2001 SAAB 3-Sep

We purchased our car as a certified pre-owned from a large local dealer. The check engine light was on at purchase and they never fixed the problem. It had been in the shop several times when the bearings went and a rod or crank shaft blown due to sludge in the engine. We have only driven this car 28,000 highway miles. Saab has past the buck to the dealer and wants proof of all oil changes for the life of the car. We can not get the owner of the dealer to call us back. We have been without our car for 7 months and continue to have to make payments on it. Can\’t anyone help us? We are not wealthy people and to be paying for a car that we can\’t drive is to much of a burdon. This is our family vehicle our other vehicle is an old pick-up and my son has to ride squashed in the jump seats in the back. This can not be very safe! Please tell us what steps to take, these car companies are taking advantage of us all.

The old pressure light was on. Went to dealer.Here is what was written up on the repair invoice:The dealer said the cause was “internal engine faliure.””Tech. checked to verify cust concern. Tech removed engine and took apartto inspect for internal damage. Cylinder walls scored, crankshaft damaged.Tech installed used engine and replaced needed seals, gaskets, fluids, filters. Tech also replaced leaking oil pressure switch. After repairs tech roadtested vehicle.I choose a used engine because dealer stated Saab would not “participate” if I didn’t have all oil change records. I was missing 2 such documentation.

The ignition discharge module (IDM) failed on my vehicle while I was driving on the highway a mere 5 months after I received the recall notice and had been told by the local Saab dealership that it couldn’t be fixed for at least a month and not to worry about it. The failure resulted in a catastrophic failure of the entire drivetrain. Pretty much everything under the hood is now dead, the car will no longer even turn on the electrical. The codes pulled were: P0302, 1312, 1310, indicating no overheating or anything other than IDM failure, yet Saab has not claimed responsibility for the $8,000 worth of damage because of the “age and mileage” on my vehicle. The vehicle is 5 years old and now has 150,769 miles. I am currently disputing the finding with Saab USA and have yet to hear back. If there is anything else I should be doing, please let me know.

Purchased car new 12/01. Engine experienced total failure 2/5/07. Diagnosed as sludge related. Oil changed previous summer @ 85,000 with semi synthetic as saab states in manual. Didn’t know oil change recommendation was changed to full synthetic and every 5k miles till i saw letter of 6/05 on internet. Technician stated engine was especially vulnerable in cold weather (below 0F day of failure), fine mesh of oil pump suction contributing factor & breakdown of oil caused by turbo. Also stated that engine was had very little sludge, but it didn’t take much. indeed they had an 03 the same day do the same thing. Car has been in Saab of Troy at least 5 times since the letter, no one ever mentioned there was a problem, or asked what type of oil I was using! Why didn’t saab send out registered letters to owners??

My vehicle’s engine has ‘seized’ due to lack of oil flow caused by well documented oil sludging problem. This has been verified by my independent auto dealer/mechanic along with the local Saab Dealership Service center. I purchase this vehicle at 23K miles, a clean Carfax report was provided, and vehicle was inspected by both my mechanic and Saab. At 30K mile servicing at Saab in spring 2005, I was informed by Saab service mechanices of this model’s engine issues with oil Sludging and that I would be receiving a letter from Saab USA. I received letter June 2005 from Saab. I took this news very seriously and minded my mileage and respective maintenance servicing closely. Since this time, even after my unquestionable track record of timely oil and filter changes (5 total since purchase) at every 5000 to 6000 mile intervals using fully synthetic oil products, this vehicle has showed identical symptoms of Oil Sludging as admitted by Saab’s Owner Letter and documented web forum internet trail of owner victims. (This manufacturer’s recommended change interval is every 10K miles). After calling Saab USA in the hopes of receiving fair and reasonable treatment towards qualifying for the extended 8 year Saab warranty policy regarding this engine flaw, I was informed that the previous, initial owner of vehicle was lacking a service record at Saab between the 10K and 20K mile interval. Saab is surmising that the oil & filter change did not occur because they don’t have it on record or did not perform this work this time which caused my problem to surface at 55k miles. Saab acknowledges that sericing/oil change could have occurred a a non-Saab qualified service facility and places burden of proof solely on my shoulders. I am working on obtaining the missing receipt from prior owner but privacy laws are presenting challenges and Saab is unwilling to assist here. As a result, I’ve lost faith and trust in Saab as a company which claims to ‘stand behind it’s products safety and reliability for its customer/owners’. Hence, no matter what Saab publishes in its marketing material along with the special warranty owner letter, it is placing it’s own interests first and avoiding any accountability here in face of what is a clear, admitted, and documented engineering flaw with this engine model. I am a very upset consumer that feels that the conumer protection laws should play in here with some form of arbitration outlet for trusting consumers who conduct business in good faith.

I bought used a 2001 SAAB 9-3 with 57,600 miles. I soon noticed a ticking in the engine – when I took it to SAAB of Troy for repair they informed me the engine needed a $6500 short block because it had failed due to oil sludge. One of 25 is affected according to SAAB. They said SAAB would repair it under a

Engine seized while driving 70 mph on the highway. Sludge in the oil pick. Saab has an extended 8 year warranty. Service records perfect.GM/Saab refuse to honor warranty. They said the car was driven with the oil light on. 3 passengers in the vehiclesay the oil light came on suddenly and the car pulled over immeadiately.

engine failureThe above is a complete history of major problems with this vehicle. Currently the vehicle is inoperable due to engine failure from oil sludging. SAAB will not honor their extended warranty for engines in the specified range that meet specified requirements.Please send me more information about (engine oil sludge issues) if available.

DRIVING NEAR HOUSE AND CAR BEGAN SMOKING, I GOT OUT WALKED HOME CALLED AAA TO TOW TO MECHANIC (SAAB DEALER 74 MILES AWAY)I CAN NOT AFFORD TO FIX, HAVE RENTAL FOR ALMOST 4 WEEKS. NEEDS NEW ENGINE, OIL SLUDGE AND SITTING AT MECHANICS. I SEE SAAB EXTENDED ENGINE TO 8 YEARS BECAUSE OF OIL SLUDGE, WHEN I CALLED SAAB, SHE TOLD ME WARRANTY HAD ALREADY EXPIRED, YET MY CAR IS A 2001

Car had a total engine failure at 50500 miles without any warning from OBD or previous engine problems. I contacted Saab and they never made me aware of problems related to oil sludge on this engine. From my own searching, I found out that Saab has extended the warranty on 2001 9-3 tubocharged 2.0 Lt engines from 2000 to 2003 due to oil sludge issues. I had the car towed to Saab in Roanoke, VA and dealer told me it will cost 8000 to repair. Dealer said the engine was a “total meltdown” It is sitting there now in their shop. I bought the car used and have maintained it during my ownership and have documentation for maintenance. I do not have documentation from previous two owners and do not even know who they are. I currently have a complaint open with Saab on this issue. Can you further advise on this issue.

After many and I mean MANY MANY MANY phone calls to Saab USA and their various representatives up the line, Saab has finally agreed to replace my engine at no cost, although they are acting like they did me a tremendous favor by doing so. Imagine, my vehicle is still under full factory warranty and Saab thinks they are really doing something special and have gone above and beyond for me. Saab knows that they have a real problem with this engine…………as evidenced by their March press release. This issue is likely to cost them millions of dollars.

After (ironically) an oil change, my Saab, which had been regularly maintained and never given me trouble started making loud noises. I took it back to the mechanic who had changed the oil and nearly ruined our relationship because I was certain that he had damaged my car. I then took it to a foreign car specialist and to the Saab dealer where I had purchased the car new, and independently they both gave the same diagnosis – the engine was ruined due to an accumulation of sludge. Saab balked at reimbursing me for the cost of replacement of the engine, first at the dealership level, then at the corporate level, because I could not document EVERY oil change, I have some, but not all of the receipts. I was more meticulous about maintaining the car than maintaining the records, because I had no plans to ever sell the vehicle, every car that I have ever owned I have put at least 200,000 miles on, and with Saab’s reputation I had planned to drive this vehicle for 10 years or more. Besides there was no stipulation when I purchased the car that all records had to be maintained before the manufacturer would stand behind their product. I’m not financially willing at this point to shell out $7K for a rebuilt engine. So now my garage is home to a Saab that is in perfect condition, save it needs an engine. I was about to donate the car to charity when I started doing some internet research and discovered that this problem is very likely due to a defect that Saab is aware of in the engine, but that they are unwilling to replace engines at their cost. I would appreciate any assistance that you could provide as far as a possible class-action lawsuit. I loved my car, but I find it impossible now to recommend Saab the vehicle or Saab the company to anyone. Thanks.