Driving along, maybe 20-30 MPH and driver side airbag deploys for no reason (side, not steering wheel airbag). . No crash, no impact, just driving straight and, boom! My left ear is ringing and my left arm is probably bruised.
The worst 2000 Saab 9-3 Convertible problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Airbags3
- Electrical2
- Seat belts2
- Body1
- Engine1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Airbags3
- Electrical2
- Seat belts2
- Body1
- Engine1
- Fuel system1
- Lights1
- Tires1
- Transmission1
Recalls 1
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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 june 13, 2007. This is an expansion of previous recall campaigns - see 04v557 and 06v126. Owners may contact saab at 1‑800‑955‑9007.
Recall number 07V087000 · Recall details
See all 1 recalls for the 2000 Saab 9-3 Convertible
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 2000 Saab 9-3 Convertible 3
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
What 2000 Saab 9-3 Convertible owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Takata recall: I received a recall notice in march 2016. The saab customer assistance center continues to tell me the airbag replacement is not available and "I should not worry because there have been no accidents with saab vehicles." however, I own other vehicles with the same recall, and those manufacturers have been able to obtain the replacement.
While driving my car I had to push on the brakes fairly hard. The seat belt retracted and then stayed retracted. I have been looking for a proper replacement for the drivers side seat belt and have yet to find one for less than $200.00 for a used one and over $300.00 for a refurbished one. Gm just happens to have new ones but they are almost $500.00 according to the rep from gm.these seat belts have a charging cylinder on them that sets off the air bag. That alone causes you to have to ship it as a hazardous material.if you can find someone to ship it at a reasonable cost. (not happening)if you go with the "universal" seat belt sold by some companies they don't even work and you are told to just cut the seat belt to make it fit. Kind of destroys the integrity of the seat belt by doing that I would think. I have made two complaints with gm about this and considering they had just recalled the 2004-2009 saab's for the exact same issue I thought they might work with me to some extent. I know now that it is not the case. Thank you for any help you can provide. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr updated 3/13/2015
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 saab 9-3 convertible. The contact stated that the driver's side seat belt would not retract and became tight around the contact. As a result, the contact began choking from the pressure of the seat belt becoming tighter. The contact spoke to the manufacturer and was told that the seat belts were not under warranty. The failure and the current mileages were 112,334.
I have a 2000 saab 9-3 convertible. I was cleaning the vehicle and had the driver door open. I saw smoke coming from the area between the front passenger seat and the right door. I opened the right door to find the light fixture in the right quarter panel had fallen out and was burning the seat cover by the air bag. The lamp reflector is metal and burned the seat cover.
My car was damaged on the way to wk because I hit a pot hole on new construction. Who would I talk to about this. I almost had a blow out & it was in heavy traffic. The new tarred road has a deep hole & it's a matter of time before someone gets hurt.
Engine blew do to excessive carbon build up, saab has been aware of this problem since 1999 and offered a extended warranty to original buyers till 8 years and unlimited mileage. To fix, engine has to be replaced. Car only has 100,000 miles. The oil portholes that squirt into the pistons are clogged burning out the cylinders. To fix the concern $4-5,000, if we can use the engine that came with the car, used engines are going for $2-3000 and you cannot buy a new or rebuilt one.
2000 saab 9-3 se convertible. On commute home, was pulled over because of a detected gasoline leak. Gasoline was pouring out from under the auto by the gas tank. Police had car flat bedded to a local repair shop. The cause was from a "broken clip that attached the fuel line to the fuel pump". Costs for repair and to refill tank totaled $1057.58. 2001 vehicles of this same model were already recalled for this same reason (the federal safety agency campaign id number 04v557000).
Vehicle began shifting poorly and would not go into reverse unless turned off (5 speed manual trans). Saab dealership opened tarnsmission and found it needed full replacement (60,000 miles) and also needed a new clutch. Since that time the check engine light continues to come on and go off erraticly. Saab can't seem to figure out why the light keeps coming on. Very expensive replacements and diagnostics!
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!
Compare the 2000 Saab 9-3 Convertible
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Questions about the 2000 Saab 9-3 Convertible
Is the 2000 Saab 9-3 Convertible reliable?
Owners have filed 12 complaints about the 2000 Saab 9-3 Convertible, fewer than a typical 9-3 Convertible model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2000 Saab 9-3 Convertible?
Airbags, with 3 complaints. Next is electrical (2).
How many recalls does the 2000 Saab 9-3 Convertible have?
1 recall, covering fuel system, gasoline.
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