2006 Saab 9-3 Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 7about this part
- Share
- 4%of 179 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 27,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 7 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2006 Saab 9-3, 4% of the 179 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 27,000 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“I own a 2006 Saab 9-3 aero sport combi. Two weeks ago, after the vehicle had been parked for 24 hours, I started the vehicle and placed the gear shift in reverse. The vehicle started rolling out of the drive way. The brake pedal was rock hard at the top of the stroke. It took me nearly 75 feet to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was traveling at 2-3 MPH. The vehicle is currently at the dealership because the brake booster is back ordered. This is the third time the vehicle has been in the shop for this complaint. Each time the aux. Brake booster was replaced.”
NHTSA complaint #10230224, filed 2008-06, 27,000 miles“I purchased my 2006 Saab 9-3 aero sport sedan on march 10, 2006. By april 1, 2006, I was experiencing difficulty starting the vehicle, I.e. It would sputter, misfire, skip and idle at more than 1,770 RPM. Eventually the engine would even out and I would be able to pull out of the driveway. On the morning of may 1, 2006, the car continued this starting behavior, resulting in the check engine light coming on. I immediately drove the car to my Saab dealer. They kept it for 21 days and still did not fix it, even though the dealer replaced every fuel injector on the car. …”
NHTSA complaint #10159228, filed 2006-06, 2,600 miles“Had been having problems with a very rough idle. Then when putting car into reverse from a cold start the brakes would be inoperable (brake would not press down). Throwing car into a different gear was only way to stop car. Very scary when parked on an incline one morning and reversed into traffic but couldn't stop. Took to service repair to find the brake booster needed replaced. Said this was unacceptable failure in car of this age/mileage who has very regular service record.”
NHTSA complaint #10472330, filed 2012-08, 58,000 miles“1. Normal driving conditions manual shift model 2. Shift handle and assembly flew off while driving causing it to be very difficult to shift in traffic 3. Dealership glued the shifter back on.”
NHTSA complaint #10362637, filed 2010-10, 4,000 miles“Hard shifting, slipping of transmission when accelerating. 2006 aero v6, when cold the shifting of the automatic transmission is very stiff resulting in noises and bumps when up or down shifting in the 'auto' mode. Shifting into higher gearing at highway speeds are slow and often up and down as the transmission tries to find the correct gear range. This occurs (looking for gears) when warm. Also when warm going down hill the shifting bumps very hard to lower gears causing car to slow down dramatically. …”
NHTSA complaint #10286753, filed 2009-10, 33,200 milesRelated service bulletins
- 11001321May 16, 2024This bulletin provides information on the harmful effects of water or ethylene glycol in transmission fluid.
- 10249579Jan 12, 2024This PI bulletin advises the technician on the proper way to install the pistons in an engine.
- 10245395Nov 6, 2023This service bulletin provides a vibration analysis worksheet the technician can use in conjunction with the appropriate Vibration Analysis-Road testing procedure when diagnosing…
- 10234619Apr 6, 2023This bulletin provides information on the harmful effects of water or ethylene glycol in transmission fluid.
- 10222770Sep 16, 2022This service bulletin provides information on OEM and Remanufactured Engine and Automatic Transmission/Transaxle Identification.
- 10194079Apr 30, 2021This Warranty Admin service bulletin provides guidelines for Dealers Not Required and for Dealers Required to Contact the PQC for engine or transmission assembly replacement and…
- 10191207Mar 11, 2021This bulletin provides information on Policies Applicable to All U.S. Dealers for Engine and Transmission Assembly Replacement Under Warranty, Policy or Customer Enthusiasm and…
- 10178949Jul 28, 2020This Bulletin provides guidelines for Dealers Not Required and for Dealers Required to Contact the PQC for engine or transmission assembly replacement and explains the PQC…
- 10178288Jun 23, 2020This bulletin provides information on Policies Applicable to All U.S. Dealers for Engine and Transmission Assembly Replacement Under Warranty, Policy or Customer Enthusiasm and…
- 10168175Oct 14, 2019This Bulletin provides guidelines for Dealers Not Required and for Dealers Required to Contact the PQC for engine or transmission assembly replacement and explains the PQC…
Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 1 | 3% |
| 2008 | 10 | 5% |
| 2007 | 3 | 2% |
| 2006 | 7 | 4% |
| 2005 | 3 | 3% |
| 2004 | 5 | 2% |
| 2003 | 32 | 15% |
| 2002 | 5 | 14% |
| 2001 | 1 | 2% |
| 2000 | 1 | 2% |
| 1999 | 3 | 5% |
Other parts of the 2006 Saab 9-3
87 complaintsBrakes
31 complaintsSeat belts
15 complaintsFuel system
14 complaintsElectrical system
13 complaintsEngine cooling
11 complaintsSteering
8 complaintsSuspension
7 complaintsVehicle speed control
6 complaintsElectronic stability control
5 complaintsEngine
5 complaintsOther or unknown
3 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2006 Saab 9-3
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology