Two problems related to brake disc pads have been reported for the 2006 SAAB 9-3. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2006 SAAB 9-3 based on all problems reported for the 2006 9-3.
When backing out of my garage this morning the vehicle brakes were very difficult to engage and had to forcibly depress the brake pedal to stop the vehicle (which still did not provide full braking force) and avoid running into the parked vehicle behind me. This has been a problem for as long as I have owned the vehicle. Typically occurs whenever the vehicle has been parked for some time (e. G. Over night or during the work day) - just replaced the brake pads and rotors and this had absolutely no positive impact on the problem. Definitely a safety issue that could result in an accident.
The abs system was not working correctly for the first 6 months that I owned the car. This caused the rear brakes to be partially engaged all the time when the car was driven. It was so bad that you could hear and smell the brakes scraping. The dealer said it was all right to drive the vehicle. I took them approx. 6 months to get the correct parts to repair the problem. All the time the brakes were rubbing which caused them prematurely wear out. I have never in my life had rear brakes wear out in 15k miles. One of two things has happened. The abs caused the pads to wear out or they had bad brake pads to begin with. (note: my other SAAB has 30k miles on it and still has it's original rear brakes).