Vehicle stalls while in drive there is internal fuel issue causing engine to misfire and potential damage
2006 Saab 9-3 brakes problems
31 complaints (17% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 33,200. 3 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 31
- of this car's complaints
- 17%
- typical mileage
- 33,200
- crashes
- 3
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip2
- Power assist: vacuum1
- Power assist: hydraulic: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings1
- Power assist: hydraulic1
- Power assist1
- Foundation components: master cylinder1
- Foundation components: disc: pads1
- Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: wheel speed sensor/tone ring1
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 brakes problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2006 Saab 9-3 brakes
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Related investigations
Reduced brake power-assist
Saab automobile ab, a subsidiary of general motors corp. (gm), manufactured 12,317 subject vehicles through february 15, 2008, equipped with the high feature v6 turbocharged engine identified by regular production option lp9.a tandem vacuum brake booster assembly provides brake power-assist.the engine is the primary vacuum source to the booster and its effect is amplified by a venturi.under certain conditions, such as a cold engine start or at high altitudes, an electric vacuum pump (evp) supplements engine vacuum.a pressure switch measures brake booster vacuum and commands the evp when to turn on/off.check valves are located at the intake manifold, venturi, and pressure switch. Gm identified two issues that affect evp performance: corrosion of electrical components inside the pump caused by moisture ingress through the air outlet when the evp shuts off and the vacuum in a section of piping between the evp and the pressure switch is released to the atmosphere; and silicone contamination of the electrical contacts inside the pressure switch resulting in a noisy or impeded electrical signal.gm addressed evp performance with two design changes.in november 2007, gm modified the rubber protective cap that covers the evp air outlet to improve sealing and in february 2008, gm added a check valve to the section of piping between the evp and the pressure switch as close as possible to the evp in an effort to reduce the back flow of moisture through the pump. In total, the office of defects investigation (odi) is aware of 240 subject vehicles affected by the alleged defect.complainants report that symptoms occur immediately after a cold engine start and only for a short duration (30 to 60 seconds), during which period the amount of brake power-assist provided to the operator may be reduced due to an inoperative evp.the symptoms may be more pronounced the longer the vehicle has been parked as there is a natural tendency for the brake booster to slowly release the vacuum over time if it is not replenished.full brake power-assist capability resumes after this brief cold start period or immediately after a warm engine start.the three reported crashes all occurred at low speeds (< 5mph) while reversing from a garage or parking space and resulted in minimal to minor property damage. The subject issue differs from a previous safety recall (05v‑236) affecting certain model year (my) 2003-2005 saab 9-3 vehicles equipped with a defective check valve that could become brittle and fracture, resulting in a lasting and total loss of brake power-assist at any time.the defective check valve did not meet lifetime durability requirements and gm predicted a 100% failure rate at less than 4 years of service.in comparison, gm predicts an evp failure rate of approximately 6.4% at 3 years in service for the subject vehicles resulting in reduced brake power-assist for a short duration.the subject issue also differs from a previous odi influenced safety recall (03v‑474) to address evp moisture ingress in certain my 2000 volvo s40 and v40 vehicles.the recalled volvo vehicles utilized a steel vacuum pipe between the evp and the brake booster.moisture ingress and subsequent corrosion could compromise the vacuum pipe resulting in a lasting and total loss of brake power-assist.moisture does not appear to have a significant impact on the polyether-ester plastic vacuum pipe used in the subject vehicles. 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
PE08005
What 2006 Saab 9-3 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
When backing out of my garage this morning the vehicle brakes were very difficult to engage and had to forcibly depress the brake pedal to stop the vehicle (which still did not provide full braking force) and avoid running into the parked vehicle behind me. This has been a problem for as long as I have owned the vehicle. Typically occurs whenever the vehicle has been parked for some time (e.g. Over night or during the work day) - just replaced the brake pads and rotors and this had absolutely no positive impact on the problem. Definitely a safety issue that could result in an accident.
Multiple shorts indicated on sid. Original message "electronic stability control failure". This is a common complaint amongst saab owners for this make and model. Occasionally, an associated an ABS failure indication will appear while traveling. Have not noticed a loss in ABS function yet, but it was dry when these shorts occurred. The failure is assumed to be associated with the cruise control function and its use has been lost.
Upon starting the vehicle after sitting, the brakes had greatly increased pedal effort to apply and greatly reduced breaking result. The car failed to stop and struck a pole while backing up.
2 incidents occurred. I have owned the car for 1 week and, occasionally on cold starts, when attempting to back up and stop, the brake pedal is hard to depress making braking extremely difficult. Additionally, on occasion, if I accelerate and then attempt to depress brake pedal, the pedal is extremely difficult to depress making stopping difficult. This has almost resulted in an accident during hgh traffic situations.
I have had my 2006 saab 9-3 in for service 4 times for an ABS/traction control/stability control failure. Each time I take it to the dealership, they tell me that the cost is around $385 for a hub assembly, no labor included. I have talked to many people who have had the same problem. The real problem is that the wire leading to the wheel corrodes. Now my car is at the dealership for the same problem and they want to put in a rear harness for the same system and want to charge me $315 just for the part, doesn't include labor. This part has been found for around $120 elsewhere. This is very frustrating as the car acts as a totally different animal when it is not functioning properly. Every time this has happened the temperature has been 40 degrees f or lower.
Had been having problems with a very rough idle. Then when putting car into reverse from a cold start the brakes would be inoperable (brake would not press down). Throwing car into a different gear was only way to stop car. Very scary when parked on an incline one morning and reversed into traffic but couldn't stop. Took to service repair to find the brake booster needed replaced. Said this was unacceptable failure in car of this age/mileage who has very regular service record.
On july 22nd 2010 at approximately 1500 est, I started my car, a 2006 saab 9-3 aero sport sedan and placed it into reverse to exit my garage/ driveway on my way to work. As I neared the street I depressed the brake pedal to slow down and enter the street but the brake pedal seemed to be ineffective and I ended up putting the car into neutral and entering the street at an angle. After I had stopped in the street I pumped the brakes and put the emergency brake on and shortly (2min) I was on my way without further incident. I reported this incident to my saab dealer, and they said they had never heard of this before and said there was nothing I could do as it was out of warranty. During the rest of the summer I drove that car I had no further problems. (it is my parents car that I drove when I was home for the summer). I later found out that my parents also had this problem intermittently so I began searching online and found others that had a similar problem and referenced a report pe08005 which seemed to describe my problem. I brought this report to the saab dealer and they told me they had never seen it and couldn't do anything about it.
Low of vehicle power brake assist. After sitting for several hours, when the car was first started the power brake assist would not work or would work at a reduced rate. There were not check engine or brake lights to notify us of a failure. This almost resulted in an accident. It took nearly 20 ft to get the vehicle to a complete stop. Had this occurred in a parking lot or in another location were a person or vehicle was close by an accident would have occurred. The vacuum pump was replaced I believe the part # is 12822387. Had a notification been given that there was an issue such as a check engine or brake light, this would not have been as big of an issue.
On a cold start, the brakes fail.
Questions about the 2006 Saab 9-3 brakes
Does the 2006 Saab 9-3 have brakes problems?
Owners have filed 31 complaints about the brakes of the 2006 Saab 9-3, 17% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2006 Saab 9-3 brakes problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 33,200 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2006 Saab 9-3 brakes?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Saab 9-3 have bad brakes?
The Saab 9-3 model years with the most brakes complaints are 2006 (31 complaints), 2003 (19 complaints) and 2007 (13 complaints).
Other 2006 Saab 9-3 problems
Airbags 87Engine 16Seat belts 15Fuel system 14Electrical 13Steering 8Suspension 7Transmission 7Acceleration 6Driver assistance 5Lights 2Tires 2Visibility 2Body 1Locks 1Wheels 1
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