2008 Saab 9-3 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other 9-3 years
- Far more complaints than other years 3rd of 13 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 184 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 Saab 9-3. That ranks 3rd out of 13 9-3 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (71 complaints, 39%), typically at around 52,000 miles. Complaints mention 5 crashes, 1 fire, 6 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 184owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 5complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2008 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 | 71 | 39% | 52,000 | “takata air bags” (31%) | — |
| Engine problems | 66 | 36% | 89,500 | “intake valves” (35%) | $3,350 |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 13 | 7% | 97,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 11 | 6% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 10 | 5% | 71,900 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 10 | 5% | 57,500 | — | — |
| Suspension | 10 | 5% | 61,250 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 4 | 2% | 100,025 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 2% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 2% | 96,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 3 | 2% | 33,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 1% | 9,475 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 1% | 50,350 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 1% | 27,560 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 1% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 1% | 53,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 1% | 1,500 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 1% | 33,500 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2008 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.
- 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.
I have been trying to get this recall done for many years and with no luck. Most recently June 26th 2026 I was informed my recall was not fixable again and I hope for the last time. Enough is enough! Van Bortel Chevrolet in Macedon Ny tried again today which is there 2nd attempt. I had to buy a…
Hello, I know the Takata airbag has to be replaced on my car. However now I do live abroad, in Gothenburg Sweden in Europe. How do I get the replacement done? Should I go to GM here in Europe? Thanks
The contact owns a 2008 Saab 9-3. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 14V318000 (Seat Belts) and 16V063000 (Air Bags); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted; however, the dealer declined to service the vehicle…
at about 98,000 miles the starts to fail transmission fails Also when the car gets too cold in the winter it refuses to start and it is not a battery issue. the cylinders get to cold to start. When the warm weather comes back around it starts again.
Driver seat belt fails to retract. When retraction failure occurs, it is obvious to the seat occupant immediately. If a crash were to occur with a seat belt in this condition, the result could increase the risk of injury to the driver. The seat belt retraction failure has been reproduced and…
Other Saab 9-3 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 9-3 | 30 | 3 |
| 2010 9-3 | 30 | 3 |
| 2009 9-3 | 43 | 2 |
| 2008 | 184 | 2 |
| 2007 9-3 | 155 | 2 |
| 2006 9-3 | 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 2008 Saab 9-3?
Owners most often report air bags, engine, fuel/propulsion system problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 71 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2008 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 2008 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 2008 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.