Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Saab 9-3 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
This is my second complaint. I had originally filed complaint 10041666 a few weeks ago. Now the problem with my Saab stalling has become worse. I was travel in traffic, when the vehicle stalled while in traffic. The engine stalling caused me to rear end the vehicle in front me. Which in turn caused a four car accident. There were no injuries reported, but now my problem is much more severe. I have contacted Saab about this problem (much like I did the first time) and noting is being done to help me. I am now stuck with a defective vehicle that stalls all the time, and is as far as I am concerned totally useless and a huge safety problem. The accident caused over $15000 in damage to my Saab alone, along with deployment of the air bags. I am really surprised that I was not killed or severely hurt in the accident. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Saab 9-3. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate and decelerated independently without warning. The vehicle was taken to a dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. In addition, the contact stated that while driving, there was an abnormal odor and smoke coming from the front of the vehicle. The contact pulled over and discovered that oil was leaking from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the valve cover gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 184,000. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 93 Saab. The engine lost power without warning, and when attempting to restart the vehicle the steering function was lost as well. The OnStar indicator read that the steering and engine were malfunctioning. On eighteen occasions the Saab dealer was unable to diagnose the failure ,and refused to purchase back the vehicle. Also, the dealer stated that the vehicle was operating normally. On March 16, 2007, the vehicle was parked and accelerated without warning and drove into a cement wall. After the recent failure Saab's diagnosis was to replace the fuel pump. However, the failure continued to occur. The contact was injured while being three months pregnant. The air bags deployed, and there was severe damage to the vehicle. The current and failure mileage were 57,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Saab 9-3. While driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning and was able to be restarted. The failure recurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was not diagnosed; however, the mechanic replaced the dic and the crankshaft sensor. The vehicle was repaired and the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the mechanic and the dic was replaced. The failure persisted and it took several attempts to start the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact stated that the failure mirrored NHTSA action number: ea04008 (electrical system, engine and engine cooling). The approximate failure mileage was 45,000. Updated 02/23/16
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Saab 9-3. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked when the brake pedal was depressed and stalled. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The failure recurred intermittently. In addition, it took multiple attempts to open the driver side door. The vehicle was taken to an independently mechanic where it was diagnosed that the spark plugs had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 87,171.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Saab 9-3. When the vehicle decelerated, it shut off without warning at will. The contact also stated that the vehicle decelerated when driving up a hill. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 102,000.
2003 Saab 93 fails to accelerate from a stop in a timely manner. Delay can be as long as 5 seconds before reasonable rate of acceleration is achieved with light or heavy application of the gas pedal. Can occur when turning or in straight line acceleration. Only occurs in very hot weather (phoenix, summer). In normal weather, auto exhibits typical, slight turbo lag, but nothing nearly as severe as this condition. Auto did not exhibit problem during its first summer in 2003, but was serviced in 2004 for same condition. Updated engine control software was loaded and slight improvement resulted. This time (2005), car was again serviced with updated engine control software, but absolutely no improvement resulted. This is an extremely hazardous condition, and requires exceptional care while driving. …
The vehicle will become almost immobile in first and second gear (manual transmission). Once in third gear, performance is back to normal. If driver is not aware of situation (cruise light off is only indication if cruise control system is turned on), driver can easily get into bad situation as car will not perform as usual (very significant degradation of performance). All that is needed to reset problem is to turn the key off and restart the engine and the condition will go away for as little as 10 minutes or up to as much as 2 hours of driving. It is suspected that this problem could be associated with the air mass sensor as replacing air mass sensor with used part, problem disappeared for several months. This condition could cause a serious safety issue if driver is not aware and tries to make a quick maneuver involving tight traffic (left turn when performance is paramount). …
Over a span of two months, my 2003 Saab 93 has had a vacuum pump replaced 3 times. On each occasion, the dealer, cherry hill classic cars, has advised me that the part is on back order, and that Saab "must be having problems" with or, or that "sabb is redesigning" the part. After each time the dealer replaced the part, the check engine light comes on again. The first time this happened, the car would hesitate upon acceleration, or would "sputter". The dealership now claims that the system to which the valve is connected is "filling up with water". As I understand it, the valve recirculation engine exhaust to help the engine warm up and/or burn fuel more efficiently. Saab customer service, if you can call it that, was unaware of the problem. Customer service has no way of tracking the problem as "each dealer is independently owned". …
I have has 2 saabs in the last 6 months due to the electrical system failing constantly and the engine stalling. After 3 months of inconvenience and arguments Saab gave me another car. Now with 3800 miles the car completely dropped dead on me as I was driving on the expressway at 55 MPH. It was -40 degrees and it took roadside assistance 2.5 hours to get me. Saab headquarters was nothing but useless after driving around in a two truck for 8 hours since Saab roadside and Saab headquarters could not tell me where to take my car. I was towed from queens, to brooklyn, to manhattan and treated with no respect. I ended up getting extremely sick from sitting in the car waiting for roadside for 2.5 hours. When I called Saab they told me its the weather that caused my car to drop dead. I was never told that my car would be temp. Temperamental and I had to go to florida for the winter. …
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling
On certain passenger vehicles, the engine management system software May cause engine hesitation or stalling.
Remedy: Dealers will update the engine management system. Owners May contact Saab at 1-800-955-9007.
Engine complaints in other 9-3 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2003 Saab 9-3?
NHTSA has 39 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2003 Saab 9-3, 18% of the model year's 212 complaints. The component named most often is engine (14 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Saab 9-3 engine problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 04V-540 (engine and engine cooling, Oct 20, 2004). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2003 Saab 9-3 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 16,000 miles, and 56% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to engine & cooling 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.