Saab›9-3 SE›2000›Overview/saab/9-3-se/2000/base/

2000 Saab 9-3 SE

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2000 9-3 SE.

Transmission Automatic 4-spd

The 2000 Saab 9-3 SE pairs a four-speed automatic transmission with EPA fuel economy ratings of 17/24/20 mpg, while routine service calls for 4.2 quarts of 10W-30 or 10W-40 API oil. Reliability records for this specific model year document 50 owner complaints and two recalls, with the electrical system standing out as the dominant area of concern. This data profile indicates that electrical integrity should be the primary focus of any pre-purchase inspection and ongoing maintenance strategy.

Model year2003 2002 2001 2000 1999

Quick specs

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

Engine oil capacity4.2 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type10W-30 / 10W-40 APIOEM · verified

Lug nut torque80 ft-lbsOEM · verified

EPA fuel economy17/24/20 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

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

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 47 · 580 CCA battery, OE oil filter 93186554. 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 47 · 580 CCAOEM · verified

Tire size195-60VR15OEM · verified

Wheel / rim6.5 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	93186554
Engine air filter	4876074 alt 4236030
Fuel filter	4163853
Spark plug	9399866
Battery	400126397 alt 400129987
Front wiper blades	93195936
Serpentine belt	4961058 alt 93185050
Thermostat	30577561 alt 9176165
Cabin air filter	32020156

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

Transmission

Automatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	181.9 in
Overall width	67.3 in
Overall height	56.3 in
Wheelbase	102.8 in
Curb weight	3197 lb
Track (front / rear)	57.1 / 56.7 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	61/39

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined	17 / 24 / 20 mpg
Drivetrain	Front-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuel	Premium Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

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

This engine holds 4.2 qt of 10W-30 / 10W-40 API engine oil. Torque lug nuts to 80 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 19.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-3-4-2. 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	ETHYLENE GLYCOL
Engine Oil	10W-30 · 10W-40 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	4.2 qt
Power Steering Fluid	USE PENTOSIN CHF11S OR EQUIVALENT

Engine torques

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs	M6 Bolts: 6 ft-lbs, M8 Bolts: 16 ft-lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts	129 ft-lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts	130 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	17.7 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	17.7 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	19.0 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs	16 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs	17 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts	80 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub	214 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-3-4-2
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)	900 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)	50 rpm
Spark Plug Gap	0.039 in
Spark Plug Torque	18.0 ft-lbs
Spark Plug Gap	0.039 in
Spark Plug Torque	18.0 ft-lbs
Ignition Timing	12 degrees

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	1.76 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	SP-10
Oil Capacity	5.07 oz
Standard BCI Group Number	47
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	580 cca
Standard BCI Group Number	47

Service checks

Pressure Test	20-22 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	20-22 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	192 °F
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

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket	21 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	81 ft-lbs / 60 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.039; Rear: 0.039 in
Rotor Max Parallel Variation	0.0006 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.003 in
Rotor Minimum Machining	0.984 in / 0.39 in
Rotor Discard at or Under	0.925 in / 0.33 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

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

18 ft. lbs., Step 2: 100

18 ft. lbs

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

Prep M12 bolts 1-10:

1	29.5 ft. lbs.	29.5 ft. lbs
2	44 ft. lbs.	44 ft. lbs
3	90 degrees.; M8 Bolts, cylinder head to front cover.	90 degrees
1	17.7

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

Prep M12 bolts 1-10:

1	29.5 ft. lbs.	29.5 ft. lbs
2	44 ft. lbs.	44 ft. lbs
3	90 degrees.; M8 Bolts, cylinder head to front cover.	90 degrees
1	17.7

Main Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages

15 ft. lbs., Step 2: 70

15 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs every 30,000 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 10,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Air Bag System (inspect) · Battery (inspect) · Body Fasteners (torque) · Body Latches, Locks & Hinges (inspect) · Brake System (inspect)
Every 20,000 mi	Cabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 30,000 mi	Brake Hydraulic System (drain, refill & bleed) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System (inspect) · PCV System (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace)
At 60,000 mi	Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System (inspect) · PCV System (inspect)
Every 60,000 mi	Fuel Filter (replace)

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 2000 Saab 9-3 SE dominate in one area — the electrical system, 19 of 50 reports (38%), well ahead of the next concern. That matters, because the electrical system are also the target of recall 05V-399 on this vehicle — so the single most useful check before buying or servicing one is confirming it was actually performed. 4 of the reports describe a crash and 1 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the electrical system 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

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

Owner complaints

4 involved a crash · 1 a fire

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 50 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Electrical System19

Air Bags8

Engine & Engine Cooling5

Engine & Engine Cooling,Electrical System4

Engine & Engine Cooling,Equipment3

Seat Belts2

Fuel System, Gasoline2

Air Bags,Seats,Unknown Or Other1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 2 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

05V399000Electrical System:Ignition:ModuleReported 14/09/2005

CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH B205/B235 4-CYLINDER GASOLINE ENGINES AND B308 6-CYLINDER GASOLINE ENGINES MAY EXPERIENCE OVERHEATING AND BURNOUT OF THE ISOLATED GATED BIPOLAR TRANSISTOR (IGBT) WITHIN THE… Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT TO SEE WHAT VERSION IDM IS IN THE VEHICLE AND REPLACE THE IDM IF IT IS A VERSION BUILT PRIOR TO THE INTRODUCTION OF QP3. AN INTERIM LETTER WILL BE MAILED TO…

01V168000Air BagsReported 18/05/2001

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 208, "OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION." THE AIR BAG ALERT LABELS MAY NOT BE PERMANENTLY AFFIXED AS REQUIRED BY THIS STANDARD. Remedy: DEALERS WILL CLEAN THE SUNVISOR SURFACE AND APPLY A NEW AIR BAG ALERT LABEL ON BOTH SUNVISORS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JULY 30, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 19 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
08089-B	2008-11-01	Electrical System	GENERAL MOTORS CORP: SPECIAL COVERAGE ADJUSTMENT; ANALOG ONSTAR DEACTIVATION. *PE UPDATED…
08-089	2008-06-01	Equipment	BUICK\CADILLAC\CHEVROLET\GMC\HUMMER\OLDSMOBILE\PONTIAC\SAAB\SATURN SERVICE CAMPAIGN: SEE…
2102554	2006-10-01	Engine And Engine Cooling	NOISE FROM THE TIMING CHAIN AND OIL SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE. *KB
2912494	2004-11-01	Engine And Engine Cooling	REDUCED PERFORMANCE AND DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES FOR THE TURBO CONTROL VALVE. *EH
632	2002-12-20	Suspension	ADDRESSING CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS OF POPPING NOISE FROM FRONT SUSPENSION. *TT

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 SE. 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 47 battery Vehicles taking 4.2 qt Engine oil filter 93186554 Engine air filter 4876074 Fuel filter 4163853 Spark plug 9399866

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 2000 9-3 SE take?

4.2 qt of 10W-30-OR 10W-40 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2000 9-3 SE have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the 9-3 SE get?

EPA figures are 17 city / 24 highway / 20 combined mpg.