Saab 9-3 Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 1,345 consumer complaints across the 13 model years of the Saab 9-3 (1999–2011) that have at least 5 complaints. 2003 has the most, with 212. Across all years, the part named most often is air bags (367 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All 9-3 model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 30 | 90,000 | 3 | 157 | 27 · Fewer | Falling |
| 2010 | 30 | 50,000 | 3 | 233 | 45 · Typical | Rising |
| 2009 | 43 | 66,250 | 2 | 449 | 55 · Typical | Stable |
| 2008 | 184 | 76,000 | 2 | 183 | 88 · More | Falling |
| 2007 | 155 | 64,000 | 2 | 165 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2006 | 179 | 40,000 | 2 | 146 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2005 | 95 | 60,000 | 2 | 104 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2004 | 207 | 72,000 | 5 | 77 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2003 | 212 | 49,000 | 4 | 80 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2002 | 37 | 63,000 | 4 | 52 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 2001 | 59 | 72,000 | 4 | 49 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2000 | 50 | 93,559 | 2 | 42 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1999 | 64 | 79,570 | 3 | 10 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Air bags367 28%
- Electrical system188 14%
- Suspension173 13%
- Seat belts163 13%
- Engine116 8.9%
- Fuel system106 8.1%
- Engine cooling103 7.9%
- Brakes86 6.6%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
1999: “Today, shortly after starting the car, an airbag deployed. The car was parked in my driveway and not in motion, and there was no impact. The airbag deployed from the outboard side of the passenger seat. I was seated in the driver's seat. The passenger seat was unoccupied and its seat belt was unfastened, however a laptop and some other lightweight objects were in the passenger seat.”
NHTSA complaint #11398304, filed 2021-02, 175,000 miles2003: “I was driving my 2003 Saab 9-3 se convertible to the nearby publix supermarket. The car has never been in an accident or hit. I parked it in the lot with the top down and went into the store for approximately 10 minutes. It was a warm dry day in florida about 85 degrees. I came out and put the key in the ignition and turned it to start the car, and the passenger side airbag exploded for no known reason. …”
NHTSA complaint #11389024, filed 2021-01, 130,000 miles2005: “Nhtsa 14v318000 was a recall for seat belts that fails to retract. When I get into my car and pull it out to fasten it often remains slack. That event caused me to do research and find the recall. But it did not extend to my car which has the exact same problem. It appears to me that the recall was too narrow.”
NHTSA complaint #11202805, filed 2019-04, 130,000 milesOther Saab models
552 complaintsSaab 900
345 complaintsSaab 9-7X
171 complaintsSaab 9000
132 complaintsSaab 9-2X
121 complaintsSaab 9-3 Convertible
61 complaintsSaab Aero
11 complaintsSaab 952
8 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology