Saab 9-3 years to avoidWhat NHTSA complaint data does and doesn’t say
We compared 13 model years of the Saab 9-3 by owner complaints to NHTSA, adjusted for how long each year has been on the road. 2008, 2004, 2003, 2006, 2007 stand out with at least twice the typical complaint rate.
Complaints per year on the road
| Year | Complaints | Per year on road | Index | Recalls | Crashes | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 30 | 2 | 0.6 | 4 | 1 | Typical |
| 2010 | 30 | 2 | 0.6 | 4 | 0 | Typical |
| 2009 | 43 | 2 | 0.7 | 3 | 1 | Typical |
| 2008 | 184 | 10 | 3.0 | 3 | 5 | Most complaints |
| 2007 | 155 | 8 | 2.4 | 3 | 2 | Most complaints |
| 2006 | 179 | 9 | 2.7 | 3 | 11 | Most complaints |
| 2005 | 95 | 4 | 1.4 | 3 | 4 | Typical |
| 2004 | 207 | 9 | 2.8 | 6 | 10 | Most complaints |
| 2003 | 214 | 9 | 2.8 | 5 | 12 | Most complaints |
| 2002 | 37 | 1 | 0.5 | 4 | 0 | Fewest complaints |
| 2001 | 83 | 3 | 1.0 | 4 | 2 | Typical |
| 2000 | 62 | 2 | 0.7 | 3 | 5 | Typical |
| 1999 | 80 | 3 | 0.9 | 3 | 5 | Typical |
- 201130 complaints · 4 recallsTypical
- 201030 complaints · 4 recallsTypical
- 200943 complaints · 3 recallsTypical
- 2008184 complaints · 3 recallsMost complaints
- 2007155 complaints · 3 recallsMost complaints
- 2006179 complaints · 3 recallsMost complaints
- 200595 complaints · 3 recallsTypical
- 2004207 complaints · 6 recallsMost complaints
- 2003214 complaints · 5 recallsMost complaints
- 200237 complaints · 4 recallsFewest complaints
- 200183 complaints · 4 recallsTypical
- 200062 complaints · 3 recallsTypical
- 199980 complaints · 3 recallsTypical
Fewest complaints for their age: 2002.
About this comparison
What Saab 9-3 years have the most complaints?
Adjusted for years on the road, 2008, 2004, 2003, 2006, 2007 drew at least twice the typical rate of NHTSA owner complaints among the 13 model years compared.
Is this a reliability rating?
No. These are counts of unverified owner complaints to NHTSA. They are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so a popular year can collect more complaints. Use them to find patterns, then read the reports.
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.