There are 6 owner-reported fuel system complaints for the 2005 Saab 9-3in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
IT HAPPENED TO ME TWICE.. WHILE DRIVING THE GAS GAUGE WILL DROP TO EMPTY AND WHEN PRESSING ON THE GAS IL JUST REV THERE BE A CUT OFF DUE TO THE FUEL LEVEL SENSOR IN WHICH IT'S A COMMON IN ALL SAABS I DON'T KNOW WHY THIS ISSUE HASN'T BECOME A RECALL. IT'S DANGEROUS THE CUT OFF IS AROUND 2-3 SECONDS. I ALMOST CAUSE AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE LOST OF POWER. I WAS ENTERING THE FREE WAY AND AN 18 WHEELER HAD TO SWITCH LANES AND PASSED I WAS GOING AROUND 45 MPH MERGING . THE SECOND TIME I WAS GOING 25 MPH AND IT FELT LIKE THE ENGINE SHUT OF AND GATHER SPEED. THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE FUEL PUMP AND MY VEHICLE HAS THE SAME SYMPTOMS OTHERS HAVE DESCRIBE. IT FEELS LIKE THE CAR HAS ISSUES BUT THEIR NOT PARTS TO DIFFICULT TO CHANGE BUT IF YOU TAKE THE CAR TO A MECHANIC THEYL CHARGE YOU RIDICULOUS FOR LABOR ALMOST $1200 JUST IN CHANGING THE DRIVE BELT?
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRYING TO START THE VEHICLE, HE HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE. THE CONTACT STATED HE SAW SMOKE COMING THE HOOD. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED HE EXITED THE VEHICLE AND WAS INFORMED FIRE WAS COMING FROM A FUEL LEAK ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. THE CONTACT STATED A BYSTANDER CAME WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE CONTACT STATED THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR MEDICAL ATTENTION NEEDED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE CONTACT CALLED THE LOCAL DEALER FLIKKEMA SAAB LOCATED AT 2424 176TH ST, LANSING, IL 60438, (708) 474-1933, AND WERE MADE AWARE OF FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED AS OF YET. THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN INFORMED OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 74,000. *DT *JB
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SAAB 9-3. WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED AND BEGAN TO VIBRATE AS AN ABNORMAL NOISE EMITTED FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND WHEN ATTEMPTING TO RESTART THE LOW FUEL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE FUEL GAUGE DISPLAYED TO HAVE HALF A TANK FULL OF FUEL. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO BRING FUEL AND REFUEL THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESTART. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE FAILURE HAD PROGRESSED AND THE FUEL GAUGE FLUCTUATES CAUSING THE CONTACT TO BE UNAWARE OF THE ACCURATE FUEL LEVEL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 93,000.
CAR STALLED. WILL NOT START....I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE FUEL PUMP. I CALLED AND WAS TOLD I NEEDED THE FUEL PUMP PART NUMBER. I CALLED THE DEALER THAT I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM, STILL MAKING PAYMENTS, AND HE SAID THAT HE COULD NOT ASSIST ME BECAUSE HE BOUGHT THE CAR FROM AN AUCTION. PLEASE HELP ME , I NEED TO GET THE FUEL PUMP REPLACED. *TR
IN APRIL 2011, WHEN I STARTED MY CAR MY ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I HAD VERY LITTLE POWER ON ACCELERATION UNTIL MY CAR HIT 2000 RPM. A DIAGNOSTIC SHOWED IT WAS A THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR. FIRST OCCURRENCE WAS SIX MONTHS AGO, IT HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 20 TIMES SINCE. THE CAR WILL ACT LIKE THIS FOR 2 DAYS THEN WORK NORMAL AGAIN. I HAVE TO PROCEED WITH EXTREME CAUTION PULLING OUT IN TRAFFIC. I ALSO TAKE OFF EXTREMELY SLOW FROM ANY FULL STOPS I MAKE. IT IS HIT OR MISS EVERY TIME I START MY CAR. *TR
REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO TIGHTEN GAS CAP HAVE FAILED, AND RESULTS IN THE CEL (CHECK ENGINE LIGHT). SINCE THE CAP'S MECHANISM IS OBVIOUSLY WORN OUT, AND THIS IS EMISSIONS RELATED, I FEEL THAT IT SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER EXTENDED EMISSION WARRANTY. *TR
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