Car struggled to start when the temperature was below 40 degrees. After a number of trips to the shop that maintains my car they researched online that this was a common problem for saab with this engine and gm isn't willing to do anything about it. Please do something!
2008 Saab 9-3 engine complaints
Page 2 of 3: complaints 11 to 40 of 68, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Hard starting cold with engine misfire and low compression, vehicle starts and runs normally when hot 2007-11 9-3 b207 & 2011 9-5 a20nft ______________________________________________ this is a re-issue of a previously published document with updated information highlighted inred. Models: 2007-2008 saab 9-3 b207r (this pi does not apply to the b284 engine) update: this condition could also occur on 2009-11 b207 or 2011 9-5 a20nft condition/concern: a technician may comment of hard or no starting when cold. They may also find engine misfires with dtc's p0300, p0301, p0302, p0303 or p0304. The vehicle will start and run normally when hot. Recommendations/instructions: this condition may be caused by a worn intake valve and is typically found on vehicles with 50,000 or more miles. Due to the nature of this issue it can be more frequent in cold climates and could exhibit the condition at a lower mileage; inversely in warmer climates it may occur at a higher mileage. Tac has found intake valve wear of the valve seat face will cause significant compression loss in cold temperatures that will not be readily apparent when hot. To properly diagnose this condition perform a cold (after an overnight stay is best) compression and leak down test. As an example, an engine with a 150-175 psi hot cranking compression reading may only show 75 to 90 psi when cold. Once a technician has determined he has the above described concern he must initiate a technical assistance center (tac) case by email at xxxx or by phone at xxxxx prompt #3. Tac will provide the full information on the parts/repair procedure when the case is set. Parts required: inlet valve 2007 to 2011, biopower 55563529 (8 required)
We own a 2008 9-3 saab that has approximately 120,000 miles on it. When it is cold outside (50 degrees and below), our car starts very roughly after 2-3+ minutes of continuous cranking. Once the car starts and has warmed up, it runs quite smoothly. However, it currently isn't starting at all now and is in the shop. We have been doing research online to see if this is a common problem among other 2008 saab owners. So far we have seen a large amount of other owners of 2008 saabs expressing the same concerns/problems and have experienced a $2,00-$3,000 expense to fix it. Our diagnosis is that there isn't any compression and it is assumed that the lower intake valves are faulty and will need to be replaced for an estimated cost of $2,000-$3,000. I have contacted gm and am awaiting their response as to whether there are enough other complaints to warrant a recall or receive any financial assistance to complete the repairs. It appears that the original gm parts are faulty and become worn, which results in difficulty in colder temperatures. We previously owned a 2003 saab, which was built by saab, and we never experienced any of these said problems.
As is the case with many other saab 9-3 built after 2006, my dealer's service department recently identified a problem with the intake valves in my vehicles engine, which has experienced premature failure at 77,000 miles. Other postings on line lead me to believe that this is major issue affecting thousands of these vehicles built by gm in years 2007 and later. The cause is widely known and is a manufacturers defect resulting in failure of the vehicle to start in cold weather. The fix required is a replacement of all of the engine intake valves. This is costly fix in the range of $3,000 per vehicle. Whether gm knew it was using inferior parts prone to failure or not, they are still responsible and should be required to perform the repairs at their cost, or to at a minimum participate in some way in the cost of the repairs.
Recently, while starting the car it started up very rough. A few weeks ago the check engine light also came on and the mechanic told me there was an issue in cylinder 2. We replaced all spark plugs and coils, and the issue did not go away. In addition, the car has also started stalling randomly. Luckily, I haven't been driving at high speeds when this has happened but it's now shut off about 7 or 8 times in the last month. Been wondering if its intake valves, fuel pump, powertrain control module, camshaft timing... Sounds like lots of other people have experienced similar issues and hoping mines not because of the intake valves. Please email [xxx]@hotmail.com if you have experienced similar issues and know the fix. Car is a manual transmission.
Car starts and shuts off.
Reached 100k miles, and car began running very rough. Engine light came on and diagnosed as bad ignition coil. Paid for tune-up, ignition coil, and and fuel service. Less than a month later, same issue. Car running fine, then suddenly almost stalls and engine light blinks then stays on - car runs very rough at idle and acceleration. Replaced 2 more coils. Less than one month issue, same issue - car running ok, then just almost stalls and runs rough - engine light blinks then stays on - relaced #5 coil. When diagnosing, service tech advised that issue was likely worse, not maintaining compression - likely required valve job. Have already paid several thousands of dollars on ignition coils and other service to dealership for this issue, now facing large bill for valve job.
I have been having this problem with my car for a while now and couldn't figureout what the problem was. When started from a cold start would take 2 or 3 times to get the car running it would stall out and run really rough. After a number of trips to the shop that maintains my car they researched online that this was a common problem for saabs with this engine and gm isn't willing to do anything about it. I had to spend just under 2000.00 to get this issue fixed. I see there are a bunch of people posting about this same problem the intake valve issue is a known issue with gm supplied intave valves on 2007-20011 saabs with the b207 motor.
Intake valve issue is a known issue with gm supplied intave valves on 2007-20011 saabs with the b207 motor. Car struggled to start when the temperature was below 40 degrees. When it finally started, the car idled roughly. In addition car stalled a couple of times while being driven on the highway. Took it to the service center and they performed a cold block compression test. Values were well below 100 on 2 of the valves. The other two tested about 20% below normal. 66k miles, serviced regularly, and premium fuel was used exclusively. Also, southern care from day 1.
I have owned my 2008 saab 9-3 for about a year now and I have had an ongoing rough running issue that seems to be getting worse. When I start my car up in the morning it runs very rough and recently the check engine light has been turning on and off with cylinder misfire codes. I have done some research and had this problem diagnosed, several times, as having bad intake valves. After doing more research on this problem, I have come to find this is a rather common issue with this specific year make and model. This is concerning because I have had this repair quoted at over $2000.00. I am very familiar with manufacturer recalls and have been told by multiple dealerships to submit a complaint in order for this problem to be covered under a manufacturer recall due to faulty parts.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 saab 9-3. The contact stated that the vehicle overheated and stalled several times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the extension tank was replaced three times. The inner hose detached internally and the dealer provided no solution. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided no remedy. The contact was uncertain if the part was replaced a fourth time and if the failure would recur. The failure mileage was not available.
I have what I've searched is the "cold start problem". When starting the engine in cold weather, it takes it a try or two to start, but upon ignition, it sputters for a minute or two and once it warms, it runs perfectly fine. From reading reviews online, it sounds like many others have had this and it is the result of the valves going bad, meaning I need a whole new rebuild done. Car only has 127k miles on it and is in mint condition. Per the number of cases I've read online about this, it sounds like the '07-'08 models were the one's that were defective in my case. Bought the car recently from a friend who thought it was just a fuel pump issue needing to be replaced, which I'd pay the few hundred dollars for that, no problem. But now looking at close to $3,000 to have fixed??
I was driving at 55 miles per hour on the lodge freeway in metro detroit, I was in the left lane and there is no emergency lane on the left, and my engine turned off on itself (scary!). As we are aware, brakes pretty much stop working when the engine is off and I was driving with 55 MPH with many vehicles around me. I managed to pull over to the right without getting hit. When I stopped, I tried to start the car, it would start for 5 seconds and it will stall and I had about 10 gallons of gasoline in the tank. I had to get the vehicles towed to my house. Next day I started reading the blogs online to figure out how it is possible for the engine to stall like that without any warnings, especially one is going at highway speed. It turned same thing happened to a lot of saab owners as well - engine stalled without any warnings when they were driving. I hooked up the vehicles to a diagnostic computer and it showed that the crankshaft sensor stopped working. If there are other saab owners with the same problems, we should do something to prevent any injuries - happy to discuss it with anybody.
The stock intake valves are bad, noticed problem at 75,000 miles and bought the car at 74,000. This is a very common problem for this year including engine failure. Over a 3,000$ fix.
Car was manufactured with a bad set of intake valves which is noted on many saab owner threads. Valves break down in cold weather around 50k miles. Car starts and bottoms out sometimes and has rough idle until warmed. Accelerating while engine is cold can cause safety issue. Quoted repairs run $2000-3000.
Defective intake valves. Repair center specializing in saab performed cold compression test on cylinders and found that 2 of 4 had low compression. Informed me that they have found 90% of the saabs they test from 2007-08 have this problem from cheap valves used specified by gm.
Intake valve issue - car will not start on a cold day and, sometimes at a stop sign /light, will stall - had to two mechanics depict the issue and it is the intake valve issue - many saab's have reported this issue and nothing was done by gm - I called gm and they said that they are not responsible - this issue has been reported several times and there are several threads as well.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 saab 9-3. While starting the vehicle, it idled roughly. Additionally, the vehicle would sometimes take a long time to start. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. The failure mileage was 90,000.
I didn't have a problem with the car in southern california, but I moved to new york at about 75k miles - and I noticed a problem right away. Rough idling started, and would even turn on, then right back off. The problem was not an issue again during the summer months, so I was able to drive it to 83k miles. Now that it is winter time, even though it is garaged it will not start if it is under 45 degrees. I had it checked out with a certified saab mechanic and he confirmed by way of compression test that it is indeed the dreaded intake valve problem. The estimate for repair is $2,230!
Hard/rough start especially in cold temperatures. Mechanic said #4 cylinder is misfiring. Confirmed to be low compression due to prematurely worn intake valves. #1 cylinder/intake valve is not far behind #4. Became a serious problem when engine stalls when sitting in traffic. Also vehicle engine has stalled/shut off while driving at low speeds, for example, in parking lots, redlights, 4 way stops.
Rough cold start. Compression on cylinder 4 to low.intake valve problem.
79,000 miles began with sluggish cold starts until warmed than began to run o.k until stopped turning over. Another owner of gm screwing the public with crappy valves installed in these engines. When will there be enough complaints to create a recall. Ordering parts from east coast saab parts store and looking for reasonable and knowledgeable california based mechanic. Expecting to pay approximately $2k. Will update this complaint when job complete. Another gm disappointment in car ownership!
The engine lost total compression due to what the mechanic said was a well-documented case of intake valve failure, happened in northern california. The engine cut out while I was in traffic on the freeway, the car stopped, and the car was grazed from behind. Not much of a problem due to damage, just a quick re-paint of the back bumper, and paid out of pocket. The engine was gone. The saab specialist told me that so many 9-3's,especially on the east coast, have experienced total intake valve failure like mine. I contacted saab and they essentially said to go screw myself. Saab and a subsequent call to gm claimed they had "never heard of the issue" which my mechanic specialist said was a "bold lie" because there's an online history of this that I found, and they denied me any help in getting it fixed. Since the car was worth more than the $2,900 cost I had to pay to have the engine rebuilt, with the same faulty valves that will cause someone else trouble later as I traded in my car, I decided to repair it, and then get $1,200 more out of it once I traded in my car. You need to investigate this. It is not fair to owners who are out of pocket. There was a safety concern with my incident. If the car behind me had not been aware once the freeway started moving again, I could have been hurt. Saab and gm deny this, yet search google---"intake valve problems saab 9-3" and you'll see for yourself. Make gm pay for this. People have lost a ton of money on depreciation alone, and now the engines fail, almost all of them,according to the shop who fixed my car and to what I've read online. Please issue a recall. Saab and gm were both especially arrogant to me. They should pay for this problem, and reimburse me what I was out even though I sold my car. I have the receipts if you need them. Thank you for listening! Please email only.
I have the same issue that others have talked about. Gm put cheap valves in engine--they have now failed for a number of us. Cold starting, rough idle, smell of gas, ultimately will not start. Expensive repair on car without much mileage 60k repair is 2500-3000 gm should fix these for free or reduced cost.
Car will not start on cold days. Found cylinders 1 and or with low compression.intake valves need replacement.
I first noticed a difference in how my car worked about a year and a half ago. I purchased it certified pre-owed from a certified saab dealer at the time. When I first noticed the "cold-starts" I thought it was just normal wear and tear and maybe needed an oil change. I always use premium gasoline and get the vehicle serviced regularly by the dealer. When I took it to the dealer in the beginning of 2014, the technician said he's familiar with the problem that I was having. He says the issue is with the compression valve. He told me that I was "unlucky" that I purchased this car because saab manufactured 2007-2009 9-3 model engines where the valves were made of weaker metals that when surrounding metals. As the edges of the valves impact the engine walls, their original convex designed became concave, thus causing a loss in pressure and combustion. (I'm not an engine savvy guy, so please excuse my lact of terminology). So, he quoted me about $3,000 for a valve replacement. That's rediculousness! How can gm produce a vehicle whose valves will deteriorate after normal wear and tear? This has LED to not only cold starts but also decreased responsiveness on the highway. Sometimes when driving, I would apply the accelerator and my car shakes for a few seconds. When giving a ride to others they look at me like, "that's not supposed to happen." my car hasn't stalled or shut off while driving, but I'm guessing if I don't get this fixed soon it may happen. There is a safety issue that I'm sure gm is aware of; accordingly, there needs to be a recall to get this issue resolved.
At about 70,000 miles the car began to start rough on cold mornings this continued on until this year 2014-2015 it would barely start on all on a cold morning, after less then a minute of running it would be smooth with no apparent lose of power. All plugs and plug ignition coils we replaced with no effect. Finally I did a web search and found out a number of 9-3 saab's 2006-2008 had bad metal in some of valves causing them to wear paper thin.once the engine was warm the metal expanded giving normal compression. A compression check on mine came back cycl 1,3,4 50lbs cycl 2 200lbs. This starting problem was first noticed at 70,000 I got the motor fixed at 92,000 miles. Of course the fix was a valve job and a cost to me of $2088.02. I feel saab (gm) should share a large portion of this cost. This problem was very well documented on all the saab forums. I hope anyone reading this and has the same problem please file a complaint this is not right.
My 2008 saab 93 2.0t has intake valve failures. In the morning it idles rough until it warms up; this has been verified by a saab specialist. My engine is not molded or altered in anyway other than the consumables over time (belts and such). A quick check for 2008 saab valve problem leads to forums chalk full of other owners with the same issue. Gm should foot the bill for this $2500+ rebuild of the engine that they poorly manufactured in the first place.
On the 2007-2011 saab 9-39-3 there is a common issue with the intake valve seals going bad causing a rough idle and/or misfire on cold starts. Mine exhibits this behavior but is not still under warranty. This is not just wear and tear it is a bad part or bad design that is basically designed to fail. To fix this it costs $1500+ and gm should be responsible for a flaw in the vehicle regardless of the 5 year/100,000 mile warranty.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 saab 9-3. While driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to accelerate without warning. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the intake valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2008 Saab 9-3?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history