2002 Saab 9-5 Problems: 7 Known Issues

On the 1999-2009 Saab 9-5, the B205/B235 four-cylinder turbo engines are notoriously prone to oil sludge buildup that clogs the fine oil-pickup screen in the sump, starving the engine of oil and leading to bearing or turbo failure. Contributing factors include an undersized/overworked PCV crankcase ventilation system, a catalytic converter mounted close to the oil pan that cooks the oil, and Saab's original long oil-change recommendation using conventional oil. Once the pickup screen is choked, oil pressure collapses and catastrophic engine damage follows.

On the 1999-2009 Saab 9-5, the crankshaft position sensor on the first-generation 9-5 (B235 engine) is a very common failure item. As it degrades it tends to fail when the engine is hot, producing the classic 'hot no-start': the engine cranks but will not fire when warm, then restarts after cooling. It can also cause intermittent stalling while driving, a real safety concern.

On the 2001-2003 Saab 9-5, nHTSA campaigns 05V399 and 06V410 together cover specified 2001-2003 Saab 9-5 V6 vehicles with B308 gasoline engines. The campaign documents describe an ignition-discharge-module IGBT that can overheat and burn out, stalling the engine and increasing crash risk; 06V410 expanded the V6 population. Whether a car is covered, whether the campaign was completed and which module version is installed all depend on the VIN; symptoms alone cannot tell you.

On the 1999-2009 Saab 9-5, the Direct Ignition Cassette, which sits directly on top of the spark plugs and combines the coils into one unit, is a frequent failure point on the four-cylinder cars. Underhood heat and valve-cover gasket oil leaks contaminating the coil pack degrade the cassette over time, causing misfires, rough idle, hard starting and stalling. A failed cassette typically has a burnt smell and discoloration around the plug boots.

On the 2001-2005 Saab 9-5, nHTSA campaign 07V087 covers certain 2001-2005 Saab 9-5 vehicles whose fuel-pump retaining tabs for the fuel-line connections may have been damaged during production. A connection can loosen and leak fuel, creating a fire risk in the presence of an ignition source. Whether a specific car is covered, and whether the repair was done, depends on its VIN.

On the 2002-2009 Saab 9-5, the automatic 9-5 can drop into limp mode (locked in a single gear until restart) and develop slipping or harsh shifts. Early versions of the 5-speed automatic introduced around 2002 had valve-body and software issues; common triggers include the torque-converter lock-up solenoid, speed-sensor faults, and degraded fluid. In limp mode the car launches in a high gear with an unlocked converter and bangs into gear on upshifts.

On the 1999-2009 Saab 9-5, the Saab Information Display (SID) and the automatic climate control display almost universally develop missing or fading pixels as the cars age, making the clock, trip computer, radio and ACC readouts hard or impossible to read. The root cause is the ribbon cable connecting the LCD to its circuit board: the silver conductive traces become brittle and flake off, breaking the connection to rows of pixels.