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Engine coolingPart report

2003 Saab 9-5 Engine cooling Problems

Complaints
8about this part
Share
17%of 47 total for the year
Median mileage
77,800miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 8 complaints about the engine cooling of the 2003 Saab 9-5, 17% of the 47 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 77,800 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 was driving on the highway when my cruise control shut off and the check engine light came on. When I came to a stop my entire car died. I was stuck at a stop light in the middle of rush hour. I had to hold my left foot on the brake and pump the gas pedal to get the car to rev, but it wouldn't continue to idle. It kept dying. I had to use both the brake pedal and the gas pedal to get it off the highway to a side street, which was extremely dangerous. Several times the car died. …”

NHTSA complaint #10234670, filed 2008-07, 77,800 miles

“Driving on the interstate - exited onto an interchange ramp at 50 MPH - and the engine stalled without warning. Vehicle at rear nearly rear-ended mine - but missed by a hairs whisker. Another piece of luck was that I was at the crest of the ramp so managed to coast towards the shoulder. Waited for a bit - the car wouldn't restart. Had to spend perilous time on the left shoulder before getting my car towed. At the time of writing - the car is sitting in the dealers lot. Nothing special happened prior to this incident. …”

NHTSA complaint #10184720, filed 2007-03, 32,200 miles

“The vehicle stalled on 4 separate occasions from various speeds of 25 MPH or more while driving. The vehicle has been to the dealer on 3 separate occasions. The dealer has cleaned and tightened the battery cables, the first time, they replaced the crank sensor, t-7 and the ignition switch, the second time and the third time, they were unable to duplicate the problem. …”

NHTSA complaint #10097342, filed 2004-12, 3,000 miles

“I was driving on the highway at 70 MPH and the engine suddenly shut down without any warning. The car completely lost power and I had to quickly coast to the shoulder. I was not able to restart the car and it had to be towed to Saab dealer. I was told there was a fault in di cassette.”

NHTSA complaint #10162804, filed 2006-07

“We purchased our 2003 9-5 arc in march of 2003. Immediately, I noticed the exhaust smelled of human gas, seriously. Soon after the stench seeped into the cab of the vehicle. At 7000 I couldn't take it anymore and I brought the car in to have checked out by the dealer. They informed me there was nothing wrong with the car, that sometimes new cars smell. It was suggested that I use only premium or better fuel to lessen the smell. 3000 miles later, the car stunk. I brought it in for its first oil change and informed them that the car still stunk. …”

NHTSA complaint #10052960, filed 2004-01

Related service bulletins

Engine cooling: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
200716%
200614%
200519%
2004211%
2003817%
20021320%
20012423%
20001412%
19991714%

Other parts of the 2003 Saab 9-5

Electrical system
25 complaintsFuel system
7 complaintsSuspension
5 complaintsTires
5 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
3 complaintsEquipment
2 complaintsOther or unknown
2 complaintsBody and structure
2 complaintsVehicle speed control
2 complaintsAir bags
1 complaintsEngine
1 complaintsSeat belts
1 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2003 Saab 9-5

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 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