There are 10 owner-reported electrical system complaints for the 2002 Saab 9-3in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The soft top is faulty and the rear lights are as well.
MY DIC FAILED FOR A SECOND TIME! I HEAR ITS AN EXTREMELY COMMON ISSUE WITH THESE VEHICLES. *JS
I JUST PURCHASED MY 2002 SAAB 9-3 FROM KARZ AND MORE IN LONGVIEW WA. IN NOVEMBER 2012 AND DROVE ABOUT ONE MILE WENT INTO A STORE CAME OUT AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE THERMOSTAT AND THE IGNITION COIL PACK WERE BAD. REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT JUST ONCE AND THE IGNITION COIL PACK TWICE. CAR IS STILL NOT RUNNING I HAVE DIED ON THE FREEWAY, IN TOWN, TOO MANY TIMES TO EVEN COUNT THE CAR WILL START WITH A JUMP BUT WONT RUN FOR VERY LONG BEFORE IT DIES. FRUSTRATED AND AT MY WITTS END! HAD A FULL DIAGNOSTIC....SHOWED NOTHING NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW THE PROBLEM. ITS RAN ABOUT A WEEK SINCE I HAVE HAD THE CAR UGH! *JS
I HAVE A 2002 SAAB 93 AND THE DIC CASSETTE ON THOSE CAR ALWAYS GOOD BAD. THEY ARE DEFECTIVE THERE WAS A RECALL ON THOSE CARS AND I CALLED THE DEALER AND ASKED THEM AND THEY SAID THERE WASN'T NO SUCH RECALL, THEY DENIED IT BECAUSE THE PARTS IS EXPENSIVE. *TR
THE SAAB 9-3 2002 STALLED SUDDENLY WHILE IDLING ON AN EXIT RAMP ON THE HIGHWAY. THE CAR FAILED TO RESTART AND HAD TO BE TOWED. THE IGNITION MODULE HAD BEEN REPLACED 4 YEARS EARLY AS PART OF A PRIOR RECALL. THE CAR IS CURRENT AT A GAS STATION AND THE MECHANIC HAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REPLACED IGNITION MODULE HAS AGAIN FAILED. *TR
THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AT APPROXIMATELY 79,900 MILES. UPON DIAGNOSIS BY THE SAAB DEALER, THEY SAID THE IGNITION CASSETTE WAS FAILING. REPLACEMENT WAS NECESSARY AS WHEN THE PART CEASED TO FUNCTION THE CAR WOULD NOT RUN. THIS IS THE FOURTH TIME THIS PART HAS BEEN REPLACED. : DATES THE IGNITION CASSETTE WAS REPLACED -- 6/30/08 (82,903 MI), 3/21/07 (56,231 MI.), 12/15/05 (32,671 MI.), 8/17/04 (18,720MI.). THE REPLACED PART IS AVAILABLE. *TR
SAAB INFORMATION DISPLAY (SID) IS LOSING ITS PIXELS AND IS UNREADABLE. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME UNIT HAS FAILED. THE FIRST WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY IN MAY 2005. SID PROVIDES ENGINE INFORMATION AND MAINTENANCE UPDATES AS WELL AS GENERAL INFORMATION SUCH AS TIME, RADIO/CD PLAYER OPERATION ,AND HANDS FREE TELEPHONE (CONSTAR) INFORMATION. I HAVE NOT REPLACED THE SECOND UNIT SINCE IT WAS APPROXIMATELY $400 TO REPLACE AND REQUIRED A SAAB CERTIFIED TECHNICIAN WITH SPECIAL EQUIPMENT TO MATE WITH THE CAR. *AK
2002 SAAB 93, MANUFACTURER REFUSES TO REIMBURSE CONSUMER. *KB THE IGNITION DISCHARGE MODULE BROKE WHILE DRIVING. THE CONSUMER HAD THE REPAIRS MADE BEFORE THE RECALL WAS RECEIVED. THE CONSUMER WAS ASSURED HE WOULD RECEIVED REIMBURSEMENT WITHIN 60 DAYS (RECALL 05V399000). *JB
2002 9-3 SAAB STALLED ON 2 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS WHILE DRIVING. *TS THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT SINCE HE DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM HE EXPERIENCED WAS RECALL RELATED. *JB UPDATED
MY 2002 SAAB 9-3 STALLED IN TRAFFIC AND COULD NOT BE STARTED AGAIN. THE DIRECT IGNITION MODULE HAD BURNT OUT SUDDENLY, AND SMOKE WAS SEEN COMING OUT OF THE CONNECTOR WHEN I TRIED TO START THE CAR. THE MODULE FAILED WITH NO WARNING AT ALL, AND I WAS LUCKY TO HAVE BEEN IN HEAVY, BUT SLOW TRAFFIC. THE MODULE WAS REPLACED AND THE CAR IS RUNNING. THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 50,000 MILES ON IT, SO THE SUDDEN FAILURE OF SUCH A CRITICAL COMPONENT IS SURPRISING AND DISCONCERTING. I HAVE LITTLE FAITH THAT THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN, WITHOUT ANY WARNING.*AK
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026