RecallMyCar

Saab 9-5 Recalls & Complaints by Model Year

NHTSA lists 9 safety recalls and 506 owner complaints across 14 model years of the Saab 9-5 (1998–2011). The most-complained-about year is 1999.

9
safety recalls, all years
506
owner complaints, all years
2002
year with most recalls
1999
year with most complaints

Pick your Saab 9-5 model year

Model yearRecallsComplaints
2011 Saab 9-509
2010 Saab 9-502
2009 Saab 9-512
2008 Saab 9-5220
2007 Saab 9-5217
2006 Saab 9-5223
2005 Saab 9-5211
2004 Saab 9-5219
2003 Saab 9-5447
2002 Saab 9-5653
2001 Saab 9-5482
2000 Saab 9-53102
1999 Saab 9-52118
1998 Saab 9-501

What Saab 9-5 owners complain about

Across all model years, owners have filed 506 complaints with NHTSA. The 1999 model year has the most, with 118.

All Saab 9-5 recalls (9)

Every NHTSA safety campaign that lists a Saab 9-5, most recent first, with the model years each one covers.

  1. Inflator module (air bags)

    NHTSA 16V063000 Reported 113,716 vehicles potentially affected General Motors LLC

    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,…

    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…

    Model years: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009

  2. Head restraint (seats)

    NHTSA 08V160000 Reported 57,389 vehicles potentially affected SAAB CARS USA, INC.

    Saab is recalling 57,389 my 2002-2008 9-5 series vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 201, "occupant protection in interior impact." during compliance testing, one of the upper interior occupant protection test points exceeded the standard's requirements.

    Remedy: Dealers will install a-pillar trim with improved energy-absorbing capability free of charge. The recall began on november 25, 2008. Owners may contact saab at 1-800-955-9007.

    Model years: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008

  3. Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings (fuel system)

    NHTSA 07V087000 Reported 94,377 vehicles potentially affected SAAB CARS USA, INC.

    On certain passenger vehicles, the fuel pump retaining tabs holding the fuel lines were damaged during production.

    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…

    Model years: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005

  4. Electrical system: module

    NHTSA 06V410000 Reported 5,078 vehicles potentially affected SAAB CARS USA, INC.

    Certain passenger vehicles equipped with 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.

    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 january 2003. The recall is expected to begin during december 2005. Owners may contact saab at…

    Model years: 2002, 2003

  5. Electrical system: module

    NHTSA 05V399000 Reported 103,202 vehicles potentially affected SAAB CARS USA, INC.

    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.

    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…

    Model years: 2000, 2001, 2002

  6. Hub (wheels)

    NHTSA 03V006000 Reported 70,726 vehicles potentially affected SAAB CARS USA, INC.

    On certain passenger vehicles, if an owner changes their wheels/tires between summer and winter using a steel wheel in the winter and an alloy wheel in the summer, it is possible for rust and contamination to build up on the wheel hub during the steel wheel usage. If this occurs and the contamination is not removed, it is possible that…

    Remedy: Owners will be contacted by mail and asked whether they change between steel and alloy wheels. If they do engage in this practice, they will be instructed to bring their cars to an authorized dealer. The dealer will…

    Model years: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003

  7. Arm (steering)

    NHTSA 02V006000 Reported 2,601 vehicles potentially affected SAAB CARS USA, INC.

    The steering knuckle castings on certain passenger vehicles may have been contaminated during the casting process.

    Remedy: Dealers will inspect the steering knuckle for the casting number. If the knuckle was in the defective batch, the steering knuckle will be replaced. Owner notification is expected to begin during january 2002. Owners…

    Model years: 2002

  8. Air bags

    NHTSA 01V168000 Reported 43,073 vehicles potentially affected SAAB CARS USA, INC.

    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.

    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…

    Model years: 2000, 2001

  9. Labels (equipment)

    NHTSA 98V139000 Reported 39,313 vehicles potentially affected SAAB CARS USA, INC.

    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."

    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.

    Model years: 1999

Other Saab models

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.