2008 SAAB 9-3 Engine Problems

READ OVER THE POSTED PROBLEMS WITH SAAB 9-3. THREE MAIN ISSUES ARE FRONT COILS, FUEL GAUGE, AND FAULTY VALVES. I HAVE HAD ALL THREE OF THESE ISSUES. COILS REPLACED 18 MONTHS AGO (GM WOULD NOT PAY). GAS GAUGE DOES NOT WORK (GM WON'T PAY). JUST HAD THE ENGINE REBUILT TO FIX THE EXHAUST VALVE PROBLEM (OUT OF LUCK AGAIN). OBAMA WAIVED GM OF THEIR HISTORY OF FAULTS (HE NEEDED THE VOTES FOR RE-ELECTION) AND NOW CONSUMERS ARE STUCK. SAAB WAS A QUALITY PRODUCT BEFORE GM GOT A HOLD OF IT. *JS

OVER TIME THE VALVES IN THE 2.0T ENGINE WILL WEAR CAUSING DRAMATIC LOSS IN COMPRESSION. PROBLEM STARTS WITH ROUGH IDLING AND TROUBLE TURNING OVER AT COLD START BUT ESCALATES TO A POINT WHERE THE CAR WILL NOT START WHAT SO EVER. IT APPEARS THAT WHEN MANUFACTURING THE ENGINE GM PUT VALVES MADE OF A SOFTER THAN USUAL METAL. THESE VALVES GET ESSENTIALLY HAMMERED AGAINST THE CYLINDER HEAD TO A POINT WHERE THE EDGES BECOME SO THIN THEY ARE RAZOR SHARP. A SERVICE BULLETIN WAS SENT OUT TO DEALERS FROM SPNA (SAAB PARTS NORTH AMERICA), WHICH MEANS THAT GM IS WELL AWARE OF THIS ISSUE. A SAAB MECHANIC WARNED ME THAT THE PROBLEM COULD GET WORSE AT ANY TIME REGARDLESS OF MILEAGE AND THAT SOONER OF LATER MY CAR WOULD NOT START. TO FIX THIS ISSUE ALL 16 VALVES WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THIS INVOLVES SERIOUS TIME AND EFFORT AND...

MY WIFE'S CAR IS A 2008 SAAB 93 SEDAN. IT HAD APPROXIMATELY 48,000 MILES ON IT WHEN THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE FAILED AT HIGHWAY SPEED. THIS CAUSED LOSS OF POWER-BRAKES, POWER-STEERING AND ABILITY TO CONTINUE DRIVING. FORTUNATELY, WE WERE ABLE TO COAST OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RE-START. WE WERE ABLE TO RESTART IT AFTER FIGURING OUT WHICH FUSE CONTROL THE "ECM" AND PULLING/RESETTING THE FUSE. THE PROBLEM RE-APPEARED MULTIPLE TIMES ON APPROXIMATELY 100-MILE INTERVALS. WE FINALLY HAD THE ECM REPLACED WITH A USED ONE BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE LOCAL SAAB DEALER QUOTED ~$1000 FOR A NEW ECM. THE USED UNIT COST ~$350 AND REQUIRED THE SHOP TO "MARRY" THE UNIT WITH THE CAR'S VIN. THERE WAS NO WARRANTY ON THIS CAR AS SAAB WENT BANKRUPT. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN. FORTUNATELY I WAS DRIVING AND THE KIDS WERE NOT IN THE...

PREMATURELY WORN INTAKE VALVES RESULTING IN LOW COMPRESSION AND EXCESSIVELY ROUGH RUNNING MOTOR. *TR

THE PROBLEM OF A COLD START ROUGH IDLE INITIALLY STARTED LAST YEAR AROUND FEBRUARY 2013. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DID COME ON EVERY SO OFTEN AND WOULD EVENTUALLY RESET ITSELF. I HAD THE CODE CHECKED OUT, AND I WAS TOLD IT WAS MISFIRING OF THE SPARK PLUGS. I HAD THE SPARK PLUGS REPLACED, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THIS DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I DID NOT HAVE THE CAR LOOKED AT AGAIN TILL THIS YEAR, FEBRUARY 2014, AS I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I DIDN'T HAVE BAD GAS, OR IT WASN'T CARBON BUILDUP IN THE ENGINE. AFTER INFORMING THE DEALER OF THE PROBLEM I WAS HAVING, THEY SUGGESTED I LEAVE IT OVERNIGHT SO THEY COULD TEST IT OUT THE NEXT MORNING. THAT MORNING THEY CALLED AND TOLD ME THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE INTAKE VALVES GOING BAD. THEY ARE IN THE PROCESS OF ORDERING THE PARTS AND I WILL HAVE THE WORK...

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...

IT HAS VERY ROUGH START EVERY MORNING WHEN IT'S COLD. FROM SAAB FORUM (HTTP://WWW.SAABCENTRAL.COM/) THERE ARE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE THAT IS HAVING THE SAME ISSUE FOR NEWER SAAB 9-3'S. THE PROBLEM IS INTAKE VALVES OF ENGINE BECOMING REALLY THIN AND FAILING OVER TIME.. THE ENGINE SHAKES THE WHOLE CAR AND SOMETIME THE CAR DOESN'T EVEN WANT TO START.. I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISE IF ONE DAY I CANT START THE CAR.. *TR

MY CAR WAS EXHIBITING A HARD START AND MISFIRES FROM 90,000 AND UP. IT WAS MORE PRESENT IN COLD WEATHER. IT FINALLY FAILED TO TURN OVER IN -15 DEGREE WEATHER (-40 WIND CHILL), HAD I BEEN IN A REMOTE AREA THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A VERY REAL DANGER OF HYPOTHERMIA AND FROSTBITE. AFTER SOME ONLINE INVESTIGATION I FOUND THAT NUMEROUS PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH ANY SAAB 9-3 2.0T (B207 ENGINE) OVER 75,000 MILES. THE PROBLEM IS RELATED TO BAD INTAKE VALVES THAT BECOME RAZOR SHARP AND CANNOT HOLD COMPRESSION ESPECIALLY IN COLDER CLIMATES. *TR

NO START/COLD CLIMATE FOR 2008 SAAB 9-3 2.0T. TOWED TO SAAB DEALERSHIP AFTER COLD NO START YESTERDAY 01/07/2014. SAAB TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSIS(01/08/2014): INTAKE/INLET VALVES WORN CAUSING LOW ENGINE COMPRESSION, HENCE; FAILED START ATTEMPTS. ENGINE COMPRESSION AND LEAK DOWN TESTS PERFORMED TO PINPOINT EXACT PROBLEM.

ROUGH IDLE AND LOW COMPRESSION WHEN COLD, SYMPTOM DID NOT APPEAR AFTER THE ENGINE IS WARM. INTAKE VALVES FAILED AND COST $1,700 TO REBUILD THE HEAD. *TR

NOTICED OUR 2008 SAAB 9-3 2.0 HAS BEEN STARTING AND IDLING ROUGH IN COULD WEATHER. ONCE THE CAR WARMS UP TO OPERATING REGULAR OPERATING TEMPERATURE, THE CAR IDLES SMOOTHLY. PERFORMED A COMPRESSION TEST ON THE COLD ENGINE AND FOUND LOW COMPRESSION ON TWO OF THE FOUR CYLINDERS. APPARENTLY, THE INTAKE VALVES IN THE CYLINDER ON THIS MODEL ARE WEARING BADLY NOT SEATING CORRECTLY WHEN THE ENGINE IS COLD. ONCE THE ENGINE WARMS UP AND EXPANDS, THE VALVES SEAT CORRECTLY AND ENGINES RUNS NORMALLY. THIS IS A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE AND GM SHOULD RECALL THESE CARS TO REPAIR ENGINE WITH THE PROPER VALVES. I HAVE REQUESTED QUOTED FROM TWO INDEPENDENT SHOPS AND THEY WE $2100 AND $2300 RESPECTIVELY. WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO START THE CAR IN A WEEK. *TR

THE ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN OVER WHEN TRYING TO START THE ENGINE FROM A COLD START. IF THE TEMPERATURES WOULD LOWER CLOSE TO FREEZING THE CAR WILL JUST CRANK AND NEVER TURN OVER. IF I WERE ABLE TO GET THE CAR STARTED, ONCE IT WARMED UP, IT RAN JUST FINE. READING ONLINE, IT SEEMS TO BE A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE 2007 & 2008 SAAB 9-3'S. IT'S A FAULTY INTAKE VALVE AND BEGINS HAPPENING ANYWHERE BETWEEN 60,000 TO 80,000 MILES. I BELIEVE SAAB SHOULD LOOK INTO THIS AS IT SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING TO A LOT OF 2007 & 2008 SAAB 9-3'S. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL. THE COST TO GET IT FIXED IS OVER $2000. *TR

DRIVING ON TURNPIKE AND CAR HESITATED VERY BADLY AT 1/2 THROTTLE IN 3RD-5TH GEAR AT 50-70MPH. CAR STUTTERED SO BADLY I BACKED OFF THEN ENGINE MALFUNCTION LIGHT COMES ON FOR 10 SECS, GOES OFF AND CAR THEN IN A DRIVING VERY POOR - ALMOST LIKE ITS IN LIMP MODE. I BELIVE IT WAS LIMP HOME MODE. CAR FELT LIKE IT WAS RUNNING ON 3 CYLINDERS WITH A HOSE BLOWN OFF (NOT THAT I KNOW WHAT A HOSE IS !!). I BASICALLY COULDN'T ACCELERATE WITHOUT THE CAR FEELING LIKE IT WAS GOING TO FALL APART. YOU COULD FEEL THE CAR VIBRATING. I DROVE HOME VERY STEADY AT 50 MPH, BEING PASSED BY ALL OTHER VEHICLES. THERE ARE MANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS MODEL SAAB TURBOX 9-3 2.8L V6 AND FAULTY IGNITION COILS. I KNOW OF SCORES OF OTHERS HAVING THE SAME ISSUE, WITH ONLY 600 OF THIS MODEL PRODUCED. HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/NOTES/SAAB-TURBO-X/DEFECT-OF-IGNITION-COIL/104750332952290. *TR

WHILE DRIVING A NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEED, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. THIS IS THE 4TH TIME SINCE NOVEMBER 2012. FOR THE FIRST TWO TIMES, THE DEALER REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP. THE LAST TIME THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO DIAGNOSE OR FIND A PROBLEM. TODAY, I AM TOLD THAT I NEED ALL 6 IGNITION COILS REPLACED AS WELL AS ALL 6 SPARK PLUGS. I DON'T THINK THIS IS NECESSARY AND THAT THE DEALER JUST WANTS TO MAKE SOME MONEY. THE CAR SHUDDERS AND VIBRATES LIKE CRAZY, EVEN AT IDLE BUT THIS IS WORSE WHEN ACCELERATING. ALSO, THE POWER IS MUCH LOWER THAN NORMAL. HAS ANYONE WITH THIS MODEL HAD A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE OR PROBLEM? *TR

WHEN ACCELERATING UP TO HIGHWAY SPEEDS ENGINE WILL SLIP, STUTTER, AND MISFIRE REDUCING POWER AND CAUSING UNSAFE AND UNPREDICTABLE MERGING MANEUVERS. HAVE HAD 3 OR MORE VISITS TO DEALER CONCERNING THIS WITH REPAIRS THAT NEVER FULLY RESOLVING ISSUE OF BAD IGNITION COILS OR ENGINE RESOLVE. VEHICLE IS 2008 SAAB 9-3 TURBO X, A LIMITED RUN OF 600. *JS

MY SAAB IS A 2008 9-3 AERO WITH A 6 SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. EVER SINCE I BOUGHT IT IN OCTOBER 2010, WHEN I TRY TO ACCELERATE WHILE ALREADY AT SPEED (I.E., PASSING MANEUVER) THE ENGINE/TRANSMISSION SPUTTERS AND DOES NOT IMMEDIATELY ACCELERATE. THE STUTTERING MAKES PASSING IN TRAFFIC A RISKY/DANGEROUS MOVE. I HAVE MADE SEVERAL TRIPS TO THE DEALER FOR INVESTIGATION AND AM REPEATEDLY TOLD THAT THIS IS THE NORMAL BEHAVIOR FOR THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. (I HAVE NEVER HAD AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION CAR ACT LIKE THIS.) NEARLY TWO YEARS LATER, I STILL HAVE THE SAME THING OCCURRING. *JS