2004 Saab 9-3 Recalls, Complaints & Specs
5 safety recalls list the 2004 Saab 9-3, and owners have filed 207 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
5 safety recalls for the 2004 Saab 9-3
Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.
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Retractor (seat belts)
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.
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…
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Retractor (seat belts)
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.
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…
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Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings (service brakes)
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.
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.
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Retractor (seat belts)
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.
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.
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Recliner (seats)
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.
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…
207 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 2004 Saab 9-3 have filed 207 complaints with NHTSA; 10 describe a crash and 2 describe a fire. Reports cite 8 injuries and 0 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 74,778 miles. Complaints peaked in 2009 with 30 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“Retractor won't pull driver side seat belt back in”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, July 15, 2024 · Seat belts
“Constant random recurrence of error codes P2122 and P2138 (either together or on their own) which results in the car switching to low power mode, with very low acceleration which makes it very dangero”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, June 4, 2022 · Electrical system
Fuel economy and specs
EPA ratings for the 2004 Saab 9-3 (9-3 Convertible, 9-3 Sport Sedan). Ranges cover every tested configuration.
| Combined | 20–24 mpg |
|---|---|
| City / Highway | 17–20 / 25–30 |
| Fuel | Premium, Regular |
| EPA class | Compact Cars, Subcompact Cars |
| Engine | 4 cyl, 2 L |
| Transmission | Automatic (S5); Manual 5-spd; Manual 6-spd |
Compare Saab 9-3 model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Saab 9-3 model year in NHTSA's database.
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 Saab 9-3 | 0 | 1 |
| 1999 Saab 9-3 | 3 | 64 |
| 2000 Saab 9-3 | 2 | 50 |
| 2001 Saab 9-3 | 4 | 59 |
| 2002 Saab 9-3 | 4 | 37 |
| 2003 Saab 9-3 | 4 | 212 |
| 2004 Saab 9-3 | 5 | 207 |
| 2005 Saab 9-3 | 2 | 95 |
| 2006 Saab 9-3 | 2 | 179 |
| 2007 Saab 9-3 | 2 | 155 |
| 2008 Saab 9-3 | 2 | 184 |
| 2009 Saab 9-3 | 2 | 43 |
| 2010 Saab 9-3 | 3 | 30 |
| 2011 Saab 9-3 | 3 | 30 |
Checking a specific 2004 Saab 9-3
How do I know if my 2004 Saab 9-3 has an open recall?
Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 5 campaigns currently list the 2004 Saab 9-3; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Saab dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 03V514000).
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.
Other Saab models
- 9-5506 complaints
- 900360 complaints
- 9-7X171 complaints
- 9000136 complaints
- 9-2X121 complaints
- 9-3 Convertible61 complaints
- 9551 complaints
- Aero15 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.