Your vehicle report
1999 Saab 9-3
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 64
- Received Mar 1999 to Feb 2021
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Airbags fail to deploy in crashes13 complaints · 20% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Engine suddenly shuts off while driving5 complaints · 7.8% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Ignition key sticks or will not turn4 complaints · 6.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #99V362000Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The brake reservoir label was omitted. This does not comply with the requirements of FMVSS no. 135, "passenger car brake systems."
- Recall #99V246000Vehicle 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.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 5 crashes, 0 fires, 10 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 7 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 9 |
| 2000 | 5 |
| 2001 | 3 |
| 2002 | 1 |
| 2003 | 6 |
| 2004 | 5 |
| 2005 | 8 |
| 2006 | 11 |
| 2007 | 3 |
| 2008 | 1 |
| 2009 | 2 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 1 |
| 2014 | 3 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 64 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 13 | 20% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 5 | 7.8% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 4 | 6.3% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 4 | 6.3% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 3 | 4.7% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 3 | 4.7% | – | |
| Heater blows cold air, defroster fails | 3 | 4.7% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #99V362000December 29, 1999424 vehicles affected
equipment: other: labels
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."
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.
Remedy
Owners will be mailed labels and installation instructions.
NHTSA recall #99V246000September 13, 19995,132 vehicles affected
seats
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.
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.
Remedy
Dealers will install a new cable and spring assembly.
NHTSA recall #98V139000June 23, 199839,313 vehicles affected
equipment: other: labels
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."
The vehicle occupant may not properly understand the operation of the air bag system and the need to use seat belts.
Remedy
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.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1999 Saab 9-3.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN