Major leakage from coolant expansion tank. Saab dealer reported the tank had cracked and required replacing. Tank replaced. Service mgr stated that saab has an issue with these tanks on the 2.8 v6 turbo engines.
2006 Saab 9-3 engine complaints
Page 2 of 2: complaints 11 to 16 of 16, newest first, as owners wrote them.
In august 2007, we had to have our 2006 saab 9-3 sportcombi towed to the dealership, as the coolant expansion tank ruptured while on the highway and all the coolant had leaked from the engine. The coolant expansion tank was replaced under warranty. In october 2008, we again experienced problems with the coolant expansion tank leaking and again had to have it replaced at a cost of $389.32 plus the cost of a rental car, as the parts were not immediately available. My understanding is that a technical service bulletin has been issued by saab regarding this recurring problem with the turbo v-6 engine, as the turbocharger is located too close to the expansion tank. I do not feel that it is reasonable to have to replace the coolant expansion tank twice within a 14 month period on a car that is less than 3 years old. I filed a claim with saab customer service and they responded that since it had been more than one year since the parts had been replaced, and the car was no longer covered under the bumper-to-bumper warranty, they would not take any action. Also, the original repairs were made at a dealership that has since closed and consolidated at a second dealership that is some distance away (in santa clara, california). The dealership in san francisco says that the repairs in saab's system indicate that only the coolant expansion tank cap was replaced the first time, which does not agree with the invoice that I have. In summary, I believe that there is a faulty design involved, and that the manufacturer should cover the cost of the repairs, not us. I am concerned regarding the reliability of the car, and should we continue to experience problems with the coolant system, we will have to replace the vehicle.
The coolant system tank ruptured spraying engine coolant over turbo and engine. The coolant tank has been replaced 2 times in the past 9 months. It is currently at the dealership awaiting a new coolant tank.
Tl*the contact owns a 2006 saab 9-3. While driving 20 MPH, the steering wheel locked and the vehicle stalled. No warning lights were illuminated prior to the failure. The contact crashed into a ten foot barrier. Gm sent an engineer to gather evidence and survey the damage. One occupant was injured and a police report was filed. Gm stated that they will take apart the vehicle to find out why it stalled and crashed. The failure mileage was 36,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2006 saab 9-3. The contact stated that every four months and approximately 30 miles, the coolant reservoir cracks, which causes leakage onto the engine. As a result, a fire erupts under the hood. The failure was noticed while driving 30 MPH. The current mileage was 12,500 and failure mileage was 4,000.
The coolant reservoir has cracked three times in 16 months on my brand new saab 9-3 aero 2006. It only has aprx. 12k miles. Saab replaces it for free, but offers not further explanation even upon request by owner. They refuse to issue a recall and this is a widespread problem with car according to service dept. On the first and most recent incident, of three incidents, there was combustion of the coolant reservoir, and resulting smoke. The vehicle is up to date on insurance, scheduled maintenance and lease payments. I have this documented on saab service dept. Service records. I fear for my safety, daily.
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