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2006 Saab 9-3 repairs by problem area
Engine (25%)
Transmission and Drivetrain (1%)
Brakes and Traction Control (4%)
Suspension and Steering (16%)
Electrical and Air Conditioning (29%)
Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (12%)
Other (12%)
Select a problem area
Chart based on 387 repairs.
2006 Saab 9-3 suspension repair cost distribution
$2500+ (0%)
$1000 - $2499 (7%)
$500 - $999 (14%)
$100 - $499 (29%)
< $100 (50%)
Chart based on 58 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.
2006 Saab 9-3 4dr Wagon
turbocharged 250hp 2.8L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD
| 30000 mi | The car makes a noise when the wheel is turned sharply while moving. The shop thinks it's one of two things -- they tried the first, and now I need to bring it back so they can try the second. |
| 31000 mi | The car makes a noise when the wheel is turned sharply while moving. Still. |
| 38000 mi | Front left spring broke |
| 87000 mi US $40 |
Replaced existing sway bar links with a beefier part due to subpar OEM life. |
2006 Saab 9-3 4dr Wagon
turbocharged 250hp 2.8L V6 6-speed manual FWD
| 70000 mi US $200 |
Creak in suspension, lubed suspension, will monitor. |
| 63000 mi US $201 |
replaced worn sway bar end links |
2006 Saab 9-3 4dr Wagon
turbocharged 210hp 2.0L I4 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD
| 33000 mi US $200 |
Knocking noise from front passenger side. Dealer found broken coil spring. Replaced under warranty and recall campaign for this MY |
| 124900 mi US $130 |
Replaced shock absorbers |
| 140000 mi US $200 |
Replaced struts |
| 65100 mi C $900 |
tie-rod end |
2006 Saab 9-3 4dr Wagon
turbocharged 210hp 2.0L I4 5-speed manual FWD
| 69000 mi | Right-front spring broke near bottom coil. Saab has extended the warranty on the springs for 10 years/120,000 miles as this is a known issue in the "snow-belt" states where salt is used on the roads. Dealer replaced both front springs. |
| 121700 mi US $700 |
Replaced front struts & sway bar links Replaced rear shocks and fractured upper-shock mounts (cast aluminum) |
| 151000 mi US $66 |
Toe control adjusting bolt was seized inside of toe control arm on left-rear of vehicle. Replaced eccentric bolt, nut, and toe control arm. |
| 175000 mi US $200 |
Worn sway bar end link bushings caused clunk over bumps, especially when one front wheel move up and down independently of the other. |
| 142700 mi US $35 |
Remove Power steering pump assembly, replace O-ring and seal. |
| 50000 mi | Brake service - new pads and rotors |
| 60000 mi US $100 |
Right-front spring broke. This is a known problem and was covered under warranty by GM. I paid for a front end alignment. |
| 66900 mi US $330 |
Replaced ball joints at end of sway bar |
| 16000 mi | Front strut bushings were bad, made light clunking noise. Not a safety issue, just an annoyance, not sure if/when they would have failed. |
| 17000 mi | Front strut bushings replaced. |
2006 Saab 9-3 4dr Wagon
turbocharged 150hp 2.0L I4 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD
| 75020 mi C $500 |
Replaced one front and one rear coil spring that had broken |
2006 Saab 9-3 4dr Sedan
turbocharged 250hp 2.8L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD
| 120000 mi US $1000 |
Broken front springs required replacement |
| 100000 mi | Front springs broke and repaired under GM warranty campaign. Damaged tire and towing not covered. |
| 133800 mi US $850 |
Replaced inner and outer tie-rod ends,front sway bar links and rear upper control arm due to expected wear. |
| 65720 mi $700 |
steering column lock (electronic lock) is indicating that steering is locked when its not, unable to start the engine, |
2006 Saab 9-3 4dr Sedan
turbocharged 250hp 2.8L V6 6-speed manual FWD
| 145000 mi US $100 |
replaced broken shock absorbers and mounts |
| 26600 mi | Right front spring broke due to corrosion. Both front springs were replaced. Front right spring broke, replaced both front springs and bearings under warranty. From discussion board seems to be common problem |
| 30000 mi | Light clunking noise from left from suspension was determined to be left front strut and was replaced. |
| 36000 mi | replace worn right front inner tie rod |
| 65000 mi | front right spring cracked |
| 83000 mi US $50 |
Sway bar link |
| 140900 mi US $700 |
Had to replace Front Spring due to it failing and breaking. Replaced both front Springs and Struts. |
2006 Saab 9-3 4dr Sedan
turbocharged 210hp 2.0L I4 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD
| 46000 mi | Minor repair. Loose fly bar in suspension caused knocks on bumps. Tightened for no charge - repair took 45 minutes. |
| 117500 mi US $1500 |
Struts in front replaced. One spring in the front broken and replaced. Upper control arms in back replaced. All of my cars need this repair around 120,000 miles as the road in CT beat up suspensions on all brands. |
| 141000 mi US $200 |
Power steering was seeping oil. Time to replace at 140,000. |
| 122222 mi US $1700 |
Had to replace defective seat position sensor |
| 79000 mi US $25 |
Sway bar links were worn out and rattling over bumps. Replaced them. |
| 79500 mi US $300 |
Power steering pump seal failed, allowed engine oil to be pumped into steering system (this is a common issue) |
| 49000 mi | Second time a front coil spring has broken. This is a crappy Saab part. |
| 107800 mi US $160 |
Front spring broke both replaced with aftermarket parts |
| 18600 mi | Knocking front suspension and/or rattly steering rack. |
| 18600 mi | Front suspensiuon knocking due to faulty suspension arms and bushes. Known problem fixed by repalcing parts to a later (2008 model year) design. |
| 91000 mi US $900 |
Needed Tie-rods Replaced steering pump |
| 36000 mi | Developed popping noise when going over small road irregularities. Dealer replaced front struts and strut bearings - problem solved, car feels like new. Cost = 0. |
| 88000 mi | struts and shocks needed replacement after 20k miles since previous repair. Also was told this causes misalignment, needed new tires as a result |
2006 Saab 9-3 4dr Sedan
turbocharged 210hp 2.0L I4 5-speed manual FWD
| 36000 mi | Bad strut bearing (drivers side, front). Dealer replaced both front strut bearings as a precaution. |
| 44300 mi | A loud "sproing" noise was heard just after driving out of our garage, steering wheel then jumped to the left. Car was towed to dealership and was found to have a broken spring. Both front springs were replaced under Saab's hidden warranty. |
| 88854 mi US $127 |
Replaced front sway bar links which solved the problem of creaking and groaning over bumps and on turns. After 11 years and almost 90,000 miles, this car has required very little in the way of repairs most of which have been related to quirky electronics. So far, all of the electronic issues (power widows, sunroof, infotainment system) have been resolved by simply "re-booting" the affected system (remove the fuse and re-install after 30 seconds). Mechanically, this car has been great! |
| 95000 mi US $208 |
While having my summer tires put back on, the mechanic noticed that the rear upper shock mount on the drivers side was partially corroded. We had both replaced as a precaution. |
| 96000 mi | One of the sway bar links which had been replaced in June of 2017 failed and was replaced under warranty. |
| 10000 mi | Knocking sound coming from front suspension when cold. |
| 11000 mi | Rattling from front end due to defective front suspension bushings. |
| 93000 mi US $50 |
Sway bar end links replaced |
| 159600 mi US $1100 |
Replaced struts, strut mounts, front LCAs (bushings & ball joints included), and rear suspension bushings. Struts had become very loose when rallycrossing, which probably affected other bushings & ball joints. Repair was done before an HPDE. |
| 217000 mi US $110 |
Driver's side lower control arm containing the lower ball joint was loose and had play. This was replaced |
2006 Saab 9-3 2dr Convertible
turbocharged 210hp 2.0L I4 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD
| 114000 mi US $140 |
Rear shocks |
| 80000 mi US $600 |
Uneven wear pattern on right rear tire indicated worn shock absorber. Decided to replace all 4 shocks and struts. Also replaced front brake pads and rotors while front end was apart. New tires and alignment the following week. |
| 130000 mi US $30 |
Power Steering Reservoir leaking at power steering pump. Removed PS pump, removed reservoir from pump. replaced seal, reassembled. |
| 134000 mi US $270 |
Knocking in front suspension when going over bumps. Problem diagnosed as worn ball joints in front lower control arms. Removed and replaced both front lower control arms. Problem persists. |
| 135300 mi US $50 |
Sway bar links worn. Removed and replaced sway bar links. Knocking when going over bumps resolved. |
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