The Saab 9-3 has 18 NHTSA recall campaigns on record covering 1999–2011. On average a defect was admitted 4.02 years after the car was built, the slowest took 10 years. The most recalled system is Fuel System, Gasoline (4 campaigns). Owners also filed 1,137 complaints on this model — see what breaks.
What was recalled on the Saab 9-3
Grouped by system. Open any row for the campaigns themselves — what failed, what it risks and how the dealer fixes it, straight from the NHTSA filing.
Fuel System, Gasoline 4 Read
What's wrong. Ti automotive is recalling certain fuel pumps, part numbers tu456 and tu303, sold under various brand names as aftermarket and replacement equipment for the motor vehicles listed above. The defective fuel pump may seize, stopping the fuel flow to the engine creating a stalling condition
Risk. A vehicle crash could occur should the engine stall while in use
Fix. Ti automotive will notify owners of record and will replace any defective fuel pump with a new or reworked fuel pump free of charge. The safety recall began on february 22, 2011. Owners may contact ti automotive at 1-866-867-3759 or log on to www.recallresponse.com
What's wrong. Ti automotive is recalling certain fuel pumps, part numbers tu456 and tu303, sold under various brand names as aftermarket and replacement equipment for the motor vehicles listed above. The defective fuel pump may seize, stopping the fuel flow to the engine creating a stalling condition
Risk. A vehicle crash could occur should the engine stall while in use
Fix. Ti automotive will notify owners of record and will replace any defective fuel pump with a new or reworked fuel pump free of charge. The safety recall began on february 22, 2011. Owners may contact ti automotive at 1-866-867-3759 or log on to www.recallresponse.com
What's wrong. Ti automotive is recalling certain fuel pumps, part numbers tu456 and tu303, sold under various brand names as aftermarket and replacement equipment for the motor vehicles listed above. The defective fuel pump may seize, stopping the fuel flow to the engine creating a stalling condition
Risk. A vehicle crash could occur should the engine stall while in use
Fix. Ti automotive will notify owners of record and will replace any defective fuel pump with a new or reworked fuel pump free of charge. The safety recall began on february 22, 2011. Owners may contact ti automotive at 1-866-867-3759 or log on to www.recallresponse.com
Seat Belts 3 Read
What's wrong. 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
Risk. 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
Fix. 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…
What's wrong. 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
Risk. 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
Fix. 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…
What's wrong. 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
Risk. 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
Fix. 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…
Air Bags 2 Read
What's wrong. 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, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture
Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death
Fix. 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 recall began on March 1, 2017. Owners may contact Saab customer service at 1-800-955-9007 or Saturn…
What's wrong. 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, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture
Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death
Fix. 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 recall began on March 1, 2017. Owners may contact Saab customer service at 1-800-955-9007 or Saturn…
What's wrong. 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, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture
Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death
Fix. 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 recall began on March 1, 2017. Owners may contact Saab customer service at 1-800-955-9007 or Saturn…
Seats 2 Read
What's wrong. 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
Risk. This could cause the seat back to fold forward in a frontal crash, resulting in injury to the driver and/or front seat passenger
Fix. 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 to order a complete new seat or seats (including matching upholstery) and the parts may take up to two…
What's wrong. Vehicle description: passsenger vehicles. Failures of the "easy entry" cable in the front driver or passenger manual seats can cause the seat fore/aft adjustable mechanism to be unlocked
Risk. Since the anchor points for the lap portion of the front safety belts are attached to the seat assembly, release of the fore/aft locking mechanism reduces the restraint capability of the safety belts in a crash
Fix. Dealers will install a new cable and spring assembly
Equipment 2 Read
What's wrong. Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The brake reservoir label was omitted. This does not comply with the requirements of fmvss no. 135, "passenger car brake systems."
Risk. Without this label, someone may use the incorrect specification brake fluid, get dirt into the reservoir, or allow moisture into the brake fluid, resulting in less effective braking and possibly a crash
Fix. Owners will be mailed labels and installation instructions
What's wrong. 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."
Risk. The vehicle occupant may not properly understand the operation of the air bag system and the need to use seat belts
Fix. 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
Fuel System, Other 1 Read
What's wrong. Saab is recalling certain model year 2010 and 2011 passenger vehicles manufactured from june 2010 through december 2010. Certain fuel pumps installed as original equipment may have internal components with incorrect specifications
Risk. The subject fuel pumps can seize causing the engine to stall which increases the risk of a crash
Fix. Saab will notify owners and replace the defective fuel pumps free of charge. The safety recall began on march 3, 2011. Owners may contact saab at 1-800-955-9007
What's wrong. Saab is recalling certain model year 2010 and 2011 passenger vehicles manufactured from june 2010 through december 2010. Certain fuel pumps installed as original equipment may have internal components with incorrect specifications
Risk. The subject fuel pumps can seize causing the engine to stall which increases the risk of a crash
Fix. Saab will notify owners and replace the defective fuel pumps free of charge. The safety recall began on march 3, 2011. Owners may contact saab at 1-800-955-9007
Service Brakes, Hydraulic 1 Read
What's wrong. 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
Risk. If this condition were to occur when minimum stopping distance is required, a crash could occur
Fix. Dealers will install a new redesigned check valve. The recall began on march 17, 2006. Owners should contact saab at 1-800-955-9007
What's wrong. 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
Risk. If this condition were to occur when minimum stopping distance is required, a crash could occur
Fix. Dealers will install a new redesigned check valve. The recall began on march 17, 2006. Owners should contact saab at 1-800-955-9007
What's wrong. 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
Risk. If this condition were to occur when minimum stopping distance is required, a crash could occur
Fix. Dealers will install a new redesigned check valve. The recall began on march 17, 2006. Owners should contact saab at 1-800-955-9007
Engine And Engine Cooling 1 Read
What's wrong. On certain passenger vehicles, the engine management system software may cause engine hesitation or stalling
Risk. If the vehicle stalls as a result of this condition, it can be restarted immediately
Fix. Dealers will update the engine management system. Owners may contact saab at 1-800-955-9007
Electrical System 1 Read
What's wrong. 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
Risk. Overheating of the igbt occurs most often at engine start-up, but it may also occur while the engine is running. Engine stalling may occur, which could result in a crash
Fix. 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 of the condition. Parts are now available and owners will be notified to bring their vehicles in to…
What's wrong. 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
Risk. Overheating of the igbt occurs most often at engine start-up, but it may also occur while the engine is running. Engine stalling may occur, which could result in a crash
Fix. 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 of the condition. Parts are now available and owners will be notified to bring their vehicles in to…
What's wrong. 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
Risk. Overheating of the igbt occurs most often at engine start-up, but it may also occur while the engine is running. Engine stalling may occur, which could result in a crash
Fix. 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 of the condition. Parts are now available and owners will be notified to bring their vehicles in to…
Steering 1 Read
What's wrong. Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The tie rod end retaining nuts may not have been properly tightened at the factory
Risk. The nut could loosen and fall off resulting in a sudden reduction or loss of steering control
Fix. All vehicles will be inspected and corrected prior to customer delivery. No owner notification will be required
How long a defect stays unadmitted
Campaign numbers encode the year of the announcement, so each recall on this model can be dated against the car it applies to.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Average gap before admission | 4.02 years |
| Slowest campaign | 10 years |
| Admitted 5+ years later | 45.5% |
| Campaigns on record | 18 |
Which 9-3 years were recalled most
Campaigns per model year. A year with more campaigns is not automatically worse — it may simply have sold in far greater numbers.
| Model year | Campaigns | Most recalled system |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| 2010 | Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| 2009 | Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| 2008 | Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| 2007 | Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| 2006 | Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| 2005 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | |
| 2004 | Seats | |
| 2003 | Seat Belts | |
| 2002 | Steering | |
| 2001 | Air Bags | |
| 2000 | Air Bags | |
| 1999 | Equipment |
Check your own car
A campaign applies to a range of production, not to every car of the model. The only way to know whether yours is affected — and whether the repair was already done — is by VIN.
| Step | What you get |
|---|---|
| Enter the VIN above | Open campaigns for that exact vehicle, straight from NHTSA |
| Check the repair status | Whether the free fix has already been carried out on this car |
| Book at any franchised dealer | Recall work is free regardless of age, mileage or owner |
Go deeper
A campaign covers a production range. Yours is one car.
- Check whether this exact VIN is affected — and whether the fix was done
- Alerts if a new campaign lands on a car in your garage
- Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
- Decode a whole list of VINs at once
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Frequently asked questions
How many recalls does the Saab 9-3 have?
18 NHTSA campaigns on record, covering 1999–2011. Not every campaign applies to every car — coverage is by production range, so check your VIN.
Is recall work free?
Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer regardless of the car's age, mileage or how many owners it has had. That is a federal requirement, not a courtesy.
How do I know if my 9-3 still has an open recall?
Enter its VIN above. We show campaigns that apply to that exact vehicle and whether the repair has already been recorded as done.
Why did a defect take years to be recalled?
On this model the average gap between the car being built and the defect being admitted is 4.02 years, and the slowest campaign came 10 years later. Defects usually surface as they accumulate in the field: complaints pile up, an investigation opens, and only then is a campaign issued.