Problems · NHTSA complaints

2007 Saab 9-3 problems

Owners filed 155 complaints about the 2007 Saab 9-3 with NHTSA between Apr 2007 and Oct 2019. The most-cited component is air bags (65).

Complaints
155
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
2
Reported by owners
Fires
5
Reported by owners
Injuries
4
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Air bags65
  2. Suspension24
  3. Engine18
  4. Electrical system12
  5. Service brakes, hydraulic9
  6. Seat belts7
  7. Engine and engine cooling6
  8. Seats5
  9. Service brakes4
  10. Fuel/propulsion system4
  11. Vehicle speed control4
  12. Steering4
  13. Power train3
  14. Structure3

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 8, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20073
20085
200910
20107
20117
20127
20135
201418
201512
201649
201726
20183
20193

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Air bags

65 reports2 crashes1 related recall
“I CALLED ELKINS CHEVROLET IN MARLTON NJ AS LISTED ON MY RECALL FORM. I CALLED THEM TWO TIMES. THE FIRST TIME THEY TOLD ME THE PART IS NOT AVAILABLE. I THEN RECEIVED A FEW MORE RECALL NOTICES STILL LISTING THEM AS THE SERVICE CENTER. I CALLED AGAIN AN WAS THEN TOLD THE ONLY WORK OF CHEVROLETS. BOTH TURNED OUT TO BE BOLD FACED LIES!”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 28, 2019Air bagsODI 11271518

Suspension

24 reports
“FIRST ISSUE WAS FRONT SUSPENSION COILS. REPLACED BOTH. BIGGEST ISSUE WAS ONCE THE WEATHER BECAME VERY COLD, CAR WOULD NOT START. ENDED UP BEING A VICTIM OF THE BAD INTAKE VALVES PROVIDED BY GM. NOW, AFTER A COMPLETE VALVE JOB AND HAVING THE CAR RUN GREAT FROM MARCH 2017 TO DEC 2017..IT APPEARS IT MAY HAVE A CRACKED BLOCK. CAR NEVER OVERHEATED. FLUIDS WERE ALWAYS MAINTAINED. LOOKED INTO THAT AND APPARENTLY THERE WERE SOME CASTING ISSUES AS WELL. THANKS GM.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 20, 2018Suspension, EngineODI 11080319

Engine

18 reports1 fire
“I WAS HAVING AN ISSUE WITH MY ENGINE IDLING ROUGH WHEN STARTING UP AND WHILE DRIVING COLD. AFTER THE CAR WARMS, THE ISSUE GET A BIT BETTER. BUT WHILE COLD, THE CAR RUNS TERRIBLY ROUGH. AFTER SPENDING OVER $3000 TRYING TO DIAGNOSE AND FIX THE ISSUE, INCLUDING REPLACING THE ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM, SEVERAL ENGINE PARTS, AND HOURS OF LABOR AND WASTED TIME, THE SAAB DEALER NARROWS IT DOWN TO A COMPRESSION ISSUE INVOLVING ONE OF THE INTAKE VALVES, WHICH IT SEEMS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THE 2007 MODEL 9-3S. THEY ESTIMATE AN ADDITIONAL $2,500 OF WORK TO FIX IT! I'VE READ HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINS ON THIS ISSUE. IF THIS IS SUCH A COMMON ISSUE, GM SHOULD RECALL THESE FAULTY PARTS AND REPLACE THEM.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 1, 2019EngineODI 11217314

Electrical system

12 reports2 fires
“PURCHASED SAAB 9-3 2007 BRAND NEW. NEARLY IMMEDIATELY THE HEADLIGHTS KEPT GOING OUT. I FOUND MYSELF REPLACING THEM OFTEN AND TWICE WAS PULLED OVER BY POLICE WHEN I HADN'T REALIZED AND HAD JUST REPLACED THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT. ALSO GOT ONE KEY AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE. THE A/C WASN'T WORKING WELL SO FINALLY TOOK IT TO THE SAAB DEALER IN SANTA FE, NM IN 2008 WITH COMPLAINTS. THEY WERE TO GET ME A SECOND KEY, FIX THE A/C, CHECK THE LEATHER ON FRONT SEAT AND FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG WITH ELECTRICAL AND HEADLIGHTS GOING OUT. THE ELECTRIC PANEL, INDICATING PROBLEMS, WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THEY TOOK MY ONE KEY AND TOLD ME THEY WOULD BE IN TOUCH AS IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. AFTER A FEW DAYS OF A RENTAL, I CONTACTED AND NO ONE ANSWERED. I DROVE OUT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND NO CARS. A WOMAN SITTING INSIDE AT A SIMPLE DESK IN EMPTY GM/SAAB SHOWROOM. SHE SAID THEY WERE ALL SHOCKED, HAD NO WARNING AS EMPLOYEES AND THE DEALERSHIP WAS GONE NO RECORDS ON MY CAR. NO OTHER DEALER PICKING IT UP AS THEY DIDN'T HAVE SAAB SPECIALIST. LONG STORY SHORT, I NEVER GOT HELP FROM ANYONE, NEVER GOT THE REPAIRS, NEVER GOT THE PROMISED SECOND KEY AND HAVE BEEN DRIVING IT EVER SINCE.…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 24, 2017Electrical system, Exterior lighting, SeatsODI 10991551

Service brakes, hydraulic

9 reports
“THE CAR FAILED TO BRAKE RIGHT AFTER STARTING IT UP. THE CAR WAS STARTED, THE BRAKE WAS ENGAGED, THE GEAR SELECT LEVER WAS MOVED TO THE DRIVE POSITION, AFTER MOVING FORWARD OUT OF THE PARKING SPACE THE CAR DID NOT WANT TO STOP. WE ALMOST RAN INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF US. *KB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 5, 2011Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10410604

Seat belts

7 reports1 related recall
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRACT WHETHER THE VEHICLE WAS IN OPERATION OR NOT. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V318000 (SEAT BELTS); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE DEALER (JUST SAAB, 5591 WOOSTER PIKE, CINCINNATI, OH 45227, (513)-527-4300) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURE WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 106,000. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 31, 2018Seat beltsODI 11099063
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 8, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.