2008 SAAB 9-3 Complaints

2008 SAAB 9-3 TURBO X. I HAD A ENGINE MISFIRE WITH FLASHING CHECK ENGINE LIGHT UNDER HEAVY ACCELERATION. CAUSED THE CAR TO RUN REALLY ROUGH WITH REDUCED POWER. WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY UNSAFE HAD IT HAPPENED WHILE PASSING SOMEONE. TOOK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS A BAD IGNITION COIL. ONE COIL WAS REPLACED BUT THE CAR STILL WAS RUNNING ROUGH AT THE DEALERSHIP SO THEY ARE STILL TRYING TO FIX IT. FROM RESEARCHING ONLINE, IT SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH 2008 SAAB TURBO X. LOTS OF COMPLAINTS ON FAULTY IGNITION COILS. *TR

WHENEVER TURBO BOOST IS ENGAGED IN MY SAAB TURBO X (2008), RISK OF MISFIRE, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BEGINS TO BLINK, CAR SHUDDERS, "LIMP HOME MODE" ENGAGES (CAR LOSES POWER), AND HAVE TO MOVE TO SIDE OF ROAD AND RESTART THE CAR. THIS HAS HAPPENED BOTH IN SECOND GEAR, AND IN FIFTH GEAR WHILE TRYING TO BOOST ON THE HIGHWAY. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL SIMILAR REPORTS ON THE WEB BY OTHER OWNERS RELATED TO BAD IGNITION COILS IN THE VEHICLES. CAR IS BRAND NEW. TOOK THIS INTO DEALER ONCE AND THEY SAY NO CODES WERE ON THE COMPUTER, BUT THEY HAVE OFFERED ANOTHER VISIT TO INSPECT. NOTE: THIS IS NOT YOUR EVERYDAY 9-3, BUT A LIMITED EDITION SAAB (TURBO X), WITH ONLY 600 TOTAL SHIPPED TO THE US. *TR

WHILE ACCELERATING ON A FREEWAY ON RAMP, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO MISFIRE AND STUTTER. TRYING TO MERGE WITH THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC, POWER WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE ENGINE OPERATED NORMALLY WHEN NOT ACCELERATING. THE CAR WAS UNABLE TO KEEP UP WITH THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC AND WOULD ONLY MAINTAIN A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH. PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR MORE CAUSES MORE STUTTERING. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FLASHED ON BRIEFLY AND THEN WENT AWAY. THE PROBLEM RESOLVED ITSELF AFTER PULLING OVER AND SHUTTING DOWN AND RESTARTING THE ENGINE. THE PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN THE NEXT DAY UNDER THE SAME CONDITIONS... NORMAL OPERATING TEMPERATURE AND MODERATE TO HEAVY ENGINE LOAD FOR ACCELERATING. TOOK THE CAR TO DEALER WHO REPLACED THE COIL PACK FOR CYLINDER #6. THE PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED, BUT THERE ARE STILL OCCASIONAL STUTTERS, JUST NOT CONSTANT STUTTERS THAT CAUSED THE LOSS OF POWER. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE ON MESSAGE BOARDS AND THE PROBLEM IS NOT UNIQUE TO MY CAR. MANY OTHERS HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH THE COIL PACKS AND SOME REPORTING THE SAME CYLINDER #6. *TR

2008 SAAB 93 2.0T SEDAN STALLED (NO SPUTTER OR BUCK, BUT JUST A LOSS OF POWER) WHILE DRIVING. RESULTED IN A COLLISION. INITIAL DEALERSHIP MECHANICS HAVE "NO FINDINGS" - THEY WILL HAVE A FIELD ENGINEER INVESTIGATE TOMORROW. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SAAB 9-3 CONVERTIBLE. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE CONTACT NOTICED A GAP BETWEEN THE ROOF AND THE VEHICLE. HE DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE ROOF OF THE 2008 SAABS WERE REDESIGNED. TWO ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND NOTHING ELSE COULD BE DONE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 7,500 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 400.

UNSAFE TO KNOW THAT MY NEW CAR HAS DOOR LOCKS THAT DO NOT UNLOCK FROM WITHIN THE CAR CABIN WHEN THE DOOR HANDLE IS PULLED. UNLIKE MY PREVIOUS CAR (VW) WHEREBY THE DOOR IS UNLOCKED WHEN THE DRIVER DOOR (FOR EXAMPLE) IS PULLED - DOOR OPENS OR MY BMW WHEREBY THE DOOR IS UNLOCKED BY PULLING THE HANDLE TWICE. IN A SAAB, THE DOORS CAN NOT BE OPENED UNLESS THE "UNLOCK" BUTTON IS PRESSED. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE EGRESS CAN NOT BE DONE QUICKLY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT OR OTHER EMERGENCY NEED FOR IMMEDIATE EGRESS. *TR