2000 Saab 9-3 problems
Owners have filed 72 complaints with NHTSA about the 2000 Saab 9-3. Electrical system is the most reported problem area, at 43% of complaints. After that come engine (18%) and air bags (14%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 72 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Electrical system 43% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 5 and 1
- Injuries and deaths
- 11 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 88,000 miles 57 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 1 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 5 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 9 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 10 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 12 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 12 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 5 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 1 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 1 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 1 |
What the data shows
Among the 57 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 88,000 miles. For electrical system specifically, the median reported mileage is about 68,000 miles (28 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 5 complaints mention a crash; 1 complaint mentions a fire; 11 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2000 ranks 8th most-complained-about out of 13 model years of the Saab 9-3 with enough data (31 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 2 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
My son and his girlfriend were in a serious roll over car accident in her 2000 saab hatchback. The car was totaled. None of the airbags deployed, neither front nor side, even though there was substantial impact and damage on front and sides.
The ignition switch is located in the center console of the vehicle. A child, kneeling in the pasenger seat (no one else was invehicle) turned the ignition switch on, the car started in reverse and jerk backwords trowing the child from the vehicle, hitting him with the passenger door, hitting the garage in which it was housed, and proceeded down the driveway and into across the yard hitting a tree and ending up in the brush.
Consumer's 2002 saab 9-3's engine caught on fire while it was being driven. The manufacturer was contacted but they refused to provide any assistance because the vehicle was no longer under warranty.
I was driving down my neighborhood street going approximately 15MPH when my passenger side impact airbag spontaneously deployed causing a loud explosion sound and my passengers side inside door handle was ejected from the door. I had not hit anyone or anything.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 saab 9-3. The contact stated that the drivers seat belt was not retracting properly which prevented him from being properly secured. The contact was unable to wear the seat belt since it was not long enough to connect to the latch because of the failure. The vehicle was scheduled for diagnostic testing by an authorized dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 135,000.