2008 SAAB 9-3 — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
N/A
Safety Rating
215
Owner Complaints
3
Recalls
3
Service Bulletins
1
Investigation
Overview of the 2008 SAAB 9-3
The 2008 SAAB 9-3 has received a total of 215 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There have been 3 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE, SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR, FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP. 3 technical service bulletins have been issued by General Motors, LLC for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Air Bags (70 complaints), Engine (66 complaints), and Fuelpropulsion System (13 complaints).
Recalls for the 2008 SAAB 9-3
NHTSA has recorded 3 recalls for the 2008 SAAB 9-3, potentially affecting up to 147,392 vehicles.
Recall 16V063000 — AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
| 113,716 vehicles affected
Defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2006-2011 Saab 9-3 vehicles manufactured May 31, 2002, to February 15, 2011, 2006-2009 Saab 9-5 vehicles manufactured June 7, 2005, to May 28, 2009, and 2008-2009 Saturn Astra vehicles manufactured April 11, 2007, to July 24, 2008. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the...
Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator on Saab 9-3 and 9-5 vehicles and will replace the driver's frontal airbag module on Saturn Astra vehicles, free of charge. The recall began on March...
View full details →Recall 14V318000 — SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
| 28,789 vehicles affected
Defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2011 Saab 9-3 Convertible vehicles manufactured July 30, 2003, to February 15, 2011. In the affected vehicles, the driver's side front seat belt retractor may break, causing the seat belt webbing not to retract.
Consequence: In the event of a crash, a seat belt that has not retracted may not properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing their risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's seat belt retractor, free of charge. The recall began on October 6, 2015. Owners may contact Saab customer service at 1-800-955-9007. GM's number for this recall is 14222. Note: Special...
View full details →Recall 11E009000 — FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
| 4,887 vehicles affected
Defect: TI AUTOMOTIVE IS RECALLING CERTAIN FUEL PUMPS, PART NUMBERS TU456 AND TU303, SOLD UNDER VARIOUS BRAND NAMES AS AFTERMARKET AND REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR THE MOTOR VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE DEFECTIVE FUEL PUMP MAY SEIZE, STOPPING THE FUEL FLOW TO THE ENGINE CREATING A STALLING CONDITION.
Consequence: A VEHICLE CRASH COULD OCCUR SHOULD THE ENGINE STALL WHILE IN USE.
Remedy: TI AUTOMOTIVE WILL NOTIFY OWNERS OF RECORD AND WILL REPLACE ANY DEFECTIVE FUEL PUMP WITH A NEW OR REWORKED FUEL PUMP FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 22, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TI AUTOMOTIVE AT 1-866-867-3759 OR...
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2008 SAAB 9-3
215 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2008 SAAB 9-3. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 70 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 66 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuelpropulsion System | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Suspension | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Power Train | 9 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| Seat Belts | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Unknown Or Other | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System Gasoline | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structurebody | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Coolingengine | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment Adaptivemobility | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Latcheslockslinkages | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Latcheslockslinkageshoodlatch | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Power Trainmanual Transmission | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes Hydraulicpower Assistvacuum | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes Hydraulicpower Assistvacuumhoses Linespiping And Fittings | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspensionfrontspringscoil Springs | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
Hello, I know the Takata airbag has to be replaced on my car. However now I do live abroad, in Gothenburg Sweden in Europe. How do I get the replacement done? Should I go to GM here in Europe? Thanks
The contact owns a 2008 Saab 9-3. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 14V318000 (Seat Belts) and 16V063000 (Air Bags); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted; however, the dealer declined to service the vehicle. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
at about 98,000 miles the starts to fail transmission fails Also when the car gets too cold in the winter it refuses to start and it is not a battery issue. the cylinders get to cold to start. When the warm weather comes back around it starts again.
Driver seat belt fails to retract. When retraction failure occurs, it is obvious to the seat occupant immediately. If a crash were to occur with a seat belt in this condition, the result could increase the risk of injury to the driver. The seat belt retraction failure has been reproduced and confirmed. No warning lamps but, the seat belt showed earlier symptoms of not working properly, by not engaging when hard braking occurred. I will have the tensioner replaced.
Safety Rating for the 2008 SAAB 9-3
NHTSA has not yet tested the 2008 SAAB 9-3 in its New Car Assessment Program.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2008 SAAB 9-3
General Motors, LLC has issued 3 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2008 SAAB 9-3. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
15041-15043 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
15041-15043 - Saab Servicing at Cadillac Dealers - The attached procedure is being provided to allow dealers to load Saab software to their Tech 2 ? 32 bit memory card. Providing technicians with Saab diagnostic information will allow them to properly complete all service procedure steps.
SB-20101127 — FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
GM: THERE MAY BE A FUEL PUMP FAILURE AT LOW MILES. THERE IS A REPLACEMENT PROCEDURE. *RM
04012008 — FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
FUEL PUMP/FUEL GAUGE DIAGNOSIS/REPLACEMENT. *NJ
NHTSA Investigations for the 2008 SAAB 9-3
NHTSA has opened 1 investigation into potential safety defects in the 2008 SAAB 9-3.
Investigation PE08005 — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM Closed
Opened:
REDUCED BRAKE POWER-ASSIST
Other Model Years of the SAAB 9-3
- 2003 SAAB 9-3 — 323 complaints
- 2004 SAAB 9-3 — 236 complaints
- 2005 SAAB 9-3 — 114 complaints
- 2006 SAAB 9-3 — 227 complaints
- 2007 SAAB 9-3 — 182 complaints
- 2008 SAAB 9-3 (current)
- 2009 SAAB 9-3 — 46 complaints
- 2010 SAAB 9-3 — 31 complaints
- 2011 SAAB 9-3 — 33 complaints
- 2012 SAAB 9-3 — 0 complaints