NHTSA vehicle safety data

1999 Saab 9-3 Convertible Recalls & Complaints

We couldn't confirm the NHTSA recall list for the 1999 Saab 9-3 Convertible right now, so this page doesn't state a recall count — check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls for current campaigns. 16 owner complaints are on file.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 1999 Saab 9-3 Convertible.

Pre-purchase inspection checklist → Reliability & 5-year cost forecast →

1999 Saab 9-3 Convertible owner complaints

Owners have filed 16 complaints with NHTSA about the 1999 Saab 9-3 Convertible, describing incidents dated June 27, 2000 to August 18, 2015.

Most-cited components

Air Bags 4 complaints
Electrical System 4 complaints
Seat Belts 3 complaints
Engine 1 complaint
Fuel/Propulsion System 1 complaint
Power Train 1 complaint

Of the 16 complaints on file, 1 reports a fire; across all 16 complaints, owners report 1 injury (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

ODI #10749634 · Filed August 18, 2015
I WAS TRAVELING ALONG ON THE INTERSTATE AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE SIDE CURTAIN DRIVER AIRBAG DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON. IT NEARLY CAUSED ME TO WRECK FROM THE LOUD POP WHICH BLURRED MY VISION AS WELL.
ODI #10638470 · Filed September 23, 2014
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 SAAB 9-3 CONVERTIBLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRACT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. UPDATED 10/29/14*CN
ODI #10372366 · Filed December 25, 2010
DRIVER SEAT BELT RETRACTOR FAILED. *TR

Read all 16 complaints

NHTSA defect investigations

NHTSA's investigations file lists the 1999 Saab 9-3 Convertible in 1 investigation. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.

Preliminary Evaluation PE05-017: ENGINE STALL/ ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
Closed September 23, 2005
- Recall 05V-399
- Recall 06V-410

Open and recently closed NHTSA defect investigations

We couldn't confirm the NHTSA recall list for the 1999 Saab 9-3 Convertible right now — this is not a confirmed "no recalls". Check the VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls for the official status.

try.vin has no NCAP crash-test rating on file for the 1999 Saab 9-3 Convertible. NHTSA rates some vehicles by body style — pickups by cab, vans by roof height — so check nhtsa.gov/ratings.

16 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 1999 Saab 9-3 Convertible.

Air Bags

ODI #10749634

Incident: August 18, 2015 · Filed: August 18, 2015

I WAS TRAVELING ALONG ON THE INTERSTATE AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE SIDE CURTAIN DRIVER AIRBAG DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON. IT NEARLY CAUSED ME TO WRECK FROM THE LOUD POP WHICH BLURRED MY VISION AS WELL.

Seat Belts

ODI #10638470

Incident: February 3, 2014 · Filed: September 23, 2014

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 SAAB 9-3 CONVERTIBLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRACT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. UPDATED 10/29/14*CN

Seat Belts

ODI #10372366

Incident: December 13, 2010 · Filed: December 25, 2010

DRIVER SEAT BELT RETRACTOR FAILED. *TR

Air Bags

ODI #10239614

Incident: July 7, 2008 · Filed: August 25, 2008

WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING TO WORK, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED. THERE WAS NO COLLISION AND ONLY THE SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED, NONE OF THE OTHERS DID. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT IF IT HAD BEEN ANY OF THE OTHER AIRBAGS, PARTICULARLY THOSE ON THE LEFT. AS IT WAS, THE NOXIOUS FUMES AND DUST FROM THE AIR BAG CAUSED SOME RESPIRATORY DISTRESS AND REDUCED THE VISIBILITY INSIDE THE VEHICLE. *TR

Engine and Engine Cooling

ODI #10209411

Fire

Incident: October 7, 2007 · Filed: November 15, 2007

1999 SAAB 93 CAUGHT FIRE WHILE ON THE OHIO TURNPIKE. SEEMS LIKE THE FIRE ORIGINATED UNDER THE HOOD IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. *KB (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT)*JB

Air Bags

ODI #10189364

1 injury

Incident: April 27, 2007 · Filed: May 1, 2007

DRIVING ON ROAD AND PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED ON ITS OWN IN AFTERNOON OF FRIDAY, APRIL 27TH. NO PASSENGER WAS IN THE SEAT. SAAB WAS IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED. CAR WAS TAKEN TO SAAB DEALER MONDAY MORNING. CAR WAS LEFT THERE ALL DAY AND SAAB CORP WAS TO HAVE THE CAR INSPECTED. NOTHING WAS DONE AND CAR WAS PICKED UP ON MONDAY EVENING. WE ARE DESPERATELY TRYING TO GET SAAB TO LOOK AT THE CAR BUT THEY ARE BEING DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH. SAAB CORP IS NOT GIVING ANY INDICATION AS TO WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO DO TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND ENSURE IT DOES NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. SAAB CORP AND SAAB DEALER DO NOT HAVE A SENSE OF URGENCY TO GET THE CAR LOOKED AT. THE FEAR NOW IS THAT ANOTHER ONE MAY GO OFF UNEXPECTEDLY. DRIVERS EAR HAS NOT BEEN NORMAL SINCE THE INCIDENT. *TR

Electrical System

ODI #10161279

Incident: January 26, 2005 · Filed: July 3, 2006

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT TWO VEHICLES WERE TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR REPAIRS ON THE DI CASSETTE OR THE ID MODULE. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE TWO VEHICLES MAY BE UNDER RECALL FOR THE PARTS AFFECTED. HOWEVER AFTER AN INVESTIGATION IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THESE VEHICLES. THE VEHICLES WAS REPAIRED THREE TIMES PRIOR WITH THE SAME PART. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED. UPDATED 7/19/2006 - *NM

Air Bags

ODI #10147925

Incident: January 16, 2006 · Filed: January 17, 2006

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WITH NO KEY IN THE IGNITION. WHEN THE CONTACT LEANED OVER TO THE PASSENGER SEAT, THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THE AIR BAG WAS CUT OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE IS DRIVABLE. *NM

Electrical System

ODI #10136454

Incident: September 10, 2005 · Filed: September 14, 2005

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHILE I WAS HIGHWAY DRIVING; I PARKED THE VEHICLE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND DIDN'T USE IT UNTIL THE MECHANIC WAS AVAILABLE. THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST SHOWED DIRECT IGNITION FAILURE, THE PART WAS REPLACED WITH A NEW PART. BEING A LONG-TIME SAAB OWNER, OF SEVERAL MODELS, I AM AWARE THAT CERTAIN MODELS HAVE ASSOCIATED PROBLEMS, SUCH AS THIS PART. *JB

Fuel System, Gasoline

ODI #10130862

Incident: July 31, 2005 · Filed: August 26, 2005

DT: CONSUMER STATES THE FUEL PUMP RETAINING TABS THAT HOLD THE FUEL LINE TOGETHER FAILED ON A 1999 SAAB 9-3 CONVERTIBLE. THE CONSUMER SMELLED GAS, WHILE DRIVING. PULLED OVER AND SAW THAT THE GAS WAS LEAKING OUT EVERYWHERE. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE MODELS 2001-2002 WERE RECALLED ON THE EXACT SAME THING. THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING FINE BEFORE THIS. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD CONSUMER THAT HIS CAR WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER SAID THAT IT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. IF THERE WERE MORE COMPLAINTS THEY WOULD BROADEN THE RECALL YEAR. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN REGULARLY MAINTAINED . THE CAR WAS FIXED TODAY.*AK

Other Saab 9-3 Convertible model years

Check your 1999 Saab 9-3 Convertible VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Saab 9-3 Convertible at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

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