Saab›9-3 2.0T›2008›Overview/saab/9-3-2-0t/2008/base/

2008 Saab 9-3 2.0T

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2008 9-3 2.0T.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic (S6)

The 2008 Saab 9-3 2.0T is a passenger car paired with an Automatic (S6) transmission, and its engine holds 7.1 quarts of oil in 0W-30, 0W-40, or 5W-30 API grades. EPA figures of 15 mpg city, 24 mpg highway, and 18 mpg combined frame the consumption profile of this model year, while the reliability dataset tallies 184 owner complaints — led decisively by air bag concerns — alongside three recalls. For researchers mapping the 9-3's quality history, that air-bag-weighted complaint pattern combined with a multi-recall service record makes the 2008 model year a particularly telling data point.

Model year2010 2008 2007 2006

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity7.1 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type0W-30 / 0W-40 / 5W-30 APIOEM · verified

Lug nut torque80 ft-lbsOEM · verified

EPA fuel economy15/24/18 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 48 · 700 CCA battery, OE oil filter 93186310. Note the factory engine air filter is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 48 · 700 CCAOEM · verified

Tire sizeP215-55R16OEM · verified

Wheel / rim6.5 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	93186310 alt 12605566
Engine air filter	32019926 discontinued
Spark plug	55564748 alt 32000118
Battery	93189922
Front wiper blades	12778383
Thermostat	12622410 alt 12681140
Cabin air filter	95528293

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

Transmission

Automatic (S6)

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	182.7 in
Overall width	69.3 in
Overall height	56.3 in
Wheelbase	105.5 in
Curb weight	3479 lb
Track (front / rear)	59.4 / 59.1 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	60/40

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined	15 / 24 / 18 mpg
Drivetrain	4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume	90 cu ft
Cargo volume	15 cu ft
Recommended fuel	Premium Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 7.1 qt of 0W-30 / 0W-40 / 5W-30 API engine oil. Torque lug nuts to 80 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Engine Coolant	DEXCOOL OR EQUIVALENT
Engine Oil	SYNTHETIC · 0W-30 · 0W-40 · 5W-30 · 5W-40 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	7.1 qt
Engine Oil	SYNTHETIC · 0W-30 · 0W-40 · 5W-30 · 5W-40 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	7.4 qt
Power Steering Fluid	USE PENTOSIN CHF202 OR EQUIVALENT

Engine torques

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs	M6 Bolts: 6 ft-lbs, M8 Bolts: 16 ft-lbs
Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs	6 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	7.3 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	17 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	17 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs	17 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts	80 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Fill Plug	37.0 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Drain Plug	37.0 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub	170 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub	170 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-3-4-2
Cylinder Firing Order	1-2-3-4-5-6
Cylinder Firing Order	1-3-4-2
Cylinder Firing Order	1-2-3-4-5-6

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	2.0 L
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	46
Oil Capacity	2.0 L
Standard BCI Group Number	48
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	700 cca
Standard BCI Group Number	48

Service checks

Pressure Test	20-22 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	20-22 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	180 °F
Pressure Test	20-22 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	20-22 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	180 °F
Regulated Fuel System Pressure (Without Vacuum)	43.0 psi
Regulated Fuel System Pressure (With Vacuum)	33.0 psi

Brakes

Wheel Application	15 inch WHEELS / 16 inch WHEELS
Torque Caliper to Bracket	21 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.197; Rear: 0.197 in
Wheel Application	15 inch WHEELS / 16 inch WHEELS
Rotor Max Parallel Variation	0.0006 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.003 in
Rotor Minimum Machining	0.984 in / 0.472 in / 1.102 in / 0.787 in
Rotor Discard at or Under	0.925 in / 0.413 in / 1.043 in / 0.728 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Torque to Knuckle — tightening sequence 1 stages

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages

18 ft. lbs., Step 2: 100

18 ft. lbs

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages

22 ft. lbs., Step 2: Back off 360 degrees, Step 3: 18 ft. lbs., Step 4: 110

22 ft. lbs

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

74 ft. lbs., step 2: 75

74 ft. lbs

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

74 ft. lbs., step 2: 150

74 ft. lbs

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

Prep M12 Bolts 1-10

1	30 ft. lbs.	30 ft. lbs
2	44 ft. lbs.	44 ft. lbs
3	90 degrees.; M8 Bolts:; Cylinder head to front cover	90 degrees
1	16

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 2 stages

1	33.0 ft. lbs.	33 ft. lbs
2	120 degrees	120 degrees

Engine Flywheel Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

22 ft. lbs., Step 2: 45

22 ft. lbs

Main Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages

17 ft. lbs., Step 2: 70 degrees, Step 3: 15

17 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 20,000 mi.

Every 10,000 mi	Transfer Case Assembly (inspect fluid level)
Every 20,000 mi	Battery (inspect) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate) · Underbody (inspect)
Every 40,000 mi	Air Bag System (inspect) · Body Lock Cylinders (lubricate) · Brake Hydraulic System (inspect fluid level) · Brake Linings (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Cabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 60,000 mi	Transmission Assembly (drain & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Owner complaints about the 2008 Saab 9-3 2.0T dominate in one area — the air bags, 68 of 184 reports (37%), well ahead of the next concern. That matters, because the air bags are also the target of recall 16V-063 on this vehicle — so the single most useful check before buying or servicing one is confirming it was actually performed. 5 of the reports describe a crash and 1 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the air bags pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

183

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

184

Owner complaints

5 involved a crash · 1 a fire

NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars

Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 184 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Air Bags68

Engine48

Suspension10

Seat Belts8

Power Train,Engine5

Engine,Fuel/Propulsion System4

Electrical System4

Fuel/Propulsion System4

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 3 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

16V063000Air Bags:Frontal:Driver Side:Inflator ModuleReported 03/02/2016

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2006-2011 Saab 9-3 vehicles manufactured May 31, 2002, to February 15, 2011, 2006-2009 Saab 9-5 vehicles manufactured June 7, 2005, to May 28, 2009, and 2008-2009… Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator on Saab 9-3 and 9-5 vehicles and will replace the driver's frontal airbag module on Saturn…

14V318000Seat Belts:Front:RetractorReported 12/06/2014

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2011 Saab 9-3 Convertible vehicles manufactured July 30, 2003, to February 15, 2011. In the affected vehicles, the driver's side front seat belt retractor may… Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's seat belt retractor, free of charge. The recall began on October 6, 2015. Owners may contact Saab customer service at…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 183 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
13598	2025-09-09	Unknown Or Other	New Vehicle Monitoring Programs Section in IVH
PIC5650M	2025-08-06	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIP5601C	2025-07-18	Unknown Or Other	This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic…
PIT5074R	2025-05-30	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIT5074R	2025-05-30	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific 9-3 2.0T. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 48 battery Vehicles taking 7.1 qt Engine oil filter 93186310 Engine air filter 32019926 Spark plug 55564748 Battery 93189922

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2008 9-3 2.0T take?

7.1 qt of SYNTHETIC 0W-30, 0W-40, 5W-30 OR 5W-40 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2008 9-3 2.0T have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the 9-3 2.0T get?

EPA figures are 15 city / 24 highway / 18 combined mpg.