Engine Cooling System problems of the 2006 SAAB 9-3

1. Normal driving leads to issue. 2. Low oil indicator illuminates when driving for more than 1 hour at highway speed. 3. Nothing done to correct issue, dealership says SAAB is aware of the issue, but no corrective action has been taken.

For the second time in 24 hours the coolant tank has failed. This time it required the car to be towed back to the dealer for repairs. Tank leaked all the coolant from the system due to tank failure.

Major leakage from coolant expansion tank. SAAB dealer reported the tank had cracked and required replacing. Tank replaced. Service mgr stated that SAAB has an issue with these tanks on the 2. 8 v6 turbo engines.

The coolant system tank ruptured spraying engine coolant over turbo and engine. The coolant tank has been replaced 2 times in the past 9 months. It is currently at the dealership awaiting a new coolant tank.

In August 2007, we had to have our 2006 SAAB 9-3 sportcombi towed to the dealership, as the coolant expansion tank ruptured while on the highway and all the coolant had leaked from the engine. The coolant expansion tank was replaced under warranty. In October 2008, we again experienced problems with the coolant expansion tank leaking and again had to have it replaced at a cost of $389. 32 plus the cost of a rental car, as the parts were not immediately available. My understanding is that a technical service bulletin has been issued by SAAB regarding this recurring problem with the turbo v-6 engine, as the turbocharger is located too close to the expansion tank. I do not feel that it is reasonable to have to replace the coolant expansion tank twice within a 14 month period on a car that is less than 3 years old. I filed a claim with SAAB customer service and they responded that since it had been more than one year since the parts had been replaced, and the car was no longer covered under the bumper-to-bumper warranty, they would not take any action. Also, the original repairs were made at a dealership that has since closed and consolidated at a second dealership that is some distance away (in santa clara, California). The dealership in san francisco says that the repairs in SAAB's system indicate that only the coolant expansion tank cap was replaced the first time, which does not agree with the invoice that I have. In summary, I believe that there is a faulty design involved, and that the manufacturer should cover the cost of the repairs, not us. I am concerned regarding the reliability of the car, and should we continue to experience problems with the coolant system, we will have to replace the vehicle.

The contact owns a 2006 SAAB 9-3. The contact stated that every four months and approximately 30 miles, the coolant reservoir cracks, which causes leakage onto the engine. As a result, a fire erupts under the hood. The failure was noticed while driving 30 mph. The current mileage was 12,500 and failure mileage was 4,000.