2006 Saab 9-3 Electrical system Problems
- Complaints
- 13about this part
- Share
- 7%of 179 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 40,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 13 complaints about the electrical system of the 2006 Saab 9-3, 7% of the 179 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 40,000 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved and 2 a fire, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Takata recall, I took my 06 Saab 93 aero into bellevue washington cadillac dealership to get my air bag recall fixed, after I hot the recalled airbag replaced they reset my ECM and now my airbag light is on intermittently and drains my battery dead over night! I have called bellevue cadillac and they refuse to do anything about the damage they did to my car by replacing the recalled airbag with another bad airbag! They listed in their computers that they fixed my car and never did so now I am stuck with another bad faulty airbag and now a battery drain issue from it. …”
NHTSA complaint #11180544, filed 2019-02, 130,000 miles“While driving at 11:30 pm on a small (paved) country road with my high beams on, my warning system indicated left high beam failure. I continued driving and about a minute later I noticed sparks along the left side of the car. I pulled over to see what was wrong and the left head light was in flames. Within 15 minutes the entire front half/engine of the car was in flames and the entire front half of the car essentially burned to the ground.”
NHTSA complaint #10432190, filed 2011-10, 80,000 miles“I purchased my 2006 Saab 9-3 aero sport sedan on march 10, 2006. By april 1, 2006, I was experiencing difficulty starting the vehicle, I.e. It would sputter, misfire, skip and idle at more than 1,770 RPM. Eventually the engine would even out and I would be able to pull out of the driveway. On the morning of may 1, 2006, the car continued this starting behavior, resulting in the check engine light coming on. I immediately drove the car to my Saab dealer. They kept it for 21 days and still did not fix it, even though the dealer replaced every fuel injector on the car. …”
NHTSA complaint #10159228, filed 2006-06, 2,600 miles“Wheel lock ignition module malfunction. This is the error that occurs on sid. The wheel lock release will not function correctly and the key will not start the car. Occasionally, it will take 30 minutes for the wheel lock to release and allow the car to driven. Typically, this code occurs during the summer months when the humidity is high. Reading through the Saab owner websites, this appears to be a common issue.”
NHTSA complaint #10592940, filed 2014-05, 50,000 miles“Two items: 1. The seatbelt failed to catch when pulled forward and would unravel and not return. The seatbelt fails to stop the passenger should there be a sudden stop. 2. Both the left and right side tail light assemblies have shorted and melted at the electrical connection.”
NHTSA complaint #10511970, filed 2013-05, 90,000 milesRelated service bulletins
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Electrical system: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 1 | 3% |
| 2009 | 1 | 2% |
| 2008 | 11 | 6% |
| 2007 | 12 | 8% |
| 2006 | 13 | 7% |
| 2005 | 9 | 9% |
| 2004 | 13 | 6% |
| 2003 | 46 | 22% |
| 2002 | 14 | 38% |
| 2001 | 23 | 39% |
| 2000 | 23 | 46% |
| 1999 | 22 | 34% |
Other parts of the 2006 Saab 9-3
87 complaintsBrakes
31 complaintsSeat belts
15 complaintsFuel system
14 complaintsEngine cooling
11 complaintsSteering
8 complaintsSuspension
7 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
7 complaintsVehicle speed control
6 complaintsElectronic stability control
5 complaintsEngine
5 complaintsOther or unknown
3 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2006 Saab 9-3
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology