NHTSA recalls & complaints · 1999–2011

Saab 9-3 recalls, complaints and VIN decoding

NHTSA lists 17 recall campaigns and 1,345 owner complaints for the Saab 9-3, covering model years 1999 to 2011. The 2003 model year drew the most complaints (212), and Air Bags is the component owners name most often.

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint flat files, updated September 25, 2026.

Decode your Saab 9-3 VIN

See the model year, plant and build details of one vehicle, then the recalls for its exact year.

17 recall campaigns on file
1,345 owner complaints (unverified reports to NHTSA)
13 model years with data (1999–2011)

most complaints: 2003 (212 for that model year)
top component: Air Bags (367 complaints)
latest recall 16V063000 (reported Feb 3, 2016)

56 complaints reporting a crash (4.2%)
22 complaints reporting a fire (1.6%)
54 complaints reporting an injury (4.0%)
2 complaints reporting a death (0.1%)

Saab 9-3 complaints by model year

13 model years · NHTSA complaints

The 2003 model year has the most complaints: 212 of 1,345, or 15.8%. Next come 2004 (207) and 2008 (184). The fewest are for 2011, with 30 complaints.

Owner complaints per model yearHighest yearOther years

Show the figures for all 13 model years

Saab 9-3 complaints by model year, with complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury or death

Saab 9-3 complaints by model year, with complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury or death
Model year	Complaints	Reporting a crash	Reporting a fire	Reporting an injury	Reporting a death
1999	64	5	0	10	0
2000	50	4	1	7	0
2001	59	1	1	3	1
2002	37	0	1	1	0
2003	212	12	6	13	0
2004	207	10	2	7	0
2005	95	4	2	3	0
2006	179	11	3	4	0
2007	155	2	5	3	0
2008	184	5	1	3	1
2009	43	1	0	0	0
2010	30	0	0	0	0
2011	30	1	0	0	0
All model years	1,345	56	22	54	2

Crash, fire, injury and death columns count complaints that report at least one of them, not people.

Most-reported Saab 9-3 components

top 15 · NHTSA categories

Air Bags is the component named most often, in 367 complaints (27.3% of all 1,345), followed by Electrical System (188) and Suspension (173).

Components named most often in Saab 9-3 complaints (top 15)

Components named most often in Saab 9-3 complaints (top 15)
Component	Complaints	Share of complaints
Air Bags	367	27.3%
Electrical System	188	14.0%
Suspension	173	12.9%
Seat Belts	163	12.1%
Engine	116	8.6%
Engine and Engine Cooling	103	7.7%
Power Train	71	5.3%
Service Brakes, Hydraulic	58	4.3%
Fuel System, Gasoline	54	4.0%
Fuel/Propulsion System	46	3.4%
Steering	39	2.9%
Exterior Lighting	30	2.2%
Vehicle Speed Control	29	2.2%
Seats	25	1.9%
Tires	23	1.7%

One complaint can name several components, so the shares add up to more than 100%. Component names are NHTSA’s top-level categories.

What NHTSA owner complaints mean

These figures count complaints that vehicle owners and other members of the public have submitted to NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. NHTSA uses complaints, together with other data, to spot safety issues that may warrant an investigation and to check whether existing recalls go far enough.

They are reports, not findings. Each complaint is the submitter's own account. Its presence in the database does not mean NHTSA has confirmed a defect.
Counts are not defect rates. The data doesn't say how many vehicles were sold, so a raw count can't tell you what share of vehicles had a problem.
Popular models collect more complaints. A model sold in large numbers will usually gather more complaints than a rare one, simply because more people own it.
One complaint can name several components. Totals by component can therefore add up to more than the number of complaints.
Coverage starts in 1995. NHTSA's complaint file contains complaints received since January 1, 1995.

Use complaint patterns as a prompt for questions: whether a recall covers the issue, whether the vehicle you are considering has had the fix, and what a mechanic finds on inspection. For confirmed safety defects, see the recall list for this model.

Saab 9-3 recalls

17 campaigns · newest first

Every vehicle recall campaign NHTSA lists under the model name 9-3, newest first. The 17 campaigns cover model years 1999 to 2011. The 2004 model year appears in the most campaigns (5).

17 recall campaigns

Saab 9-3 recall campaigns covering each model year
Decade	Years ending in 0	Years ending in 1	Years ending in 2	Years ending in 3	Years ending in 4	Years ending in 5	Years ending in 6	Years ending in 7	Years ending in 8	Years ending in 9
1990s										1999: 3 campaigns
2000s	2000: 2 campaigns	2001: 4 campaigns	2002: 4 campaigns	2003: 4 campaigns	2004: 5 campaigns	2005: 2 campaigns	2006: 2 campaigns	2007: 2 campaigns	2008: 2 campaigns	2009: 2 campaigns
2010s	2010: 3 campaigns	2011: 3 campaigns

Highlighted: the model year with the most campaigns.

NHTSA campaign 16V063000
Reported Feb 3, 2016
Air Bags › Frontal › Driver Side › Inflator Module
Model years 2006–2011
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 Saturn Astra vehicles manufactured April 11, 2007, to July 24, 2008. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Consequence:
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
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 Astra vehicles, free of charge. The recall began on March 1, 2017. Owners may contact Saab customer service at 1-800-955-9007 or Saturn customer service at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 28810.
Filed by General Motors, LLC
NHTSA campaign 14V318000
Reported Jun 12, 2014
Seat Belts › Front › Retractor
Model years 2004–2011
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 break, causing the seat belt webbing not to retract.
Consequence:
In the event of a crash, a seat belt that has not retracted may not properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing their risk of injury.
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 1-800-955-9007. GM's number for this recall is 14222. Note: Special Coverage 10086 will replace the passenger side seat belt retractor if it fails, free of charge, for the life of the vehicle.
Filed by General Motors, LLC
NHTSA campaign 11V015000
Reported Jan 19, 2011
Fuel System, Other › Delivery › Fuel Pump
Model years 2010–2011
Saab is recalling certain model year 2010 and 2011 passenger vehicles manufactured from June 2010 through December 2010. Certain fuel pumps installed as original equipment may have internal components with incorrect specifications.
Consequence:
The subject fuel pumps can seize causing the engine to stall which increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy:
Saab will notify owners and replace the defective fuel pumps free of charge. The safety recall began on March 3, 2011. Owners may contact Saab at 1-800-955-9007.
Filed by Saab Cars North America, Inc.
NHTSA campaign 10V043000
Reported Feb 18, 2010
Seat Belts › Front › Retractor
Model year 2004
General Motors is recalling certain model year 2004 Saab 9-3 sedans. Some of these vehicles were produced with front seat belt retractors that, over time, could fail to retract.
Consequence:
Using a seat belt that has not retracted, and in the event of a crash, a seat occupant may not be properly restrained increasing the risk of personal injury.
Remedy:
Dealers will replace the driver side retractor free of charge. If the front passenger retractor were to fail to retract, GM will replace the front passenger retractor free of charge under a special coverage that will be released for the same population for 10 years from new vehicle date of sale. The safety recall is expected to begin during July 2010. Owners may contact Saab at 1-800-955-9007 or at the owner center at saabparts.com/us. Note: In June 2014, GM expanded the special coverage from 10 years to be for the lifetime of the vehicle.
Filed by General Motors, LLC
NHTSA campaign 07V087000
Reported Mar 7, 2007
Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings
Model years 2002–2003
On certain passenger vehicles, the fuel pump retaining tabs holding the fuel lines were damaged during production.
Consequence:
Over time, this could cause the fuel lines to loosen from the pump resulting in fuel leakage. If an ignition source were present, the fuel may ignite resulting in a vehicle fire.
Remedy:
Dealers will develop a securing bracket that will secure the fuel lines to the fuel pump even if the plastic retaining tabs should break. The recall began on June 13, 2007. This is an expansion of previous recall campaigns - see 04V557 and 06V126. Owners may contact Saab at 1-800-955-9007.
Filed by SAAB CARS USA, INC.
NHTSA campaign 06V126000
Reported Apr 20, 2006
Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings
Model year 2001
On certain passenger vehicles, the fuel pump retaining tabs holding the fuel lines were damaged during production.
Consequence:
Over time, this could cause the fuel lines to loosen from the pump resulting in fuel leakage. If an ignition source were present, the fuel may ignite resulting in a vehicle fire.
Remedy:
Dealers will develop a securing bracket that will secure the fuel lines to the fuel pump even if the plastic retaining tabs should break. The recall began on May 12, 2006. Owners may contact Saab at 1-800-955-9007.
Filed by SAAB CARS USA, INC.
NHTSA campaign 05V399000
Reported Sep 14, 2005
Electrical System › Ignition › Module
Model years 2000–2002
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 ignition discharge module (idm) due to increased susceptibility to electrical loads.
Consequence:
Overheating of the igbt occurs most often at engine start-up, but it may also occur while the engine is running. Engine stalling may occur, which could result in a crash.
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 owners in October 2005, informing them of the condition. Parts are now available and owners will be notified to bring their vehicles in to the dealers to have the idm replaced by letter dated March 13, 2006. Owners may contact Saab at 1-800-955-9007.
Filed by SAAB CARS USA, INC.
NHTSA campaign 05V236000
Reported May 19, 2005
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Power Assist › Vacuum › Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings
Model years 2003–2005
Certain sport sedan and convertible passenger vehicles were produced with a vacuum pipe check valve for the brake booster that may fail from exposure to elevated temperatures. This could result in sudden loss of power brake assist, usually with little or no warning.
Consequence:
If this condition were to occur when minimum stopping distance is required, a crash could occur.
Remedy:
Dealers will install a new redesigned check valve. The recall began on March 17, 2006. Owners should contact Saab at 1-800-955-9007.
Filed by SAAB CARS USA, INC.
NHTSA campaign 04V557000
Reported Nov 19, 2004
Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings
Model years 2001–2002
On certain passenger vehicles, the fuel pump retaining tabs holding the fuel lines were damaged during production.
Consequence:
Over time, this could cause the fuel lines to loosen from the pump resulting in fuel leakage. If an ignition source were present, the fuel may ignite resulting in a vehicle fire.
Remedy:
Dealers will develop a securing bracket that will secure the fuel lines to the fuel pump even if the plastic retaining tabs should break. The recall began on March 14, 2005. Owners should contact Saab at 1-800-955-9007.
Filed by SAAB CARS USA, INC.
NHTSA campaign 04V540000
Reported Oct 20, 2004
Engine and Engine Cooling
Model year 2003
On certain passenger vehicles, the engine management system software may cause engine hesitation or stalling.
Consequence:
If the vehicle stalls as a result of this condition, it can be restarted immediately.
Remedy:
Dealers will update the engine management system. Owners may contact Saab at 1-800-955-9007.
Filed by SAAB CARS USA, INC.

Show 7 more recalls

NHTSA campaign 04V226000
Reported May 11, 2004
Seat Belts › Front › Retractor
Model years 2003–2004
Some sport sedans were built with seat belt retractors that were damaged during the manufacturing process. If damaged, over time, the automatic tensioning system (ats) cable in the seat belt retractor could break causing the belt webbing to not retract.
Consequence:
In the event of a crash, a front seat occupant may receive more severe injuries.
Remedy:
Dealers will replace the seat belt retractor assemblies. The recall began on January 24, 2005. Owners should contact Saab at 1-800-955-9007.
Filed by SAAB CARS USA, INC.
NHTSA campaign 03V514000
Reported Dec 10, 2003
Seats › Front Assembly › Recliner
Model year 2004
Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 207, "seating systems." The backrest locking mechanism on some front seats may have been installed incorrectly.
Consequence:
This could cause the seat back to fold forward in a frontal crash, resulting in injury to the driver and/or front seat passenger.
Remedy:
Dealers will inspect the vehicle's front seats to determine if they are equipped with the improperly installed component. If either or both of the seats have this component, they will be replaced. The dealer may need to order a complete new seat or seats (including matching upholstery) and the parts may take up to two to four weeks to arrive. Saab will provide a rental car for the owner until the new seat(s) is (are) available and installed by the dealer. Owner notification is expected to begin during February 2004. Owners should contact Saab at 1-800-955-9007.
Filed by SAAB CARS USA, INC.
NHTSA campaign 01V314000
Reported Oct 3, 2001
Steering › Linkages › Tie Rod Assembly
Model year 2002
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The tie rod end retaining nuts may not have been properly tightened at the factory.
Consequence:
The nut could loosen and fall off resulting in a sudden reduction or loss of steering control.
Remedy:
All vehicles will be inspected and corrected prior to customer delivery. No owner notification will be required.
Filed by SAAB CARS USA, INC.
NHTSA campaign 01V168000
Reported May 18, 2001
Air Bags
Model years 2000–2001
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.
Consequence:
These vehicles do not comply with the requirements.
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 authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Saab at 1-800-955-9007.
Filed by SAAB CARS USA, INC.
NHTSA campaign 99V362000
Reported Dec 29, 1999
Equipment › Other › Labels
Model year 1999
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The brake reservoir label was omitted. This does not comply with the requirements of FMVSS No. 135, "passenger car brake systems."
Consequence:
Without this label, someone may use the incorrect specification brake fluid, get dirt into the reservoir, or allow moisture into the brake fluid, resulting in less effective braking and possibly a crash.
Remedy:
Owners will be mailed labels and installation instructions.
Filed by SAAB CARS USA, INC.
NHTSA campaign 99V246000
Reported Sep 13, 1999
Seats
Model year 1999
Vehicle description: passsenger vehicles. Failures of the "easy entry" cable in the front driver or passenger manual seats can cause the seat fore/aft adjustable mechanism to be unlocked.
Consequence:
Since the anchor points for the lap portion of the front safety belts are attached to the seat assembly, release of the fore/aft locking mechanism reduces the restraint capability of the safety belts in a crash.
Remedy:
Dealers will install a new cable and spring assembly.
Filed by SAAB CARS USA, INC.
NHTSA campaign 98V139000
Reported Jun 23, 1998
Equipment › Other › Labels
Model year 1999
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The air bag alert label on the driver side visor was omitted. This does not conform to the requirements of FMVSS No. 208, "occupant crash protection."
Consequence:
The vehicle occupant may not properly understand the operation of the air bag system and the need to use seat belts.
Remedy:
Owners will be provided with an alert label to be installed on the visible side of the driver's sun visor. If an owner so desires, their dealer can install the label for them.
Filed by SAAB CARS USA, INC.

Recall text is shown as NHTSA publishes it; older campaigns, which NHTSA stores in capital letters, are shown in sentence case. NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline, 1-888-327-4236, also answers recall questions.

How to read this recall list

This list shows every safety recall campaign NHTSA has on file for this make, model and model year. It is not specific to one vehicle: a recall often covers only vehicles built in a certain date range or with a certain part, and many of the vehicles it covers will already have been repaired.

What each recall field means

What each recall field means
Field	What it tells you
Campaign number	NHTSA's unique ID for the recall, such as 20V771000. Quote it to a dealer or when searching NHTSA's site.
Component	The system or part involved, for example air bags, brakes or electrical software.
Summary	What the defect or non-compliance is and which vehicles are covered.
Consequence	The safety risk if the problem isn't fixed.
Remedy	What the manufacturer will do, such as a repair, replacement or software update, and whether it is free.

Some recalls carry an NHTSA consumer advisory, “Do Not Drive” or “Park Outside”. Follow it until the repair is done.
A single campaign often covers several models or model years, so the same campaign number can appear in more than one list.
Recalls are shown as NHTSA publishes them. Very recent campaigns may take time to appear.

Does your vehicle have an open recall? Only a VIN check can tell you. Enter the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup (opens in a new tab) or on the manufacturer's website. Our VIN recall check guide explains what each option covers.

Saab 9-3 questions

5 questions

How many recalls does the Saab 9-3 have?

NHTSA lists 17 vehicle recall campaigns for the Saab 9-3, covering model years 1999 to 2011. The most recent, 16V063000, was reported on February 3, 2016 and is filed under “Air bags”. The 2004 model year is covered by the most campaigns (5).

Which Saab 9-3 model year has the most complaints?

The 2003 model year, with 212 of the 1,345 complaints in NHTSA’s file (15.8%). The next are 2004 (207) and 2008 (184). Complaint counts also reflect how many vehicles of each year were sold and how long they have been on the road, so they are not a reliability ranking.

What is the most common Saab 9-3 complaint?

Air Bags is the component named most often: 367 complaints, or 27.3% of all 1,345. Electrical System (188) and Suspension (173) follow. Complaints are unverified reports from owners, not confirmed defects, and one complaint can name several components.

Does every recall on this page apply to my Saab 9-3?

Not necessarily. Each campaign lists specific model years, and many cover only vehicles built in a certain period or fitted with a certain part; repairs already carried out aren’t shown. To see whether a recall is open on your vehicle, enter its VIN at NHTSA’s recall lookup (opens in a new tab) or ask a Saab dealer.

How many Saab 9-3 complaints report a crash, fire, injury or death?

Of the 1,345 complaints, 56 report a crash, 22 a fire, 54 at least one injury and 2 at least one death. These figures count complaints, not people, and each complaint is the submitter’s own unverified account.

7 models · most complaints first

The Saab models with the most NHTSA complaints, and the Saab VIN decoder with every Saab model page, WMI code and VIN note.

Saab 9-5 1998–2011 · 9 recalls · 557 complaints
Saab 900 1995–2000 · 10 recalls · 196 complaints
Saab 9-7X 2005–2009 · 4 recalls · 171 complaints
Saab 9-2X 2005–2006 · 8 recalls · 121 complaints
Saab 9-3 Convertible 1999–2002 · 2 recalls · 61 complaints
Saab 9000 1995–1998 · 1 recall · 25 complaints
Saab 9-4x 2011–2012 · 2 recalls · 5 complaints

All Saab models and WMI codes Look up recalls by year

Data: NHTSA recalls and complaints flat files, updated September 25, 2026. Recall campaigns are vehicle (V) campaigns listed for this model name; complaints are counted once per NHTSA ODI number and model year.

Saab 9-3 complaints by model year

Most-reported Saab 9-3 components

What NHTSA owner complaints mean

Saab 9-3 recalls

Air Bags › Frontal › Driver Side › Inflator Module

Seat Belts › Front › Retractor

Fuel System, Other › Delivery › Fuel Pump

Seat Belts › Front › Retractor

Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings

Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings

Electrical System › Ignition › Module

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Power Assist › Vacuum › Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings

Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings

Engine and Engine Cooling

Seat Belts › Front › Retractor

Seats › Front Assembly › Recliner

Steering › Linkages › Tie Rod Assembly

Air Bags

Equipment › Other › Labels

Seats

Equipment › Other › Labels

How to read this recall list

Saab 9-3 questions

How many recalls does the Saab 9-3 have?

Which Saab 9-3 model year has the most complaints?

What is the most common Saab 9-3 complaint?

Does every recall on this page apply to my Saab 9-3?

How many Saab 9-3 complaints report a crash, fire, injury or death?

Other Saab models