Overview & Reviews
The 2003 9-3 is an all-new design from top to bottom. It rides on a new platform, has new engines and an interior that's considerably more modern than the previous version.
- Sharp handling, frugal yet powerful engines, generous passenger room, class-leading trunk space, excellent audio systems.
- Some turbo lag at lower speeds, not as vaultlike as some of its European competitors, front-wheel drive also a slight disadvantage.
User Reviews:
Showing 31 through 40 of 375.00-
unreliable car in the world - 2003 Saab 9-3
By Worst car i ever had - May 12 - 12:10 pmI brought this stupid car and didnt even had it for 9 months, the car spent most of its time in the garage then in my parking lot. has a lot of electrical problems( doesnt start some times, the theft alarm goes off, doors and trunk lock and unlock themselves, the ac doesnt turn on some times, have to restart the car every time , to get this problem fixed). the interior surface peels off, very cheap looking interior and the materials used are so cheap. its nothing but a chevy malibu (with a Saab badge), better we can call it SAALIBU. pls dont get attracted to the looks, every thing else sucks.
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Read this before you buy!! - 2003 Saab 9-3
By MikeCo - April 11 - 2:00 amThis is my second review of this car on this forum. Im now up to 8200 miles and the car has spent a total of 7 days at the dealership for different electronic glitches and engine issues. Also, I got into a minor fender-bender and it took five weeks to repair because Saab couldnt provide a tie- rod. Needless to say, parts can be difficult to get for this fairly new model. By far, the least reliable car I have ever owned. I took off the standard 16" Pirelli tires because they were terrible and upgraded to 17" Sumitomos. Big improvement. Please email me if youd like any other info. on this model. There are much better cars out there.
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Worst Car Ever - 2003 Saab 9-3
By SaabLemon - November 20 - 8:10 amThis car has been in the shop every three months, nothing but problems - it looks good, but it doesnt work. Absolutely a lemon. It is 3.5 years old with 35k miles on it and it needs another $2000 worth of work - radiator leaking, transmission leaking, front and back brakes/rotors need replacing, 4 new tires, the battery was replaced one week ago. The electrical system was worked on at least 6 times, the window got stuck open, the alarm would go off randomly even when I was in the car with the key etc. etc. Dont buy a Saab - GM ruined the make.
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Worst Car Ever Owned - 2003 Saab 9-3
By cdukes1984 - May 26 - 7:56 pmGreat looking car with excellent performance but you cant go a week without finding something else wrong with it. Bought it with 41000 miles on it and had to replace the transmission and radiator. The wiper motor, front wheel bearings and window motors are all going to need to be replaced soon too. Definitely will never buy a Saab again.
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SAAB 03 9-3 - 2003 Saab 9-3
By jac - January 3 - 2:00 amI have found the 9-3 to be fun to drive for local around town, but not for drives over 100 miles straight. The seat comfort is very lacking, inspite of seat controls, lumbar control, etc. I have found good driveability in winter conditions (snow, ice and cold) and diving performance has not been affected. I purchased this vehicle based on the re-design plans and merits. I did not test drive, prior to purchase (ordered prior to models coming to country)and I am not sure that I would have purchased if I would have tested it. The On-star is shown on steering wheel , but has not been installed and install is planned for later this year.
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Heavy! - 2003 Saab 9-3
By magicman - December 4 - 10:00 amThis car has some good features, ease of driving is not one of them. It handles like a tank, the front wheel drive makes driving this car an athletic event. It has a tendency on uneven surfaces to throw itself and you in random directions. I do like the power of the turbo but its not enough to overshadow the work, this car is not fun to drive. Random plastic things keep falling of the dash board and if you hit a pebble with the 17inch wheels, the rims dent.
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Better options available - 2003 Saab 9-3
By Ashok - September 2 - 5:53 pmI bought this car trading my Toyota Camry. The engine is great with good interiors, all other things are very average or poor. The interior of the car shakes and rattles all the time. There is something going wrong always - various lights come on, computer malfunction, moon-roof not closing, door-handles fading, shock-absorbers breaking, etc. The dealership is very nice and the car is still under warranty (ends Oct,07). I dont know what Ill do after that, if this thing keeps braking! Dont waste your time on this car, I guess SAAB brand is being washed-away by GM. I love the Acura TSX as an alternative.
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Look at this before you buy!!! - 2003 Saab 9-3
By JRT - July 19 - 7:33 pmIn short: for the love of God stay away from a Saab!! My Saab has been involved in 6 separate recalls, needed a new transmission due to mechanical failure (out 2 weeks), lost two batteries which requires a tow (no kidding), I had no idea what "turbo-lag" was until I tried to pull out into traffic with this thing and the service teams have been less than stellar. For the record mine only has 24K miles on it!
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DO NOT BUY THIS CAR!!!!!! - 2003 Saab 9-3
By César Mauras - July 5 - 10:00 amIt squeaks and rattles. Very unpleasant to drive. The quality of the interior material is very poor. It does feel like driving a Cavalier or a Saturn. I agree with the other reviewer who said that they should change the name to SAAturn. OnStar is nice if you like to be put on hold.
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MISTAKE! - 2003 Saab 9-3
By NateinPA - June 7 - 10:00 amIt seemed like I was driving the loaner more than my new car. Infotainment system had various bugs that came and went for days at a time. Engine Light was always on due to defective engine parts that had to be replaced. Horn stopped working shortly after purchase. Automatic windows began malfunctioning such that the window would not go up...very inconveinent in rain! I spent a great deal of time returning my car to dealer for warranty repairs. I wish I had bought the Audi A4 as I had originally wanted! Also was not impressed when I traded it in and the dealer called the selling dealership to get a value and was told, "No, we wouldnt buy that vehicle back...too many problems."
