I was traveling along on the interstate and all of a sudden the side curtain driver airbag deployed for no reason. It nearly caused me to wreck from the loud pop which blurred my vision as well.
The worst 1999 Saab 9-3 Convertible problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Airbags4
- Electrical4
- Seat belts3
- Engine1
- Fuel system1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Airbags4
- Electrical4
- Seat belts3
- Engine1
- Fuel system1
- Steering1
- Transmission1
- Wheels1
Recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Defect 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 the failure report summary above.the complaint data represents incidents where the complainants alleged a stall or fire.on september 13, 2005, general motors (gm) notified the federal safety agency of a safety defect on 95,081 my 2000-2002 saab 9-3 and 9-5 vehicles with 4-cylinder gasoline engines and 8,117 my 2001 9-5 vehicles with 6- cylinder gasoline engines (recall 05v‑399).the notification stated that certain vehicles within these populations may experience overheating and burnout of the isolated gated bipolar transistor (igbt) within the idm due to increased susceptibility to electrical loads.overheating of the igbt occurs most often at engine start-up for both a 4-cylinder and 6-cylinder engine, but it may also occur while the engine is running.when the idm fails on a 4-cylinder while it is running, the engine may stall without warning, with no ability to be restarted.when the idm fails on a 6-cylinder engine while it is running, the driver will initially experience reduced power and rough operation because the engine will only be running on three cylinders.the check engine light will flash.if the driver continues, unburnt fuel in the exhaust can cause thermal damage to the catalytic converter.the engine may stall and not restart.thermal damage to other underhood components and the underbody may also result from prolonged driving.the recall population encompasses 84% of the stalling and fire complaints (215 for vehicles with 4-cylinder engines and 36 for vehicles with 6-cylinder engines).the 36 months in service (mis) stalling rates for each model year of recalled vehicles with 4-cylinder engines were all greater than two percent.although the 36 mis stall rate for the recalled my 2001 vehicles with v6 engines was lower, at 1.3 percent, these vehicles also had the highest rate of confirmed (open flame verified) fires at 62 per 100,000 vehicles.gm will instruct owners to bring their vehicles to a dealer for idm inspection and replacement, if necessary.consequently, this investigation is closed.odi will monitor the effectiveness of the scope and remedy of gm's action and take further action if warranted.
PE05017
Technical service bulletins for the 1999 Saab 9-3 Convertible 4
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Saab service campaign: under certain circumstances control module's analogue inputs may produce invalid signal
- Subject regarding updated campaign instructions for customer satisfication campaign 482 on noise from...
- Customer satisfaction campaign 482 regarding noise from power steering system
- Subject regarding a voluntary safety-related recall campaign affecting early convertible and 3-DOOR cars...
What 1999 Saab 9-3 Convertible owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 saab 9-3 convertible. The contact stated that the driver side seat belt failed to retract. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000. Updated 10/29/14
Driver seat belt retractor failed.
While my wife was driving to work, the passenger side airbag deployed. There was no collision and only the side airbag deployed, none of the others did. This could have caused an accident if it had been any of the other airbags, particularly those on the left. As it was, the noxious fumes and dust from the air bag caused some respiratory distress and reduced the visibility inside the vehicle.
1999 saab 93 caught fire while on the ohio turnpike. Seems like the fire originated under the hood in the engine compartment. *kb (ohio traffic crash report)
Driving on road and passenger's side air bag deployed on its own in afternoon of friday, april 27th. No passenger was in the seat. Saab was immediately contacted. Car was taken to saab dealer monday morning. Car was left there all day and saab corp was to have the car inspected. Nothing was done and car was picked up on monday evening. We are desperately trying to get saab to look at the car but they are being difficult to deal with. Saab corp is not giving any indication as to what they are going to do to fix the problem and ensure it does not happen again. Saab corp and saab dealer do not have a sense of urgency to get the car looked at. The fear now is that another one may go off unexpectedly. Drivers ear has not been normal since the incident.
Dt*: the contact stated that two vehicles were taken to an independent mechanic for repairs on the di cassette or the id module. The mechanic determined that the two vehicles may be under recall for the parts affected. However after an investigation it was confirmed that there was no recall on these vehicles. The vehicles was repaired three times prior with the same part. The manufacturer was alerted. Updated 7/19/2006 -
Dt*: the contact stated the passenger side air bag deployed without incident. The vehicle was parked with no key in the ignition. When the contact leaned over to the passenger seat, the air bag deployed. The air bag was cut out of the vehicle and the vehicle is drivable.
The check engine light came on while I was highway driving; I parked the vehicle as soon as possible and didn't use it until the mechanic was available. The diagnostic test showed direct ignition failure, the part was replaced with a new part. Being a long-time saab owner, of several models, I am aware that certain models have associated problems, such as this part.
Dt: consumer states the fuel pump retaining tabs that hold the fuel line together failed on a 1999 saab 9-3 convertible. The consumer smelled gas, while driving. Pulled over and saw that the gas was leaking out everywhere. Had vehicle towed to the dealership. The models 2001-2002 were recalled on the exact same thing. The vehicle was running fine before this. The dealership told consumer that his car was not included in the recall. The manufacturer said that it was not included in the recall. If there were more complaints they would broaden the recall year. The vehicle has been regularly maintained . The car was fixed today.
Compare the 1999 Saab 9-3 Convertible
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Questions about the 1999 Saab 9-3 Convertible
Is the 1999 Saab 9-3 Convertible reliable?
Owners have filed 16 complaints about the 1999 Saab 9-3 Convertible, fewer than a typical 9-3 Convertible model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1999 Saab 9-3 Convertible?
Airbags, with 4 complaints. Next is electrical (4).
How many recalls does the 1999 Saab 9-3 Convertible have?
No recalls on record.
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