The contact owns a 2005 Saab 9-3. The contact stated that the front passenger's side seat belt failed to latch. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the failure was related to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V318000 (Seat Belts). The vehicle was not repaired. There was no further information provided. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The worst 2005 Saab 9-3 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.
- Suspension29
- Seat belts22
- Airbags12
- Electrical9
- Fuel system9
- Brakes5
- Engine4
- Seats4
- Acceleration3
- Driver assistance3
- Transmission3
- Lights2
- Body1
- Steering1
- Visibility1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2005 Saab 9-3
Recalls 2
Seat belts: front: retractor
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2011 Saab 9-3 Convertible vehicles manufactured July 30, 2003, to February 15, 2011. In the affected vehicles, the driver's side front seat belt retractor may break, causing the seat belt webbing not to retract.
- Risk
- In the event of a crash, a seat belt that has not retracted may not properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing their risk of injury.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's seat belt retractor, free of charge. The recall began on October 6, 2015. Owners may contact Saab customer service at 1‑800‑955‑9007. GM's number for this recall is 14222. Note: Special Coverage 10086 will replace the passenger side seat belt retractor if it fails, free of charge, for the life of the vehicle.
Recall number 14V318000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: power assist: vacuum: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- Certain sport sedan and convertible passenger vehicles were produced with a vacuum pipe check valve for the brake booster that may fail from exposure to elevated temperatures. This could result in sudden loss of power brake assist, usually with little or no warning.
- Risk
- If this condition were to occur when minimum stopping distance is required, a crash could occur.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a new redesigned check valve. The recall began on march 17, 2006. Owners should contact saab at 1‑800‑955‑9007.
Recall number 05V236000 · Recall details
See all 2 recalls for the 2005 Saab 9-3
Defect investigations
Front Suspension Coil Spring Fracture
To date, ODI is aware of 142 non-duplicative complaints related to the alleged defect.In addition, ODI is aware of 2,626 subject vehicles with one or more warranty claims related to the alleged defect.In total, ODI is aware of 2,714 unique subject vehicles that have experienced one or more front suspension coil spring fractures.ODI is not aware of any crashes or injuries related to the alleged defect.The engineering design and testing data supplied by GM, along with the frequency of consumer complaints and warranty claims related to the alleged defect, tends to support the position that, in general, the coil springs that fractured on many subject vehicles did not achieve the expected service life.However, in regard to the subject vehicles, a front suspension coil spring fracture itself has little safety consequence, as evidenced by the minimal impact on vehicle ride and handling and by the number of drivers who were unaware of the failure condition for some time until alerted by service personnel.The ratio of tire punctures to coil spring fractures appears low and there are no reports of crashes, deaths or injuries related to the alleged defect. A safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that a safety-related defect does not exist.The agency will continue to monitor this issue and will take further action if warranted by the circumstances.See the EA08-026 Engineering Analysis Closing Report for more details.
EA08026
Front suspension coil spring fracture
On august 28, 2008, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened a preliminary evaluation (pe08-051) to investigate alleged front suspension coil spring fractures in certain model year (my) 2003-2004 saab 9-3 vehicles sold or registered in salt belt states.(note: for purposes of this investigation, the salt belt includes connecticut, delaware, the district of columbia, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia and wisconsin).subsequent analysis of data provided by general motors corp. (gm) has LED the agency to expand the scope of this investigation to include all my 2003-2006 saab 9-3 vehicles sold or registered in salt belt states. To date, odi is aware of 53 non-duplicative complaints and/or field reports that allege coil spring fracture in the subject vehicles, including 23 alleging the fractured spring damaged a tire, with 16 of those involving a tire puncture.analysis of warranty data provided by gm identified 1,218 claims paid to repair subject vehicles that experienced the alleged defect, of which 138 vehicles also suffered damage to the adjacent tire and of those, 79 vehicles experienced a tire puncture.odi is not aware of any crashes or injuries related to the alleged defect. Gm made several design changes to the coil springs and/or mcpherson strut assemblies used in the subject vehicles in an apparent effort to address the alleged defect condition.however, gm maintains that the subject vehicles remain well controlled in the event of tire puncture, that the rate of tire puncture incidents related to coil spring fractures is low, and that the alleged defect does not pose an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety.accordingly, this investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea08-026) to further study the safety consequences of the alleged defect.
PE08051
Technical service bulletins for the 2005 Saab 9-3 104
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic assistance from TAC.
- This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of...
- This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on When and How to Submit a Field...
- This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about changing the tire...
- Vehicle Wide Programming (VWP) is a new process to update software on GM Vehicles
- This service bulletin provides guidelines and diagnostic/repair information to technicians regarding...
- This service bulletin advises of a new fuel injection cleaner kit used for decarbonizing the intake valves...
- This bulletin provides information for use on a Product Assistance Claim (PAC), which is formerly known as...
- This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Service Programming System (SPS)...
- This bulletin provides information on the harmful effects of water or ethylene glycol in transmission fluid.
2005 Saab 9-3 fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4‑cyl | FWD | 17-19 | 25-29 | 19-23 |
What 2005 Saab 9-3 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
It happened to me twice.. While driving the gas gauge will drop to empty and when pressing on the gas il just rev there be a cut off due to the fuel level sensor in which it's a common in all saabs I don't know why this issue hasn't become a recall. It's dangerous the cut off is around 2-3 seconds. I almost cause an accident due to the lost of power. I was entering the free way and an 18 wheeler had to switch lanes and passed I was going around 45 MPH merging . The second time I was going 25 MPH and it felt like the engine shut of and gather speed. There is a recall for the fuel pump and my vehicle has the same symptoms others have describe. It feels like the car has issues but their not parts to difficult to change but if you take the car to a mechanic theyl charge you ridiculous for labor almost $1200 just in changing the drive belt?
Altornator keep malfunctioning happend multiple time
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 saab 9-3. The contact stated while trying to start the vehicle, he heard an abnormal noise. The contact stated he saw smoke coming the hood. The contact stated no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated he exited the vehicle and was informed fire was coming from a fuel leak on the front passenger side. The contact stated a bystander came with a fire extinguisher and extinguish the fire. The contact stated there were no injuries or medical attention needed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The contact called the local dealer flikkema saab located at 2424 176th st, lansing, il 60438, (708) 474-1933, and were made aware of failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired as of yet. The manufacturer had been informed of failure. The failure mileage was 74,000. *dt
The federal safety agency 14v318000 was a recall for seat belts that fails to retract. When I get into my car and pull it out to fasten it often remains slack. That event caused me to do research and find the recall. But it did not extend to my car which has the exact same problem. It appears to me that the recall was too narrow.
My car won't start and no mechanic can figure out exactly why due to there not being any saab dealers near the area I'm stuck in... I have been living out of my car for 3 months cuz I don't want anyone to steal my car
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2005 saab 9-3. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign numbers: 14v318000 (seat belts) and 16v063000 (air bags); however, the parts to do the repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. West county volvo (14410 manchester rd, manchester, mo) was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not available for the recall remedy. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and was not able to confirm when the parts were to become available. The contact had not experienced a failure. The VIN was not provided.
The driver's seat-belt has stopped retracting. The item has a recall but parts are not available
Power seat tracks on both driver and passenger slide back and forth such that when stopping quickly the seat slides forward about an inch. It's a known problem on saabs.
Horn does not blow, please wait light stays on. And burns the battery out over a day or so while car is stationary have to recharge.
Compare the 2005 Saab 9-3
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Questions about the 2005 Saab 9-3
Is the 2005 Saab 9-3 reliable?
Owners have filed 95 complaints about the 2005 Saab 9-3, close to a typical 9-3 model year.
What is the 2005 Saab 9-3 year score?
The 2005 Saab 9-3 scores 72 out of 100 (average). The score compares it with the other model years of the Saab 9-3: 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 2005 Saab 9-3?
Suspension, with 29 complaints, typically around 66,489 miles. Next is seat belts (22).
How many recalls does the 2005 Saab 9-3 have?
2 recalls, covering seat belts and service brakes, hydraulic.
What year does the Saab 9-3 have bad suspension?
The Saab 9-3 model years with the most suspension complaints are 2004 (52 complaints), 2003 (42 complaints) and 2005 (29 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2005 Saab 9-3 get?
Official estimates for the 2005 Saab 9-3 range from 19 to 23 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.0L 4-cyl, FWD) gets 17-19 city and 25-29 highway.
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