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 2003 Saab 9-5 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 1993 Buick regal. The contact stated that all door locks would become stuck when activated by the electronic door lock system. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 41,000.
My car was built in 2002 as well as others reported, I purchased it used 3 years ago with 64K miles. My direct ignition control in 2003 9-5 linear sedan 2.3t ceased. Upon research, my dic is the original part 9197559 tk3.6 2000-2002 are recalled and 'some' 2003 VIN's. With the over abundance of dic failures with the exact same part number, these need to be recalled as a whole. Upon removal of the dic, the engine is leaking at the seams of the head from where the bolts are located, inside the dic and engine section is perfectly clean. Bolts in the head of the engine loose, 1 was lifted out enough to just remove straight out. Car blows blueish smoke when it was starting, switches are defective (GM known issue), oil / engine / head known issues, suspension known issues (among other serious Saab failures). I have spent thousands of dollars on this vehicle since purchase. …
Driving on the interstate - exited onto an interchange ramp at 50 MPH - and the engine stalled without warning. Vehicle at rear nearly rear-ended mine - but missed by a hairs whisker. Another piece of luck was that I was at the crest of the ramp so managed to "coast" towards the shoulder. Waited for a bit - the car wouldn't restart. Had to spend perilous time on the left shoulder before getting my car towed. At the time of writing - the car is sitting in the dealers lot. Nothing special happened prior to this incident. Previously a similar incident had occurred just outside my residence - and the dealer checked it out and said it might just be "bad gas". Saab's customer assistance program was useless. Based on the other incidents reported - refer to odi #s: 10162804, 10137685, 10097342 - there is something definitely wrong with this vehicle. …
2003 Saab / 9-5 -- 6-cylinder gasoline engine -- mileage: 80,956 -- manufacturer: Saab cars USA, inc. --my Saab suddenly and without warning had a loss of power, rough operation, check engine light and smoke. The sudden stop almost caused an accident. I found out this is due to an electrical system issue with the ignition module. I have replaced the part and with labor the cost was $441. My research has uncovered a recall in VIN numbers up to 7727. My VIN number ends less than 1000 later. The issue is exactly as identified in the recall. (NHTSA action number: pe05017) I have retained the part and the shop verified that it is the original part. I believe that this and the other of the two parts should be covered under the recall. Saab has declined and suggested my only recourse was to contact http://www.safercar.gov..
My 2003 9-5 linear is having many of the same electrical problems as described by others. My check engine light came on recently and I had the codes read. The codes represented a misfire problem. When doing research I learned that it is most usually the direct ignition module, failure at 80000 miles? Since then the car has suddenly shut down on the highway (one time), forcing me to weave through traffic with no power to get to the side. The car restarted immediately after stopping. Now the car seems to buck when driving and at idle, which is also representative of a dim failure. I will be bringing it to the shop to get repaired under my aftermarket warranty, but I feel that Saab should be paying since the failure is the same as the 2000-2002 model year recall.
My 2003 Saab 9-5 ARC v6 3.0turbo has begun having issues with the ignition. It frequently will not start. It turns over but the engine will not completely fire. In addition, once it does start it will often stall out. This generally happens when switching from park to drive or reverse or when at a stoplight/stop sign. Once the car stalls it does not just restart. The spark plugs are all new and no lines are broken/damaged. I have examined recalls on this car and recall05087/15021b describes my problem and my model of car is listed yet I am told that this recall does not apply to my VIN number. This has happened for a few months. I am listing the incident date as today's date.
The vehicle stalled on 4 separate occasions from various speeds of 25 MPH or more while driving. The vehicle has been to the dealer on 3 separate occasions. The dealer has cleaned and tightened the battery cables, the first time, they replaced the crank sensor, t-7 and the ignition switch, the second time and the third time, they were unable to duplicate the problem. The ECM was replaced but the vehicle stalled again, the cup holder crack and had broken, the battery cables were loose and dirty, the transmission did not shift properly and caused a jerking motion, the electrical gauges dropped and the vehicle lost acceleration.
The engine warning light on my 2003 9-5 wagon has been coming on periodically for the last year. We had it serviced by an indy and two error codes came up, p1312 and p1334, both having to do with the direct ignition cassette. We just had the part replaced. Only once did the car "die" while driving and luckily it was at low speed and I was able to pull off the road to restart. The identifying information on the original part is 9197559 (tk3.6). My vehicle was built in 2002. Consider expanding the recall in place for 2000-2002 model years (NHTSA #05V399000) to include 2003 vehicles, particularly those built in 2002.
I was driving the car when suddenly the car when dead while I was driving it.I was lucky that I was able to restart it and there was a gas station right near by. It did not start up normally and was very sluggish. I was in the middle of traffic when this happened but fortunately not heavy traffic and in the right lane. It was very scary. They towed my Saab to a Saab dealer for me who had to install a new ignition. This happened about 4-5 years ago on my Saab 2003 9-5 station wagon which was built by GM. I believe it was built on the same platform of one of the cadillacs that is under recall.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Saab 9-5. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the steering wheel and the brakes seized as the engine stalled. The contact was able to stop the vehicle with the emergency brake. The vehicle was towed to a local mechanic, who performed a diagnostic test and discovered that the ignition discharge module was defective. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign I.d. Number: 06V410000 (electrical system) and called the manufacturer, who advised that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was 100,000.
Related recalls
Electrical system › Ignition › Module
Certain passenger vehicles equipped with 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 January 2003. The recall is expected to begin during December 2005.
Electrical complaints in other 9-5 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2003 Saab 9-5?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the electrical system of the 2003 Saab 9-5, 53% of the model year's 47 complaints. The component named most often is ignition › module (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Saab 9-5 electrical problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 06V-410 (module, Oct 26, 2006). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2003 Saab 9-5 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
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.