Saab 9-5 years to avoidWhat NHTSA complaint data does and doesn’t say
We compared 13 model years of the Saab 9-5 by owner complaints to NHTSA, adjusted for how long each year has been on the road. 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 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 | 9 | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | Typical |
| 2010 | 2 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | Fewest complaints |
| 2009 | 2 | 0 | 0.1 | 1 | 0 | Fewest complaints |
| 2008 | 20 | 1 | 1.0 | 2 | 0 | Typical |
| 2007 | 17 | 1 | 0.8 | 2 | 0 | Typical |
| 2006 | 23 | 1 | 1.0 | 2 | 0 | Typical |
| 2005 | 11 | 1 | 0.5 | 2 | 2 | Fewest complaints |
| 2004 | 19 | 1 | 0.8 | 2 | 1 | Typical |
| 2003 | 49 | 2 | 1.9 | 4 | 1 | Typical |
| 2002 | 65 | 3 | 2.5 | 6 | 2 | Most complaints |
| 2001 | 82 | 3 | 3.0 | 4 | 0 | Most complaints |
| 2000 | 102 | 4 | 3.6 | 3 | 1 | Most complaints |
| 1999 | 117 | 4 | 4.0 | 2 | 4 | Most complaints |
- 20119 complaints · 0 recallsTypical
- 20102 complaints · 0 recallsFewest complaints
- 20092 complaints · 1 recallFewest complaints
- 200820 complaints · 2 recallsTypical
- 200717 complaints · 2 recallsTypical
- 200623 complaints · 2 recallsTypical
- 200511 complaints · 2 recallsFewest complaints
- 200419 complaints · 2 recallsTypical
- 200349 complaints · 4 recallsTypical
- 200265 complaints · 6 recallsMost complaints
- 200182 complaints · 4 recallsMost complaints
- 2000102 complaints · 3 recallsMost complaints
- 1999117 complaints · 2 recallsMost complaints
Fewest complaints for their age: 2009, 2010, 2005.
About this comparison
What Saab 9-5 years have the most complaints?
Adjusted for years on the road, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 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.