Had the engine light on for three months then I was driving on the highway yesterday and suddenly the engine wouldn't take gas. I was able to pull over off the highway slowly and it stopped completely after I made the exit. The mechanic told me that I need a new ignition cassette! So dangerous!
The worst 2001 Saab 9-3 Convertible problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Electrical8
- Fuel system6
- Engine3
- Brakes2
- Tires2
- Transmission2
- Wheels2
- Airbags1
- Seat belts1
- Suspension1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2001 Saab 9-3 Convertible
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 march 14, 2005. Owners should contact saab at 1‑800‑955‑9007.
Recall number 04V557000 · Recall details
See all 1 recalls for the 2001 Saab 9-3 Convertible
Defect investigations
Fuel line leakage
On november 19, 2004 gm notified odi of a defect condition that could result in fuel leakage at the fuel pump connections in approximately 17,400 model year (my) 2001 and 2002 saab 9-3 passenger vehicles built at the uusikaupunki, finland assembly plant between may 2000 and july 2002 (gm recall no. 14101, the federal safety agency recall no. 04v‑557).according to gm, plastic fuel pump retaining tabs holding the fuel lines were damaged during the manufacturing process for some of the 9-3 vehicles built at the finland plant.gm indicated that, over time, this could cause the fuel lines to loosen from the pump resulting in fuel leakage which, in the presence of an ignition source, couldcause a vehicle fire.the recalled vehicles were fitted with a securing bracket to hold the fuel lines to the fuel pump even if theretaining tabs should break. Rq05-003 was opened to investigate complaints of fuel pump retaining tab failure resulting in fuel leakage in my 2001 saab 9-3 vehicles built at the trollhatten, sweden plant.in its response to rq05-003 gm indicated that concerns with the retaining tab failure in my 2001 saab 9-3 vehicles were not limited to vehicles produced in finland.in an april 20, 2006 letter (copy attached), gm informed the federal safety agency that it was expanding its recall to include the my 2001 9-3 vehicles built in sweden (gm recall no. 14101, the federal safety agency recall no. 06v‑126).saab plans to begin mailing owner letters for the additional vehicles in may 2005.this investigation is closed.
RQ05003
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 2001 Saab 9-3 Convertible 2
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
What 2001 Saab 9-3 Convertible owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 saab 9-3 convertible. The contact was traveling 65 MPH when the transmission failed; the check engine light illuminated and the vehicle lost power. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The VIN was unavailable. The current and failure mileages were approximately 46,000.
While driving on expressway, motor failed due to lack of oil circulation brought on by plugging of oil pump intake screen from degradation of oil, due to design of saab 9/3 that cooks oil in turbocharger and catalytic converter directly beneath oil pan. Contributing factors long oil change interval, (10,000 saab recommendation), vehicle had less than 7,000 miles since last oil change. Complete engine failure resulted. Vehicle disabled. I had it towed to a pep boys location and was informed that the engine lost 2 cylinders and needs to be completely replaced.
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 saab 9-3 convertible. The engine light has been illuminated for 3 weeks. A mechanic stated that there was a problem with the direct ignition cassette failure and needed to be replaced. The mechanic also confirmed that the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The federal safety agency campaign id number: 05v399000 pe05017 the federal safety agency action number: pe05017 component: electrical system:ignition:module is related to the failure. The contact is concerned about the safety risk and the potential number of units affected per the recall. The manufacturer confirmed that the VIN nor year, make and model of her vehicle was related to the recall. The current and failure mileage was 74,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 saab 9-3 convertible. In 2006, the contact received a recall notice for the federal safety agency campaign id number 103-7-22538. There were no failures at the time; however, the contact took the vehicle in for service to prevent the recall consequence. In 2007, the vehicle failed to start intermittently. The contact did not feel the need to file a complaint at that time. Since the beginning of 2009, the vehicle has frequently been stalling and is a major inconvenience. On june 10, 2009, the vehicle was serviced for the stalling issue and the contact was informed that the crank sensor needed to be replaced. He feels that he should not have to pay for services that were performed in 2006, which were supposed to remedy the failures in the first place. The failure mileage was 165,000.
Was hit from behind at approximately 60mph. I was knocked unconscious. Vehicle continued on at hit head first into concrete wall in excess of 40 MPH. Air bag did not deploy. I was taken to hospital and suffered broken collarbone.
After doing some research, I have found that I have spent $494.97 on what was a recall previously, I have a saab 93 convertible and was driving on the freeway when the engine light came on and started losing power. Took to the dealership and need the di-cassette replaced. On this vehicle I have also had the alternator replaced 3 times in 2 years.
While driving on expressway, motor failed due to lack of oil circulation brought on by plugging of oil pump intake screen from degradation of oil, due to design of saab 9/3 that cooks oil in turbocharger and catalytic converter directly beneath oil pan. Contributing factors long oil change interval, (10,000 saab recommendation), vehicle had 8,000 miles since last oil change. Also -3*f temperature further impeded oil circulation. Complete engine failure resulted. Vehicle disabled. Engine shortblock was replaced at dealership
The seat belt on my 2001 saab 93 will not work. I am unable to pull the strap out from the side of the car. I took it to my local saab dealer they told me it would cost $700.00 to fix. My car is only 6 years old, not only did the seat belt stop working but the ABS system needs to be replaced at a cost of $3200.00. All of these repairs seem to be a safety issue that cost an excessive amount of money. I think that saab should repair at the very least the seat belt which I am currently driving without.
Dt*: the contact stated gasoline leaked onto the engine due to loosened fuel lines on the fuel pump. There was an the federal safety agency recall, # 06v126000 regarding the fuel system, gasoline: delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings. The vehicle was not included in the recall due to the VIN. Updated 9/15/2006 -
Compare the 2001 Saab 9-3 Convertible
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Questions about the 2001 Saab 9-3 Convertible
Is the 2001 Saab 9-3 Convertible reliable?
Owners have filed 24 complaints about the 2001 Saab 9-3 Convertible, close to a typical 9-3 Convertible model year.
What is the 2001 Saab 9-3 Convertible year score?
The 2001 Saab 9-3 Convertible scores 75 out of 100 (average). The score compares it with the other model years of the Saab 9-3 Convertible: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2001 Saab 9-3 Convertible?
Electrical system, with 8 complaints. Next is fuel system (6).
How many recalls does the 2001 Saab 9-3 Convertible have?
1 recall, covering fuel system, gasoline.
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