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NHTSA vehicle safety data

2006 Saab 9-3 Recalls & Complaints

The 2006 Saab 9-3 has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns and 179 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Saab dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2006 Saab 9-3. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

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

2006 Saab 9-3 owner complaints

Owners have filed 179 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 Saab 9-3, describing incidents dated October 20, 2005 to August 6, 2025.

Most-cited components

  • Air Bags 87 complaints
  • Service Brakes 31 complaints
  • Engine 16 complaints
  • Seat Belts 15 complaints
  • Fuel/Propulsion System 14 complaints
  • Electrical System 13 complaints

Of the 179 complaints on file, 11 report a crash and 3 a fire; across all 179 complaints, owners report 4 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

  • ODI #11678840 · Filed

    The contact owns a 2006 SAAB 9-3. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and shut off, the contact attempted to start the vehicle, and the vehicle failed to start. The contact also noticed a fuel odor coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was…

  • ODI #11435100 · Filed

    Warning message that airbag is not working. Loud hissing sound immediately in front of dashboard, as if air is escaping. We cannot drive the car for fear of the airbag inflating. We are going to have to towed to a repair shop to be fixed and will keep all paperwork.

  • ODI #11308684 · Filed

    ECU ISSUES, LOSS POWER WHEN DRIVING.

Read all 179 complaints

Owner-reported

2006 Saab 9-3 mileage at failure

91 of the 179 complaints on file for the 2006 Saab 9-3 give the vehicle's mileage when the problem happened.

Mileage at failure by component, from owners' complaints to NHTSA
Service BrakesMedian 35,000 milesMiddle half 20,000–55,000 milesBased on 30 complaints

A component's median is its 50th percentile, and its middle half runs from its 25th to its 75th percentile.

Owners give the mileage themselves, often as a round number, and NHTSA doesn't check it. A complaint that names several components counts under each one, and mileages that can't be right, such as 999,999, or 50 miles on a five-year-old car, are left out.

These figures describe the complaints owners filed. They don't predict when a particular vehicle will have a problem, and vehicles that never had one aren't counted.

Mileage from NHTSA's complaints file of October 31, 2026. How these figures are worked out

NHTSA defect investigations

NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2006 Saab 9-3 in 4 investigations. 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.

Open and recently closed NHTSA defect investigations

Driver's Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Rupture

NHTSA #16V063000 · Air Bags — Frontal — Driver Side — Inflator Module · NHTSA notice

Reported February 3, 2016 · General Motors LLC

Potentially affected: 113,716 vehicles

Repair completion: 84.82% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Manufacturer campaign 28810 and 28811 · Owners notified March 1, 2017 · Vehicles built May 31, 2002 – February 15, 2011 (per NHTSA) · Recall influenced by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation

Recall group: Takata airbag inflators

Defect description

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2006-2011 Saab 9-3 vehicles manufactured May 31, 2002, to February 15, 2011, 2006-2009 Saab 9-5 vehicles manufactured June 7, 2005, to May 28, 2009, and 2008-2009 Saturn Astra vehicles manufactured April 11, 2007, to July 24, 2008. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.

Safety consequence

In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Manufacturer remedy

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator on Saab 9-3 and 9-5 vehicles and will replace the driver's frontal airbag module on Saturn Astra vehicles, free of charge. The recall began on March 1, 2017. Owners may contact Saab customer service at 1-800-955-9007 or Saturn customer service at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 28810.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Front Driver's Side Seat Belt Retractor may Fail

NHTSA #14V318000 · Seat Belts — Front — Retractor · NHTSA notice

Reported June 12, 2014 · General Motors LLC

Potentially affected: 28,789 vehicles

Repair completion: 32.7% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Manufacturer campaign 14222, 15027 · Owners notified October 6, 2015 · Vehicles built June 16, 2005 – July 11, 2006 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2011 Saab 9-3 Convertible vehicles manufactured July 30, 2003, to February 15, 2011. In the affected vehicles, the driver's side front seat belt retractor may break, causing the seat belt webbing not to retract.

Safety consequence

In the event of a crash, a seat belt that has not retracted may not properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing their risk of injury.

Manufacturer remedy

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's seat belt retractor, free of charge. The recall began on October 6, 2015. Owners may contact Saab customer service at 1-800-955-9007. GM's number for this recall is 14222. Note: Special Coverage 10086 will replace the passenger side seat belt retractor if it fails, free of charge, for the life of the vehicle.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

AFTERMARKET FUEL PUMPS

NHTSA #11E009000 · Fuel System, Gasoline — Delivery — Fuel Pump · NHTSA notice

Reported February 28, 2011 · TI GROUP AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LLC

Potentially affected: 4,887 vehicles

Owners notified February 22, 2011

Defect description

TI AUTOMOTIVE IS RECALLING CERTAIN FUEL PUMPS, PART NUMBERS TU456 AND TU303, SOLD UNDER VARIOUS BRAND NAMES AS AFTERMARKET AND REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR THE MOTOR VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE DEFECTIVE FUEL PUMP MAY SEIZE, STOPPING THE FUEL FLOW TO THE ENGINE CREATING A STALLING CONDITION.

Safety consequence

A VEHICLE CRASH COULD OCCUR SHOULD THE ENGINE STALL WHILE IN USE.

Manufacturer remedy

TI AUTOMOTIVE WILL NOTIFY OWNERS OF RECORD AND WILL REPLACE ANY DEFECTIVE FUEL PUMP WITH A NEW OR REWORKED FUEL PUMP FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 22, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TI AUTOMOTIVE AT 1-866-867-3759 OR LOG ON TO WWW.RECALLRESPONSE.COM.

Notes

THIS RECALL ONLY PERTAINS TO AFTERMARKET AND REPLACEMENT FUEL PUMPS AND HAS NO RELATION TO ANY ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT INSTALLED ON VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BY GENERAL MOTORS.OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO <A HREF=HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV>HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV</A> .

Other Saab 9-3 model years

Check your 2006 Saab 9-3 VIN

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

Check a Saab VIN