2001 Saab 9-3 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other 9-3 years
- Fewer complaints than other years 8th of 13 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 59 complaints with NHTSA about the 2001 Saab 9-3. That ranks 8th out of 13 9-3 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (23 complaints, 39%), typically at around 60,000 miles. Complaints mention 1 crash, 1 fire, 3 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 59owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 1complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2001 Saab 9-3 problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 23 | 39% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 14 | 24% | 74,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 13 | 22% | 64,441 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 4 | 7% | 92,800 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 3% | 116,900 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 3% | 89,500 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 2% | 114,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 2% | 289,981 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 2% | 82,347 | — | — |
| Power Train | 1 | 2% | 110,048 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 2% | 95,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 2% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 2% | 92,800 | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 2% | 114,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 2% | 100,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2001 Saab 9-3 recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, the fuel pump retaining tabs holding the fuel lines were damaged during production.
Risk: Over time, this could cause the fuel lines to loosen from the pump resulting in fuel leakage. If an ignition source were present, the fuel may ignite resulting in a vehicle fire.
Fix: Dealers will develop a securing bracket that will secure the fuel lines to the fuel pump even if the plastic retaining tabs should break. The recall began on may 12, 2006. Owners may contact saab at 1-800-955-9007.
Electrical system:ignition:module
Problem: 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.
Risk: Overheating of the igbt occurs most often at engine start-up, but it may also occur while the engine is running. Engine stalling may occur, which could result in a crash.
Fix: 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. An interim letter will be mailed to owners in october 2005, informing them of the condition. Parts are now available and owners will be notified to bring their vehicles in to the dealers to have the idm replaced by letter dated march 13, 2006. Owners may contact saab at 1-800-955-9007.
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, the fuel pump retaining tabs holding the fuel lines were damaged during production.
Risk: Over time, this could cause the fuel lines to loosen from the pump resulting in fuel leakage. If an ignition source were present, the fuel may ignite resulting in a vehicle fire.
Fix: Dealers will develop a securing bracket that will secure the fuel lines to the fuel pump even if the plastic retaining tabs should break. The recall began on march 14, 2005. Owners should contact saab at 1-800-955-9007.
Air bags
Problem: Vehicle description: certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with requirements of fmvss no. 208, "occupant crash protection." the air bag alert labels may not be permanently affixed as required by this standard.
Risk: These vehicles do not comply with the requirements.
Fix: Dealers will clean the sunvisor surface and apply a new air bag alert label on both sunvisors. Owner notification began july 30, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact saab at 1-800-955-9007.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Fuel line leakage (RQ05003) — opened Dec 20, 2005, closed Apr 28, 2006, led to recall 06V126000.
- Engine stall/ engine compartment fires (PE05017) — opened Apr 7, 2005, closed Sep 23, 2005, led to recall 05V399000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2001 Saab 9-3. The contact stated that the vehicle was overheating while driving. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. A mobile independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Numbers…
unexpected and unrequested deployment of driver side seat air bag. i was driving the vehicle at a speed of 0-5mph attempting to back the vehicle into a parking spot when the driver seat air bag deployed. a report was made with the local police department. no indicator or failure lights were…
I left my home with my daughter in the afternoon to go to the bank and hardware store. I drove to the bank to make a deposit. We had to wait for quite awhile in the drive-through line at the bank, so I turned off my engine a couple of times rather than having the car idle. After making the deposit…
No incident
Excessive leaking. Was driving on e-way and engine stopped or something occured where it sounded as if the car turned off. The battery was working but, when i pressed on accelerator it didn't propel forward. I carefully steered with hazard lights to side of the road. Ignition cranks but, car won't…
Other Saab 9-3 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 9-3 | 30 | 3 |
| 2010 9-3 | 30 | 3 |
| 2009 9-3 | 43 | 2 |
| 2008 9-3 | 184 | 2 |
| 2007 9-3 | 155 | 2 |
| 2006 9-3 | 179 | 2 |
| 2005 9-3 | 95 | 2 |
| 2004 9-3 | 207 | 5 |
| 2003 9-3 | 212 | 4 |
| 2002 9-3 | 37 | 4 |
| 2001 | 59 | 4 |
| 2000 9-3 | 50 | 2 |
| 1999 9-3 | 64 | 3 |
See all Saab 9-3 problems by year, every Saab model, or the VIN decoder.
Similar Saab models
Embed this 2001 Saab 9-3 badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Saab 9-3?
Owners most often report electrical system, engine and engine cooling, fuel system, gasoline problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 23 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2001 Saab 9-3?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2001 Saab 9-3 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other 9-3 model years, the 2001 has fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.