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Vehicle speed controlPart report

2008 Saab 9-3 Vehicle speed control Problems

Complaints
4about this part
Share
2%of 184 total for the year
Median mileage
80,000miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 4 complaints about the vehicle speed control of the 2008 Saab 9-3, 2% of the 184 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 80,000 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved and 1 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.

“Concern 1 as a female it is a safety issue to be stranded in my vehicle, recently what I thought was a battery issue turned out to be a key fob issue. I have been stranded with a well cared for vehicle that has keys that start and get to destination, but have gotten back in my vehicle and the car does not recognize the fob. …”

NHTSA complaint #11082035, filed 2018-03, 100,050 miles

“At 65 MPH, the gear shift knob, shift cover and assembly separated from the car - the base-metal stick shift was all that remained, and thus the safety latch that prevents car from being shifted into reverse, instead of a forward moving gear, normally attached to the exterior, was now missing. Alas, safely shifting into any of its 6 gears, was not an option ... It's odd, but per its original manufacturing specs, the entire transmission system in the 9-3, has zero locking mechanism to keep the knob and cosmetic housing from separating. …”

NHTSA complaint #10512690, filed 2013-05, 25,400 miles

“The contact owns a 2008 Saab 9-3. While driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to accelerate without warning. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the intake valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.”

NHTSA complaint #10684258, filed 2015-02, 80,000 miles

“The contact owns a 2008 Saab 9-3. The contact stated that while driving at 60-70 MPH, the cruise control activated independently. The contact mentioned that the brake pedal was applied to deactivate the cruise control. The failure recurred on numerous occasions. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.”

NHTSA complaint #10682150, filed 2015-02

Related service bulletins

Vehicle speed control: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
201013%
200842%
200743%
200663%
200533%
200421%
200363%
200112%
200012%
199912%

Other parts of the 2008 Saab 9-3

Air bags
71 complaints
Engine
66 complaints
Fuel system
15 complaints
Electrical system
11 complaints
Seat belts
10 complaints
Suspension
10 complaints
Transmission and drivetrain
10 complaints
Other or unknown
4 complaints
Exterior lighting
3 complaints
Body and structure
3 complaints
Brakes
2 complaints
Engine cooling
2 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2008 Saab 9-3

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 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