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 the federal safety agency Campaign Numbers: 05V399000 (Electrical System) and 06V126000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
2001 Saab 9-3 electrical problems
23 complaints (39% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 61,550.
- owner complaints
- 23
- of this car's complaints
- 39%
- typical mileage
- 61,550
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
- Ignition: module9
- Ignition6
- Wiring: front underhood1
- Instrument cluster/panel1
- Ignition: switch1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Saab 9-3 electrical problems in other years
Related recalls
Electrical system: ignition: module
- What is wrong
- 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.
- 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 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.
Recall number 05V399000 · Recall details
Related 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
What 2001 Saab 9-3 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 saab 9-3. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start while the battery warning indicator was illuminated. In addition, the vehicle would stall. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the ignition discharge module failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 05v399000 (electrical system). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 186,000.
Brought my 2001 saab 9-3 for campaign recall 05v399000 idm to dirito brothers saab of walnut creek, california. Dealer stated not required to change the idm. If my idm fails at a later date, I could be susceptible to injury or death. Need to know if dealer is required to change idm.
Driving on freeway on ramp, without warning vehicle lost all power in the middle of traffic, almost causing a serious crash. Took vehicle to mechanic and it was discover that there was a faulty throttle body. Part was replaced.
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 saab 9-3. While driving at any speed, the instrument panel stopped functioning and the brake pedal had to be applied with more pressure than normal to stop the vehicle. The failure occurs every time the vehicle is driven. The contact did not notice any differences in the vehicle prior to the failure. The vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. The VIN was unknown. The current mileage was 70,000 and failure mileage was 60,000.
The direct ignition cassette has been replaced four different times. The initial replacement was only 8,000 miles into the original ownership. The last two were in 2006 with 80,000 miles. It is apparent continued problems have been experienced with this vehicle.
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 saab 9-3. While driving 70 MPH, the check engine light illuminated. The contact drove to the dealer and they stated that the ignition cassette failed. She then found a recall on her vehicle for the same failure her vehicle was experiencing; however, the dealer stated that her VIN was not included. The contact believes that her vehicle should be included in the recall because it is experiencing the same failure. The recall number was unknown. The failure and current mileages were 82,347. Updated 05/20/08. *lj the door handle was replaced. Updated 05/20/08
Tl* - the contact owns a 2001 saab 93. The contact stated that there was safety recall on the ignition discharge module. The first time he took the vehicle to the dealer to have the safety recall repair work done was 04/17/2006. The contact drove back home at 60 MPH for approximately 40 miles, and during that time and for the first time, the engine light turned on. The contact went back a second time on 05/11/2006 because the engine light stayed on and, there were gas fumes in the vehicle. The contact went back to the dealer on 06/08/2006 because there were overwhelming gas fumes in the vehicle. Currently the engine on light stayed on consistently. The contact was told that he would be charged for repairs. The failure mileage was 15,949 and the current mileage was 17,900. *ak the consumer provided the invoices for repairs and documents for the saab dealership. Update 4/25/07
Car taken to dealer twice because "check engine light" on intermittently; told there were "no problems" and instructed on how to clear message. "check engine light" and "oil" light began to flicker intermittently; taken to 2 independent mechanics for check; both stated there was oil in the pan, oil in the engine, no obvious problem. "check engine" and "oil" lights came on and stayed on; car began making noise. Pulled over and had towed to independent mechanic who stated bearings were shot and new engine needed. Saab USA has persisted in denying culpability despite letter and mechanic's statement. Told me car was under warranty resulting in towing from independent shop to dealer; dealer then said car was not under warranty. Bbb complaint filed; now saab USA insists engine must be torn down to diagnose problem and I must accept risk that if the problem is not theirs, I will owe $1500 for tear-down; dealer wants storage charges. Car out of service now 43 days and counting.
2001 9-3 engine light illuminated due to a cracked cylinder. *ts when the consumer took the vehicle to the dealership, she was told the serial number on the module was not the one that would be replaced. A few months had passed and the service technician determined that the problem was from the recalled part which had a noticeable crack. When the consumer contacted the dealership again, she was told that the module may have shown problems in the previous inspection, but the module was not covered by the recall based on the serial number.
Questions about the 2001 Saab 9-3 electrical
Does the 2001 Saab 9-3 have electrical problems?
Owners have filed 23 complaints about the electrical of the 2001 Saab 9-3, 39% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2001 Saab 9-3 electrical problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 61,550 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2001 Saab 9-3 electrical?
Yes, 1 recall: 05V399000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Saab 9-3 have the most electrical problems?
The Saab 9-3 model years with the most electrical complaints are 2003 (46 complaints), 2000 (23 complaints) and 2001 (23 complaints).
Other 2001 Saab 9-3 problems
Fuel system 16Engine 15Airbags 4Brakes 2Seats 2Acceleration 1Body 1Driver assistance 1Locks 1Seat belts 1Suspension 1Tires 1Transmission 1
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