318 problems have been reported for the 2003 SAAB 9-3. The following chart shows the 22 most common problems for 2003 SAAB 9-3. The number one most common problem is related to the vehicle's electrical system with 51 problems. The second most common problem is related to the vehicle's suspension (45 problems).
In our research we use the PPMY index to compare the reliability of vehicles. The PPMY index of a certain model is defined as the problems reported per thousand vehicles per Year. The total sales of the 2003 SAAB 9-3 in the United States are 33,645 units [1]. If the total number of problems reported by SAAB 9-3 owners in the last 19 years is 318, and the age of the vehicle is 19, the PPMY index can then be calculated as
PPMY Index = 318 / 33,645 / 19 * 1000 = 0.50.
For more information, refer to this page: A study of reliability comparison across SAAB 9-3 model year vehicles.
The following chart shows the number of problems reported during each of the service years since the debut of the 2003 SAAB 9-3 in 2003.
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When making the decision between buying a new or used SAAB 9-3, the following table can be used to compare the 2003 SAAB 9-3 with the SAAB 9-3 from other model years. Note that the number of problems reported for the 2003 9-3 is 318 while the average number of problems reported for the 13 model years of the SAAB 9-3 is 133.