By Slappy on 05/31/10 17:30 PM (PDT)
Vehicle
2003 Saab 9-3 Arc 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
Review
Bought this car used in September of 2009 w/ 85K miles, now has 94K (just traded it in). Had to replace all 4 rotors and sets of pads, crankshaft positioning sensor (twice), oil pressure sensor, and the head gasket was blown, this was all after the place I bought it from said it was in tip-top condition. Strut mounts were noisy (known issue), headlights were too dim, vehicle rode like a tank, gas mileage only around 21 - 23 mpg HIGHWAY. I owned this vehicle less than a year. After this and my Audi, I will never buy another European vehicle.
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful
By EuroCarDriver on 03/02/10 21:23 PM (PST)
Vehicle
2003 Saab 9-3 Linear 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 5M)
Review
Bought this vehicle with 95k and it was a one owner vehicle that was dealer serviced, so thought it would be a good buy. Have had a Saab in the past ('92 900 turbo) which was a great vehicle. This '03 model, not so much. Day 3, engine light came on. Something to do with emissions. The grill has even fallen out driving down the road. Twice! There's been other issues too. Right now the water pump is out. I got tired of the car and it's been sitting for a year now. GM ruined what was once a great vehicle. Hopefully Saab will go back to it's former glory now that GM is out of the picture.
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2 of 2 people found this review helpful
By sweatheart on 01/14/10 22:17 PM (PST)
Vehicle
2003 Saab 9-3 Linear 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 5M)
Review
Ive had the Saab 9-3 4 door linear sedan for almost two weeks now i absolutely love it! Its very fun to drive. Stick shift is smooth. The only thing wrong is my emergency brake gets kind of stuck when trying to take it off. The car is very clean inside and out. Trunk size is good its pretty big for a sedan.
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By sideorder on 01/02/10 17:02 PM (PST)
Vehicle
2003 Saab 9-3 Linear 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 5M)
Review
The engine has performed very well. All electronics and interior design has failed often. Engine Check light due to Gas Cap design triggers often. Traction control fails on and off again. Drivers window came off track. Side mirror adjustments needed replacement. Water Leak issues from Pollen filter design, door leaks due to poor rubber seal and interior door seal. It goes on but this should be enough. Car noise is non stop. Something always rattling.
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful
By rsg4 on 11/29/09 13:22 PM (PST)
Vehicle
2003 Saab 9-3 Linear 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 5M)
Review
I purchased a used 2003 9-3 Saab a few years ago. This was my fourth Saab. It was still under warranty. This model is a far cry from the old Saab. I too, have had issues with lights, engine light on, heat/cooler blower...just to name a few. Even the 6 CD gave me issues. I had the CD into the local dealer several times -- of course, never acted up while at the dealer. Finally (200 miles out of warranty) it acted up -- and they were refusing to honor the warranty!! Gave me a price of $2000 to fix. I was on the phone quite a bit with Saab, when they finally agreed to fix it. Funny thing, the dealer only fixed $1100 of the $2000 -- said the other didn't need fixing!
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By Gobsmacked on 10/30/09 05:28 AM (PDT)
Vehicle
2003 Saab 9-3 Vector 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
Review
Fine apart from: £5000.00 New Auto Gearbox £0090.00 New Front Coil Springs £0130.00 Diesel Fuel Pump £0200.00 Alternator £0500.00 Tyers, 3 developed punctures (1 two days after we bought the car) £0100.00+ on Bulbs (all changed, Brake Lights changed monthly) £1000.00 For Service. The final straw came, when the car would not accelerate past 50 mph, later traced to the Particulate Filter. This would have cost us another £2000. At this point it was goodbye to SAAB... at least they cleaned the car each time it went in to be fixed, yes... you guessed it... the cleanest car in history!
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By Steve on 10/14/09 11:58 AM (PDT)
Vehicle
2003 Saab 9-3 SE 2dr Convertible (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 5M)
Review
Bought this car brand new in '03. Decided on this instead of the BMW 330 Convertible because of price and the BMWs are everywhere. What a mistake! While fun to drive, it has been a maintenance nightmare compared to any other car I've ever driven. Fuel pump failure (huh?) at 56K, CLUTCH at 70K, A/C compressor at 48K, wheel bearing at 80K, Ignitor Coil at 80K. Compare to my '86 325: original clutch at 150K; my '83 Tercel: original clutch at 150K. I work with a guy that has an '02 9-5 - same problems. No wonder the resale value of Saabs stinks. Stay away from Saab!
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3 of 3 people found this review helpful
By geek on 10/02/09 04:08 AM (PDT)
Vehicle
2003 Saab 9-3 SE 2dr Convertible (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 5M)
Review
Quiet (yes a convertible) solid feel, comfortable seats, highly responsive engine, reasonable few blind spots, good MPG. Some odd features but not annoying and something Saab is noted for. The torque steer nonsense you read about is something that average drivers will never notice or care about. This is nice riding and driving car, that was a great purchase. It has all the options that you would expect in a car that sold and sells in this price range. The higher than normal depreciation means you can buy an expensive car for less. The cost of repair is not out of line with any high end car. BTW the trunk is functional for trips, the back seats go down to extend the storage.
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By Preston on 09/26/09 17:40 PM (PDT)
Vehicle
2003 Saab 9-3 Linear 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 5M)
Review
I love my car. It has been wonderful and only issues have been its common gnomes in the electrical work/displays (funny at times, annoying at others). Comfort is above par and makes daily long drives bearable. Turbo lag is certainly there, but as soon as it realizes that it's supposed to go, it does so with awesomeness. Plenty of power and fuel economy to boot. Overall, a wonderful car for my first dive into the luxury branded vehicles.
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful
By VW to Saab on 09/11/09 05:56 AM (PDT)
Vehicle
2003 Saab 9-3 SE 2dr Convertible (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 5M)
Review
When my daughter needed a car for school, reluctantly I gave her my beloved Jetta and purchased a used Saab 93 convertible. It's now my beloved Saab. Amazing car!! Purchased with 46K miles already on it, the Saab performs beautifully. A heavier car than the Jetta, the steering is only slightly less responsive, but you can feel the weight of this car. It's solid. Comfy and sexy! The mileage - near 30 mpg highway. The car has its quirks - a wonky gas gauge and that damn SID that reads like Braille - but these are easy to overlook when you hit that turbo and the car responds without a hiccup. No maintenance woes to date. Amazing since the car was in a flood 4 years ago. So far, fantastic!
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