| 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
2002 Saab 9-3 repairs by problem area
Engine (44%)
Transmission and Drivetrain (3%)
Brakes and Traction Control (6%)
Suspension and Steering (13%)
Electrical and Air Conditioning (26%)
Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (2%)
Other (6%)
Chart based on 113 repairs.
2002 Saab 9-3 repair cost distribution
$2500+ (0%)
$1000 - $2499 (11%)
$500 - $999 (24%)
$100 - $499 (38%)
< $100 (27%)
Chart based on 95 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.
2002 Saab 9-3 4dr Hatch
turbocharged 205hp 2.0L I4 5-speed manual FWD
| Saab 9-3 in Ontario, Canada Jul 2006 - Nov 2014 | |||
| Apr 200634100 miC $170 | New antenna. | ||
| Aug 200635340 miC $940 | New A/C and muffler repair. | ||
| Nov 200637200 miC $92 | Strut Mount | ||
| Jul 200741540 miC $600 | New alternator. | ||
| Nov 200744640 miC $100 | Coolant temp sensor. | ||
| Apr 200847120 miC $300 | Crank position sensor. | ||
| Jul 200848360 miC $400 | Brake caliper. Sway bar link. | ||
| Aug 200851150 miC $300 | New wheel bearing | ||
| Dec 200852080 miC $550 | New water pump. | ||
| Jul 200955800 miC $600 | Scan codes, filters and re-re a/c | ||
| Aug 200957040 miC $791 | New A/C | ||
| Dec 200958280 miC $136 | Replace and reseal rear tail light. | ||
| Feb 201060140 miC $1800 | New stainless steel exhaust, new pads and rotors on all four corners and new ball joint. | ||
| Mar 201060760 miC $300 | Rear window failure. Stays in down position. | ||
| Aug 201063860 miC $500 | Front spring and control arm. Change spark plugs. | ||
| Mar 201167580 miC $200 | Replace parking brake cable | ||
| May 201168200 miC $300 | Another rear window stayed in down position. Other rear window stayed in down position. | ||
| Jun 201168820 miC $900 | New alternator | ||
| Feb 201277680 miC $150 | Washer pump not working. Check valve replaced. Key fob dead. | ||
| Nov 201288840 miC $500 | Idler pulley, oil pressure switch | ||
| Jan 201391140 miC $1200 | Need new clutch. Simply wore out. | ||
| Feb 201392240 miC $300 | Wheel bearing | ||
| Feb 2014104160 miC $50 | Flashing lights would not turn off. Issue with alarm. | ||
| Jun 2014105400 miC $250 | Strut assembly blew threw the body. | ||
| Aug 2014107460 miC $700 | Rear rotors, pads and callipers replaced. | ||
| Nov 2014108500 mi | Wheel bearing needs replacement | ||
| Saab 9-3 in Virginia, United States Jul 2010 - Jun 2022 | |||
| Jun 2011156000 miUS $268 | HVAC recirculation flap motor inoperative; replaced. | ||
| Mar 2012167000 miUS $95 | Replaced clutch, slave cylinder, axle seals and rear main seal. Replaced leaking valve cover gasket, distributor O ring and retorqued head bolts. Top exterior windshield trim gasket came off. | ||
| Dec 2012176000 miUS $90 | Replaced front windshield wiper motor. Cleaned and lubricated noisy HVAC fan motor. | ||
| Jan 2013196300 miUS $130 | Oil leak, diagnosed to be a timing chain cover seal leak. | ||
| Sep 2013184000 miUS $300 | Crankshaft oil seal leak. | ||
| Dec 2013189000 miUS $470 | Replaced/updated failed PCV system, which had begun to create oil leaks and smoke/fume issues. | ||
| Mar 2014191000 miUS $490 | Small coolant leak, mostly observed if car sat for more than 1 day. Found to be leaking seals at the junction of heater core and hoses from engine. | ||
| Sep 2014197000 miUS $600 | Alternator/charging light came on. Alternator was found to have failed, and was replaced. | ||
| Apr 2015202200 mi | HVAC fan not working, or intermittently. De-crudded the electrical contacts for the fan motor, put on some electrical anti-corrosion compound. | ||
| Jan 2016201800 miUS $42 | Passenger side headlight wiper inoperative. Purchased a used motor/headlight wiper assembly and installed. | ||
| Mar 2016211000 miUS $400 | Coolant temp gauge reading erratically, sometimes setting of CEL. Coolant temp sensor found to be failing and was replaced. Upon owner request to change/refill gearbox lubricant, dealer noticed one of the seals leaking. The seal was replaced along with the gearbox oil. | ||
| Jan 2017210000 miUS $1400 | HVAC blower fan was not working, found to be wiring fault, and wiring connector was replaced. A/C compressor clutch was making noise. A/C compressor replaced, along with drier and expansion valve. | ||
| Saab 9-3 in New Hampshire, United States Apr 2011 - Feb 2012 | |||
| Sep 201187000 miUS $1100 | Fuel pump failed. New fuel pump was defective, failed aftr a couple of days, and replaced at no further cost. | ||
| Oct 201188000 mi | With new fuel pump retaining ring didn't fit properly, which made the gas guage not work correctly. Had to use old retaining ring. Five trips in all to get repair done satisfactorily. | ||
| Saab 9-3 in Washington, United States Jul 2010 - Jul 2011 | |||
| Nov 2010100000 miUS $450 | Replaced failing crank position sensor | ||
| Saab 9-3 in Texas, United States Jul 2010 - Jun 2011 | |||
| Sep 201063000 miUS $1200 | AC compressor replaced | ||
| Saab 9-3 in North Carolina, United States Jul 2010 - Nov 2012 | |||
| Sep 201095000 miUS $700 | bad bearing in alternator | ||
| Oct 201097000 miUS $20 | Vehicles towed home, replaced crankshaft position sensor, charged battery, erased codes using OBD tool. Replaced 2 rollers in driver door window mechanism after one broke and disabled window operation. | ||
| Oct 2011109700 miUS $30 | Replaced coolant temperature sensor after CEL, no reading from temperature gauge. | ||
| May 2012120000 miUS $160 | Replaced DIC with a used unit, due to fault codes. | ||
| Jul 2012121700 miUS $720 | Replaced both front struts. Also replaced tires (wear items). | ||
| Saab 9-3 in New Jersey, United States Jul 2010 - Jan 2014 | |||
| Nov 201076000 miUS $200 | Right rear shock leaking. Harsh ride in rear. Replace both rear shocks with OEM parts from dealer. Soft/squishy brake pedal, poor stopping distance. Flushed and bled brake system. This improved pedal feel and greatly improved stopping distance. | ||
| Feb 201177000 miUS $150 | Burst coolant hose on the hiway. Towed home. Replaced all major coolant hoses with new OEM units. Found Vacuum lines controlling the turbo system hardened and brittle with age/heat. Replace vacuum lines. | ||
| Jan 201284000 miUS $1170 | Slave cylinder gave out. Slave is internal to the bellhousing requiring removal of the trans. W/ 84K miles, did the clutch disc and pressure plate as well. | ||
| Sep 201395000 miUS $200 | Power steering pressure hose burst. Replaces both pressure hoses as 2nd line was corroded and split open during repair of 1st line. | ||
2002 Saab 9-3 4dr Hatch
turbocharged 205hp 2.0L I4 4-speed automatic FWD
| Saab 9-3 in Pennsylvania, United States Nov 2014 - Mar 2018 | |||
| Jan 2015106000 miUS $150 | replaced alternator, tensioner pulley, belt | ||
| Oct 2016121000 miUS $50 | Leaking oil pressure sensor | ||
| Saab 9-3 in Massachusetts, United States Feb 2011 - Mar 2012 | |||
| Mar 201174000 mi | when the oil pan was dropped, a subframe bolt snapped and needed to be drilled and tapped | ||
| May 201176300 miUS $841 | The car developed an intermittent no crank/no start problem. I replaced the starter myself. This was not the problem. I brought it to the dealer again, they diagnosed it as a faulty transmission range sensor. | ||
| Dec 201185000 miUS $165 | Car was shaking slightly in drive/reverse, found that transmission mount was worn | ||
| Mar 201289000 miUS $50 | Tie rods frozen, required replacement for alignment | ||
| Saab 9-3 in North Carolina, United States Dec 2015 - Feb 2019 | |||
| Jan 2016108000 miUS $13 | Engine oil pressure switch replacement | ||
| Mar 2016110000 miUS $20 | Replaced driver side sway bar end. Rust had caused the bolt holding it in place to fail. The valve cover was leaking causing oil to leak. | ||
| Sep 2016118000 miUS $90 | Replaced the Direct Ignition Cassette | ||
| Saab 9-3 in California, United States Sep 2008 - Jul 2014 | |||
| May 200882000 miUS $800 | A/C compressor clutch failure. Replaced A/C compressor. | ||
| Aug 200885000 miUS $200 | Crankcase position sensor replaced. | ||
| May 2011120700 miUS $700 | Fuel pump. Pounded on gas tank to get car to start. | ||
| Jul 2013141300 miUS $1700 | Alternator went bad... died. had to be replaced. Since | ||
| Jan 2014139200 mi | Rear driver side window broke. Hacked something together for a fix, really requires a new part ($180). | ||
| Saab 9-3 in Texas, United States Jul 2010 - Mar 2012 | |||
| Aug 201077000 miUS $300 | Driver side rear window fell into the door | ||
| Sep 201078000 miUS $800 | Replaced water pump Broken motor mount | ||
| Dec 201079000 miUS $300 | Drivers window fell off track | ||
| Nov 201183000 miUS $200 | Another burst hose | ||
| Dec 201184000 miUS $15 | top radiator hose exploded | ||
| Saab 9-3 in Pennsylvania, United States Jul 2011 - Aug 2012 | |||
| Aug 2012161000 miUS $200 | Worn ball joints, replaced control arm | ||
| Saab 9-3 in Colorado, United States Dec 2012 - Feb 2015 | |||
| Sep 201390000 miUS $550 | The transmission switch...for starting...had to be replaced | ||
| Feb 2015104000 miUS $1000 | New alternator. Oil leaks were repaired. The water pump was replaced. | ||
| Saab 9-3 in Minnesota, United States Jul 2010 - Mar 2012 | |||
| Feb 2012110000 miUS $500 | Sludge build up in engine was cleaned out | ||
| Mar 2012110000 mi | Leaking head gasket turned out to be source of sludge. It wasn't worth it to invest the money in the car so we sold it to a Saab mechanic who is going to fix it himself. | ||
| Saab 9-3 in Ontario, Canada Dec 2011 - Sep 2014 | |||
| Aug 2014184640 miC $600 | bearing of a/c compressor gone radiator plastic side crack rust muffler | ||
2002 Saab 9-3 2dr Hatch
turbocharged 230hp 2.3L I4 5-speed manual FWD
| Saab 9-3 in Ohio, United States Sep 2014 - Jun 2018 | |||
| Nov 2014160900 miUS $800 | Rear calipers got stuck, needed to be replaced Direct Injection Cassette needed to be replaced | ||
2002 Saab 9-3 2dr Convertible
turbocharged 230hp 2.3L I4 5-speed manual FWD
| Saab 9-3 in Ontario, Canada Oct 2014 - Mar 2016 | |||
| Sep 201578120 miC $500 | replaced water pump and all cooling system hoses | ||
2002 Saab 9-3 2dr Convertible
turbocharged 205hp 2.0L I4 5-speed manual FWD
| Saab 9-3 in Alabama, United States Jul 2017 - Jun 2018 | |||
| Apr 2018174000 miUS $75 | module quit working..found used one and replaced it....Speedo and odometer and cruise are working now. | ||
| Saab 9-3 in Great Britain Nov 2014 - Nov 2014 | |||
| Nov 2014 | Burst into flames. Suspect ruptured PAS hose spraying hydraulic fluid onto exhaust | ||
| Saab 9-3 in Quebec, Canada Sep 2011 - Oct 2013 | |||
| Dec 201143400 miC $300 | Replaced transmission mount. | ||
| Jun 201245880 miC $1500 | Replaced a/c compressor. Still not working, will check coil next. | ||
2002 Saab 9-3 2dr Convertible
turbocharged 205hp 2.0L I4 4-speed automatic FWD
| Saab 9-3 in Washington, United States Jul 2010 - Nov 2017 | |||
| Jan 201697000 miUS $150 | Car would not start after engine temp reached normal, once engine cool down a bit, you can restart with no issues. Changed out Purge Valve Evap Charcoal Evaporator part #4670477. But did not solve the problem. At normal temp, the car continue to not start, one time it even stalled and would not restart. Changed out Crankshaft Position Sensor, seems to have solved the problem. Will continue to monitor. Ticking sound coming out from center console, further investigation conclude the sound coming from HVAC Auto Temp Sensor. Took auto temp sensor out, cleaned & vac out all the dust & dirt, lubed the propeller inside sensor with WD40. | ||
| Feb 201697200 miUS $45 | Changed out Purge Valve Evap Charcoal Evaporator part #4670477 due to noisy solenoid. In January, changed our original Purge Valve with used unit that didn't solve my starting issue. Changed back to original unit after starting problem. | ||
| Apr 201698000 miUS $150 | The starting problem continued until changing out the crankcase positioning sensor. The part was like $30, labor cost was just over $100 | ||
| Saab 9-3 in Hawaii, United States Jan 2016 - May 2022 | |||
| Mar 2016118000 mi | Got the car running with a new ignition cassette, a common failure point. | ||
| Jun 2016119000 miUS $20 | Turbo charge pipe blew off on going from WOT to nothing. Replaced throttle body o-ring which was flattened/hardened and a few crumbly vacuum lines for good measure. | ||
| Feb 2017121000 miUS $50 | Bushing at inner tie rod wore out and disinegrated, resulting in death-wobble and the destruction of one engine mount as well. Easy, cheap DIY fixes. OIl pressure sensor was leaking, making a terrible mess. Cheap part, troublesome access. | ||
| Mar 2021124000 miUS $50 | Heater hose | ||
| Saab 9-3 in New Jersey, United States Jul 2010 - Jun 2017 | |||
| Oct 201658000 miUS $300 | Ignition cassette | ||
| Saab 9-3 in Virginia, United States Jul 2010 - May 2011 | |||
| Nov 2010109000 miUS $900 | Fuel pump failed | ||
| Mar 2011112000 miUS $750 | Rear window regulator failing, so window was not reliably working. | ||
| Saab 9-3 in Connecticut, United States Sep 2011 - Nov 2011 | |||
| Nov 2011192000 mi | check engine, oil alert on oil intake screen full of sludge. Previous repair didn't correct problem. HID lights burnt out, driver window out of alignment, battery bad, electric mirrors not working. Still waiting for appointment. | ||
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