NHTSA Complaint #10560804 — 2008 SAAB 9-3

I'M NOT CERTAIN IF THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BUT IT CERTAINLY QUALIFIES AS AN EMISSIONS ISSUE AND A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. ON EVERY COLD START, THE ENGINE WOULD RUN ROUGH UNTIL I PUT IT IN DRIVE AND WOULD RUN FINE AFTER A FEW MINUTES. I LET IT SIT AND IDLE FOR A WHILE ONCE AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AS A RESULT. A LOCAL DEALERSHIP FOUND LOW COMPRESSION ACROSS 2 CYLINDERS AND INFORMED ME IT WAS THE DREADED VALVE ISSUE (INTAKE VALVE CUPPING THEY CALLED IT). THE DEALERSHIP HAD FIXED A NUMBER OF THESE AND FROM VARIOUS ONLINE FORUMS, I SEE THAT A NUMBER OF 2007 AND 2008 SAAB 9-3 OWNERS SEEM TO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. THE REPAIR CONSISTED OF REMOVING AND REPLACING ALL 8 INTAKE VALVES, HAND LAPPING THEM, REMOVING AND REPLACING ALL VALVE SEALS, AND REFINISHING THE HEAD MATING SURFACE. THE REPAIR WAS VERY EXPENSIVE, SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS. I'VE HAD THE CAR BACK FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS AND THE PROBLEM IS GONE. I WAS TOLD THIS ISSUE SEEMS TO HAPPEN AROUND THIS AMOUNT OF MILEAGE AND IN COLD WEATHER STATES. OF COURSE MY WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED 6 MONTHS EARLIER AND I IMAGINE THIS IS THE CASE WITH MANY OTHER SAAB 9-3 OWNERS WITH '07 AND '08 VEHICLES. WITH THE NEW PARTS, I WAS TOLD I SHOULDN'T RUN INTO THIS PROBLEM AGAIN. *TR