2006 Saab 9-3 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other 9-3 years
- Far more complaints than other years 4th of 13 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 179 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 Saab 9-3. That ranks 4th out of 13 9-3 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (87 complaints, 49%), typically at around 93,000 miles. Complaints mention 11 crashes, 3 fires, 4 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 4 defect investigations involving it.
- 179owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 4NHTSA investigations
- 11complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2006 Saab 9-3 problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags problems | 87 | 49% | 93,000 | “takata air bags” (29%) | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 23 | 13% | 30,663 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 15 | 8% | 103,927 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 13 | 7% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 11 | 6% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 10 | 6% | 105,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 8 | 4% | 34,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 7 | 4% | 27,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 7 | 4% | 78,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 7 | 4% | 51,902 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 6 | 3% | 4,880 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 5 | 3% | 84,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 5 | 3% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 2% | 118,150 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 3 | 2% | 130,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 2 | 1% | 12,031 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 1% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 1% | 55,200 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 1% | 87,800 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 1% | 27,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 1% | 33,175 | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 1% | 33,175 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 1% | 106,120 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 1% | 110,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2006 Saab 9-3 recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: 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.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
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.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture (EA21002) — opened Sep 17, 2021, still open.
- Front Suspension Coil Spring Fracture (EA08026) — opened Dec 22, 2008, closed Jun 4, 2010.
- Front suspension coil spring fracture (PE08051) — opened Aug 28, 2008, closed Dec 23, 2008.
- Reduced brake power-assist (PE08005) — opened Jan 28, 2008, closed Jun 3, 2008.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
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…
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.
Ecu issues, loss power when driving.
I have been trying to find a dealership to fix my recall but general motors stated they do not fix it. I am receiving calls and letters every other week. Who will fix this issue ??? I am located in the wilkes barre pa 18705 area. Please advise thank you
When i used my cruise control sometimes it engages and does not engage. It did this for over a month. When i first bought the car, i did my research on it and it said that it has a steering fluid loss problem, because the quality is poor. I am curious to why there has not been a recall on it yet.
Other Saab 9-3 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 9-3 | 30 | 3 |
| 2010 9-3 | 30 | 3 |
| 2009 9-3 | 43 | 2 |
| 2008 9-3 | 184 | 2 |
| 2007 9-3 | 155 | 2 |
| 2006 | 179 | 2 |
| 2005 9-3 | 95 | 2 |
| 2004 9-3 | 207 | 5 |
| 2003 9-3 | 212 | 4 |
| 2002 9-3 | 37 | 4 |
| 2001 9-3 | 59 | 4 |
| 2000 9-3 | 50 | 2 |
| 1999 9-3 | 64 | 3 |
See all Saab 9-3 problems by year, every Saab model, or the VIN decoder.
Similar Saab models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Saab 9-3?
Owners most often report air bags, service brakes, hydraulic, seat belts problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 87 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2006 Saab 9-3?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2006 Saab 9-3 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other 9-3 model years, the 2006 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.