2004 Saab 9-3 Seat Belts Problems
Owners have filed 79 complaints with NHTSA about seat belts problems on the 2004 Saab 9-3, 38% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 87,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “seat belt” (80% of reports).
- 79seat belts complaints
- 87,000median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 3related recalls
- $770typical repair cost reported by owners
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Seat belt: mentioned in 63 of 79 complaints (80%)
- Driver side: mentioned in 37 of 79 complaints (47%)
- Belts front retractor: mentioned in 18 of 79 complaints (23%)
- Failed retract: mentioned in 12 of 79 complaints (15%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical seat belts repair on the 2004 Saab 9-3 at $770, and half of them between $740 and $820.
Based on 8 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2009–2019), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do seat belts problems happen?
Based on 66 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
None of the 79 complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Saab 9-3 seat belts complaints by model year
When owners reported it
Related recalls (3)
Seat belts:front:retractor
Problem: 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.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Seat belts:front:retractor
Problem: General motors is recalling certain model year 2004 saab 9-3 sedans. Some of these vehicles were produced with front seat belt retractors that, over time, could fail to retract.
Risk: Using a seat belt that has not retracted, and in the event of a crash, a seat occupant may not be properly restrained increasing the risk of personal injury.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE DRIVER SIDE RETRACTOR FREE OF CHARGE. IF THE FRONT PASSENGER RETRACTOR WERE TO FAIL TO RETRACT, GM WILL REPLACE THE FRONT PASSENGER RETRACTOR FREE OF CHARGE UNDER A SPECIAL COVERAGE THAT WILL BE RELEASED FOR THE SAME POPULATION FOR 10 YEARS FROM NEW VEHICLE DATE OF SALE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING JULY 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SAAB AT 1-800-955-9007 OR AT THE OWNER CENTER AT SAABPARTS.COM/US. Note: In June 2014, GM expanded the special coverage from 10 years to be for the lifetime of the vehicle.
Seat belts:front:retractor
Problem: Some sport sedans were built with seat belt retractors that were damaged during the manufacturing process. If damaged, over time, the automatic tensioning system (ats) cable in the seat belt retractor could break causing the belt webbing to not retract.
Risk: In the event of a crash, a front seat occupant may receive more severe injuries.
Fix: Dealers will replace the seat belt retractor assemblies. The recall began on january 24, 2005. Owners should contact saab at 1-800-955-9007.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Retractor won't pull driver side seat belt back in
******* delete voq ******* this complaint is being marked for deletion because the consumer placed the request*djr ******* delete voq *******
Called devoe automotive in naples to have recalled seatbelt fixed, it just failed to retract. I sent a picture of the vin. And was told they could not find it and could not help us with out a letter with our vin on it saying the broken seatbelt was recalled, just because it will not retract that…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2004 Saab 9-3s have seat belts problems?
No. NHTSA has 79 owner complaints about seat belts for the 2004 Saab 9-3 (38% of the 207 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Saab 9-3 seat belts?
Yes: 3 safety recalls list seat belts. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do seat belts problems start?
The median reported mileage is 87,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix seat belts problems on the 2004 Saab 9-3?
Owners report a typical cost of $770 (half paid between $740 and $820), from 8 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about seat belts problems on the 2004 Saab 9-3?
The most frequent phrase is “seat belt”, in 63 of 79 complaints, followed by “driver side” (37).
Other 2004 Saab 9-3 problems
- Suspension problems (52)
See all 2004 Saab 9-3 problems or seat belts problems across all 9-3 years.