Your vehicle report

2001 Saab 9-3

The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.

NHTSA data through October 2026View original NHTSA data Change vehicle

Your vehicle at a glance

Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.

Owner complaints
59
Received Aug 2002 to Nov 2024
Official recalls listed
4
Naming this model year; check your VIN for applicability
BrakeNews flagged problems
0
Statistical signals, not official defect findings or recalls

Owner reports

Most reported problems

  1. 1
    Ignition key sticks or will not turn6 complaints · 10% of this vehicle’s complaints
  2. 2
    Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline6 complaints · 10% of this vehicle’s complaints
  3. 3
    Engine burns excessive oil between changes4 complaints · 6.8% of this vehicle’s complaints
See all reported problems

Official NHTSA records

Recalls to check

  • Recall #06V126000On certain passenger vehicles, the fuel pump retaining tabs holding the fuel lines were damaged during production.
  • Recall #05V399000Certain 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.
View recall details

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 identified

Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 1 crash, 1 fire, 3 people injured, 1 death.

Explore by system

Where do owners report problems?

Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.

Schematic car with five system shortcutsGeneric side view, with the front on the left. Numbered links explore engine, brakes, steering, electrical, and body complaints. Text controls below provide the same choices.12345FRONTSCHEMATIC VIEW

Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.

View selected problems

Showing all 5 listed problems by system.

Engine & powertrain

1 more problem

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

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Steering, suspension & tires

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Body, doors & glass

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

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.

Complaints received about the 2001 Saab 9-3
17
Show as a table
YearComplaints
20023
20033
20044
200517
20067
20073
20087
20090
20103
20111
20121
20131
20142
20150
20162
20170
20180
20191
20201
20212
20220
20230
20241
20250
2026 (to Oct 2026)0
Total59

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.

ProblemComplaintsShareShare ratioStatus
Ignition key sticks or will not turn610%–
Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline610%–NHTSA recall #04V557000, #06V126000
Engine burns excessive oil between changes46.8%–
Engine suddenly shuts off while driving35.1%–
Vehicle suddenly loses engine power at speed35.1%–

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 #06V126000April 20, 200611,886 vehicles affected

    fuel system, gasoline: delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings

    On certain passenger vehicles, the fuel pump retaining tabs holding the fuel lines were damaged during production.

    Over time, this could cause the fuel lines to loosen from the pump resulting in fuel leakage. If an ignition source were present, the fuel may ignite resulting in a vehicle fire.

    Remedy

    Dealers will develop a securing bracket that will secure the fuel lines to the fuel pump even if the plastic retaining tabs should break. The recall began on may 12, 2006. Owners may contact Saab at 1-800-955-9007.

  • NHTSA recall #05V399000September 14, 2005103,202 vehicles affected

    electrical system: ignition: module

    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.

    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.

    Remedy

    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 the dealers to have the idm replaced by letter dated march 13, 2006. Owners may contact Saab at 1-800-955-9007.

  • NHTSA recall #04V557000November 19, 200417,394 vehicles affected

    fuel system, gasoline: delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings

    On certain passenger vehicles, the fuel pump retaining tabs holding the fuel lines were damaged during production.

    Over time, this could cause the fuel lines to loosen from the pump resulting in fuel leakage. If an ignition source were present, the fuel may ignite resulting in a vehicle fire.

    Remedy

    Dealers will develop a securing bracket that will secure the fuel lines to the fuel pump even if the plastic retaining tabs should break. The recall began on march 14, 2005. Owners should contact Saab at 1-800-955-9007.

  • NHTSA recall #01V168000May 18, 200143,073 vehicles affected

    air bags

    Vehicle description: certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with requirements of FMVSS no. 208, "occupant crash protection." the air bag alert labels may not be permanently affixed as required by this standard.

    These vehicles do not comply with the requirements.

    Remedy

    Dealers will clean the sunvisor surface and apply a new air bag alert label on both sunvisors. Owner notification began july 30, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Saab at 1-800-955-9007.

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 2001 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