Model year record

2002 SAAB 9-3 Convertible recalls & problems

The 2002 SAAB 9-3 Convertible has 1 safety recall and 9 owner complaints on file with NHTSA. The most-reported problem area is electrical system (4 complaints).

Recalls1safety recalls

Complaints9filed by owners

Crashes · fires1 · 3reported in complaints

Injuries · deaths1 · 0reported in complaints

Safety recalls

Fuel system, gasolineNov 19, 2004

Delivery › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings

Recall 04V55700017,394 vehicles

Problem: ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE FUEL PUMP RETAINING TABS HOLDING THE FUEL LINES WERE DAMAGED DURING PRODUCTION.
Risk: OVER TIME, THIS COULD CAUSE THE FUEL LINES TO LOOSEN FROM THE PUMP RESULTING IN FUEL LEAKAGE. IF AN IGNITION SOURCE WERE PRESENT, THE FUEL MAY IGNITE RESULTING IN A VEHICLE FIRE.
Fix: DEALERS WILL DEVELOP A SECURING BRACKET THAT WILL SECURE THE FUEL LINES TO THE FUEL PUMP EVEN IF THE PLASTIC RETAINING TABS SHOULD BREAK. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 14, 2005. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT SAAB AT 1-800-955-9007.

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

Fuel economy

9-3 Convertible

24mpg combined

City / highway	20 / 30 mpg
Fuel	Premium Gasoline

2 L · 4 cyl · Manual 5-spd · Front-Wheel Drive · about $3,400/year to fuel

9-3 Convertible

21mpg combined

City / highway	18 / 27 mpg
Fuel	Premium Gasoline

2 L · 4 cyl · Automatic 4-spd · Front-Wheel Drive · about $3,900/year to fuel

EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.

What owners report

Problem area	Complaints	Crashes	Fires	Injuries	Typical mileage*
Electrical systemWiring › Front underhood; Alternator/generator/regulator	4	0	4	0	13,000 mi
StructureBody › Door; Body › Hood	2	0	1	0	—
Air bagsFrontal › Driver side › Inflator module	2	1	0	1	—
Engine and engine cooling	1	0	1	0	—
Latches/locks/linkagesHood › Latch	1	0	1	0	—
Visibility	1	0	0	0	—
Service brakes, hydraulicFoundation components › Disc › Caliper	1	0	0	0	—
Power trainManual transmission	1	0	1	0	—
Exterior lighting	1	0	0	0	—

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

Air bags1 injury
SLOWLY APPROACHING STOPLIGHT, AND DRIVERS SIDE, SIDE AIRBAG GOES OFF FOR NO APPARENT REASON. DRIVER WAS STRUCK IN SIDE OF HEAD, AND UPPER BODY, SOME HEARING LOSS SUFFERED ALSO.
Jun 3, 2011
Exterior lighting
USE OF HIGH BEAMS CAUSES QUICK FAILURE OF HEADLAMPS. *TR
Jul 15, 2009 · 55,000 miles
Power train › Manual transmissionFire
ON AUGUST 13, 2006, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2002 SAAB 9-3 CONVERTIBLE WHEN THE ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE. SHE WAS ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE CAR SAFELY, BUT THE CAR WAS DESTROYED. INVESTIGATIONS BY INTERNATIONAL MOTORS (FALLS CHURCH, VA) AFTER THE EVENT SHOWED THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD DISINTEGRATED AND TRANSMISSION FLUID HAS SPRAYED THROUGHOUT THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAUSING THE FIRE.
Aug 13, 2006 · 54,000 miles
Electrical system › Wiring › Front underhoodFire
2002 SAAB 9-3 WITH 54K MILES CAUGHT FIRE WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING IT ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 13, 2006. *JB
Aug 13, 2006
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Disc › Caliper
DT: 5/4/05, CAR WAS AT DEALER5 FOR REGULARLY MAINTENANCE. DEALER REPORTED REAR BRAKES WERE RUSTED TO THE POINT OF NOT BEING ABLE TO OPERATE. SERVICE MANAGER SAID THAT SAAB HAD A HISTORY OF BRAKES DETERIORATING AT LOW MILES. CALLER COMPLAINED ABOUT SAAB, DEALER COULD NOT OFFER ANY HELP. NO PREVIOUS PROBLEM WITH VEHICLE, WHICH WAS IS REGULARLY SERVICED, AND RECORDS WERE AVAILABLE. *AK
May 9, 2005 · 40,000 miles
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator moduleCrash
ON APRIL 8, 2004 MY WIFES 2002 SAAB CONVERTIBLE WAS STRUCK BY A VEHICLE THAT FAILED TO YIELD AT A STOP SIGN. THE CAR WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED AND WAS TOWED TO NIMNICHT SAAB, THE ONLY AUTHORIZED SAAB DEALER IN JACKSONVILLE, FL. ALTHOUGH THE ACCIDENT RESULTED IN MORE THAN $8,000 TO OUR VEHICLE AND THE IMPACT ZONE WAS A T-BONE TYPE IMPACT TO THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR, THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. AS OF THIS WRITING, OUR CAR REMAINS AT THE DEALERSHIP AND HAS YET TO BE REPAIRED. THIS REPAIR DELAY SITUATION HAS BEEN CREATED, IN LARGE PART, BY THE FACT THAT THE PRIMARY REPLACEMENT PART NECESSARY TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN ON FACTORY BACK ORDER SINCE MID-APRIL. OVER FIVE MONTHS LATER, THERE…
Apr 8, 2004 · 8,800 miles
Visibility
A CRACK FORMED ON THE INSIDE LAYER OF THE GLASS RIGHT WHERE THE DRIVER'S SIDE CONVERTIBLE TOP LATCH IN THE FRAME IS LOCATED. THE DEALER DECLARED THAT THIS OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF AN IMPACT AS OPPOSED TO STRESS FROM THE FRAME AND REFUSED TO CORRECT IT UNDER THE WARRANTY. THERE WAS NO SIGN OF AN EXTERIOR IMPACT AND THE CRACK ORIGINATED ON THE INTERIOR SIDE OF THE GLASS. THERE IS CLEARLY A DEFECT EITHER IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE WINDSHIELD OR IN THE MANNER IN WHICH THE TOP LATCHES TO THE FRAME, WHICH CAUSED THE GLASS TO CRACK *JB.
Jun 17, 2004 · 19,000 miles
Engine and engine coolingFire
2002 SAAB 9-3 CONVERTIBLE, ABOUT 13,000 MILES CAUGHT ON FIRE. DROVE TO OFFICE, TURNED OFF ENGINE, & PARKED CAR. GOT OUT OF CAR & NOTED UNUSUAL SMELL DESPITE THAT GUAGES INDICATED "CHECKING OK"AY. *AK WENT INTO MY OFFICE & CALLED ZEE SAAB OF MILFORD WHERE NEW CAR WAS ORIGINALLY LEASED FROM & WHERE ALL SERVICES HAD BEEN PERFORMED. NO PROBLEMS HAD EVER BEEN NOTED WITH THE CAR. TOLD TO CALL SAAB ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE, WHICH I DID. WENT BACK OUTSIDE TO WHERE CAR WAS PARKED TO WAIT FOR ROADSIDE AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE HOOD AREA. THEN SAW FIRE & FLAMES COMING FROM THE TOP OF THE HOOD AND UNDERNEATH THE FRONT OF THE CAR. IMMEDIATELY CALLED WITON CT FIRE DEPARTMENT AND WITHIN 15 MINUTES FIRE…
Feb 2, 2004 · 13,000 miles

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.

NHTSA defect investigations

ENGINE STALL/ ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRESClosedLed to recall 05V399000
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 NHTSA 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…
PE05017 · opened Apr 7, 2005 · closed Sep 23, 2005