IllustrationI JUST PURCHASED A SAAB AND I NOTICED I HAVE THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT ISSUE SOMEONE ELSE COMPLAINED ABOUT. THE SEAT BELT HAS NO TENSION AND WOULDN'T STOP MY FORWARD MOMENTUM IN AN ACCIDENT. SEARCHING ONLINE I NOTICED THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE IN SAABS FROM AROUND THIS TIME AND THERE ARE RECALLS ON OTHER YEAR MODELS. *TR
2005 Saab 9-3
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2005 Saab 9-3 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 61.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all 9-3 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
120–25K
1825–50K
2250–75K
975–100K
12100–150K
5150K+
78 reports with mileage · 17 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Suspension. Review the 29 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seat Belts. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
4 crash reports2 fire reports3 injury reports
What owners actually said
95 reportsMY SEAT BELT RETRACTOR DOESN'T WORK AT ALL. IT IS VERY WEAK AND DOESN'T MAKE THE SEAT BELT TIGHT TO MY CHEST. EVERYONE ELSE WHO HAS A 2005 SAAB HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I JUST THINK IF I GET IN A MAJOR ACCIDENT, IT COULD KILL ME. *TR
FRONT COIL SPRINGS BROKE. SERVICE STATION HAD TO REMOVE FRONT STRUT ASSEMBLIES TO REPLACE "BROKEN" FRONT COIL SPRINGS- INSTALL STRUTS-CLEAN AFFECTED SURFACES AND TWO NEW TIRES. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SUSPENSION COIL SPRING FRACTURED AND PUNCTURED THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE AND WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC SHOP WHERE THE FAILURE WAS CONFIRMED. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED THAT THE P…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SUSPENSION COIL SPRING FRACTURED AND PUNCTURED THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE AND WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC SHOP WHERE THE FAILURE WAS CONFIRMED. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED THAT THE PARTS NEEDED FOR THE REPAIR WERE ON A NATIONAL BACK ORDER AND THE DEALER WAS UNAWARE OF WHEN THE PARTS WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE WHO STATED THEY WERE NOT SURE WHEN THE PARTS WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE AND OFFERED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000.
THE FRONT-RIGHT COIL SPRING HAS BROKEN (WHEN TURNING 180 DEGREE, AT 3 OR 5 MPH); *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, SHE HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO DRIVE DIFFERENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN STRAIGHT TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY ADVISED HER THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE COIL SPRINGS WERE FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICL…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, SHE HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO DRIVE DIFFERENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN STRAIGHT TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY ADVISED HER THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE COIL SPRINGS WERE FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY ADVISED HER THAT THEY HAD ISSUED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY BUT HER VEHICLE WAS NOT ONE OF THE AFFECTED UNITS THAT THE WARRANTY WOULD COVER. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 42,000.
A FEW WEEKS AGO, I BEGAN TO NOTICE A CLUNKING SOUND NEAR FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS IN THE ROAD. UPON INVESTIGATION THIS WEEK, I COULD SEE THAT THE COIL SPRING WAS BROKEN RIGHT THROUGH THE METAL. I HAD NEVER HEARS OF ANYTHING LIKE THAT. MILEAGE IS APPROXIMATELY 77,000. DROVE IT TO THE MECHANIC, WHO CONFIRMED …
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A FEW WEEKS AGO, I BEGAN TO NOTICE A CLUNKING SOUND NEAR FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS IN THE ROAD. UPON INVESTIGATION THIS WEEK, I COULD SEE THAT THE COIL SPRING WAS BROKEN RIGHT THROUGH THE METAL. I HAD NEVER HEARS OF ANYTHING LIKE THAT. MILEAGE IS APPROXIMATELY 77,000. DROVE IT TO THE MECHANIC, WHO CONFIRMED THAT THERE IS A BROKEN SPRING. THEY INFORMED ME THAT, ALTHOUGH THE PART IS NOT EXPENSIVE, THERE ARE NONE AVAILABLE, THAT THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT, AND THE PART IS ON A NATIONAL BACKORDER! I NEVER REC'D ANY SORT OF NOTIFICATION FROM SAAB ABOUT THIS. THE MECHANIC ALSO SAID THAT I WAS INCREDIBLY LUCKY THAT THE BREAK DIDN'T HAPPEN ON THE FREEWAY, THAT IT COULD HAVE TAKEN OUT THE BRAND NEW FRONT TIRE. I HAVE A YOUNG DAUGHTER AND I VOLUNTEER TO DRIVE OTHER SCHOOL KIDS ON A WEEKLY BASIS--THIS COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. UNTIL A NEW SPRING IS FOUND, I WAS TOLD NOT TO DRIVE THE CAR, THAT IT COULD BLOW OUT THE TIRE AT ANY TIME. THERE IS NO ETA ON THE NEW PART. EVEN THOUGH SAAB IS BANKRUPT, THERE'S A LOCAL DEALER STILL IN BUSINESS, SO I'M THE WAIT LIST FOR THE PART WITH THEM AS WELL. IN THE MEANTIME, I'M STUCK. *TR
COIL BROKE , AND COULD HAVE DESTROYED THE TIRE AT HIGH SPEEDS WOULD HAVE BEEN REALLY BAD. *TT
WHILE BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY, I HEARD A LOUD NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE A SPRING. AFTER TAKING THE CAR TO THE DEALER, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE PASSENGER STRUT SPRING REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. SEVERAL HOURS LATER, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE PART WAS ONLY AVAILABLE FROM SAAB IN SWEDEN AND THE ETA WAS UNKNOWN DUE TO SAAB BANKRUPTCY STAT…
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WHILE BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY, I HEARD A LOUD NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE A SPRING. AFTER TAKING THE CAR TO THE DEALER, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE PASSENGER STRUT SPRING REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. SEVERAL HOURS LATER, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE PART WAS ONLY AVAILABLE FROM SAAB IN SWEDEN AND THE ETA WAS UNKNOWN DUE TO SAAB BANKRUPTCY STATUS. A DAY LATER THE DEALER WAS ABLE TO LOCATE A USED PART WITH A 30-DAY WARRANTY BUT I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL REPAIR COSTS. FORTUNATELY, NO DAMAGE WAS DONE TO MY TIRES, AS I HAD JUST REPLACED THE SET ONLY TWO WEEKS PRIOR. ALSO, I APPRECIATE THE DEALER TELLING ME OF THE RISK IN CONTINUING TO DRIVE THE CAR WITH THE BROKEN SPRING. THEY ALSO PROVIDED A LOANER CAR FOR THE PERIOD OF THE REPAIR. STILL, IF THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT FOR THIS MODEL AND YEAR, THE REPAIR COST SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED AND/OR CONSUMERS SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED SOME TYPE OF NOTIFICATION OF THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM. *TR
IN APRIL 2011, WHEN I STARTED MY CAR MY ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I HAD VERY LITTLE POWER ON ACCELERATION UNTIL MY CAR HIT 2000 RPM. A DIAGNOSTIC SHOWED IT WAS A THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR. FIRST OCCURRENCE WAS SIX MONTHS AGO, IT HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 20 TIMES SINCE. THE CAR WILL ACT LIKE THIS FOR 2 DAYS THEN WORK NORMAL AGAIN. I H…
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IN APRIL 2011, WHEN I STARTED MY CAR MY ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I HAD VERY LITTLE POWER ON ACCELERATION UNTIL MY CAR HIT 2000 RPM. A DIAGNOSTIC SHOWED IT WAS A THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR. FIRST OCCURRENCE WAS SIX MONTHS AGO, IT HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 20 TIMES SINCE. THE CAR WILL ACT LIKE THIS FOR 2 DAYS THEN WORK NORMAL AGAIN. I HAVE TO PROCEED WITH EXTREME CAUTION PULLING OUT IN TRAFFIC. I ALSO TAKE OFF EXTREMELY SLOW FROM ANY FULL STOPS I MAKE. IT IS HIT OR MISS EVERY TIME I START MY CAR. *TR
Official recalls
214V318000 · Seat Belts:front:retractor
Jun 12, 2014
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: In the event of a crash, a seat belt that has not retracted may not properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing their risk of injury.
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 recall is 14222. Note: Special Coverage 10086 will replace the passenger side seat belt retractor if it fails, free of charge, for the life of the vehicle.
05V236000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist:vacuum:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings
May 19, 2005
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THIS CONDITION WERE TO OCCUR WHEN MINIMUM STOPPING DISTANCE IS REQUIRED, A CRASH COULD OCCUR.
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.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2EA08026 · Front Suspension Coil Spring Fracture
Opened Dec 22, 2008 · Closed Jun 4, 2010
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Suspension:front:springs:coil Springs
To date, ODI is aware of 142 non-duplicative complaints related to the alleged defect.In addition, ODI is aware of 2,626 subject vehicles with one or more warranty claims related to the alleged defect.In total, ODI is aware of 2,714 unique subject vehicles that have experienced one or more front suspension coil spring fractures.ODI is not aware of any crashes or injuries related to the alleged defect.The engineering design and testing data supplied by GM, along with the frequency of consumer complaints and warranty claims related to the alleged defect, tends to support the position that, in general, the coil springs that fractured on many subject vehicles did not achieve the expected service life.However, in regard to the subject vehicles, a front suspension coil spring fracture itself has little safety consequence, as evidenced by the minimal impact on vehicle ride and handling and by the number of drivers who were unaware of the failure condition for some time until alerted by service personnel.The ratio of tire punctures to coil spring fractures appears low and there are no reports of crashes, deaths or injuries related to the alleged defect. A safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist.The agency will continue to monitor this issue and will take further action if warranted by the circumstances.See the EA08-026 Engineering Analysis Closing Report for more details.
PE08051 · Front Suspension Coil Spring Fracture
Opened Aug 28, 2008 · Closed Dec 23, 2008
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Suspension:front:springs:coil Springs
ON AUGUST 28, 2008, THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION (PE08-051) TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGED FRONT SUSPENSION COIL SPRING FRACTURES IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2003-2004 SAAB 9-3 VEHICLES SOLD OR REGISTERED IN SALT BELT STATES.(NOTE: FOR PURPOSES OF THIS INVESTIGATION, THE SALT BELT INCLUDES CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA AND WISCONSIN).SUBSEQUENT ANALYSIS OF DATA PROVIDED BY GENERAL MOTORS CORP. (GM) HAS LED THE AGENCY TO EXPAND THE SCOPE OF THIS INVESTIGATION TO INCLUDE ALL MY 2003-2006 SAAB 9-3 VEHICLES SOLD OR REGISTERED IN SALT BELT STATES. TO DATE, ODI IS AWARE OF 53 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS AND/OR FIELD REPORTS THAT ALLEGE COIL SPRING FRACTURE IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES, INCLUDING 23 ALLEGING THE FRACTURED SPRING DAMAGED A TIRE, WITH 16 OF THOSE INVOLVING A TIRE PUNCTURE.ANALYSIS OF WARRANTY DATA PROVIDED BY GM IDENTIFIED 1,218 CLAIMS PAID TO REPAIR SUBJECT VEHICLES THAT EXPERIENCED THE ALLEGED DEFECT, OF WHICH 138 VEHICLES ALSO SUFFERED DAMAGE TO THE ADJACENT TIRE AND OF THOSE, 79 VEHICLES EXPERIENCED A TIRE PUNCTURE.ODI IS NOT AWARE OF ANY CRASHES OR INJURIES RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT. GM MADE SEVERAL DESIGN CHANGES TO THE COIL SPRINGS AND/OR MCPHERSON STRUT ASSEMBLIES USED IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES IN AN APPARENT EFFORT TO ADDRESS THE ALLEGED DEFECT CONDITION.HOWEVER, GM MAINTAINS THAT THE SUBJECT VEHICLES REMAIN WELL CONTROLLED IN THE EVENT OF TIRE PUNCTURE, THAT THE RATE OF TIRE PUNCTURE INCIDENTS RELATED TO COIL SPRING FRACTURES IS LOW, AND THAT THE ALLEGED DEFECT DOES NOT POSE AN UNREASONABLE RISK TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA08-026) TO FURTHER STUDY THE SAFETY CONSEQUENCES OF THE ALLEGED DEFECT.