2001 SAAB 9-3 Engine And Engine Cooling Problems

AT APPROXIMATELY 75,000 MILES, DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AROUND 70MPH, OIL LIGHT BEGINS FLICKERING. AFTER SLOWING DOWN TO 60 THE LIGHT STOPPED FLICKERING AND INSTEAD STAYED ON. FROM THE TIME I WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN TO PULL OFF THE ROAD A KNOCKING SOUND COULD BE HEARD FROM THE ENGINE PROGRESSIVELY GETTING LOUDER. THE CAR WAS THEN TAKEN HOME AND INSPECTED. REMOVING THE OIL PAN REVEALED THAT THE OIL PICK-UP TUBE WAS CLOGGED AND THE PAN WAS CAKED WITH BURNT OIL. A LOCAL MECHANIC ESTIMATED $3,000 TO REPAIR THE INTERNAL DAMAGE. CALLED SAAB, THEY SAID THE CAR WAS BEYOND ANY WARRANTY AND THAT IT WAS MY FAULT FOR NOT TURNING THE CAR OFF IMMEDIATELY AFTER SEEING THE LIGHT. FURTHERMORE AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE, I SPOKE WITH 3 SAAB REPRESENTATIVES WHO CLAIMED TO KNOW NOTHING OF THIS OIL SLUDGE ISSUE AND WERE NOT ABLE TO BRING IT UP AS IT DOES...

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SAAB 9-3. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND THE LIGHT TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THE MECHANIC FLUSHED THE OIL SLUDGE OUT. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 102,500. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 95,000. UPDATED 07/15/10 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED HE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM SAAB ACKNOWLEDGING A PROBLEM WITH SEVERAL YEAR MODELS REGARDING INTERNALLY LUBRICATED ENGINE PARTS. THE LETTER STATED THEY WERE EXTENDING THE WARRANTY FOR A TOTAL OF EIGHT YEARS FROM THE SERVICE DATE WITH UNLIMITED MILEAGE. THE CONSUMER STATED HIS COVERAGE EXPIRED. THE COST TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM WAS $2500. UPDATED 07/19/10*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SAAB 9-3. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT DROVE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE IGNITION CASSETTE FAILED. SHE THEN FOUND A RECALL ON HER VEHICLE FOR THE SAME FAILURE HER VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING; HOWEVER, THE DEALER STATED THAT HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE CONTACT BELIEVES THAT HER VEHICLE SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL BECAUSE IT IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME FAILURE. THE RECALL NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 82,347. UPDATED 05/20/08. *LJ THE DOOR HANDLE WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 05/20/08

NO WARNING. OIL LIGHT GOES ON WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. VEHICLE TOWED TO SAAB DEALERSHIP. ENGINE SEIZED. SLUDGE FOUND IN THE OIL PICKUP PAN. PERFECT SERVICE RECORDS. SAAB/GM WILL NOT HONOR EXTENDED 8 YEAR WARRANTY. FOR KNOWN SLUDGE PROBLEM. *TR

ENGINE SEIZED. *TR

CAR TAKEN TO DEALER TWICE BECAUSE "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT" ON INTERMITTENTLY; TOLD THERE WERE "NO PROBLEMS" AND INSTRUCTED ON HOW TO CLEAR MESSAGE. "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT" AND "OIL" LIGHT BEGAN TO FLICKER INTERMITTENTLY; TAKEN TO 2 INDEPENDENT MECHANICS FOR CHECK; BOTH STATED THERE WAS OIL IN THE PAN, OIL IN THE ENGINE, NO OBVIOUS PROBLEM. "CHECK ENGINE" AND "OIL" LIGHTS CAME ON AND STAYED ON; CAR BEGAN MAKING NOISE. PULLED OVER AND HAD TOWED TO INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED BEARINGS WERE SHOT AND NEW ENGINE NEEDED. SAAB USA HAS PERSISTED IN DENYING CULPABILITY DESPITE LETTER AND MECHANIC'S STATEMENT. TOLD ME CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY RESULTING IN TOWING FROM INDEPENDENT SHOP TO DEALER; DEALER THEN SAID CAR WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. BBB COMPLAINT FILED; NOW SAAB USA INSISTS ENGINE MUST BE TORN DOWN TO DIAGNOSE PROBLEM AND I MUST ACCEPT RISK THAT IF THE PROBLEM IS NOT THEIRS, I WILL OWE...

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 55MPH, THE OIL LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THERE WAS A VERY LOUD NOISE AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. IT WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THE VEHICLE THREW A ROD. AFTER TWO MONTHS, THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS TOO CLOSE TO THE OIL PAN CAUSING THE OIL TO BECOME VERY THICK, CAUSING OIL STARVATION TO THE ENGINE. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW ENGINE.