2003 Saab 9-3-anyone have any experience?

[wolf76]

I am looking into replacing my dd and have spotted one of these for sale locally. It has 103k miles and is a 5speed. I kind of like the looks of them but have no experience with them at all. Are they decent cars or should I start running?

Thanks,
Chirs

[murphyjp]

My wife had a 9-5 back around that time. Bought it new, and had little to no trouble with it. Car was very comfortable, and had plenty of power. Still see a lot of them on the road. Should last a long time.

[racer]

They are a GM product. Enough said.

[jpk]

I had a 2003 and a 2007, both leased. Both were fantastic cars. The driving dynamics are really what sold me on them; they just drive really nice, better than a 3-series or audi at the time . I had a 5sp in the 2003, 6 speed in the 2007. I really liked th interior upgrades in the 2007, since they went to a more standardized GM radio and HVAC controls. Plenty of power with the turbo 2.0l ecotech, along with very reasonable gas mileage (if you can stay off the boost).
Powertrain reliability is very good, you shouldn't have any issues there. Get records if you can.
Oil change intervals were 15k on the 2003's. Sounds like a long time, but it holds almost 7 quarts and required GM-LL-004 spec oil (mobil 1 0w40 + just a few others meet it).
There was a casting pourosity issue on some of the earlier trannies, but I'm pretty sure it was just the 2003/2004 6-speeds, the 5 speeds were OK.
The onstar box is now just a lump of coal, but since it's on a fiber optic loop with a lot of the other car systems, it's better to just leave it be. Otherwise, I think that's probably the weakest link - all of the integrated electronics systems. There are 3 different data busses in those cars, and interface boxes to carry some info across from one to the others. Any kind on electrical controller issues can be difficult to diagnose and costly to repair.

Check out saabcentral.com in thier 9-3 SS and convertible forums for lots of great info. Genuinesaab in St Louis is a good source for parts and tech info as well.

btw - I took the 2007 out on a track day, about 2 weeks after I got it. The chassis and drivetrain were more than capable, but it needed much more spring and better brakes to be a really good track car.

[kjb]

I owned a 2003 for about three years, and it was a great car in so many ways - really well designed all around. Great engine with plenty of power and surprisingly good gas mileage. The electronics are really well integrated even compared to my current 2011 BMW.

Negatives: do not get the automatic. The 2003s (and perhaps later years) were plagued with radiator failures resulting in coolant making it into the transmission fluid. Lots of owners, including myself, received new transmissions under warranty. In addition, even with the new transmission I had intermittent issues during shifting at wider throttle-openings. I also had issues with ABS sensors, a yaw sensor, sunroof getting stuck, steering rack, etc.

The sound system was pretty crappy too compared to what's available in the 9-5. I understand that they changed suppliers later, so this may have been fixed.

In short, it was a great car to drive, but at the same time I was very happy to sell it.

/ j

[jyl]

They were designed by Saab and made in Sweden. The platform is an Opel. Saab was owned by GM, but the car is hardly a GM product as we know them in the US.

They are a GM product. Enough said.

[cwiert]

I just bought a '99 convertible a month ago. Love it. +1 on going to saabcentral.com. I'm over there and they are very helpful, a community much like this one. The biggest issues with these cars are sludging which can ultimately kill the engine. Buy a car that's been taken care of with regular oil changes, and you shouldn't have a problem.

[matthew-s]

We have a 2003 9-5 wagon. Probably the same powerplant, except automatic. I've been pleasantly surprised with how it's held up to the abuse my wife and 2 kids dish out. It's been very reliable too, although we got lucky with the "ignition cassette" issue - our's provided a warning of its imminent demise. They rarely do.

I now fear this whole cooling / transmission issue mentioned above though. I had not heard that one.

My only disappointment has been with the dealer service. The local deal is really so-so. Yeah, they fix the cars, but are pretty unsympathetic when you point out inherent weaknesses (like, why is the "shark fin" antenna that disintegrated in the course of a few years a "wear item" ??). I guess they are not car people, or maybe just lack the whole enthusiasm / service with a smile.

I must take issue with jpk's comparison though. I have a 2001 330i, and it blows away the Saab on every measure, with the possibility of long-haul comfort.

[Jared at Pelican Parts]

GREAT cars.

Easily tunable to make high power, they have a lot of cargo space and get pretty good mileage. The only real issue is the ignition cassette problem on some of the cars. (I used to carry a spare one)

Parts can be a little hard to come by, but for the most part, very dependable. There really isnt anything "GM" about them, honestly. The only thing you'll need to do is buy a good set of Torx drivers, 16 and 18mm wrenches.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Replied to your PM Chris. To those that replied about their 9-5s, the 9-3 is a totally different car. Some powertrain commonality but not much else, the 9-3SS achilles heel is the complicated electrical system. I would buy a 9-5 Aero in a heartbeat but not a 9-3, especially not a 2003.

[Brillo]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

To those that replied about their 9-5s, the 9-3 is a totally different car. Some powertrain commonality but not much else, the 9-3SS achilles heel is the complicated electrical system.

+1

I have a 2001 9-5 sportwagon (original owner), love it. I have no first hand experience with the 9-3.

[wolf76]

Thanks for all the replies. I think I will look at some earlier models (pre 2003) as they might be a better bet for me. Matt thanks for the reply. I will keep you posted as regarding my progress.

Chris

[cwiert]

Originally Posted by wolf76

Thanks for all the replies. I think I will look at some earlier models (pre 2003) as they might be a better bet for me. Matt thanks for the reply. I will keep you posted as regarding my progress.

Chris

FWIW, most 9-3 people on saabcentral.com claim that the '99 9-3 is the best year. It was the last year of the T-5 engine management system. After that they went to the T-7 which people claim is more prone to sludging. The people in the know claim that the T-5 is a better system. I don't really know why, just passing on what I've heard.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Sludge is due to extended oil change intervals and a poor PCV system, for which an update is available. T5 is preferred by many Saab people because it is easier to tune than T7. You can add power to a T5 car simply by adding a manual boost controller, T7 requires software. You also can't use a blow off valve with T7, for when you want to play Fast & Furious.