viggen just shut off.no warning. No power to get to appropriate shoulder so I had to drive the car off the left hand side of the road into the mud. After being towed to dealer I got the car back the next day. Di cassette failure was the diagnosis.come to find out, this is a known problem with the Saab di cassettes. One day later, car back in shop for 4 days. Dealer needed to replace catalytic convertor due to no engine power. Catalytic convertor failure a direct result of di failure. I am reporting this because had this happened while I was getting on the highway it could have been a big problem. It happens to some little old lady, it's definitely a problem at speed. …
I was casually driving with my daughter and the car suddenly shutoff in the middle of traffic. I tried to restart the vehicle; however, it did not restart. Fortunately, I had enough momentum to carry me towards the curb. But I had to cut across a lane to make it to the curb. When I spoke with the dealer the next day, they knew immediately what the problem was - failed ignition cassette. The dealer said this is a constant problem with saabs and there is no warning before failure. I find this odd considering the car has a service information display. Fortunately the car was still under warranty so it was repaired and returned by the dealer in 2 days. But at 42,000 miles, I find it scary as I have no idea when the next time it will fail - in another 40,000? …
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Saab 9-3. The contact stated the check engine light illuminated as he was taking the vehicle for emissions testing. The vehicle was rejected due to the codes that showed on the emission test. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic who advised that the idm code, which is the ignition discharge module, caused the vehicle to stall, over heat and for the check engine light to illuminate. The dealer was contacted who informed him to bring the vehicle in because it was included in NHTSA campaign id number: 05V399000 (electrical system: ignition: module). He then took the vehicle to the dealer where they later informed him that the vehicle was not included in the recall and he would have to pay $700 for the repairs. The manufacturer was contacted who confirmed that the vehicle was not part of the recall and he would have to pay for the repairs. …
Since purchasing my 2000 Saab 9-3 [redacted] in 2003, I have spent $9,000 in vehicle repairs which have subsequently become "recall notices" issued from Saab cars USA. The vehicle's engine failed fall 2004 - with subsequent repair coverage under a recall notice issued 5/17/05. The ignition discharge module failed in 7/05, with repairs subsequently covered through an idm recall notice issued 3/31/06. At the time of the idm failure in 7/05, the Saab dealership also diagnosed catalytic converter failure in the vehicle. Do the major mechanical issues that exist with this vehicle cause a cascade of events which have damaged the catalytic converter, now requiring replacement?
Tl contact owns a 2000 Saab 9-3. The ignition module was replaced in the contact's vehicle. Two months later, he received a recall notice for NHTSA campaign id number 05V399000 (electrical system:ignition:module) and he immediately called the dealer. The dealer would not repair the vehicle because a new ignition module was already installed. Days later, while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle lost complete power and was able to be restarted after several attempts. He took the vehicle to a local repair shop and a mechanic stated that the catalytic converter was clogged due to ignition module failure. The contact called the manufacturer, but has not received a response. The failure and current mileages were 64,000.
While driving on highway, auto shut down completely, no power steering, brakes, etc. Coasted to side of road. Car would not restart. Burnt electrical smell from engine. Car was towed to repair shop, where a failed ignition cassette was diagnosed. The "check engine" light comes on periodically since day one, in some cases for days at a time. I have asked about this problem at several dealers and have been told that it could be because of a loose gas cap and not to worry about it (Saab USA claims that they don't know anything about this problem). The check engine light was on at the time of this incident, but because it comes on so often, I ignored it. $900 repair bill!
Related to NHTSA action number (investigation #) : pe05017. (1) check engine light activated on and off. I had a technician run the codes. The direct ignition cassette (dic) was sending error codes indicated possible imminent failure. (2) the dic did not fail yet on my car (now has 68,000 miles). Given Saab's history with this particular part and the consequences of failure (total loss of power wherever it happens), I didn't take any chances. (3) on the advice of other Saab owners and my independent safe technician, I purchased and installed a new dic. The old part is still available. I'm holding onto it in case the new one fails.
Related recalls
Electrical system › Ignition › Module
Certain passenger vehicles equipped with b205/b235 4-cylinder gasoline engines and b308 6-cylinder gasoline engines May experience overheating and burnout of the isolated gated bipolar transistor (igbt) within the ignition discharge module (idm) due to increased susceptibility to electrical loads.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect to see what version idm is in the vehicle and replace the idm if it is a version built prior to the introduction of qp3.
NHTSA investigations
Engine stall/ engine compartment fires
Odi opened pe05-017 based on 35 reports of alleged engine stalling due to the failure of the idm cassette on the subject vehicles.all complainants reported that the engine shut down suddenly without warning and most reported that the vehicle would not restart.in 3 incidents, the complainants reported smoke and/or fire resulted from the idm failure.during pe05-017, additional failure data was identified as noted in…
Electrical complaints in other 9-3 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2000 Saab 9-3?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the electrical system of the 2000 Saab 9-3, 40% of the model year's 62 complaints. The component named most often is ignition › module (13 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2000 Saab 9-3 electrical problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 05V-399 (module, Sep 14, 2005). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2000 Saab 9-3 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 70,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 1 injury to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.